An Ode to the Chili

I absolutely LOVE chili - eating them, growing them, cooking with them, decorating with them, you name it!  Whether you're just adding a pinch or really giving some heat to your dish, chili kicks it up a notch!  There are so many different varieties of chilies and nearly every country thinks their chilies are the best in the world.

A few of my favorite dishes featuring this beautifully spicy fruit:

• Grilled Tuna and Mango Salad
• Spiced Pumpkin Soup
• Chimichurri
• Pork Skewers with Thai Dipping Sauce
• Thai-style Grilled Whole Snapper
• Roasted Squash with Chili Citrus Sauce
• Tom Yum Goong
• Grilled Pineapple Skewers
• Gingered Apple-Squash Soup

 Must stop... my mouth is watering...

Find these and many more chili recipes on http://www.therecipediva.com/!

Every Party needs a Nut Bar!

A nut bar is great for entertaining around the holidays.  You can stock it with all different recipes and varieties of nuts according to your guests' tastes (as well as yours!)  Something salty, something sweet, and a lot of crunch!  Nuts make a great snack throughout the day before your big meal!

Try these favorites of mine!

• Spicy Lemon Pistachios
• Cinnamon Walnut Brittle
• Spiced Almonds
• Old Bay Peanuts
• Smoky Almond Brittle

Easy Entertaining: Mozzarella & Tomato Bites

While I certainly don't mind spending some time and effort cooking, sometimes it's nice to throw something together quickly.  This appetizer is so quick and easy but, thanks to a few flavors that marry together beautifully, it still tastes incredible!  The presentation is very cute and they can be eaten in one clean, easy bite, so no need for serving plates!  Feel free to prepare the tomato bites ahead of time and store them in the fridge.  Take them out 15 minutes before serving and dress them right as your guests arrive!

Mozzarella & Tomato Bites

Ingredients

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

8 mini mozzarella balls, halved

8 thing slices of proscuitto, halved lengthwise

16 basil leaves

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

fresh black pepper

Directions

1.  Push tomato and mozzarella halves together to make a ball.  Tuck a basil leave against the ball as your wrap it with a slice of proscuitto. Secure with a toothpick.

2. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with a good quality olive oil. 

Couldn't be easier!  They'll disappear in a matter of minutes!

Spinach & Gruyère Soufflé

I must admit, I was a bit nervous to prepare a soufflé as I've heard they can be quite temperamental.  I've even heard horror stories about having to tip-toe around your kitchen or you will cause it to fall flat.  Texture is king is this dish and as it's name, which is French for "to blow up", indicates, it should be pefectly puffed. 

In short, a soufflé is base of egg yolks with a sauce and beaten egg whites.  The base provides the flavor while the egg whites give it volume.  There are both savory and dessert soufflés, and probably not too surprising, I chose to make a savory one; besides, I had spinach that I needed to use up.

The presentation of this dish is just beautiful.  Mine did not come out perfectly symmetrical by any means (thanks to my uneven cooking Australian oven) but I actually loved the quirky looking outcome.  It was fluffy with a light crust on the outside, and of course had to have that rewarding creamy center.  Make sure to season well and it will explode with flavor. 

Spinach & Gruyère Soufflé

Ingredients

1 large bunch of spinach, stemmed and finely chopped

1 tbsp parmesan, grated

3 1/2 oz butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk, warm

1/4 tsp nutmeg

4 oz Gruyère cheese, grated

5 eggs, separated

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).  Grease your soufflé dish or individual ramekins completely using upward strokes and sprinkle all sides with parmesan (supposedly these 2 tricks will help the soufflé rise).

2. To make your base (kind of a very thick bechamel sauce), melt the butter in a pan.  Stir in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until you have a paste.  Gradually add warm milk while stirring to prevent lumps, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. 

3. Stir through the spinach and cheese, allow to cool, then add the egg yolks.

4. Beat the egg whites until you have stiff peaks.  Fold the whites into the spinach mixture while you season.

5. Pour into prepared dishes.  Baking time varies greatly depending on what size dish(es) you are using.  For a large dish, cook for about 30 minutes, raise heat to 425 degrees F (220 C), and cook for 15 more minutes.  For individual ramekins, cook for 10 minutes, turn heat up and cook for about 5-10 more minutes.  You want the soufflé golden and just set.  In the traditional French method, I prefer mine still moist and creamy in the center although some like it cooked all the way through. 

A couple of tips:   

1.  Make sure to be careful when separating your eggs not to break the yolk on the shell.  If there is even a trace of yolk in your egg whites, they will probably not whip up.

2. Room temperature egg whiles will foam more quickly and to a greater volume.

3. When you fold in the egg whites, be gentle.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Like I need another excuse to eat Mexican food...  In honor of my favorite Mexican holiday, we celebrated with slow cooked pork carnita tacos accompanied by avocado 3 ways.  I made my traditional guacamole, a roasted garlic and orange guacamole, and pomegranate and avocado salsa.  Yes, pomegranate salsa.  It's certainly not a salsa to be eaten with chips but went beautifully with the tacos.  The tangy pop of the pomegranate seeds was the perfect accent to the smoky pork and creamy avocado.  Thanks to our houseguest, we've been obsessed with all things pomegranate for the last month so I had to figure out a way to incorporate them. 

We gobbled up the tacos too fast to take any pics.  It's amazing that something that takes 8 hours to cook can be eaten up in a matter of minutes! 

Avocado 3 Ways

Traditional Guacamole

Ingredients

3 avocados
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp cumin
salt

Directions

1. Cut around each avocado lengthwise and twist halves apart. Stab pit with knife and dislodge. Scoop out flesh.

2. Combine all ingredients and coarsely mash together. Season to taste with salt.

Roasted Garlic and Orange Guacamole

Ingredients

6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 small oranges
1 jalapeno
1 small red onion, diced
3 ripe avocados, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin
3 tbsp mint, chopped
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
salt

Directions

1. Roast the garlic in a dry skillet over medium heat until it is soft and blackened in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze out garlic and chop if necessary.

2. Supreme the oranges by cutting of the ends, standing orange up and cutting off all the rind and all of the bitter white pith.  Release segments by cutting along either side of each membrane.  Chop the oranges.

3. Cut around each avocado lengthwise and twist halves apart.  Stab pit with knife and dislodge.  Scoop out flesh. 

4. Combine all ingredients and coarsely mash together.  Season to taste with salt. 

Pomegranate and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients

2 avocados, peeled and diced
1 lime, juiced
1 pomegranate, seeded
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tbsp honey
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
salt

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and season to taste with salt. 

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Zucchini blossoms are the bright yellow/orange flowers on the end of baby zucchini (also the blossoms on the stalks of males plants).  I wouldn't say they are your typical menu item, but if you've never enjoyed these delicate flowers, you are missing out!

Before I actually ventured to try zucchini blossoms, I must admit that I wrote them off as one of those 'cool ingredients' that are more attractive and exotic than they are appetizing.  While I do enjoy experimenting with new ingredients and combinations, I am of the opinion that not everything edible is meant for consumption and not all ingredients pair well.  I am sure my fiance will enjoy this... I WAS WRONG!  Yes, zucchini blossoms are attractive but they are also delicious. 

Since losing my zucchini blossom virginity, I've ordered them prepared in a variety of ways, but I definitely prefer them fried.  For a reason unbeknownst to myself, I was very intimated to have a go at these in my own kitchen.  They were staring me down at the market the other day and I knew I had to conquer my fear. 

As the blossoms themselves are very delicate, I wanted to keep the dish light.  I decided to go with a light and fluffy ricotta stuffing and used a batter of soda water and flour to give them an almost tempura-like crunch. 

I toyed with the idea of throwing some finely chopped sundried tomatoes into the stuffing but decided that I wanted to keep it very light and fresh.  They came out just as I had wanted, but I certainly could have added the sundried tomatoes if I were looking for a bit more depth of flavor. 

It was a beautiful dish, the creamy and fresh herbed ricotta stuffing was the perfect complement to the sweet flower and light, golden crisp
.

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Ingredients
12 zucchini blossoms
1 cup ricotta
1 egg
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano
3 tablespoons herbs, finely chopped (whatever you prefe, I used basil, parsley, and thyme)
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sparkling water
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
oil, for frying (I used canola)

Directions

1. If you have any female flowers with the baby zucchini attached, slice the zucchinis into strips ensuring almost up to the flower so that the remain attached.  For all flowers, very gently open the petals and clip and discard the pistil.
2. For the filling, combine the cheeses, egg, herbs, and 3/4 tsp salt.  Spoon 1-2 tsp into each flower depending on size, but do not overfill.  Close the blossoms over the mixture and twist petals to seal.
3. For the batter, whisk together the flour, water and salt and pepper until smooth.
4. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until you have reached 350 degrees F.  If you sprinkle a little flour in the oil and it sizzles, it's ready.
5. Dip the blossoms in the batter and all excess to drip off.  Fry for about 2 minutes, turning occasionally until they are golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Add more salt if desired.

I whipped up a quick pesto using my mortar and pestle.  I bashed together some chopped basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, paremesan cheese, salt, and EVOO - your pretty typical recipe.  You can serve with marinara, vinaigrette, whatever you prefer!

These heirlooms won't be around for long!

Although there is no exact definition of an heirloom, or heritage tomato, it is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down for generations due to desired characteristics.  They have strong and unique colors and flavors.  Rarely are they perfectly round and can often be lumpy and misshaped.  Don't be turned off by this as they are divine!  It's best to use them for dishes where their flavors can really shine.

I found some beautiful, ripe heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market and put them to immediate use when I got home.  It's hard to believe that they pack so much punch, they were bursting with flavor!  As I really wanted to concentrate on the flavor of the tomato, I decided to do a simple tomato salad.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Ingredients

1 lb heirloom tomatoes
small handful of basil leaves, plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of salt
cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Halve, quarter and slice the tomatoes as you please.  Feel free to do rough chops.
2. Roughly chop basil and add to mortar and pestle with garlic, olive oil and salt.  Grind to a liquidy paste.  Add more olive oil or basil to reach desired consistency.

3. Drizzle over tomatoes and gently toss.  Garnish with torn basil leaves and cracked black pepper.  Sprinkle with additional salt if desired.

The salad would be great with some creamy buffalo mozzeralla to soak up the flavors!

My Asian-fusion Seafood Feast

Since living in Australia, my cooking has definitely been influenced by our proximity to Asia.  I'm really enjoying experimenting with different ingredients and techniques.  The food is healthy, I love the complex flavors, and I can't find anything wrong with eating a ton of seafood!

After a quick run to the market, I stopped by my favorite asian grocery, picked up a few things, and headed home to prepare my seafood feast.  I gathered together all of my 'asian ingredients' and waited for inspiration. 

I decided on pan-fried ginger scallops, tuna tartare over fried rice, and tuna and mango sashimi cups.  I had intended to make another small dish - something with shrimp and shitake mushrooms but my ideas were bigger than my stomach and I'd have to save those shrimp for something else!

As only the sashimi cups, scallops, and fried rice require cooking, you can do much of the preparation ahead of time and throw a few things together last minute!  For my first tuna dish...

Tuna & Mango Sashimi Cups

 Ingredients

3/4 cup tuna, diced
1/4 cup mango, diced
1/4 cup cucumber, diced
2 tbsp onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp cilantro chopped
2 spring roll wrappers

Directions

1. Combine sashimi ingredients, through lime juice and refrigerate.

2. To make 'cups' for the sashimi, preheat oven to 400 degrees F, slighten dampen spring roll wrappers, cut into rounds, and mold into cups in a mini muffin pan.  Bake for about 5 minutes until firm and crisp.  Remove from pan and let cool.

3. Fill cups with sashimi and serve.  Garnish with additional cilantro if desired.

The spring rolls cups were light, gave a nice crunch, and served their purpose; however, I'd probably try something with a bit more flavor next time.  They would be great if I could figure out a way to do them fried?

Pan-fried Ginger Scallops

 

Ingredients

8 large scallops

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1-inch knob of ginger sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

For sauce:

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp mirin

1/2-inch knob of ginger, grated 

For garnish:

1 tbsp cilantro leaves

1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced

1 red chili, thinly sliced

1 tsp fried shallots

Directions

1.  Heat oil over medium heat and add ginger and garlic slices.  Cook for 4 minute to infuse oil with flavor.  Increase heat to medium high.  Season scallops, add to pan and cook 1-2 minutes on each side until almost cooked through and golden brown.  Remove from pan 

2.  Whisk together ingredients for sauce, toss in pan quickly, and strain over scallops

3.  Garnish with cilantro, green onion, chili, and fried shallots.

And last but not least (my personal favorite of the night)...

Tuna Tartare over Fried Rice

Ingredients

3/4 cup tuna, diced

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp honey

2 tsp mirin

1 tsp wasabi paste

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

For fried rice:*

2 cups cooked white rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg beaten

For garnish:

1/2 cup watercress

1 lemon, juiced

1/2-inch know of ginger, grated

* This will make more fried rice than is required for this dish, but I don't see that as a bad thing :)

Directions

1. To make your ginger-infused lemon juice for your garnish, combine grated ginger and lemon juice and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

2. Combine all ingredients for tuna and refrigerate.

3. For fried rice, heat vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic, tossing constantly so it does not burn.  When softened, add rice and stir through. 

4. Push rice up the sides of wok creating a hole in the center.  Add egg and loosely scramble.  Season with salt and pepper.

5. To arrange dish, use circular mold.  Push rice into bottom half of the mold.  Remove tuna from marinade and fill mold.  Strain lemon juice over watercress, toss, and layer on top of tuna.

With the mix of ingredients that I had to work with, there was not way that I could go wrong!  It was a delicious and healthy seafood feast!

 

 

An Oozy Eggplant Stack

Still struggling through life without meat, I've been trying to get creative with some new vegetarian dishes.  Eggplant is a great meat substitute as it is a very hearty vegetable with a solid, meaty texture.  However, it does not contain any of the nutritional benefits of meat, so make sure you are getting your protein elsewhere. 

I wanted to achieve a different taste sensation in each layer - the sweet tomato sauce, the meaty eggplant, the creamy mozzarella, a hit of hot peppery arugula''.  I knew I was about to get a little piece of heaven when I saw the mozzarella come oozing out with my first cut.  I was not disappointed when I shoveled a massive bite into my mouth, it was absolutely delicious, DELICIOUS.

Although, eggplant is not as bitter as it once was, when I'm using a

large eggplant, I usually salt it to draw out the additional moisture.  Place the slices on a rack and generouslly sprinkle with course salt.  After 30 minutes, quickly rinse and pat dry.

Ingredients

2 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 14-oz can (400 g) whole tomatoes in juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup basil, finely chopped
2 eggplants, sliced into rounds
1 cup flour
1 ½ cups canola oil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
4 cups arugula (rocket), chopped
2 mozzarella balls, sliced into rounds

Directions

1. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cooks, stirring, until softened.

2. Meanwhile, blend tomatoes with juice in a blender until almost smooth. Add tomatoes, water, and sugar to saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and season.

3. Add canola oil to deep sauce pan over high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge eggplant slices, shaking off excess. Pan-fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towel.

4. Add remaining tbsp oil to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook remaining garlic with red-pepper flakes, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir through arugula, and season.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). To arrange stacks, use 4 ring molds on a baking sheet. Place 2 tsp of tomato sauce on the bottom of each and top with a slice of eggplant. Arrange mozzarella over eggplant and top with 2 tsp of tomato sauce. Add another layer of eggplant and top with 1/4 of arugula mixture. Top with another slice of eggplant and 2 tsp of tomato sauce. Bake for 15 minutes.

6. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with basil strips and torn mozzarella.

Who needs meat?

Tuna Two Ways

Yesterday I went to the market to pick up some snapper for dinner, but when I saw how beautiful the tuna looked, I couldn't resist!  I picked up a couple sashimi-grade tuna steaks and was on my way!  I was craving some grilled tuna but being that these were so high quality, I wanted to take advantage of their sashimi-grade.  Since I never finish my whole piece of fish anyway, I cut mine in half and decided to make Tuna Tataki as an appetizer and Honey Soy Tuna for dinner with steamed bok choy and brown rice.  Both turned out delicious and I am still receiving accolades from the fiance!  I think I made the right choices for the fate of this tuna!

Tuna Tataki with Citrus Ponzu

Ingredients

1/2 lb sashimi grade tuna

1/4 cup ginger, finely chopped

2 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp black sesame seeds (I used all regular b/c I didnt have black)

1 tbsp fresh cracked pepper

salt

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Ponzu:

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp mirin

1 1/2 tbsp fresh orange juice

1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 small chilli, sliced halfway up lengthwise

Directions:

1. For ponzu, whisk all ingredients liquid ingredients together.  Let the chilli sit in the sauce while you cook the tuna.  Remove before serving. 

2. Using sharp knife, cut tuna into long rectangular pieces.  Combine ginger, sesame seeds, and pepper in a shallow dish.  Salt tuna and roll into mixture making sure to press mixture into the tuna.

3. Heat oil in pan over medium high heat.  Sear tuna for 30 sec - 1 min on all for 4 sides.  Place in refrigerator to cool.

4. When tuna has cooled, slice using a very sharp knife and drizzle with ponzu. 

As I said, we both LOVED this healthy and delicious appetizer.  I made a quick salad of shaved cucumber, carrot, and snow peas sprouts tossed with a ginger dressing (ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil).  This would make a great appetizer for entertaining as it can be made a bit ahead of time and cooled in the fridge.  On to the next course...

Honey Soy Tuna

  

Ingredients

For 2 servings

2 tuna steaks, equal in thickness

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 garlic clove, crushed

Directions

1. For marinade, combine soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic.  Marinate tuna for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare grill for cooking over medium high.  Oil and grill tuna for 1-2 minutes on each side until desired degree of doneness.

Might be quite a bit of tuna for one day but that's just how it worked out for us and I didnt mind one bit!  Enjoy!

Pork Dumplings

Pork Sui Mai, or as I like to refer to them, Pork Dumplings, make a great appetizer for entertaining.  They aren't too difficult, you can mix your ingredients a few hours before your guests arrive, they look super cute, and most of all EVERYONE loves them, EVERYONE.  You can easily adapt this recipe to fit your guests tastes or eating restrictions and you can always freeze and save half for another occasion!

We were having a small dinner party and I decided to send out a quick note before planning the menu to check if anyone had any dietary or personal restrictions ... at the end of the day (my own pickiness included) we were at no beef, no peas, nothing from the sea, no uncooked mushrooms, no salads with egg, and no lamb.  Luckily pork dumplings fit the bill for an appetizer.  If you steam them in a bamboo steamer, I suggest just serving them right out of there!

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork (about 500 g)
1 cup cabbage shredded (about 1/8 head) plus a few large leaves line steamer
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ginger, grated
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg white
1/2 tsp black pepper
50 wonton wrappers

Dipping Sauce:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup green onions, minced
1 tsp ginger finely chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar

Directions

1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients down to pepper.  Refrigerate until you prepare the dumplings.

2. For dipping sauce, add oil to sauce pan over medium heat and sautee onions and ginger until soft.  Add soy sauce and rice vinegar and bring to boil, remove from  heat and let cool.

3. Line levels of bamboo steamer with cabbage leaves to prevent sticking.  Alternatively, line whatever you are using to steam with baking paper.

4. Working with one wrapper at a time, place a large tsp of mixture into center, wipe water around the edges with your finger,  and pull all of the sides up and squeeze into a beggar's pouch.  Place on backing sheet dusted with cornflour or place directly on steamer and cover with plastic wrap until ready to steam.  Keep wrappers covered with damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. 

5. Steam for 5-7 minutes until pork is cooked through.  Serve with dipping sauce.

To freeze, place uncooked dumplings on baking sheet in freezer.  Once frozen, transfer to aircontainer placing baking paper or plastic wrap between layers.  Steam directly from a frozen state for 10-12 minutes.

NOT just a movie!

When I mentioned yesterday that I wanted to make fried green tomatoes, I actually heard "That isn't just a movie?"  I was overcome by both shock and pity for any poor individual that has not had the pleasure of experiencing this traditional southern dish.

Was it presumptuous of me to assume that everyone is and should be familar with fried green tomatoes?  Made from firm, green, unripe tomatoes, this dish can be found on menus from local cheap eateries to some of the nicest restaurants in Charleston, SC, arguably the culinary capital of the south.

I was motivated to make this dish when I noticed some overcrowding on my tomato plant and had to pick a few unripe tomatoes if I wanted to make a bit more room.

I did a pretty basic rendition, and topped them with a warm corn salsa.  If I had a food processor here, I probably would have made some kind of red pepper coulis to serve them over.  As a last minute decision, I threw in some panko breadcrumbs to my flour/cornmeal mixture to give them some extra crunch! 

Fried Green Tomatoes

with Sweet Corn Salsa

Ingredients

4 green tomatoes

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

1 tbsp milk

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup cormeal

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

vegetable oil, for frying

Corn salsa

2 ears of corn, cooked, kernels removed

1/2 red pepper finely chopped

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp basil, sliced

1 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp balsmic vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick and place between kitchen towels to absorb all moisture.

2. For corn salsa, combine all ingredients and let sit while you prepare tomatoes.

3. To prepare 'frying station', get 3 bowls.  Pour 1/2 cup of flour in the first bowl.  In the second, beat the eggs and milk.  In the third combine, 1/2 cup flour, cornmeal, panko, salt, and peppers.  Pat tomatoes dry, and going one slice at a time, coat in flour, dredge in eat mixure, and coat in breadcrumb mixure and place on rack.

4. Let the tomatoes sit for about 10 minutes.  In the meantime, in a large saucepan, pour in vegetable oil until you have about 1/8 inch.  Heat at medium heat so the tomatoes may soften without the crust browning too quickly.  Cook for 3 or 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and place back on rack.

5. Place 2 or 3 slices on a plate, top with corn salsa and serve.

Delicious southern treat!

Crab-Stuffed Avocado

Not only does this light and easy appetizer look great, it tastes amazing!  Something about crab and avocado just works!  I love the creaminess of the avocado, the crunch from the shallot and pepper, and that little zing from your splash of hot sauce.

You want to make sure to use good quality crabmeat as that is really the star of this dish.  This makes a great appetizer as it's very light or a perfect afternoon snack while lounging on your back deck with a refreshing glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Crab-Stuffed Avocado

Ingredients

2 avocados

6 oz. good quality fresh crabmeat

1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 shallot, finely chopped

1 tsp parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp light mayo

1 tbsp heavy cream

1 tsp lemon juice

few dashes of your favorite hot sauce

S&P

Directions

1. Cut avocados in half and remove pits.  Rub exposed avocado with lemon juice so it doesn't brown. 

2. In medium-sized bowl, combine crab, pepper, shallot and parsley.  In small bowl, combine mayo, heavy cream and lemon juice. 

3. Add dressing to crab mixture and combine.  Splash the salad with hot sauce and stir.  Mound the salad into the avocado and garnish with parsley if desired.

On the 8th Day of Christmas the Recipe Diva made for me...

Deviled Eggs!!

My mom makes the BEST deviled eggs!  Some may disagree, but I sure haven't found any yet!  I have never seen a party end with one of these left on the platter.  And in the off chance that I did find one, I would take care of it immediately!

To put these tasty delights together, hard boil a dozen eggs, peel, and cut in half.  Arrange the whites on the platter.  Mix the yolks with 1/2 cup mayonaisse, 1/4 cup relish, 1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 1/2 tbsp dry mustard, 1/2 tsp paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.  I added 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper for extra kick. 

Spoon the mixture into a plastic bag and cut the corner - this makes life MUCH easier as I figured out half way through the process.  Squeeze egg mixture into the egg whites and sprinkle with paprika.  I meant to add some chopped chives for the festive green but forgot :(  They were still delicious!  Another easy and tasty entertaining recipe that cannot go wrong!

On the 4th Day of Christmas, the Recipe Diva made for me...

Goat Cheese & Chorizo Rolls

Like yesterday, I decided to experiment with another frozen pastry dough; however, phyllo dough is not NEARLY as easy to work with as puff pastry.  It's very delicate and dries out rather quickly.  You need to keep it covered with a damp tea towel or paper towels while working. I thought I did at good job of this but still managed to waste quite a few sheets that were too dry to work with and breaking very easily.

I was inspired by a recipe a saw in a magazine and thought I would make a very 'Christmas-y' snack by using red, green and white for my filling - red: chorizo, green: chives, white: goat cheese.  Good in theory but like I said, this was filling... it tasted great but obviously no one noticed my brilliant use of Christmas colors.

You can play around with your own combinations and ingredients, but here's what I put together using packaged dried chorizo, goat cheese, fresh chives, thawed phyllo dough and some melted butter: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  For my filling, I started by finely chopping dried chorizo (you can find it in the deli near the cheeses), that is until my common sense got the better of me and I threw it in the food processor - it sometimes makes an appearance on a rare occasion, my common sense that is... the food processor probably comes out more often.

Mix the finely chopped chorizo with goat cheese, chopped chives and freshly ground pepper - no need to add salt as the chorizo is quite salty.

Using thawed phyllo dough, lay out sheet of dough on your dry surfact and lightly brush with butter.  Lay second sheet on top and do the same.  Lay third sheet on top.  Cut in half lengthwise then into thirds to create 6 rectangles.  Place about a tablespoon of filling at top of each rectangle and roll, folding sides in as you go.  Place seam side down on a cookie sheet.

Brush rolls with butter and bake for about 20 minutes or until dough is golden and cripsy.  The tart goat cheese and smoky, spicy chorizo work perfectly together and the chives give that hint of freshness. 

I can see myself wanting to make these rolls again as they turned out delicious but next time I may try making one large log and slicing into rounds as rolling each of these ending up being quite time consuming. It will probably make for nicer presentation as well!

Not that it really gets any better than throwing them on a plastic tray shaped like a Christmas tree.

On the 3rd Day of Christmas, the Recipe Diva made for me...

Maple & Pecan Baked Brie

This appetizer is definitely a crowd pleaser and couldn't be easier!   Using store-bought puff pastry, I put this dish together in about 5 minutes.  I was introduced to this combination of ingredients by a good friend quite a while ago so I decided to turn it into a festive holiday appetizer.  Using the pastry not only allows you to prepare this dish ahead of time but also makes it a bit more portable if bringing to a party, not to mention the fun you can have adding a bit of flair with the leftover pastry!

Ingredients

1 small wheel of brie

3 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 package of store-bought puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Cut brie in half and top bottom half with half of brown sugar, pecans, and maple syrup.  Place top back on brie.

2. Top brie with remaining brown sugar, pecans, and maple syrup and wrap brie with puff pastry seam side down.  Trim excess and use to create decorative pieces of pastry if desired. 

3. Mix egg yolk with 1 tsp water and brush over pastry.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden.

Serve with bread or crackers.  I also love using apricot preserves for a fruitier and less rich version but the possibilities are endless!