Food is obviously important for nutritional reasons. We clearly need it to survive but it is also meaningful for social reasons.
Many of us have fond food memories that remind us of a person, place or thing. Food is nostalgic and part of most celebrations with family and friends. It is also tied to cultures and regions. Certain spices, produce or cooking techniques are associated with different countries and parts of the world.
What is your favorite food memory? For me, it is making Carrot Cake from scratch with my grandmother when I was about 5 years old. It is tamales on Christmas Eve. Or, it is Gumbo, Crawfish or Beignets for Mardi Gras and Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.
Cooking my spouse, children, friends and family’s favorite foods and desserts for their birthday, holiday or just because is one of my greatest expressions of love.
Easter Sunday is right around the corner and if you’re looking for a quick, easy and delicious appetizer this Mini Spinach, Pancetta and Cheese Frittata recipe is it! You can make these ahead and serve them room-temperature or cook them right before your guests arrive. Either way, you will not go wrong.
I used my @PerfectResults Premium Non-Stick Bakeware 48 cavity mini-muffin pan and served these at a baby shower. Then, I garnished the platter with edible flowers and a sprig of rosemary to give a pop of color.
Mini Spinach, Pancetta and Cheese Frittatas
Ingredients:
1 5 to 6 ounces pancetta, such as Primo Taglio, Columbus or Boars Head
1/2 large onion, diced
1 TBSP olive oil
12 medium to large size eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded such as Kraft or Lucerne
2 to 3 cups spinach, fresh or frozen
Leaves from 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use cooking spray to grease your mini muffin pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use a whisk or mixer to beat eggs until light and frothy about 6 minutes. Add the cheese and stir to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
In a medium size sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add the pancetta and onions. Cook until the onions are translucent and the pancetta is lightly browned about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the spinach (if you use frozen spinach, make sure it is completely thawed and all the water is pressed out. I put the thawed spinach in a colander and squeeze it out using my hands until all of the moisture is gone. Then, add the spinach to the sauté pan and combine thoroughly. If you use fresh spinach, you’ll need to double the quantity since it will shrink down. Cook the fresh spinach in the sauté pan for 3 minutes until it wilts down). Remove the mixture from the heat and let cook for 5 minutes.
Add the cooled spinach mixture to the eggs. Then, add the fresh thyme, ground pepper and red pepper flakes stir until completely combined.
Use a spoon to ladle the mixture into the sprayed muffin tin about 3/4 full. Do not overfill. Top each with the parmesan cheese. I had enough batter for about 40 mini frittatas.
Cook for 15 to 18 minutes until the edges of the muffins are lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and let cool about 5 minutes. Use a sharp knife to glide around the outside of the muffins until you can gently remove them.
Serve immediately or place them on a serving platter and cover if you’re making them ahead. You can also put them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator if you are making them ahead. Serve within 6 to 8 hours.
Virtual wine tasting can be a fun way to stay connected with family, friends and even clients or co-workers. I’m hosting one next week for clients and wanted to provide the perfect food pairing suggestions for those attending. Below are the appetizers that pair nicely to the three wines we’ll be sampling — Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc (blend) and Cabernet Sauvignon. I also included Cheese Board recommendations that pair with each wine that I’ll share in another post.
GOAT CHEESE AND FRIED SHALLOT DIP — Pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay wines
Ingredients:
1 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 2 shallot bulbs)
¼ cup olive oil or canola oil
4 ounces plain rindless goat cheese, such as Laura Chenel, at room temperature
4 to 5 tablespoons buttermilk
Thinly sliced fresh chives
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Pat the shallots dry on paper towels. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and sauté, stirring often, until they turn dark brown, 12 to 15 minutes. For the first few minutes, it will seem like nothing is happening, but once the shallots start to brown, they darken quickly. Stir almost constantly during the final minutes so they darken evenly without burning.
Drain the shallots in a small sieve set over a bowl. Spread the drained shallots on a paper towel and let cool until crisp.
Put the goat cheese in a bowl and whisk in enough buttermilk thinning to a desired consistency. Fold in the shallots and most of the chives, reserving some for garnish. Stir in garlic to taste and then season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and top with reserved chives.
Serve immediately with summer vegetables, crackers or baguette slices for dipping.
“GROWN-UP” GRILLED FONTINA CHEESE, MUSHROOM AND SAGE SANDWICHES – Pairs well with Cab Franc blends, Pinot Noir (my favorite), Merlot and Bordeaux wines
Ingredients:
3 TBSP butter, 2 melted
½ pound mushrooms, cut into thin slices (you can leave these out if you have picky eaters that don’t like mushrooms)
¼ tsp salt and ground pepper
4 tsp fresh chopped sage or 1 ¼ tsp dried sage
8 slices country-style bread
2 cups Fontina cheese, grated
Directions:
Heat 1 TBSP butter in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and sage. Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Once done, put the mushroom mixture in a bowl and set aside.
Using a pastry brush, coat one side of 4 slices of the bread with the other half of the melted butter. Put them buttered-side down on a work surface. Top the bread with the cheese and then the mushrooms. Cover with the remaining 4 slices of bread; brush the tops with more of the melted butter.
Heat the frying pan over moderately low heat. Add the sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden about 2 minutes per side.
Slice each sandwich into four squares or triangles for appetizers or keep whole for 4 delicious sandwiches.
BACON WRAPPED DATES STUFFED WITH BLEU CHEESE – Pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon or other bold Red wines
Ingredients:
1 pound sliced bacon, cut in half lengthwise
1 pound pitted dates (or figs if you prefer)
4 ounces Blue cheese, Stilton Cheese, Roquefort or Gorgonzola
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Slice dates (or figs) in half and open them up carefully. Pinch off pieces of cheese and place them in the center of the dates (or figs). Close the halves and wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside. Secure with a toothpick.
Arrange on a baking sheet or in a baking dish that has sides to catch any grease.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Turn the dates (or figs) over and cook an additional 20 minutes.
This is one of my easy, go-to appetizer recipes that is perfect for any occasion. Recently, I made it for a bridal shower in August and friend’s birthday gathering in November. It is definitely festive for the upcoming holidays with its pomegranate and thyme garnishing. I will definitely be serving this again!
There are several steps but don’t be intimidated. You can do it!
Ingredients:
For the Candied Pecans
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 TBSP unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 1/2 TBSP brown sugar
2 tsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp kosher salt
For the Blackberry Compote
2 cups blackberries, save a few for garnish
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP honey
1 tsp vanilla
For the Brie
2 8 ounce wheels of Brie or 1 16 ounce, room temperature
pomegranate seeds for garnish
thyme leaves for garnish
hardy crackers that do not break easily such as Mary’s Gone Crackers or Homemade Crostini (recipe below)
Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Place the pecans on the sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes (do not burn)
Mix together the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt in a bowl
Carefully, pace the hot pecans into the mixture and evenly coat. Spread them on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
In a medium saucepan, heat the blackberries, lemon juice, honey and vanilla on medium heat, stirring occassionally. Turn up the heat to medium and continue to stir until the mixture is reduced to syrup consistency. Remove from heat and let cool.
Slice off the top of the brie rinds and discard. Leave the sides intact. Bake the wheels of Brie for 15 minutes at 350 degrees until melted through
Add Brie to a serving platter and top each with blackberry compote and the candied pecans.
Garnish with the remaining blackberries, pomegranate seeds and fresh thyme leaves.
Serve immediately with crackers or crostini.
Homemade Crostini
Baguette of choice, sliced into 1/8″ round toasts
5 TBSP olive oil, more as needed
Coarse Salt
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the crostini in a single layer to fill the pan
Using a pastry brush rub each round with olive oil
Season each with coarse salt
Bake for 4-5 minutes depending on your oven until they are slightly browned and crisp (do not burn)
It’s that time of year for holiday parties with family and friends. Many of us will be asked to bring an appetizer or two for a festive dinner party. Or, perhaps we’ll be hosting a cocktail party of our own.
Appetizers or hors-d’oeuvre as my spouse likes me to call them do not need to be boring or predictable. They can be elegant but simple to wow your crowd into thinking you spent all day in the kitchen.
The following is one appetizer packed with flavor to get your party started!
Mini Beef Wellington (24 pieces)
Ingredients:
2 TBSP olive oil
2 lbs beef tenderloin, cut into 24 (1″) cubes — be consistent with the size so they look alike
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 sheets puff pastry (you can purchase Pepperidge Farms or Dufour frozen puff pastry and thaw before using or buy my new favorite Wewalka that is in the dairy isle next to the butter)
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and season all sides with salt and pepper. Quickly sear the beef on 2 sides until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes total. Do not overcook. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Add the mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown and release liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and continue cooking until mushroom mixture dries out, is golden brown and shallots are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
On a work surface, roll 1 sheet of puff pastry to a 10 by 14 inch rectangle. You can use a small amount of flour if needed. Cut the puff pastry in three lengthwise. Then, cut the long pieces into 4 even squares.
Put a teaspoon-size mound of the mushroom mixture on a puff pastry square. Top the mushroom mound with a piece of the beef. Fold the ends of the puff pastry over the meat to make a round packet, covering the mixture completely.
Invert and arrange the packet seam side down on the prepared baking sheet a few inches apart. Press them slightly to seal the pastry. Repeat with the remaining beef, mushrooms and pastry.
Bake the Wellington packets until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes (depending on your oven). Once baked, remove to a serving platter and let cool about 10 minutes before serving.
I like to serve with Stonewall Kitchen’s Horseradish Cream Sauce or you can add your favorite horseradish mixture or aioli.
Enjoy! XOXO Jill
I’ll provide plenty more appetizer recipes in the weeks to come to get you through the holidays!
Jill's Cooking 