Tag Archives: bread crumbs

Spanish Tapas Peppers

20 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by in Appetizers, Entertaining, Events

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Spanish Tapas Peppers

 

Recipe
Spanish Tapas Peppers
adapted from Make It Ahead
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cream sherry
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 5 large bell peppers (red or yellow) OR use mini peppers (about 20, sliced in half)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • 3/4 cup chopped green pitted olives
  • 1 large tomato, seeded and diced (or 1 can rotel diced tomatoes)
  • 1 scant tsp saffron threads, crumbled
  • 2/3 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup olives oil
  • minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the sherry and raisins in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cut each pepper in half through the core and remove the ribs and seeds. Cut each half lengthwise into 3 wedges and arrange them cut side up in a single layer in two large shallow oven to table baking dishes. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp salt and pepper. If using mini peppers, just cut them in half and remove the seeds and ribs.

In a medium bowl, combine the steeped raisins, garlic, olives, tomato, saffron, braed crumbs, olive oil, and about another tsp salt and pepper. Spread about a tbsp of the mixture on each pepper wedge. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the filling is a little crisp on top. Smaller peppers will likely take only 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.

Make It Ahead: Prepare the peppers with the filing, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake before serving.

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Zucchini and Squash Gratin

22 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Easy, Entertaining, Side Dish, Vegetarian

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Zucchini and Squash Gratin

I didn’t grow up eating very many “gratins.” There were certain things that just weren’t in our usual repertoire, and there is nothing wrong with that – my mother knew what worked for her very particular children, and we stuck with it.

Spiralized Zucchini and Squash

Oh how times change. Now, I eat just about everything, and I now live close enough to my mom where we can try things that never really existed in our recipe box before. I still had the last of the zucchini and squash from our garden, and was ready to make a comforting, fall side dish. Continue reading →

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

06 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Entertaining, Events, Holidays

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Stuffed MushroomsThere are so many stuffed mushroom recipes out there it was hard to pick one for our Thanksgiving appetizers! I thought this recipe from Ina Garten was the closest to the other stuffed mushroom recipes I have tried that I enjoyed so much. Getting a good picture of your food on Thanksgiving Day, well, that’s a different story…

Recipe
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
adapted from Ina Garten
makes 25 mushrooms

Ingredients
25 extra-large white mushrooms
5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine, medium sherry, or white wine
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup panko or bread crumbs
5 – 6 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala (or sherry or wine). Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. If you are finding not very much stuffing is fitting into your mushroom, you may want to take a melon baller or similar kitchen tool to hollow out the mushrooms more. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Add another dusting of parmesan cheese on top, if you wish. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

NOTE: You may have some leftover stuffing, I know I did! You can save the stuffing and make an instantly delicious egg scramble the next morning. Bonus!

Crispy. Fried. Goat Cheese.

04 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Entertaining, Events, Salad, Side Dish

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Goat Cheese is already so good on it’s own…I never thought it could possibly get better.

goat cheese

But it does.

goat cheese

In fried Cheese form.

goat cheese

It really tastes amazing on a salad (like this kale salad), and this way you can categorize your meal as “healthy.” But I won’t judge you if you choose to just eat these by themselves…with a big glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Or eat these for breakfast. I don’t care. Just make them. But please, don’t burn yourself while dropping the goat cheese discs in the hot olive oil, I pretty much burnt off my fingerprint since I got a little too excited. The things we learn while making delicious meals.

goat cheese

Recipe
Crispy Fried Goat Cheese

adapted from The Hungry Mouse

  • 16 oz. goat cheese log
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic or garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed black pepper
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup of flour (I used whole wheat flour)
  • olive oil

Yields about 8 pieces of fried goat cheese, depending on how thick you cut the cheese.

Directions

  1. Chill goat cheese in freezer for 15 minutes or until firm enough to slice without crumbling.
  2. While your cheese is chilling, put the panko in a medium-sized bowl. Add the parsley, thyme, garlic, pepper, and kosher salt. Stir to combine well.
  3. Crack the eggs in a bowl. Beat to scramble them. Line a sheet pan or plate with wax or parchment paper. Put the flour on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Now your dredging station is ready: panko mixture, flour, and eggs.
  4. Slice & bread the cheese. Grab your cheese out of the freezer. Slice it into 1/4 – 1/2-inch pieces. Use a sharp knife. Wipe the knife off with a warm, wet paper towel in between cuts. Your slice may crumble a little. If it does, just squish it into a rough round shape and keep going.
  5. Put the cheese in the flour. Flip it gently to coat on both sides.
  6. Drop the floured cheese into the beaten egg. Flip it gently to coat with egg on both sides.
  7. Lastly, put it into the seasoned panko breadcrumbs. Flip it to coat on both sides.
  8. Put it on your lined pan or plate.
  9. Repeat with the rest of the cheese. You could do this maybe an hour ahead of time and keep them in the fridge.
  10. Fry the cheese. Put a little olive oil in a nonstick pan. Use just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Set it on the stove over high heat. When the oil shimmers, you’re ready to fry.
  11. Grab one of your slices of breaded goat cheese. Set the cheese down gently in the hot oil. It should start to bubble around the edges immediately. Repeat with the rest of the cheese. Depending on the size of your pan and how many pieces you’re frying, you might need to fry in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Do not crowd the pan…give the cheese room to fry!
  12. Keep an eye on your cheese…it cooks fast. When the cheese is brown on the bottom (this will happen very quickly), flip it over carefully with a spatula.
  13. When it’s brown on the second side, remove the cheese from the pan, and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. If you’re fying a lot of cheese, keep them warm in a 150 F oven.
  14. Serve and enjoy!