Frittering Around
Posted: August 5, 2013 Filed under: apps & snacks, eggs!, sides & soups, veggies | Tags: appetizers, corn, corn fritters, eggs, food, meatless monday, recipes, side dishes, snacks, summer food, vegetarian 15 Comments
fried & true
You know what I like? Lazy Sundays. When there’s nothing on your schedule, you’re free to catch up on crappy TV or read a good book (or a good-bad book) or leisurely make yourself dinner.
You know what’s easy? Removing kernels from a cob. I know they make gadgets that do that now, but why bother? A knife will do just fine. Plus, it’s very satisfying running your knife down the side of an ear (that sentence sounds scarier than it actually is, btw) to make little strips of kernels fall off.
You know what’s weird? Those little white hairy threads that you find between kernels of corn.
You know what’s really tasty? Hot corn fritters with lime aioli on top. If you’ve ever squeezed fresh lime juice on your salt and peppered corn, you’ll understand how awesome and refreshing a combo that can be.
Corn Fritters with Lime Aioli
For the fritters:
½ cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/3 cup of 2% milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups of fresh corn kernels (about 2 to 3 ears of corn)
½ cup of scallions, finely diced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
For the aioli:
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and the baking powder. Add the milk and egg and whisk until smooth. Add the corn, scallions, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of both salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop 1/4 cups of batter into the skillet (don’t overcrowd the skillet) and cook until the top bubbles and the edges are golden, about 2 minutes. Flip the fritters and cook another 2 minutes or until golden. Place on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Continue with the additional batter, adding more oil as necessary, until all the fritters are fried.
you know what’s a good supper? these fritters
To make the aioli, combine the mayo, lime juice and minced garlic in a small bowl. Top with each fritter with a dollop of aioli.
Chip In
Posted: July 15, 2013 Filed under: apps & snacks, veggies | Tags: appetizers, chips, easy, food, meatless monday, recipes, snacks, summer food, vegetarian, zucchini 7 Comments
betcha can’t eat just one
Okay, for those of you keeping count (and I do hope some of you are), it’s been more than 2 weeks since my last post. Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong – I’m still making eggs and crafting bad puns. I’ve just taken a little time off to rest and recharge.
A quick recap: I got a bad sunburn. I’ve nearly melted due to the oppressive Boston humidity. I spent some time way (way) up in Maine with my friends. I’ve been testing and re-testing new recipes, some that will definitely find their way onto this blog in the near future, including a cake that just might have done away with my long-standing notion that “I don’t like cake.” But more on that later.
For now, I’m offering something quick and easy and tasty. My old friend zucchini is back for a visit, this time in crispy chip form. These little guys would make a great alternative to potato chips, or even french fries. I thought about concocting a complementary dip for them, but you know what? They don’t need it. They’re that good on their own.
Zucchini Chips
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices (the mandolin is your friend)
½ cup of breadcrumbs, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons of Adobo seasoning
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
3 tablespoons of milk
Cooking spray
Heat your oven to 425º.
Combine the breadcrumbs, Adobo seasoning and pepper in a shallow dish. Put the milk in another shallow dish. Dip the zucchini slices in the milk and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Place the slices on a wire rack lightly coated with cooking spray, and then place the rack on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until browned and crisp.
Little Tarts, Lotsa Flavor
Posted: April 1, 2013 Filed under: apps & snacks, sauces & gravy | Tags: appetizers, cheese, food, meatless monday, phyllo, recipes, romesco, sauce, snacks 14 Comments
bite-sized wonders
These appetizers will have people thinking you’ve spent all day crafting miniature tart shells and a laboring over a special sauce. Well, the sauce is special but super easy. Romesco is a bit like a red (pepper-y) version of pesto, since it has nuts and olive oil, and is made entirely in a food processor. I couldn’t decide which cheese to use, so I bought some mild gouda and this Catamount Hills cheese from Cabot Creamery, which is an Italian cheese that’s like a cross between Swiss and Parmesan. I think I prefered the “bite” of the Catamount Hills, but any cheese that melts nicely would work really well. You’ll definitely have some romesco sauce left, which would make a nice dip for crackers or breadsticks.
Mini Romesco Tarts
1 cup of roasted red peppers, drained
2 cloves of garlic
⅓ cup of toasted almonds
⅓ cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
Pinch of red pepper flakes
24 mini phyllo tarts, defrosted
½ lb of cheese, cut into cubes
Dried oregano
Start by making the romesco sauce: Place the roasted red peppers, garlic cloves, almonds, olive oil, red wine vinegar and red pepper flakes in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Heat your oven to 425º.
Place the mini phyllo tarts on a baking sheet. Spoon a little bit of sauce into each tart and then add a cube of cheese. Bake for about 8 minutes or until the cheese melts. Sprinkle dried oregano over the tarts and serve warm.
Super Snack Showcase
Posted: February 1, 2013 Filed under: apps & snacks, misc | Tags: appetizers, avocados, deviled eggs, food, mushrooms, party food, pretzels, recipes, shrimp, snacks, super bowl Leave a commentOkay. I’m a bad food blogger. One of the biggest eating events of the year is happening this weekend and I have nothing new to contribute. I know, shame on me. But – I’m no stranger to the delights of appetizers and party foods. Here are some of my favorites, any of which would be perfect for your Super Bowl celebration. (Click on the photo for the recipe.)
Avocado Fries with Cilantro Lemon Dressing – these are awesome, and the dip is super tasty
fiesta on a plate (thanks scott!)
Pan-fried Cajun Shrimp – the game IS in New Orleans this year
bon temps
Soft Pretzels with Spicy Cheese Dip – I would eat these every day if I could
twist & shout
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms – a favorite of dads everywhere
dad’s a real fun guy
Deviled Eggs – it’s not a party without them
they only look like angels
Squash Crostini is Coming to Town
Posted: December 24, 2012 Filed under: apps & snacks, veggies | Tags: appetizers, food, Holidays, recipes, snacks, squash, vegetarian 5 Comments
butternut pout, butternot cry … unless you run out
I’m visiting my family in Texas this week, and wouldn’t you know it – my mom put me to work making appetizers for their annual Christmas party. It’s funny how things change as we get older, right? I was very happy to oblige, of course. Now I can finally (start to) repay all those years of her working away in the kitchen for every holiday, birthday and special event throughout my life. My dad requested the sausage stuffed mushrooms I made for him on Father’s Day, and for another one, I decided to make these butternut squash, ricotta and sage crostini. They seem fancy but are actually really simple to make. All of the parts taste great on their own, but when combined on top of a lightly toasted slice of bread – it’s practically a Christmas miracle. So you butter watch out, these go quickly. You don’t want to pout if you don’t get one.
Butternut Squash, Ricotta & Sage Crostini
– 1 2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut into small cubes
– 1 ½ teaspoons of brown sugar
– ¾ cup of ricotta
– ½ teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest
– Pinch of garlic salt
– 24 fresh sage leaves
– 1 baguette, sliced thin
– Olive oil
– Sea salt and pepper
Heat your oven to 425º.
In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with a few tablespoons of olive oil and the brown sugar. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, or until the squash is golden and tender. Stir once during roasting. Let cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, lemon zest and garlic salt, and season to taste with pepper. Cover and let chill until ready to use.
Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet, lightly drizzle with olive oil and toast for a few minutes. At the same time, heat a tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add a few sage leaves and fry until the edges begin to curl and they turn dark green, about 1 to 2 minutes. Place on a paper towel-lined plate and lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat until all the sage leaves are fried.
While bread is still slightly warm, spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture on each slice. Top with a few cubes of roasted squash and a fried sage leaf or two. Then serve.
Dad’s a Fungi
Posted: June 15, 2012 Filed under: apps & snacks, meat | Tags: appetizers, food, mushrooms, recipes, sausage, snacks 6 Comments
like father, like son
Happy Father’s Day, everyone! Wait. Actually, just a Happy Father’s Day to my dear ol’ Dad, because this post is for him. My dad loves mushrooms. I mean, he really loves them. And so do I. So it’s been common practice for years that whenever we’re together and go out to eat, we order stuffed mushrooms. We happily stuff our faces while my mom and brother look at us disapprovingly, as they’re not into fungi what-so-ever. So in honor of him and his special day, here are some extra special stuffed mushrooms. They’re stuffed with hot Italian sausage, and are larger than the ordinary ones you’ll find a most restaurants. Seriously, you could eat these with a knife and fork. I think my dad – heck, any dad who loves mushrooms – would wholeheartedly approve.
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
– 8 to 10 large stuffing mushrooms
– 3 tablespoons of Marsala wine
– 4 hot Italian sausages (about 10 oz), casings removed
– 1 small white onion, diced
– 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
– ½ cup of breadcrumbs
– 1 tablespoon of soft cream cheese
– ¾ cup of grated Parmesan
– Salt and pepper
– Cracked red pepper
– Olive oil
– 1 lemon (optional)
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and dice them. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with about 2 tablespoons of Marsala wine. Set aside.
Heat your oven to 350º.
In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into pieces, and cook until brown and no traces of pink. Next add the onion and diced mushroom stems and cook until the onions are slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bread crumbs. Add the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of Marsala wine and continue cooking until the cream cheese has melted. Off the heat, stir in ½ cup of grated Parmesan and season to taste with salt, pepper and cracked red pepper.
Fill each mushroom with some of the sausage mixture and arrange in a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over each mushroom and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty and the mushrooms are tender. Let cool slightly and then eat. Squeeze a little lemon juice over them for a touch of freshness.
Pretzel Twist & Shout
Posted: May 2, 2012 Filed under: apps & snacks | Tags: appetizers, food, pretzels, recipes, snacks, spicy foods 12 Comments
twist it up baby
It’s funny where food inspiration can hit you. Flipping through a cookbook. Watching the Cooking Channel. Stumbling across an unusual ingredient at the store. Or, during a snack break while on an epic shopping trip to the outlet mall. Yes, it’s true. My friends and I stopped at a certain pretzel chain for much-needed refueling. And you know what? It was good. And, it inspired me to make soft pretzels at home. I tried a slightly different (and more complicated) recipe a few months ago, but I think I prefer this one. The milk and brown sugar gave them a good flavor. I also made a spicy cheese and jalapeno dip to go with them, which seems appropriate since Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner.
Soft Pretzels with Spicy Cheese Dip
For the pretzels:
– 1 cup of milk
– 1 package of active dry yeast
– 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
– 2 ¼ cups of flour
– 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, diced & softened
– 1 teaspoon of salt
– 1/3 cup of baking soda
– Sea salt for sprinkling
For the dip:
– 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
– 1 tablespoon of flour
– ¾ cup of milk
– 1 jalapeno, minced
– 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
– 1 cup of Colby Jack cheese, shredded
– Cayenne pepper
Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s about 110º. Pour the milk into a large bowl and add the yeast. Let the yeast soften and bubble, about 2 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and 1 cup of flour, and then stir in the butter. Add the remaining flour and salt and mix into a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until it doubles, about 1 hour.
Heat your oven to 450º.
Punch the dough to deflate it and then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 (or so) pieces. Roll and stretch each piece with the palm of your hands into 22 to 24 inch ropes. Form each rope into a pretzel shape.
Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups of warm water in a shallow baking dish. Gently dip each pretzel in the liquid and then place onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle each pretzel with some sea salt. Bake until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes.
For the spicy cheese dip, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine, cooking about 1 minute until smooth. Whisk in the milk. Add the jalapeno and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Season to taste with cayenne.
You Lil’ Devils
Posted: April 4, 2012 Filed under: apps & snacks, eggs! | Tags: appetizers, deviled eggs, eggs, food, Holidays, recipes, snacks 12 Comments
they only look like angels
I have a shocking confession to make: I’ve never made deviled eggs. (!!!)
I know, I know, seems weird for someone with a blog called egg me on. It’s okay, you can totally judge. I have hard boiled eggs on many occasions. (There’s proof here & here & here.) I also truly love deviled eggs. I’ve been known to stand next to a plate of them at parties just so I can eat more than anyone else. But … I’ve never actually made the little devils myself. So with Easter just a few days away, I figured now’s a good time as any to go for it. Since I’m feeling extra generous (guilty?), I’m giving you three variations, including the classic deviled egg recipe that my mom makes. They’re all very simple, and all very, very tasty.
Hard boiling eggs is incredibly easy. Place your eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil and then remove from the heat, cover and let stand for about 15 minutes. Drain, then gently run the eggs under cold water. When completely cool, remove the shells.
bacony devils
Bacon & Scallion Deviled Eggs
– 12 hard boiled eggs, peeled, cut in half lengthwise & yolks reserved
– 3 slices of bacon
– 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
– 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
– 1 tablespoon of diced scallions plus more for garnish
Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Strain bacon drippings through a fine mesh strainer and reserve 2 tablespoons of liquid. Mix the egg yolks, mayo, Dijon mustard, diced scallions and bacon drippings in a bowl until smooth. Transfer to a plastic bag and chill for 10 minutes. Cut off one of the corners and pipe into the eggs. Garnish with additional scallions and crumbled bacon.
creamy devils
Mom’s Classic Deviled Eggs
– 12 hard boiled eggs, peeled, cut in half lengthwise & yolks reserved
– 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
– 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard
– Paprika
Mix the egg yolks, mayo and mustard in a bowl until smooth. Transfer to a plastic bag and chill for 10 minutes. Cut off one of the corners and pipe into the eggs. Garnish with paprika.
spicy devils
Spicy Deviled Eggs
– 12 hard boiled eggs, peeled, cut in half lengthwise & yolks reserved
– 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
– 2 tablespoons of Sriracha hot sauce
– 1 tablespoon of lime juice
Mix the egg yolks, mayo, Sriracha and lime juice in a bowl until smooth. Transfer to a plastic bag and chill for 10 minutes. Cut off one of the corners and pipe into the eggs. Garnish with a small dollop of extra Sriracha on top.
Deck the Halls with Balls of Sausage
Posted: December 26, 2011 Filed under: meat, sides & soups | Tags: food, Holidays, meat, recipes, snacks 3 Comments
fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Because there’s never enough to eat over the holidays, here’s a quick and tasty appetizer made from sausage, cheddar and one of the new spices I found under the tree. I made these for my family on Christmas day, in between our quiche for brunch and baked ham for dinner … not to mention the nuts, M&Ms and cookies we all grazed on throughout the afternoon. How we found room for dessert is beyond me, but we did. Consider us all troopers. Nice, happy, over-stuffed troopers. At least those games of Wii bowling burned a few calories … Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!
Sausage & Cheddar Balls
– 1 ¼ cups of flour
– ½ teaspoon of salt
– ¼ teaspoon of pepper
– ½ teaspoon of Penzeys Forward! Spice (or cayenne pepper)
– 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
– 2 cups of grated cheddar
– 1 pound of breakfast sausage (like Jimmy Dean)
– ½ of a large white onion, grated with a box grater
– 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
Heat your oven to 400º.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, spice and baking powder. Add the cheddar and stir to coat. Then add the sausage, onion and butter, and mix well using your hands. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Serve warm, on your most festive plate.
Some Nuts Roasting in a Closed Oven …
Posted: December 23, 2011 Filed under: apps & snacks, desserts | Tags: dessert, eggs, food, Holidays, nuts, recipes, snacks 5 Comments
jack frost would certainly nip on these
Shopping for presents is hard. Especially when you have absolutely no clue what to get somebody. Even if that somebody happens to be someone you’ve known your entire life. Oof.
But you know what’s a gift everyone likes? Food! And I have a feeling one person in particular on my list will enjoy these sweet and spicy nuts, a roasted mix of pecans and cashews seasoned with brown sugar, cumin, cayenne and cinnamon.
Sweet & Spicy Nuts
– 1 egg white
– 7 oz of unsalted pecans
– 9 oz of unsalted cashews
– 1/3 cup of brown sugar (or ½ cup if you want it sweeter)
– 1 tablespoon of cumin
– 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
– ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
– ¾ teaspoon of salt
Heat your oven to 250º.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water until foamy. Add the nuts, sugar, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until the nuts are mostly dry but still lightly sticky, about 40 minutes. Lower the heat to 200º, stir the nuts (mostly to make sure they’re not sticking to the paper) and then bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir to loosen the nuts from the paper, and let cool completely. Then eat, or toss them into a festive tin and hide them under the tree.
Merry Christmas Eve Eve, everyone!
egg me on 