Salmon Cucumber Cups

If you’re looking for a healthy, tasty and easy appetizer, this should be your new go to recipe. This comes together in minutes and can be served as an actual spread with crackers or as a dip. However, if you’re feeling “fancy” and looking to impress a bit, you could use it in cucumber cups, as shown in the photo above. They make a great presentation, they’re an easy, no mess, finger food and are definitely a healthy, low carb option.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 – 1/2 lb. smoked salmon, chopped
2 Tbs. grated onion or finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh dill, chopped
2 Tbs. sour cream
1 Tbs. plain greek yogurt
1 Tbs. capers
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
fresh ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients, mix well and serve with pumpernickel squares, crackers or some nice crunchy crostini.

CUCUMBER CUPS
1-2 English cucumbers
Cut the cucumber into 1″ pieces, then, using a melon baller (a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon works well too) , scoop out the center of the cucumber to form a ‘cup’ for the salmon. Lightly salt the cucumber cups and turn upside down on a paper towel for 10-15 minutes. Finally, when fully drained, fill the ‘cups’ with the salmon spread, arrange on your platter and serve with a little garnish of dill fronds.

salmon spread



Focaccia aka Tuscan Pizza

Focaccia is really just a scaled down version of pizza. Although I would define this more as a flavored flatbread, you can call it what you wish. However, please, do yourself a favor and just try this! The toppings on a focaccia are not the main focus, though they do impart wonderful and essential flavorings. The highlight here is on the simplicity of the bread itself. And isn’t that what we all love about authentic Italian food? Using the best ingredients you can find, use very few of them and then produce an insanely tasty product. Well, my friends, this recipe hits that spot. I think you will fall in love, with your first bite.

To keep things really simple, you could go to a good pizza spot and buy their dough. Alternatively, you can use my  pizza dough recipe, which is super quick, easy and reliable. Please note, that this is not a big, fluffy, piece of bread. Therefore, there are many options when serving. For example, it is wonderful as a stand-alone snack or served alongside a meal. Additionally, and my personal favorite, I prefer it sliced thinly and served as an appetizer, with cocktails.

focaccia ingredients

INGREDIENTS
1 round of dough
4-5 small shallots, thinly sliced
8-10 kalamata olives, pitted and halved
3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary, stripped from stems
1/2 tsp. each, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
pinch of crushed red pepper
5 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. Maldon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425º
In a small bowl, combine the shallots, rosemary, 3 1/2 tablespoons of the oil, salt and pepper. Mix well, breaking up the shallot rings and set aside. Meanwhile, preheat a 12″ cast iron skillet (or any heavy, ovenproof skillet) either on top of the stove or in the preheating oven. Next, roll out the pizza dough to approximately a 10″ round.

focaccia

Then, when the skillet is hot, remove from the heat and add the remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is shimmering, carefully lay the rolled-out dough in the pan. Finally, using your fingertips, make multiple indentations in the dough and spread the shallot mixture on top. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until browned on top. Finally, remove from the oven, immediately add a sprinkling of the Maldon salt and let cool for about ten minutes, before slicing.

focaccia

 




Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes Baked with Capers and Herbs

This incredibly versatile recipe is adapted from Local Flavors, Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets, by Deborah Madison and although I think I have the original, first printed in 2002, you can get the updated version from 2012. Check out her other cookbooks here, they are definitely worth investigating.

Although you certainly can use just one color, I prefer to use a combination of red, orange and yellow peppers, because, it really makes for a prettier dish. You can use this as a simple salad at room temperature, just make sure that you serve it with fresh from the oven crostini. The bread allows you to get every last bit of the juices, which are amazing.

Additionally, you can use it as a topping on crostini with some plain or marinated goat cheese (see below), add it to a frittata or as an incredible addition to almost any sandwich or panini.  I have also used this as a pasta dish and been thrilled with the outcome. Whichever way you choose to use it, trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention pizza…this is an ideal addition to a grilled pizza, with some marinated goat cheese as well. The options are endless with this dish and every one of them is outstanding. Give it a try and let me know how you like it.

Did I forget to mention that it is even better the next day? Well it is. While using it immediately after preparing is terrific, it’s also delicious cold and straight from the fridge. I have a son-in-law who, while visiting, loves nothing more than to attack the leftovers in the refrigerator the next morning. This will be perfect for him and I find myself doing the same thing! Vegetables in the morning can’t be bad, right?

INGREDIENTS
4-6 bell peppers, red, orange and yellow
1 large beefsteak tomato or 3-4 roma tomatoes
2 smaller yellow tomatoes
a handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
12 or more large basil leaves, julienned
1 plump garlic clove, finely chopped
2 Tbs. capers
12 Nicoise olives, Kalamata if not available, pitted and halved
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
First, halve and seed the peppers, (see notes below). Next, roast the peppers, either under the broiler, rotating often, in a 425º oven, or on a grill, until blistered and well charred. Then, put them in a bowl, cover and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, wipe off the blackened skin with a paper towel and cut into strips.

Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients. Score the ends of each tomato, drop them in boiling water for about 20 seconds. Then, remove the skins, halve them, gently squeeze out the seeds and slice into strips. Next, in a bowl, combine the parsley, basil, garlic, capers, olives tomatoes, peppers and olive oil. Finally, season with 3/4 tsp. kosher salt and some fresh ground pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine all ingredients.

Preheat oven to 400º. Now, in a lightly oiled baking dish, combine the tomato and pepper mixtures. Then, cover and bake for about 20-30 minutes.

While it looks and smells amazing, do let it sit and cool before serving. The cooling to room temperature definitely enhances the flavors significantly. As a result, this a great make ahead dish, that can be done well ahead of serving.

NOTES
Although the picture, (near the top of this post) of the roasted peppers clearly shows that I had roasted them whole. I have since decided that it is so much easier to slice the peppers, into large pieces and then seed them before roasting. That way, it is far easier to peel the skins off and you don’t have to deal with the slippery seeds and membranes.




Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp

A delicious, easy recipe that is a nice alternative to the usual shrimp cocktail and very quick to pull together.

INGREDIENTS
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
scant 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3-4 limes, thinly sliced, one lime cut into wedges
1 lb. extra large shrimp, I used 21-30 per lb.
bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

DIRECTIONS
Preheat grill to medium-high.
In a bowl large enough to hold all the shrimp, combine garlic, olive oil, salt, cumin and half of the chopped cilantro. After combining ingredients, add the shrimp and toss to coat completely. With the skewers, start and end with shrimp, alternating a folded lime slice between each shrimp. (For ease of turning, you could use two parallel skewers.)

Grill the the shrimp until opaque, about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on how hot your grill is. Just before serving, top with remaining cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice.




Marinated Goat Cheese

Adapted from Ina Garten’s Marinated Goat Cheese recipe. You can never go wrong with one of her recipes! Incredibly quick to make and served with fresh made crostini, this will be an instant favorite. I love to have leftovers and use it in scrambled eggs for a decadent morning treat. Additionally, this is great on any sandwich, panini or pizza. Most recently, I have loved using this in my Heirloom Tomato Tart recipe. Great combination of quick, easy and a show stopper.

INGREDIENTS
6-8 oz. goat cheese, sliced into rounds
extra virgin olive oil
crushed red pepper
kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
fresh basil, julienned
fresh dill, chopped

In a glass container, drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom. Add one or two slices of goat cheese, sprinkle with a little of the salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, basil and dill. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and repeat the layers with the remaining goat cheese, seasonings and oil. Finish with the seasonings and herbs on top. Cover and let marinate about an hour or overnight. Serve at room temperature with crackers or crostini.

 




Tomato, Basil and White Bean Salad

Super quick, incredibly tasty, versatile (use as an appetizer with crostini or a side dish) and eye catching as well. Definitely a winning combination, that never disappoints!

INGREDIENTS
1 can navy beans or other small beans, drained, rinsed
1/2 lb. plum or cherry tomatoes, cut into small dice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, minced
generous portion of basil, julienned

DIRECTIONS
First, combine the beans and the tomatoes in a bowl. Then, season them with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and set aside.

Next, heat the oil in a skillet, over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, but not browned, for about 1-2 minutes. You are just looking to infuse the oil with the garlic flavor.

Pour the warm garlic oil over the bean, tomato mixture and let stand for about 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to meld. Finally, add the basil, toss to combine and serve with homemade crostini or crackers and serve as an appetizer. However, this can be served as a yummy side dish. It pairs quite well with any grilled meat or poultry dish. In addition, this can be kept at room temperature for several hours.

At first glance, this seems too simple to be so good. However, trust me, this really is amazingly tasty and it will soon become a favorite.




Crostini

Homemade crostini is so simple to make and elevates any appetizer. Two of my favorites to serve it with are Tomato, Basil, White Bean Salad and Marinated Goat Cheese. They are also a nice addition to any cheese platter, along with an assortment of crackers.

INGREDIENTS
1 baguette, sliced 1/4″ thick, on diagonal
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
Place bread slices on sheet pan drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 400° for about 7-10 minutes. Stay close and check early, these can burn rather quickly. Alternatively, if you’re out at the grill, cooking them there, is an added bonus in the flavor department. Just make sure you stay close, because they can crossover to the burnt side very quickly. Depending on the heat of your grill, they shouldn’t take more than 2-3 minutes per side. Additionally, I find that most grills have some definite “hot spots”, so beware of those and watch the crostini carefully. However, don’t worry if there is a bit of char on them, that adds a wonderful dimension to the taste.




Herb Roasted Almonds

Easy, delicious and addictive! Great as a snack with cocktails or just grab a handful to nibble on.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. raw almonds
extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground sea salt
fresh rosemary
fresh thyme

DIRECTIONS
Spread  the almonds on a sheet pan, lightly drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of fresh ground sea salt or kosher salt.

Add a few sprigs each of thyme and rosemary. Mix with hands to coat the almonds and herbs with the oil.
Roast in a 400º oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. Just make sure you stay close by because they can burn quickly. Let cool, transfer to a bowl, add an additional sprinkle of fleur de sal and garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary or thyme..