Salmon Tartines

I have been  hosting quite a few parties these last few weeks and have added this new staple to my list.  It's super easy, really is just assembly more so then cooking but sure to be a crowd pleaser.

In the below photo I used shallots instead of red onion because I had them on hand but I would suggest sticking with the red onion both for aesthetic and flavor impact. This recipe is not created by me simply me picking the best of what come across and sharing with you.

Also, there is no need to cut the bread into stars like I did, in fact for my party I didn't but like a kid with a new toy I had to try out my new cookie cutters. I think these look best cut into rounds or even just cut the slice of pumpernickel in half on the diagonal or thirds.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup capers roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (don't discard the lemon, you will use again)
1 1/2. Tbsp fresh copped dill (you really need the fresh kind)
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

6-8 slices of pumpernickel bread (get as thin sliced as you can find)
8 oz whipped cream cheese (soften to room temp)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped chives (fresh)
12 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon (torn into bit side pcs.)
zest of 1 lemon

Directions: you can do step 1 and 2 in advance up to 2 hours if need be.

1. To make the relish combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate (if done in advance)

2. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and chives and refrigerate (if done in advance, remove 30 minutes before assembling so it's spreadable.

3. Preheat oven to 350 and put bread on cookie sheets, cut bread into desired shape and toast for about 10 minutes and then let them cool completely.

4. Right before serving spread the cream cheese mixture on the bread and top with a bite size pc of smoked salmon.

5. Garnish with the relish and top with a sprinkling of grated lemon zest.

Enjoy!

Serve at once. Makes about 18 pcs.

Carmelized Onion Hummus

I have always been a fan of hummus, but a recent trip to the Middle East has reminded me just how much I love the stuff. Those of you who know me know that I am bit of a picky eater when it comes to store bought and prepared foods. There is something special about hummus made at home without preservatives.

I have never made this particular version before but I thought adding caramelized onion, garlic and shallots would be a nice addition and I was right. I topped it with some Za'atar Spice that a friend gave me from Saudi Arabia and some shelled pistachios.

Ingredients:
1/2 of medium onion chopped
1 shallot chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans of chickpeas drained (15.5 oz cans)
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
2 more cloves of garlic
juice of 2 lemons
2 tsps. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
8 dashes hot sauce
2 Tbsp. water
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
2 Tbsp. Za'atar spice
2 Tbsp. shelled pistachios

In a sauté pan combine 2 Tbsp. of olive oil with the chopped onion, garlic and shallot and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes until caramelized (don't make crispy, stir often). Set aside to cool.

In food processor add the chickpeas, 2 cloves raw garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt, pepper, hot sauce, water and cooled onion mixture. Process on med/hi for about 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, hot sauce or lemon juice to your liking if necessary.

Spoon into dish and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle over that Za'atar spice and top with pistachios.

Enjoy with pita chips, cut veggies, in a wrap, etc.

Skinny French Toast

I have not always been a huge fan of French Toast and I have never been a fan of traditional sandwich bread. Something about biting into doughy syrup logged bread just didn't appeal to me. I think I finally found the answer to my ideal French Toast! I also think this is a pretty good attempt at making this dish as light as possible but still using all "real" ingredients.

I bought P. Farm super skinny bread, the one that is only about 1/4" thick figuring that it would stay crunchy and it did. I love me some bacon with my breakfast but normally don't want to waste the calories and fat on it so I made one slice per person and crumbled it up. To make matters even better last time I was in NY my parents had for me some local light amber pure maple syrup. I had blueberries in the fridge so as you can see I simply had no choice but to make French Toast for myself and Riley this morning.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
8 slices of super thin sandwich bread
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. whole milk
1/8 tsp. cinnamon (I but an amazing Vietnamese one from Penzeys online)
2 slices of crispy bacon
dash of salt
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup blueberries
3 Tbsp. light amber pure maple syrup


Mix with a whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon and salt in a flat bottom shallow bowl.
Heat a skillet (I use a flat non stick grill pan) over medium heat using 1/2 of the butter. (So I don't have to use a ton of butter I take a pastry brush and spread the melted butter on the pan.)

Dip the bread in the egg mixture, flip to coat both sides. I leave it in for as short a time as possible, just get it coated and get it out. Place 4 slices (if you can fit them, this is where the square pan comes in nicely) on the hot buttered pan and cook to your desired doneness. (about 45-60 seconds per side).
Repeat to do the next 4 pcs.

Immediately place the 4 slices on a plate, top with crumbled bacon and the blueberries. Top with a drizzle of the maple syrup. Enjoy!

Grilled Halloumi Cheese (trust me you should make this)

Ok so I want to start by saying this is not going to be a healthy blog post. There is only one main ingredient to this dish and it's cheese. Super good, salty, nutty, squeaky cheese. You will understand the squeak part when you try it.  I have made this a bunch of times and it is always a huge hit. The cheese is pricy but it's so rich you really only need 1 or maybe 2 slices a person. I normally do this as an appetizer.  This is one of the best things I have ever eaten. You can find Halloumi Cheese in some grocery stores, most specialty stores like Whole Foods but better yet if you have a local Mid East market look for it there, it's normally quite a bit less expensive and you can also grab the Zatar Spice while you are there.

Grilled Halloumi Cheese:

Ingredients:

1 package of Halloumi Cheese
2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. of Zatar Spice (a Middle Eastern blend of spices, available in specialty stores or online)
Salt and Pepper

It's super easy to make this dish. Start by cutting the cheese into 8 even slices. Place on a paper towel to absorb any of the liquid coming out of the cheese.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and drizzle 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil in the pan. Add the cheese slices and cook about 1 minute on each side until there is a nice brown crust. Don't burn them, you just want a nice light/medium brown color.

Remove from heat and drizzle with the remaining Tbsp. of olive oil and sprinkle over the Zatar Spice, salt and pepper.  Eat warm or at room temp. Enjoy!

*You can also if you want serve this with sliced tomato to cut the richness of the cheese, it looks very pretty that way and stretches the dish a bit further.

Buffalo Chicken and Corn Dip

Happy 4th of July!  We are going to a BBQ later today so I decided to do my own take on red, white and blue.  I love, love, love when I am able to whip something up without having to go to the store first for ingredients. I have made buffalo dips before but I don't really have a recipe per se so I knew I had some flexibility.  I am really happy with how it came out, it was fast to make, inexpensive and tastes awesome.

Buffalo Chicken and Corn Dip

Ingredients: (approx. as I didn't measure but these will be close enough, adjust to taste)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded chicken (I just left over from a roast chicken I made)
2 ears of cooked corn, remove kernels from cobb
2 cups shredded cheese (I was out of shredded and just chopped up some deli cheese, doesn't really matter which type)
2 Tbsp. hot sauce (adjust up or down based on how hot you want it)
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles (reserve 1 Tbsp. for topping)
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
1 scallion sliced

In a non stock pan melt the shredded cheese and the blue cheese over low heat just until melted. Add the sour cream and mix to combine. Add the shredded chicken, hot sauce, corn and stir to combine. Once combined add the chicken stock to loosen it up a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir over low heat until everything is nicely combined. I would take a taste at this point, you may want to add more hot sauce or blue cheese depending on your preference.

Transfer to a casserole or pie dish (oven safe) and sprinkle on top the reserved blue cheese and the scallion rings.

I like to heat this up in the oven just a bit before serving so it has a nice consistency.  I suggest about 10 minutes about 300 degrees to warm through.

Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Chocolate Pots de Crème

I think I have found my super easy, make ahead go to dessert!  I made these Friday night for a small dinner party and they were a huge hit.  If you have never had pots de crème it's kind of like a pudding but not really, more like the consistency of Crème Brule.  The recipe comes from my favorite cooking magazine, Cooks Illustrated.  It was the first time I ever made them and I will be making them again for sure. They are a little on the expensive side but totally worth it for a special occasion. I will also give 2 suggestions about where substitutions could be made to bring the price down a lot. I will also at the bottom advise how to use bittersweet chocolate if milk chocolate is too sweet for you.

Chocolate Pots de Crème:

-12 oz. milk chocolate chopped finely (I got mine from a gourmet chocolate store so it was expensive, just get the best quality you can as this will determine how awesome these come out).
-5 large egg yolks
-2 Tbsp. sugar
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1 1/2 cup heavy cream
-3/4 cup half and half
-1 tsp. coffee or espresso essence (this is also hard to find and expensive, if you want sub 1 Tbsp. of coffee liquor
-1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (*make sure it's the real stuff)

Whipped Topping

-1/2 cup heavy cream
-2 tsp. sugar (superfine if you have it)
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract*
-cocoa powder

Place chocolate in a medium bowl, place fine mesh strainer over the chocolate and set aside for the moment.

In another bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt until combined. Whisk in the cream and half and half. Once combined transfer this mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly and scraping bottom with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.  Cook until thickened and silky, will be around 175 to 180 degrees. Don't allow the custard to overcook, will burn so watch it carefully.  Will take about 8-10 minutes on the stove.

Take this mixture and immediately pour the fine mesh strainer over the chocolate so it covers all the chocolate. Don't touch it for about 3-5 minutes. When ready whisk to combine the now melted chocolate with the custard. Don't over whisk, just go till totally combined. Add in the coffee essence or your substitution and the vanilla extract and whisk until incorporated.

Divide the mixture between 8 small cups or ramekins (I lined the up on a cookie sheet for easy transport).  Let them cool on counter then cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge for 4 hours. Bring out and let sit on counter for about 20-25 minutes before serving. (Don't put on the topping until right about ready to serve.)

To make the whipped cream combine the  1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tsp. sugar and the 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract with an electric mixes on medium/high speed until stiff peaks form. Immediately spoon on top of the pots de crème and then sprinkle with cocoa powder. Serve an enjoy!

Note: If you prefer bittersweet chocolate change to only 10 oz of chocolate and use 5 Tbsp. of sugar instead of 2.

Salmon Over Dressed Greens

I am especially excited about this post because I grew the mixed baby lettuce for my salad right on my patio!  One of the many things I love about working from a home office is that I can prepare a salad for lunch without having to do it the night before or morning of.  I did cook the salmon the night before which made for a super quick preparation.  These greens were the first of the season from my planter and picking it knowing I would be eating it in minutes made me really happy.  This post is not really much of a recipe, more like a celebration of my "garden" which gave me the best lunch I've had in a long time. This is a great option for an easy lunch or dinner when company is over.

Ingredients:

4-6 oz. pc of fresh wild salmon 
baby lettuce
slice of tomato (mine was heirloom because I love them and think they are extra pretty)
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Salt and pepper the fish and place the flesh side down in a medium hot non stick lightly oiled pan. Don't touch the fish for about 2-3 minutes. You want a sear on the flesh so a crust forms, if you move it to soon you will tear it.  Flip the fish so the skin side is down, cook another approx. 2 minutes so fish is slightly firm to the touch. I personally prefer the skin removed so I did it while fish was still hot as I find it comes off easier that way.  (What I did after this was let it cool and put in the fridge for use the next day but you can use right away if you like).  At lunch time heated up a dry pan to medium high and put the fish in and heated through on both side, maybe 1 minute max each side. Set aside to cool off a bit.

Take 2 Tbsp. of balsamic vinegar and heat it in a small pan over medium heat for a few minutes until it reduces by about half. It will have a slightly syrupy consistency.  With flame off add 1-2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and whisk together to make the dressing. (You can add if tiny bit of Dijon if you want but I went very basic today). Toss the lettuce with slightly warm dressing, salt and pepper and plate with tomato slice and salmon. Enjoy!