Stuffed Endives

This appetizer looks pretty, is easy to make, and can be prepared in advance.  I also like it because it's good finger food and has a great flavor.

36 appetizers

8 ounces goat cheese

1/2 cup diced Kalamata olives

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 heads Belgian Endive

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, for garnish

Combine first six ingredients mix well.  Trim ends of endive and separate heads into spears.  Place cheese mixture onto endive spears.  Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 2 hours.  Garnish with pine nuts.

Easy Corn Relish

I usually don't do the chain-letter type recipe exchanges, but this is a wonderful recipe I got from one..  It's from my friend (and mentor) Lisa.  We've got some corn growing in the backyard now that has stalks about 8 feet tall.  I'm hoping it's going to mature soon so I can make this with fresh-picked kernels.

3 ears of fresh corn, boiled or grilled  for 2 minutes (Frozen corn can be substituted)

1 avocado, diced

½ sweet onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

Optional: 1 chopped tomato, cilantro and/or a small Poblano chili

Olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

Slice the kernels off the ears into a bowl.  Add other vegetables.  Sprinkle with olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.  Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Taco Salad

This is Dvorah's all-time favorite salad.  In one meal, she and her friend Briana can go through about the same amount as our family of 6 used to eat combined.  It can be a meal in itself or a side salad.  It takes a bit of slicing and dicing but the results are worth every slice.  The recipe calls for an entire can of olives, which I know sounds like a lot, but since the family is often in the kitchen while I'm slicing them a good number don't actually make it into the final product.

2 meal-sized or 4 side salads.

Salad:
4 cups of lettuce, shredded or chopped small
1 cup cooked black beans, drained (1/2 of a can)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 can black olives, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup corn kernals (optional)

Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 small clove garlic, crushed

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix dressing ingredients in a bottle and shake to combine well.  Pour over salad and toss.

Liora’s Pickles

I'm presenting the recipe as I received it from Liora, who tutored our kids for their B'nai Mitzvah.  It calls for a slew of everything.  I was nervous to leave it outside in the sun for 3 days, but it worked and was soooooo good!  I only used about 10 cucumbers with small canning jars, but who knows, maybe someday I'll make the entire 5 liters.

A tightly sealing 5 liter canning jar with rubber stopper

40 Persian cucumbers

10 Serrano peppers

1 garlic head

1 dill bunch

10 cups water

10 teaspoon salt

10 teaspoon vinegar

 

Wash cucumbers and cut off both ends.  Peel garlic and slice each clove in half.  Cut peppers in half, wash dill and cut off ends.

Layer pickles into jar tightly in two layers, crisscrossing the direction.  Place some garlic and pepper slices in, and continue layering pickles.  Place half of the dill in the center of the jar, half on the top.  Really smash everything in until it's all tight.

Bring 10 cups water to a boil.  Add salt and vinegar, and pour boiling mixture over pickles.  Close lid.  The water should spill out as it closes tightly.

Leave outside in sun for 3 days or until color “looks right”.  Refrigerate and enjoy

Lemon Garlic Hummus

I can eat hummus all day.  The best ever is from a town called Abu Ghosh, known as the "Hummus Capital of Israel."  In January 2010, Abu Ghosh secured the Guinness World Record for the largest dish of hummus in the world, which 50 Jewish and Israeli-Arab chefs cooked together. The winning 20-foot dish weighed 8992.5 pounds!  I don't plan to come close to topping that, but I've been experimenting with home made hummus for a while now.  I love the lemony garlic flavor of this one.

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 tablespoons cup olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Drain garbanzo beans into a cup.  In a food processor, combine all ingredients (other than bean liquid) and process until smooth. Add a couple of tablespoons liquid as needed to obtain desired consistency, and additional salt to your preference.  Transfer to a small bowl. Serve with veggies, crackers, and/or pita.

Fresh Salsa

I need a salsa fix almost every day.  I just love the texture, flavor and spice so much that it's hard to control myself.  When I can make this with ingredients from my garden it's the best! 

Makes about 3 cups.

2 lbs ripe tomatoes, chopped

½ cup cilantro, chopped

2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed

¼ cup onion, diced

1 teaspoon jalapeno pepper, very finely diced  (Use gloves when dicing.  1 teaspoon gives it a kick, depending on potency of pepper.  Use more or less to taste.)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix.  Refrigerate at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to come together.

Baked Brie with Apples and Cranberries

I don't think you can beat the ingredients of this recipe for a baked Brie.  I think it's best to prepare it in a baking dish you can serve it in with sides or at least a lip, because it gets beautifully melted and runs a bit.  The combination of Brie, fruit and sweetness is wonderful.

From The Spice House with a minor modification of reducing the butter.
8 servings.

8 oz round or wedge of Brie cheese

½ cup apple, chopped coarsely

¼ cup sliced almonds

¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon melted butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine apples, almonds, cranberries and brown sugar in a small bowl.  Stir in butter/margarine until ingredients are just moistened.  Cut Brie in half horizontally.  Place one half rind side down in oven safe serving dish.  Spoon half the mixture onto the bottom half of Brie, spreading evenly.  Top with remaining half of Brie, rind side up.  Spoon remaining mixture on top.  Bake 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is soft and just begins to melt.  Serve with assorted crackers, toasts or apple wedges.

Eggplant Salad

I found this recipe on epicurious.com when looking for a dish to bring to a pot-luck.  It was great!  It's easy to make and served at room temperature, so can be prepared in advance.

From Gourmet Magazine| May 1995.  12 servings.

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, chopped and mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, washed well and spun dry
2 large eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds each), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

 

Preheat broiler.  In a blender, blend oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic paste, and half of basil until smooth. In a measuring cup, reserve 1/4 cup dressing and in a large bowl, toss remaining dressing with eggplant slices.

Arrange half of eggplant slices in one layer on a large baking sheet and broil about 4 inches from heat until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn slices and broil until golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Transfer eggplant slices to a plate to cool and broil remaining eggplant slices in same manner.

Arrange eggplant and remaining basil on a platter. Drizzle salad with reserved dressing and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Corn, Tomato and Bean Salad

This is very similar to a salad our friend Yona makes, so we often just refer to it as a "Yona Salad."   We use black beans (our families favorite) if making for 4 people, and use the other types of beans as well if doubling or tripling the recipe.

From Bon Appétit | August 1995. 4 servings.

2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
1 15- to 16-ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup chopped seeded plum tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 large garlic cloves, minced

Combine corn, beans, tomatoes, onion and basil in large bowl.

Whisk oil, lemon juice, parsley and garlic in small bowl to blend. Stir into corn mixture. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Serve at room temperature.)

Per serving: calories, 260; fat, 8 g; cholesterol, 0; sodium, 77 mg.
Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

Spicy Marinated Mozzarella with Oregano and Capers

This appetizer has a little kick to it, which can go higher or lower depending on how much dried crushed red pepper you add.  I like it just as written, but my mom prefers less spice.  It can be prepared in advance and chilled in the refrigerator.

From Bon Appétit - January 2002.  Goes great with artichoke hearts & olives.  6 servings.

 

12 ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese, drained, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons capers, chopped

Overlap cheese slices on medium platter.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed pepper and stir just until garlic begins to color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salt and pepper. Cool. Stir in capers and remaining 4 tablespoons oil.  Spoon over cheese slices.  Sprinkle with oregano.

Bruschetta

This year we had lots of tomatoes from our garden, hence we ate lots of bruschetta.  It is delicious with either cherry or large sized tomatoes.  We serve it with goat cheese on crackers, bread or toast.

8 servings.

2 lbs ripe tomatoes, chopped

½ cup basil, chopped

2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed

¼ cup onion, diced

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix. Let stand 10 minutes to allow flavors to come together.