Smoked Salmon Spread

Hubs loves this stuff, and I mean loooooves this stuff. And I can't blame him - it's the best salmon spread I've ever had (and I have tried my fair share in my lifetime). So easy to make, too!

We tend to add extra horseradish (gotta love that bite). Just few things to note: First, go easy on the salt. I season it up at the end, because depending on the type of salmon used, it may not need any salt at all. Second, be sure to make this well ahead of time. This is definitely a spread that takes a few hours for the flavors to really come together.

Smoked Salmon Spread

(from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp. minced fresh dill
1 tsp. prepared horseradish, drained
1/4 tsp. kosher salt (Easy on the salt!)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 lb.(4 oz.) smoked salmon, diced

Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth.

Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, and horseradish, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well, then season with salt and pepper. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Yeah, Halloween is done and over. I am aware. But - still wanted to share this little gem with my readers. Best way to prepare those delicious little pumpkin seeds, in my opinion. They are slightly spicy, definitely sweet, and chockful of flavor. Awesome!

I doubled the batch, these two guys yielded more than enough seeds for that :) Hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween!

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

(compliments of Martha)

Ingredients:

1 medium pumpkin
5 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp.salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp. peanut oil

Preheat oven to 250 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pumpkin open from the bottom, removing seeds with a long-handled spoon. Separate flesh from seeds, and reserve the flesh for another use (that over-achiever Martha would like for you to save it to make pie filling). Pumpkin should yield 1 cup seeds. Spread seeds on parchment in an even layer. Bake until dry, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Let cool.

In a medium bowl combine 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar melts and pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to bowl with spices, and stir well to coat. Let cool. These may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Hawaiian Poke Stack

There is an outdoor shopping complex in the KC area called The Legends at Village West. That place is full to the brim with restaurants and retail (most outlets, like for Ann Taylor and Banana Republic and BCBG... me likey). It's a place we head to any time we need some retail therapy or just some window shopping, and of course a nice meal.

There are a plethora of restaurants to choose from, but we always seem to find ourselves at The Yard House. Hubs wants to go there for the beer, but I want to go there because the food is outstanding for a chain beer place. Namely (and something I get almost every single time), I go for their Hawaiian Poke Stack.

Spicy raw Ahi tuna served with crispy lavash crackers, avocado, and a wasabi soy sauce. When I have this beautifully-plated dish in front of me, I usually immediately dismantle it and give a good stir once around the plate, to mix all the components. Then it's just dipping up the spicy, buttery (and crunchy from the veggies) concoction with crackers. Heaven!

When I found out the Daring Bakers were making Lavash Crackers in September, I was totally stoked. Finally an excuse to try to recreate this dish at home! Then I was crestfallen - our dip had to be not only gluten free (yay, pass!) but also vegan (um, raw tuna? FAIL). So I made sure to save back a few crackers anyway, and do this dish for another post.

I kinda researched online about making your own poke, and read the menu description closely the last time we went to this restaurant (I also tried to pay attention to all the flavors going on). All in all, I think this is a very close copy of what is served at The Yard House. You might want to cut down a bit on the wasabi mixture; I went a little crazy (looooove that spicy wasabi). And don't marinade too long, or your veggies will lose that crispy texture! Mmmm, though: this will definitely get me through when it's been a long stretch between visits to Hubs' (second) favorite restaurant.

Hawaiian Poke Stack

(by Nemmie, inspired by Yard House)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. water
3 Tbsp. wasabi powder (horseradish powder)
1/3 c. reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 Tbsp. dry Sherry
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
4 green onions, very thinly sliced
Sesame Lavash Crackers (see here)
6 oz. sushi-grade tuna, finely diced
1/2 c. julienned carrots
1/2 c. bean sprouts
1 avocado, diced

Sesame seeds, for garnish

For the sauce: Whisk 1/2 cup water and wasabi powder in medium bowl to form smooth paste. Whisk in soy sauce, 2 tablespoons peanut oil, Sherry, sesame oil and ginger. Stir in green onions. Set aside.

Mix the tuna with half of the wasabi soy sauce mixture. Stir the carrots and bean sprouts with the remaining mixture. Allow both to marinade at least 20 minutes.

To create the stack: Mound 1/4 of the marinated vegetables and a few chunks of tuna on the center of two plates (reserve the sauce for end of plating). Place a cracker on each mound, then top with tuna. Top with another cracker. Place remaining vegetable mixture on top of this, and drizzle reserved soy mixture around outside of plate. Slice the avocado, and fan on the other side of the plate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish.

Dig in!

Garlic Shrimp

This was a recipe I originally tried while hosting a tapas-themed Cooking Club. It was so good, I decided it was worthy of center stage at dinnertime :)

The garlicky, spicy shrimp is just amazing, and all-in-all this is a very healthy version of shrimp (as long as you go easy on that red chile oil). I served it with wild rice and steamed veggies, it was pretty darn good if I do say so myself :)

Garlic Shrimp with Red Chile Oil
(from Bobby Flay)

Ingredients:
24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Red Chile Oil (recipe follows)
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the shrimp in a cazuela or an ovenproof casserole and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle olive oil over shrimp, add crushed garlic, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven until pink and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle generously with Red Chile Oil and sprinkle with thyme. Serve with crusty bread.

Red Chile Oil:
1 c. olive oil
6 dried chiles de arbol, lightly toasted and crushed
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Pinch salt
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed

Blend all ingredients including the thyme leaves in a blender until smooth.. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.

Quiche

I am not a huge quiche fan. Okay, there. I said it. However, every once in a great while I just get an itch to make one (or in this case, many little ones). We also were at a moment mid-move where I wasn't up for buying much in the way of groceries. No bread to speak of, 2 measly slices of bacon, a few odd bits of vegetables and eggs. Some cream left from a baking adventure. Make a quick dough, bake it all up, and you have some luscious quiche in no time.

This crust recipe makes a great elastic dough. The baked crust is flaky and buttery, two things I love. The quiche filling is nice, very creamy. All in all a great little recipe, although for the most part I expect no less from my beloved copy of Fannie Famer.

Quiche
(From The Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

For the crust:
1 c. flour1 egg yolk

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 pinch salt

1-2 Tbsp. cold water

Pulse the food processor with all the ingredients except the egg yolk and water until you have a fine mix. Add the yolk and enough water so that the dough sticks together but is not sticky.

Add one tablespoon of water and then open up the machine to see if it's too dry before adding the second one. You don't want to over-process the dough.

Form it into a nice ball with your hands and wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate at least an hour.

To pre-bake the shell: Press dough into a tart shell. Bake at 425 F for 10 to 12 minutes, until set and golden.

Filling:
4 eggs
2 c. heavy cream
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Fillings of choice (I used pan-fried onion, crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, and sharp cheddar)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Sprinkle filling over the bottom of the tart shell. I usually sprinkle the heartier things first, then top with cheese or herbs.

Combine the eggs, cream, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne in a bowl and beat to mix thoroughly. Ladle the custard over fillings in crust.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425 F, then lower the heat to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes longer, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve hot or cold.

Roasted Tomato Tart

I had a bunch of tomatoes to use up that were leftover from other recipes, a nice mix of plum and cherry tomatoes. I also had this recipe cut out from a magazine that was sitting in my "must make" folder for way, way too long. Hurray! I love it when my leftovers and recipes can make a happy union. I made this for a great dinner one evening (with a salad and the Stilton cheesecakes). Just perfect.

This was easy-peasy to make, thanks to the frozen puff pastry dough (for the adventurous types, feel free to make your own). And so so good, I could not get enough of this tart. I think mainly because I had forgotten just how delicious freshly roasted tomatoes can be. Buttery, flaky crust with juicy sweet roasted tomatoes and salty nutty Parmesan, mmmm.

If you make this, make sure you can finish it off in one sitting - I'd imagine the pastry would get rather soggy if you tried to keep it for long. And I think it's a great one if you have company and want to make a little appetizer that you can prep ahead.

Roasted Tomato Tart

(from Gourmet magazine, July 2006)

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-oz. package), thawed

2 lb. plum tomatoes (8 large), halved lengthwise

Salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil

3 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

1/2 c. Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings (plus additional for garnish)

Put oven racks in middle and lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil.

Roll out pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-in. square (1/8-in. thick). Using a plate or pot lid as a guide, cut out a 10-inch round.

Carefully transfer round to an ungreased baking sheet by rolling pastry around rolling pin and then unrolling onto baking sheet. Chill round on baking sheet until ready to use.

Toss tomatoes with 2 Tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. thyme, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a bowl until well coated. Roast tomatoes, cut sides up and in 1 layer, in foil-lined baking pan in middle of oven, 1 hour.

Brush pastry round with 2 tsp. oil, then sprinkle with 1 tsp. thyme. After roasting tomatoes 1 hour, move tomatoes in pan to lower third of oven and put pastry on baking sheet on middle rack. Bake pastry and tomatoes until pastry is golden brown and edges of tomatoes are slightly browned but still appear juicy, about 15 minutes.

While pastry is still warm, scatter 1/2 c. cheese shavings evenly over it. Top shavings with warm tomatoes, cut sides down and in 1 layer, then sprinkle evenly with remaining thyme and about 1/4 tsp. salt + pepper to taste. Sprinkle with additional cheese shavings if desired.

Garlic Knots

Ah, garlic knots. A pizzeria classic. What's not to like? Piping hot knots of pizza dough, shiny with oil and unbelievingly addictive thanks to the garlic, cheese, and fresh herbs. These suckers barely make it out of the oven before they are devoured.

I am going to pimp out Susan's pizza dough recipe here, because man-oh-man is it a good one. This dough is easy to make and it freezes well. This is going to be a staple around our house I think, and I really do recommend you give her recipe a whirl. If you're tired and busy and just don't have time to make your own (and hey, I know how that goes) then just get some from your favorite pizza joint (if they'll sell it), or even buy the frozen stuff from the grocery store.

Garlic Knots
(my own little adaption from several versions online)

Ingredients:
1 lb pizza dough
2 garlic cloves, minced (we love garlic around here)
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or oregano
About 1/ 4 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease or oil (olive oil works best for flavor) one large baking sheet.

Using a lightly floured rolling pin and a floured countertop, roll out the dough into a large (roughly 9-in) square. If you can't quite get there by rolling, go ahead and gently pull on the dough as you would for rolling out a pizza crust.

Cut the square in half with a pizza wheel, then cut each half crosswise into strips (try to keep them to around an inch wide, or less). Cover strips with a clean kitchen towel.

Keeping remaining strips covered, pull out a strip of dough to work with one at a time. Gently tie each strip into a knot, pulling ends slightly to secure, and place knots about an inch apart on the baking sheet. You'll end up with about 20 knots. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

While knots bake, mash together the minced garlic, salt, and olive oil using a mortar and pestle (if no mortar and pestle: mash together the salt and garlic using your knife, then mix in a bowl with oil). I leave my garlic a little chunky, because we love it that way. Transfer garlic oil to a large bowl. Immediately after baking, toss knots in garlic oil, then sprinkle on the parsley and cheese. Toss to coat. Voila, you're done! Be sure to serve them while still warm, maybe with some marinara for dipping if you're so inclined.

Caramel Hazelnut Tartlets

I am a bit finicky when it comes to desserts, it's true. I love breads, I devour pastas. I have main dishes I love so much I pretty much make them weekly. But desserts? Desserts are lovely and I sure do crave the sweet stuff occasionally, but I'm always looking for something different or new. It is rare for me to say there's a dessert out there that I couldn't get enough of.

And then I made these tartlets. And I'm afraid I'm going to be in big, big trouble.

The recipe is very easy. And yet, so so good: The crust turned out perfectly, like probably the best tart crust I've ever made. It was sturdy and came out of the pan easily, and yet when you bit into the tartlet it was a soft, crumbly, just-sweet-enough confection. The caramel was dark but very good as well - then again, I've never met a caramel I didn't enjoy. But then the hazelnuts give it a great crunch and in these tartlets, give an almost toffee-like flavor. And a drizzle of chocolate on top, ahh. Perfection. I halved the recipe below when I made them, and still usually Hubs and I eat a small bit and give the rest away. This time? We scarfed down all 15 tartlets by the end of the day, it was absolutely tragic. Lots of time doing crunches/cardio after that, but oh so well worth it.

Caramel Hazelnut Tartlets

(from Bon Appétit, October 2007)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

5 Tbsp. (or more) chilled whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. hazelnuts, toasted, husked (or use chopped, like I did)

1 1/3 c. (packed) golden brown sugar

7 Tbsp. unsalted butter

6 Tbsp. light corn syrup

2 Tbsp. water

1/2 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. whipping cream

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Butter 30 metal or silicone mini muffin cups. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 5 Tbsp. cream and vanilla and blend, using on/off turns, just until mixture begins to clump together, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Press 2 teaspoonfuls dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of each prepared mini muffin cup. Pierce tartlet crusts all over with fork. Freeze crusts 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake frozen crusts until golden and baked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool crusts in muffin cups 10 minutes. Carefully loosen crusts from muffin cups. Transfer crusts to rimmed baking sheet and cool completely. Place 2 to 3 hazelnuts (or equivalent of chopped hazelnuts) in each crust.

For caramel filling: Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, 2 Tbsp. water, and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to boil, then boil 2 minutes without stirring (mixture will bubble up and thicken slightly). Remove pan from heat. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); stir until smooth.

Pour caramel into 2-cup measuring cup; cool 10 minutes. Spoon caramel over hazelnuts in crusts, filling crusts almost to top. Refrigerate until caramel begins to firm up slightly, about 1 hour.

Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Drizzle melted chocolate over top of tartlets. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Stilton and Bacon Cheesecakes

I am a clutter-hater at heart, so rather than hold on to the tons of food magazines I receive, I usually just tear out the interesting recipes and recycle the rest (yes, I know many of you hold on to them forever, and consider it terrible to just rip stuff randomly out of my periodicals, but what can I say: this is my OCD coming out).

Anyhoo, because of this I own a folder stuffed to the gills with torn-out recipes, just sitting on my cookbook shelf. I flip through it occasionally, although I've received/bought so many new cookbooks lately that it's gotten quite neglected. This weekend I pulled it back out, dusted it off, and found the perfect little appetizer for my Oscar party: mini stilton cheesecakes. Very easy to pull together, no baking involved so it freed up my oven, and they can be made far ahead of time. Perfect!

I didn't have the 2X2-in. ring molds, so I used cookie cutters instead. Still, they were amazing – the cream cheese mellowed the flavor of the stilton just enough, and the bacon and walnuts are perfect with the stilton. I served mine with salad greens and a nice drizzle of honey. Mmm. One warning though: these are very, very rich. I couldn't even finish one on my own, so I'm very glad I decided to halve the recipe.

Stilton and Bacon Cheesecakes

(from Saveur magazine, recipe by Linda Ellerbee)

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. butter

1 c. finely crushed digestive biscuits or graham crackers

6 strips bacon, finely diced

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 oz. stilton, softened

1⁄2 c. shelled walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

2 strips cooked bacon, broken into thirds

For the crusts: Grease six 2" × 2" ring molds with 1 Tbsp. of the butter; set molds on a cookie sheet. Melt remaining 3 Tbsp. butter and transfer to a small bowl. Add biscuit crumbs and mix well. Put equal amounts of the crumb mixture into prepared molds, firmly pressing on crumbs to form an even crust at base of molds. Chill crusts in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

For the filling: Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels. Using a fork, mix cheeses together in a medium bowl. Add bacon and walnuts (if using) and stir well. Pack equal amounts of the filling into molds, smoothing tops with the back of a small warm metal spoon. Cover cheesecakes with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

Run a small knife around inside of molds and slide cheesecakes onto six plates, crust side down. Serve cheesecakes at room temperature, garnished with a piece of bacon, with lettuces and fruit chutney or honey on the side.

Chicken Quesadillas with Salsa Verde

I was dying to try a fellow food blogger's recipe for Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde. And off I went to the grocery store, making sure I got everything on my list. I was ready to make some enchiladas.

And then I remembered: duh, I don't have a working oven right now.

So I did a wee bit of tweaking, took out the chicken broth and cream cheese, and swapped the corn tortillas for flour. Added some cheddar, and mushrooms/chiles I still had in the fridge. And of course, had to prepare it a bit differently, decided on a quesadilla method. This recipe is very very yummy - I love the heat from the salsa verde and the mix of ingredients is just perfect. Nice kick, fresh-tasting thanks to the cilantro, and very healthy I would imagine (given the ingredients list).

Will try the enchiladas, for sure, once I get my oven back. Promise.

Chicken Quesadillas with Salsa Verde

(Adapted from Amanda's lovely Enchiladas)

Ingredients:

1 c. chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp. chili powder

2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast

1/4 c. crumbled queso fresco

1 c. shredded "light" (reduced fat) cheddar cheese

Olive oil

8 flour tortillas

Salsa verde

In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Sauté the onion until soft and beginning to brown. Add garlic, and sauté for a few more minutes, until fragrant. Remove from heat.

Combine sautéd onion mixture and next 5 ingredients cilantro, chili powder, chicken, and cheeses) in a large bowl.

Put 1 tortilla on a cutting board and spread 1/2 cup chicken mixture over half of tortilla, then fold other half over to form a half-moon, pressing firmly on seam. Assemble 7 more quesadillas in same manner.

Heat lightly oiled grill pan over high heat until it begins to smoke, then reduce heat to moderate and grill quesadillas, 2 at a time, turning over once, until cheese is melted and golden brown grill marks appear, about 4 minutes total per batch. Transfer with a spatula to cutting board and cut in half. Top with salsa verde, and serve.

Pan-Fried Onion Dip

This dip is so so good. It's kinda like the onion dip you buy in the grocery store, only a thousand times better. It's super-awesome-perfection onion dip, and if Ina Garten had her way, it would be a lot less healthy than what I made.

Another Ina recipe, although this one I had to alter because I'd gain 5 pounds if I made it as directed. Maybe for a special occasion, or on my death bed, I'll make it the full-fat way as Ina instructs. But I am way too in love with this dip (and make it way too often) to make it the way she gives it.

In Ina's defense: I hear people complain about her fattening recipes, but frankly I can't blame her for using such artery-clogging ingredients. These are more than likely the recipes from her catering business, which had quite the reputation for its delicious offerings. And if I had a catering business, you better believe that I'd use the most tasty, flavor-enhancing (more than likely fattening) ingredients, too. Butter, lard, cream, sugar. Pile it on. Get 'em hooked and keep the jobs coming in. The woman has the nicest smile, and she sure seems like a sweetie-pie on her television show, but make no mistake: she's a smart businesswoman.

Anyway, the recipe below is my (normal-person) version of Ina's recipe. I cut down on the butter/oil, and used reduced fat where I could. I'm sure it is still very bad for you, but think of it this way: it's not as bad as it could be! I ate it with Wheat Thins instead of kettle-style potato chips, but I can't blame you if you use the kettle chips (there is no better way to eat this dip).

Pan-Fried Onion Dip

Ingredients:

2 large yellow onions (you want about 3 c. of sliced onion)

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. canola oil

1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 c. reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 c. reduced-fat mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half, and then slice them into 1/8-in. thick half-rounds. Cut the halves in half again (quarters) if you want shorter onion pieces in your dip.

Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt and pepper and sauté for 10-15 minutes, until they are beginning to brown. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 more minutes, until the onions are completely browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix together well. Taste for seasonings (add salt and pepper if needed).

Serve at room temperature, with chopped veggies, thick (kettle-style) chips, crackers, etc. It's important to serve this at room temperature! The dip is rather thick, if you serve it cold (refrigerated) then it'll be very hard to dip.

Face Off: Vegetable Tea Sandwich

Time for the Face Off entry again, seeing as the oven is dead I thought it would be a good idea to go with something that didn't involve any sort of cooking (because with my luck, I'd break the stovetop and microwave as well). I planned on having one vegetable tea sandwich served at my friend's bridal shower, for all those vegetarians out there, so it seemed just the thing to try this week.

Cucumber Tea Sandwich

This is your classic, cucumber-and-spread, open-faced tea sandwich. It was also the recipe I liked the least, which was a huge surprise (I love cucumbers and this person's recipes are usually spot-on). The spread is made of a mixture of goat cheese, cream cheese, mayo, and some spices. And unfortunately, the goat cheese completely overpowered every other flavor in this sandwich. Oh no, it wasn't the creamy/tangy flavor that overpowered everything, it was that musty, earthly, faintly-mildewy flavor that really came out. While you can usually mask that particular quality with ingredients, this combination only seemed to enhance it. Not a lot of people like goat cheese specifically because of that musty taste, so I thought this was not quite the best way to go.

Sweet Onion Tea Sandwich

Now, I hear this is quite the classic tea sandwich, although I must admit by name alone I was not excited about it. This one surprised me the most, however: it has a creamy mayo spread with fresh tarragon and basil, and very thinly sliced Vidalia onion. The tangy herbed mayonnaise makes the onion even sweeter, so much that you would never guess it was actually raw onion if you didn't see it with your own eyes. However, the mayo-thing is not going to work for our poor Bride-to-be, and also: most people will see the onion and never touch these sandwiches. So, as impressed as I was with this tea sandwich, this recipe wasn't going to do, either.

Tomato Tea Sandwich

I tried this one first, and really thought it wouldn't work. I kinda made this one up on my own, using about 5 different pesto/tomato/goat cheese recipes. I thought all three were good flavors but couldn't find any recipes with all three together, so I improvised a bit. And surprise, it was actually very good! It is a simple tea sandwich, two thin slices of bread with basil pesto spread on one side, and plain goat cheese on the other. A nice juicy tomato slice is the only sandwich filler.

The pesto is bright and the goat cheese tastes very mild and creamy (no musty/earthy taste, yay!). The tomatoes, which I let drain on paper towels beforehand, were just right to balance the two spreads. I think this one is a winner.

Tomato tea sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 c. basil leaves

1 garlic clove, peeled

1/4 c. pine nuts

1/4 c. olive oil

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 (5-oz.) log of plain goat cheese, softened to room temperature

6-8 tomatoes, sliced and drained on paper towels

40-ish thin slices of white bread

To make the pesto: Toast the pine nuts in a sauté pan, then cool. In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts. Pulse until finely chopped. Slowly add olive oil to mixture while in food processor, pulsing to emulsify the mixture (you want it thick yet smooth; add more oil if necessary). Place basil mixture into a bowl, and stir in Parmesan cheese.

To assemble sandwiches: Cut bread slices with a biscuit cutter, to make bread circles. Spread one side of 20 circles of bread with the pesto. Spread the goat cheese evenly over remaining 20 slices of bread. Place one tomato slice on goat cheese circle, and top with pesto-spread circle. Can be made up to 8 hours ahead of time, keep wrapped well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Easy Cherry Tarts

Thought I'd round out my Pillsbury Challenge with a dessert, seemed fitting. I found this recipe at allrecipes.com. Very easy to make (I didn't have a mini-muffin pan, so just baked the tarts in foil I shaped like little muffin tins). I cut the dough with a juice glass as recommended, worked perfectly.

While good, these tarts were a wee bit disappointing. I thought the cream cheese mixture would have more flavor, but all I could taste was the cherry topping. Not like that's a bad thing really, cherries are my favoritest fruit and all... Maybe I'll try it again with more powdered sugar in the cream cheese mixture. This recipe still gets high marks in my opinion: it's quick, easy, and a very cute dessert or appetizer when you have people over.

Easy Cherry Tarts

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. confectioners' sugar
1 c. canned cherry pie filling
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Place crescent dough on a lightly floured surface; seal seams and perforations. Cut into 2-in. circles. Place in greased miniature muffin cups. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Place about 1/2 teaspoon in each cup. Combine pie filling and extract; place about 2 teaspoons in each cup.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Refrigerate until serving.

Crescent Samosas

Every time Scott and I dine India Palace downtown, we ask ourselves why we don't eat there more often. The atmosphere inside is dark and cozy, the décor is tasteful, the staff is quiet yet attentive. But, of course, it's the food that shines. Rich vindaloos and masalas, not to mention the samosas and pakoras and nan. Each and every one a real treat, because all are a bit too complicated and intimidating to replicate at home.

And then, I came across a samosa recipe that used Pillsbury crescent rolls. Hmmm! A common Indian street food, samosas are tasty fried pastries filled with an aromatic filling (commonly potatoes and peas). Classic Indian snack. And to boot, this recipe was a wee bit healthier (no frying involved). I couldn't help myself, I had to try them.

These samosas have quite a different texture than the traditional kind, obviously - no crispy fried coating. Instead it's a little puff of softness enclosing the potato/pea mixture. But still satisfying, and if you've never had samosas I recommend this recipe - no need to go to a restaurant and order them, and the flavor is very good. The sauce could use some work, maybe more cilantro? Some mint? Just not the same as the green chutney at an Indian joint, but it does the trick for these.

Crescent samosas

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can chopped green chiles
1 can whole new potatoes (or 1 large baking potato, parboiled and cubed)
½ tsp. salt
1 (15-oz) can peas, drained (or about a cup of frozen peas, thawed)
1 tsp. curry powder
1 ½ tsp. lemon juice (or more to taste)
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 (8-oz each) cans crescent roll dough

Sauce:
1 c. plain yogurt
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. salt
Ground black pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 375 F. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add 1 garlic clove and 4 tablespoons of the chiles; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook 8 minutes or until potatoes are light golden brown, stirring frequently. Add peas, curry powder, lemon juice and pepper; cook and stir until thoroughly heated, mashing slightly as mixture cooks.

Separate dough into 16 triangles. Place 2 rounded tablespoons potato mixture on shortest side of each triangle. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle, gently wrapping dough around filling and rolling to opposite point. Pinch edges to seal. Place on ungreased large cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until samosas are golden brown.

Meanwhile, in blender container, combine all sauce ingredients. Cover; blend until smooth. Refrigerate until serving time. Garnish samosas with remaining chiles. Serve warm with sauce.

This recipe yields 16 samosas; 8 servings.

Antipasto Squares

This is an appetizer recipe, but I'll often make it for dinner (even then, there's plenty of leftovers and it reheats well). It makes a good meal: the meats and cheeses are rich and filling, but the egg mixture and crescent roll dough lightens it up so you don't feel like there's a lump in your tummy. It's easy to make, too, which is a plus. The recipe below is actually halved; if you want to make more to make appetizers, use a 9X13 pan and double all ingredients.

Antipasto Squares

Ingredients:

1 (10-oz.) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
4 thin slices deli ham
4 slices provolone cheese
4 slices Swiss cheese
6-8 slices Genoa salami
1/8 lb. pepperoni sausage slices
½ (12-oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry, cut into thin strips
2 medium eggs
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).

Unroll one-half of a can of crescent roll dough, and cover the bottom of a 9X9-in. pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until just set (not yet browned). Allow to cool slightly.

Layer the ham, provolone cheese, Swiss cheese, salami, pepperoni, and red peppers, on top of the dough.

In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly, and stir in the parmesan cheese and black pepper. Pour 3/4 of this mixture over the peppers. Unroll remaining half of dough, and place over the top of the peppers. Brush with the remaining egg mixture.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove foil, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until dough is fluffy and golden brown. Cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.