Proscuitto, Fig and Goat Cheese Crostini

I love appetizers and this is one that is not only simple to make but quite delicious. The inspiration was the wonderful proscuitto in the frig and my homemade fig preserves. Give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed!

 

 

Proscuitto, Fig and Goat Cheese Crostini

1 baguette
Goat cheese, softened
Fig preserves
Proscuitto

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch slices.  Place on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake until lightly toasted, 10 to 15 minutes.  Spread slices with goat cheese.  Top with fig preserves and proscuitto. 

Guacamole with a Twist

In a search for an appetizer for Bunco, this one caught my eye. I already had many of the ingredients on hand and it was such an interesting twist on the traditional guacamole that I had to try it. One thing I really liked was the fact that it used oregano and parsley in place of cilantro. I know I should give credit for the source, but I don't remember where I found it! I did make a few changes to the original recipe, substituting Vidalia onions for the red onion and adding fresh lime juice. It was a hit and will be one of my "go to" recipes in the future.

Guacamole with Feta

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 avocadoes, diced

1/2 cup Vidalia onions, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Juice of one lime

4 ounces feta cheese

Combine all ingredients and serve with taco chips.

Smoked Salmon with Tarragon Herb Sauce

One of our favorite things to eat is Houston's Smoked Salmon. Even though it is considered an appetizer, Kenny and I often order it for our entree. We have tried to duplicate the recipe at home. I brined the salmon overnight and will do that again, adding more brown sugar to the solution. As for the Tarragon Herb Sauce, it was spot on! The combination of herbs and anchovies adds lots of flavor to the mayonnaise and is a perfect accompaniment to the salmon. The measurements in the recipe are not exact, but I'll work on perfecting the measurements and posting those later.

Smoked Salmon

4 cups water
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 3-pound salmon fillet

Combine the water, sugar and salt in a 2-gallon bag. Add the salmon, seal tightly and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Let the salmon sit at room temperature for 2 hours before smoking. Smoke at 225 degrees F. for 1 1/2 hour and the internal temperture is 145 degrees F.

Tarragon Herb Sauce

2 cups mayonnaise
4 ounces anchovies (can use anchovy paste)
3 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chives
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until the herbs are chopped fine. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Grilled Artichokes

Houston's Restaurant is one of our favorite dining places in Atlanta. I often use Houston's as a bribe to entice Kenny into a shopping trip to Lenox. I thought we had tried everything on the menu until our last visit. While sitting at the bar waiting on friends, enjoying one of their delicious Salty Dogs made with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, the bartender told us about his favorite appetizer, Grilled Artichokes. Grilled Artichokes? How had we missed them? It seems that are a special menu item, only available when artichokes are in season. And yes, they were on the day's menu and on our table.

Wow, were they good. But how did they create this tasty treat? After questioning our waitress and a search of the Internet, we now have a pretty good duplication of the recipe. Artichokes can be a pricey item, but 2 artichokes - $2.50 each - were a generous serving for 6-8. These tasty thistles barely made it off the grill before being devoured. I served them with basil mayonnaise for dipping, but to be honest, they needed nothing to enhance the flavor. Grilled artichokes will be a regular addition to our menu.

Grilled Artichokes

2 artichokes
2 lemons
1/2 cup extra virgin 0live oil
4 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt
Pepper

Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into the water. Wash the artichokes and break off the tough outer leaves. Trim the remaining tips and cut in half. Toss into the lemon water, making sure they are submerged in water.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the artichokes and cook for 15 minutes. The artichokes should be tender. Remove the chokes (the fuzzy stuff in the middle of the artichoke) and drain thoroughly. Chill for 1 hour.

Combine the juice from one lemon, olive oil and garlic.

Preheat the grill and oil the grill rack. Baste the artichokes with the oil mixture on both side and place on the hot grill. Grill on both sides about 5 minutes or until brown. Serve hot with basil mayonnaise or a lemon aioli. Serves 6 - 8.

Alessandra's Meatballs

During our trip to Italy, we had the pleasure of cooking in Alessandra's kitchen. One of our favorite dishes was Polpettine di Olive, or as I call it Alessadra's Meatballs. This was the first of the many recipes Alessandra shared with us and it has been a hit with our family and friends. The preparation is simple and the tasty treats can be frozen before breading and used as needed. Tonight we made them for our neighborhood dinner. As you can see, Kenny was the fry cook! Thanks, Alessandra for sharing your kitchen and love for cooking.

Alessandra's Meatballs

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup onion, chopped

3/4 cup carrots, chopped

3/4 cups celery, chopped

1/2 pound ground chicken

1/2 pound bulk sausage

1 1/4 pound ground beef

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup olives, chopped

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Pepper to taste

1/4 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

Panko bread crumbs

Saute the vegetables in the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the meats and cook until done, stirring to break the meat into small pieces. Drain, if needed. Return to the skillet and add the wine. Cook until the wine is absorbed. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the parmesan, 1egg, and the seasonings. Mix well and chill. Once chilled, form into 1-inch balls. At this point the meatballs can be chilled or frozen. Roll the meatballs in flour, egg and bread crumbs and fry in olive oil until brown. Serve with mayonaise seasoned with Worchesteshire sauce, basil and oregano. Makes 40 meatballs.

Dressing Bites with Cranberry and Pepper Jelly Dipping Sauce

This year we had a lot of leftover dressing. For a real treat, use your leftover dressing for these delicious treat. Callie has requested for this to become a tradition at Quail Hollow! Serve with a Hot Pepper Jelly Cranberry Sauce for dipping. Unfortunately, there is no picture of the Dressing Bites, we ate them before I got a chance to take the picture!

Dressing Bites with Hot Pepper Jelly Cranberry Sauce

Dressing Bites
Leftover dressing
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
Panko bread crumbs

Form the dressing into 1-inch balls. Dip in flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs. Fry until golden brown.

Hot Pepper Jelly Cranberry Sauce
1 can cranberry sauce
1/4 cup hot pepper jelly

In a small saucepan, heat cranberry sauce and hot pepper jelly to combine. Serve warm with the Dressing Bites.

Eggplant Antipasto

Last weekend, Pat and Sue hosted their annual fall party. This year's theme was Italian. Pat has recently retired and is spending all him time and money creating a beautiful Tuscan courtyard. Kenny and I were amazed at the transformation. The backyard is surrounded by a stucco wall complete with shuttered windows and a beautiful wood entry door. Along the back is a covered area with a tile roof. Plans include massive landscaping and a fountain.

As always, the food was delicious. I do believe Sue had been cooking for a week and my favorite was the Steak Marsala. For the occasion, I opted for a tradition antipasto. Since I had one last eggplant from the garden, I tried Eggplant Antipasto. Teamed with prosciutto, mortadella and crostini for a delicious appetizer. This is also delicious served warm over pasta.

Eggplant Antipasto

1 large or 2 small eggplants, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 8-ounce package sliced baby portabello mushrooms

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sliced green olives

1 teaspoon salt

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a 9x12 inch baking pan, mix the vegetables and olive oil. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and continue baking for 30 minutes or until the eggplant is tender. Remove the cover for the last 1o minutes of baking. Chill and serve with crostini or crackers.