Parmesan Peppercorn Salad Dressing

 

With few exceptions, I make my own salad dressing. Having more than once read the ingredients on bottled salad dressing, I tend to shy away from those. There’s really nothing to making your own salad dressing, particularly if you have a mini food processor to blend everything together for you. It emulsifies salad dressing like nobody’s business, even better than those you buy in the store that will occasionally need a good shaking. You just have to make up your mind that you’re going to do it, and once you do, not only will you enjoy it, but you’ll start to experiment like I did with this dressing. Give it some thought. It’s economical, the quality control is unbeatable, and the taste and freshness is phenomenal.

 Parmesan Peppercorn Salad Dressing

½ c. buttermilk
½ c. Duke’s mayonnaise
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of ½ lemon
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
¼ t. kosher salt

Combine all ingredients with either a mini food processor, or by whisking to within an inch of your life. Cover, refrigerate. Keeps 7 to 10 days.

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Bacon Tomato Bites

 

This is a recipe of my late mother’s. She made these as far back as I can remember. They were always a huge hit, with everyone asking for the recipe. Everyone, that is, except me because I always thought they looked way too fiddly for my man hands. I got to thinking about these the other day when I was thinking about my mother because I still associate the two, and I thought I would give it a whirl. I used Melissa’s baby heirloom tomatoes because they are larger than cherry tomatoes, and the perfect size to use with the small end of a melon baller, making the cleaning out much less difficult than I anticipated.

 

The filling can be made ahead and refrigerated for stuffing tomatoes within a day or two. The tomatoes can be stuffed and stored in the refrigerator overnight; you decide which you prefer. They work equally well at a brunch as they do at luncheon, picnic, or dinner. I guarantee all who consume these are going to ask for the recipe. As an aside, these little rascals do tend to roll, so serving them in an olive dish just may not be a bad idea.

Bacon Tomato Bites

24 Melissa’s baby heirloom tomatoes
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ c. finely chopped scallions
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
½ c. Duke’s mayonnaise
Freshly ground black pepper

Remove stems from tomatoes and, using a sharp knife, cut a thin portion of the top off. Carefully hollow out tomatoes using a small spoon, grapefruit spoon, or the small end of a melon baller, as I did, leaving a 1/8-inch thick shell. Invert the tomatoes onto a paper towel-lined plate, and allow to drain while you make the filling.

 In a medium bowl combine bacon, scallions, cheese, and mayonnaise; stir until well blended. Fill tomatoes with bacon mixture, top with freshly ground black pepper, and refrigerate for a number of hours before serving.

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Parmesan Artichoke Quiche

Last Saturday night I got it into my head that I was going to serve an impromptu brunch on Labor Day. If you ever get it into your head to do the same, here's a word of advice: don't!  A brunch is a lot of work and takes more time, I am convinced, than it does to prepare a dinner, particularly in my case where there was both little time and little planning.  But, I'm a softie, and as a number of people had no place to go and were so appreciative of the invitation, ultimately, I was glad that I did it. It was, however, no easy task. One person eats nothing raw, another is a vegetarian, still another eats only things of tepid temperature, but two others, bless them, will eat anything.

My menu was as follows:

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup
Caesar Salad
Bacon
Creamed Chipped Beef on English Muffins
Parmesan Artichoke Quiche
Green Beans Amandine
Fruit Salad
Pecan Chocolate Espresso Coffee Cake

Coffee, Tea

Everybody loved it. The recipe for the quiche was a new one and is the creation of Magpie Café in Saint Charles, MO. I've talked about them before -- their potato soup is legendary -- so it stood to reason that the quiche would be tasty as well. 

Parmesan Artichoke Quiche
Magpie Café, Saint Charles, MO

Pastry for 9-inch deep-dish pie

1 1/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1 cup coarsely chopped canned (not marinated) artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with pastry; flute edges. Sprinkle Monterey Jack cheese in an even layer over bottom of pie shell.

Melt butter with oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add artichokes; sauté until all liquid from artichokes has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Scatter sautéed artichokes over Monterey Jack cheese in pie shell; sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with half-and-half; stir in salt and pepper. Slowly pour egg mixture into pie shell. Bake on bottom shelf of oven until top puffs and turns golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes before slicing.

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Be Inspired Friday

Foodie Friday

Kräftig Beer Cheese Soup

I enjoy making soup and find that few people will turn soup away.  Of course, the trick is to match up the right soup with the right people.  A chilled cucumber soup would not be something I’d serve to a mixed crowd during a sporting event.  No.  So when the Super Bowl arrived, along with this recipe by email from Tasting Table, I knew I had to try it.  I pumped up nutrition (as much as one can in a soup that consists of beer and cheese) and taste, by adding extra ingredients.  We all enjoyed it very much.  Here is my version.

 

Kräftig Beer Cheese Soup

Adapted from Tasting Table

1½ cups whole milk

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

3 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 shallots, chopped

1 small Melissa’s fennel bulb, sliced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 dried bay leaf

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup Kräftig Lager beer, room temperature

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3/4 pound sharp cheddar, coarsely grated

¼ cup Parmigianino, grated

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled (for garnish)

Fennel sprig (for garnish), optional

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine milk and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low to keep the mixture warm.

In a soup pot set over medium heat, add the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter.  Heat until butter is melted, and swirl with the oil to incorporate the two.  Add the carrots, celery, onion, shallots, fennel, garlic and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 3 minutes.

Slowly pour in the warm milk-broth mixture, whisking constantly to avoid forming lumps. Whisk in the beer and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently and monitoring the heat so the soup simmers but doesn’t boil (boiling causes the soup to separate). Remove the bay leaf and stir in the Worcestershire sauce. While stirring constantly, gradually add the cheeses, salt, and pepper.

Using an immersion blender, blend soup to desired consistency.  I like my soup a little chunky, so didn’t continue to blend until it was completely smooth.  Control is the beauty of the immersion blender.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve topped with the fennel tops and bacon.

This post is linked to: 

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Foodie Friday

Linguine in Broccoli Cream Sauce

Sometimes it’s not easy to get a serving of vegetables into a vegetable hating family, particularly if children are involved.  This dish is rather simple to prepare and makes eating vegetables painless and tasty.  It’s very forgiving, so you can alter the seasonings to suit your tastes, or add some of your own.  Eliminating the nutmeg and tossing fresh basil leaves into the processor when making the purée gives it a very fresh summery taste.  For fall and winter, nutmeg gives it an earthier one.  Experiment, have fun, and eat your veggies!

Linguine in Broccoli Cream Sauce

1 lb. fresh broccoli
1 teaspoon Melissa’s minced garlic (more or less to taste)

1/2 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (more or less to taste)

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 package linguine

Cook broccoli in boiling salted water until tender.  Remove broccoli to cool in ice water, reserving cooking water.  Replace cooking water on heat and let it return to a boil. Cook pasta until tender; drain.  Meanwhile, in food processor with steel blade, combine broccoli, garlic, butter, hot sauce, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Pulse to purée.  (This mixture can be made ahead if need be.)

In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat just until simmering and stir in the broccoli sauce.  Add ½ cup Parmesan and bring back to a simmer.  In a warmed serving dish, toss the warm pasta with the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan, and pour on the cream sauce, tossing well.  Garnish with broccoli flowerets and gratings of Parmesan and serve immediately.

Serves 8 as a side dish.

This post is linked to:

Wow Us Wednesday

Smoked Gouda Cheese Straws

In my continued observance of National Bread Month I turned, this morning, to the cooking magazine produced by our local market and made Smoked Gouda Cheese Straws.  As delicious as they are easy, these can serve the dual purpose of being both a snack and a bread course.  I served them with the Beef Bourguignon that we had for dinner, but of course we had to snack on them as soon as they came out of the oven.  Light, crispy, cheesy, and delicious, they'd go equally well with salad or soup, or a frosty mug of beer while watching your favorite football game. I cut this recipe in half -- easily done -- and went a bit light on the red pepper flakes (although we could have used more).  I also think that during the final step next time I'll brush the pastry with the egg mixture before twisting them rather than after, to get a more even coating of the mixture, and to facilitate twisting.

SMOKED GOUDA CHEESE STRAWS

from Everybody Cooks by Dierberg's Markets

1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed in refrigerator overnight

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

 8 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) (divided)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (divided)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (divided)

Coarse Salt

On lightly floured surface, roll one pastry sheet into 10 x 12-inch rectangle.  

Brush with egg mixture; sprinkle half of each of the Gouda, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes over one half of the pastry.

 Fold pastry in half to enclose filling; firmly roll to 7 x 14-inch rectangle.  

Cut pastry crosswise into 1/2" strips (total of 20 to 22 strips).  Twist strips and place on parchment-lined baking sheet, pressing down ends.  

Brush tops with egg mixture; sprinkle coarse salt over top.  Repeat with remaining pastry sheet and ingredients.  Bake in 400 degree oven until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 1- to 12 minutes.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.  Makes about 3-1.2 dozen.  These are best the day they are baked.  To crisp leftovers, place on baking sheet in 400 degree oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Mouthwatering Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Tasty Tuesday

What's Cooking Wednesday

Foodie Friday

Palmiers with Mustard and Prosciutto

We are nothing if not elegant when it comes to serving up snacks during the big game whether that game is baseball, football, or some Safari segment on Animal Planet.  As complicated as these look, they are actually very easy to put together, and can be assembled in about 15 minutes.  But the real beauty of this tasty little snack is that it can be frozen in log or sliced form and simply popped into the oven when you're ready to make them so you can wow a crowd with your culinary skills while still looking composed and refreshed.  This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, St. Louis Days, St. Louis Nights, and has never failed me.  If you need something sweet rather than savory, mix things up a bit by spreading softened butter on the rolled out pastry instead of the mustard and top with a cinnamon and sugar mixture, or simply spread it with jam.  What could be easier?

I annotate every recipe I make for future reference.

After thawing, open up your sheet of puff pastry and place on a board or countertop that has been dusted with flour.

Using a rolling pin, roll it out to approximately 18" x 11".

I use both Dijon mustard and the grainy, stone ground mustard combination for the best taste.  If you plan to do the same, make the first layer the smooth Dijon.

Spread the grainy mustard on top of the existing Dijon.

Use the best prosciutto that you can find to avoid ending up with a fatty, rubbery variety.  We buy ours at an Italian market, Di Gregorio's.

I have used both Parmesan and Romano cheeses and they work equally well.  I store these cheeses in the freezer (hence the lumps you see here, that do not matter one bit) to keep them fresh and help them to last longer.

Roll up as tightly as you can to keep it from trying to unroll when you slice it.

Trim the edges with a sharp knife.

Cover in plastic and chill to make slicing easier, or cover in plastic and then slip into a freezer bag to freeze for up to 4 months.

The sharper the knife, the easier these are to cut.  I turn the roll seam side down when cutting.  Do NOT use a serrated knife.

Place cut slices on parchment or a Silpat.

Brush with egg wash.  Use a silcone brush (If you don't have one of these, click on the link at the bottom of this post for more info.  You'll thank me later.) to coat with the egg wash.

This post is linked to: 

Foodie Friday
Food on Friday
Friday Favorites
Friday Fat Camp
I'm Lovin' It Friday
Simply Delish Saturday
Fantabulous Friday

Kale Chips

If you've ever tried the flash-fried spinach that seems to be so popular at restaurants these days, then you are going to love this recipe.  I had some kale left over from yesterday's pork roast (prior to yesterday's culinary adventure, I was a kale virgin), and wondered what the heck to do with it.  Then I remembered my cousin telling me (Thanks, Kelly!) that she tosses it with olive oil, sprinkles it with salt, bakes it in the oven and her kids (yes, her kids) love it.  She and her husband do too.  And now, so do we.  Can you imagine something crispy, crunchy, tasty, and healthy?  It tastes very much like the fried stuff, but this is baked.  I know, I couldn't believe it either.  You're just going to have to try it for yourself.  It goes together in no time.

Here's how:

Crispy Kale Chips

1 head kale, leaves separated, rinsed, 

dried, cut lengthwise in half, 

center ribs and stems removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Dash of sea salt

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 250°F. Place kale on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle it lightly with oil.  Toss together until the leaves are coated. Sprinkle sparingly with sea salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in single layer and bake until crisp, about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and dust lightly with Parmesan cheese. Transfer leaves to rack to cool.

This post is linked to:

Foodie Friday
Food on Friday
Friday Favorites
Friday Fat Camp
Fantabulous Friday
I'm Lovin' It Friday