Tomato Puff Pastry Bites

With a fine dusting of feta cheese...

Without the feta cheese...

Tomato Puff Pastry Bites.... If you like tomatoes, you will love this little appetizer. I came across this recipe while leafing through a Taste Of Home magazine. It was quite recent, actually... I needed to take an older lady for a dental check-up. So while I was sitting there in the waiting room, I spotted a cooking magazine of all things:)! I couldn't resist... I noticed that it was the same issue that I had received a few days ago. Oh well, I guess I could look through it again. It is funny how you miss so many things the first time around! This little appetizer had won third place in their tomato contest. This time though, I noticed the recipe :)... I knew instantly that I would try it. I always have some homemade puff pastry in the freezer....and tomatoes?...why I had those too! So, I made them them and absolutely love them! If you are looking for an appetizer that is a bit different, you will like these. They remind me of a tomato tart, which I 've been meaning to make...maybe one of these days. These small bites are much quicker. Of course, you can use store bought puff pastry, but I like making my own. Nothing beats the flavor of homemade pastry.

I didn't change the recipe too much, I just used some ingredients that I had on hand. The original recipe used smoked gouda cheese...I used some spicy pepper jack. Feel free to use your favorite cheese. I also added a pinch of Italian seasoning along with some fresh basil...and I had to add some onion! These are perfect to make in the summer, when the tomatoes are at its best. You can make a couple or you can make enough for a crowd. They are best eaten warm(that's because I like the puff pastry to be crispy and the cheese melted)...but, even room temp will do:)! I hope you will give these a try...

Tip: You can , I think, also use sliced zucchini...I mean, why not. Maybe, a combination of the two...it would give a wonderful color contrast. Let me know if you try it with zucchini/squash.

You will need: make as many as you like...recipe is for one.

1 puff pastry square,( roughly the same size as your tomato slice 2x2 or 3x3 inches)

1 tomato slice

1 TBS grated pepper jack cheese ( you can also use Mozzarella, Gouda, Havarti, Provolone etc.)

1 tsp green onion, sliced, chopped( you can use regular red/white onion)

Italian seasoning, a small pinch

chopped basil, fresh,a small pinch

feta cheese, optional

salt and pepper, a pinch

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 deg.

Cut tomato slices, pretty thin. You don't want them to be too thin and yet you don't want them to be too thick either. Set aside.

Cut puff pastry into small squares that are roughly about the same size as your tomato slices.

Place some parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Lay the puff pastry square on the parchment paper. Add about 1 TBS of cheese(maybe a little less, depending on how big your square is). Add some sliced/chopped onion. I had some green onion from the garden and use the white tip only. But, you can easily add regular onion.

Place a tomato slice on top.

Add a pinch of Italian seasoning . Season with salt and pepper, if you like. If you are going to add feta cheese later, you might not need to add any salt. Bake in a preheated 425 oven for about 10-12 minutes. Please check them ...you want them golden brown and nicely puffed. Depending on the puff pastry size, the cooking time will vary. Mine took 12 minutes.

You can add some fresh basil and a fine dusting of feta cheese(I used my microplane). You can also omit the feta cheese.

Romanian Potato Salad(Salata de Boeuf)...

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Romanian Potato Salad(Salata de Boeuf)... This is a typical Romanian dish that can be found in many Romanian homes. It may sound French, but the real history behind this salad is that it was of Russian origin, properly called Salad Olivier. It was invented in the 1860's by a well known chef, Lucien Olivier. He worked at Moscow's most celebrated restaurant, the Hermitage. You can read the whole story here... it is quite fascinating! So, I am giving the Russians credit for this salad:)!

This type of salad is very common in Romania. It is often made for special occasions and around the holidays. A traditional potato salad that is a bit tangy, but quite delicious. I have to admit that this type of salad should be done with beef, therefore the name boeuf(French). But many people have adapted this salad with ingredients that they have on hand....usually using cheaper cuts of meat. It it is often done with chicken, turkey or ham. This salad has been changed over the years and the Romanians have their own version. It can be quite time consuming, as you have to do a lot of dicing. Feel free to adjust amounts of vegetables/meat....you really can't go wrong with amounts.

If you don't like your salad to be too tangy, decrease amount of pickles... if you like more potatoes, add more potatoes... taste and adjust seasoning as you go along. But once it comes together, it is well worth it. It is often decorated elaborately ...sort of like decorating a cake. You can click here to see a few decorations....it kind of gives you a main idea. Please forgive my lack of a decent decoration. I totally forgot to reserve some boiled vegetables for the decorations...I just had some egg:). I also was not planning on posting this, but I thought some of you might try it.

This salad is normally served with some french bread and can be a meal in itself. You can also serve it as an appetizer....it is fun to make individual servings. Hope you enjoy...

Tip: I love to add some dried onion flakes to the salad when mixing all the ingredients together...I also know that it isn't traditional...but it brings in a ton of flavor.

Note:* in case you would like to make your own homemade mayo, you can click here...HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE.

You will need: this is my own version....it doesn't include boiled parsnips, which are often used.

2 chicken breasts,cooked, diced* (or use beef,turkey,ham,etc)... ham is easier to use

2 large baking potatoes, cooked, diced

1 cup carrots,boiled,diced

1 1/2 cups diced pickles

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

4-5 ex large eggs, boiled,diced

1 TBS mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 cups mayonnaise( you can get away with cutting down the fat by using some plain yoghurt or sour cream, though that can make the salad a bit more watery)

extra ingredients for boiling chicken:

*(if you want to make a stock, use the rib-in type of chicken breast...the ones with the rib bone attached. The bones impart a ton of flavor to the stock.You can then just remove the breast meat to use in the salad. If you don't want to make any stock, just use regular chicken breast. )

1 onion

2 celery stalks

2-3 carrots

1 parsnip (optional)

To decorate:

use parsley, olives, reserved boiled vegetables, egg etc.

Directions:

Important: If you would like to decorate your salad, remember to reserve some vegetables,egg,etc.

1. Boil potatoes in their skins in salted water till fork tender. You can pierce the potatoes before cooking....

Peel potatoes while still warm and then  allow the potatoes to cool completely before cutting,

2. Boil eggs till hard. Set aside.

Cook Chicken: you can skip this step if you are using leftover chicken, beef, turkey, etc....but you will need to cook the carrots and parsnip( if using) in salted water till tender,

1. Place chicken breasts in a pot with water(sort of like making a soup). Water doesn't have to be exact but you should have plenty(maybe 6-8 cups).
2. Place about 2-3 carrots, a stalk or two of celery and 1 onion. Add some salt ( about 1 TBS kosher salt).
3. Bring to boil and then simmer till carrots are tender and chicken is cooked.
4. Remove chicken and carrots to use for the potato salad. You can reserve the stock for a soup or freeze in small containers to use later in pan sauces, etc.

Assemble Salad:

1. Dice chicken, cooled potatoes, carrots (parsnip too, if you are using), and eggs.
2. Dice pickles and squeeze them a bit to remove some of their juice(this helps so that your salad doesn't become too watery).
3. Place frozen peas in a colander. Place under running warm water to defrost them . Drain completely and add to the rest of the diced ingredients.

4. Add mustard and pepper and 1 cup mayo. You can add the dried onion flakes, if you like... totally optional.

5. Mix till combined and taste for seasoning. 

6. Add more mayo to the mixture until it is tuna salad-like(for a lack of a better term) . You might need the full 2 cups. ... this depends on preference...use less mayonnaise if you don't want it too creamy or use more if you like it creamier.  

Adjust overall seasoning... can add more mustard, salt, pepper, etc.
7. Place in a nice serving dish and spread a thin layer of mayo...
8. Decorate with reserved vegetables(egg, carrots, peas, pickles, parsley, olives, chopped eggs...).
Since I didn't have too much time to decorate, wasn't planning on posting, and forgot to reserve some vegetables, I kept it rather simple. Actually, it wasn't much of a decoration ....but it tasted delicious!

Hummus Dip...Two Ways(Regular and Sundried Tomato)

Hummus Dip...Two Ways (Regular and Sundried Tomato). I made this recipe the other day. We have been having a heat wave(high 90's)... and I really did not want to turn on the oven, stovetop or even the grill. It was just too hot. So, I decided to make something healthy, delicious and quick. Actually, it was so quick I felt I was cheating somehow:)! ...no baking, no cooking and no grilling. I have to admit that I used canned chickpeas for this recipe. Ah, sometimes it feels great to take a break from all the hard work and do something simple. Please feel free to use dried chickpeas(of course you will have to boil them:)) I just simply took the easy way out this time....and I don't regret it:)! We enjoyed this dip with some pita/naan bread. But you can spread it on bagels, baguette slices, crackers, etc. It was delicious.... This recipe comes from my little mezze book I acquired recently. I did, however, have to change it a bit. Because I didn't have any tahini paste, I substituted sesame seeds instead. Actually tahini paste is really just ground sesame seeds. But if you have tahini, use that instead. You can make your hummus dip really creamy or leave it chunkier. You can also add your own flavorings to make it unique. I chose to make a regular one and a sundried tomato....just to vary the flavors. I happen to have some sundried tomatoes on hand...but if you don't have any, just do the regular kind. This is a great little appetizer...or in our case, a meal:).

You will need: please feel free to adjust amounts of tahini, garlic or lemon juice

14 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 garlic clove

3-4 TBS sesame seed paste(tahini)

2-4 TBS lemon juice,freshly squeezed

1/4 tsp ground cumin

extra virgin olive oil /water(for thinning dip)

salt

1 TBS sundried tomatoes*

Garnish:

paprika

olive oil
fresh flat leaf parsley,chopped

sundried tomatoes,chopped*

basil*

*(optional...only if you are doing the sundried tomato kind)

Directions:

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Reserve about 1 TBS of chickpeas for garnish.

Add chickpeas to a food processor. Slice garlic(or use a garlic press) and add to chickpeas. I added 2 TBS of sesame seeds, but if you have tahini use that instead. Add the cumin and a pinch or two of kosher salt.

Process till fine.

Add lemon juice and pulse a few times. Adjust seasoning. With the motor running add about 2-4 TBS oil. It is at this point, that you can divide the dip in half. If you want to make the sundried tomato kind, take out half of the mixture and set it aside. Otherwise, just leave it all in the food processor and proceed to the next step. With the other half that is still in the food processor, adjust the seasoning.If it still is not thin enough, add some water(about 1 TBS at a time)while the motor is running till you reach your desired consistency....I didn't add any water to mine. Remove from the food processor and place in a bowl. Place some reserved chickpeas on top, sprinkle with some paprika, and drizzle some olive oil. Top with some chopped parsley.

To make the sundried tomato hummus:

Use the other half of the hummus (that you reserved) and place it back in the food processor. Add about 1 TBS sundried tomatoes and process till fine.

Add some water to thin it out....if you need to(again I didn't) Adjust seasoning. Place in another bowl and top with chopped sundried tomatoes and drizzle some olive oil. Place a sprig or two of basil as a garnish.

Feta Stuffed Roasted Mini Bell Peppers... Meze(or Mezze)

Feta Stuffed Roasted Mini Bell Peppers... I recently bought a little book on Meze or Mezze ,... Eastern Mediterranean appetizers or small bites. It is very similar to the Spanish tapas, Italian antipasto, Chinese dim sum or French hors d'oeuvres. I loved some of the recipes in the book, actually I liked them all! I would love to try all of them. Maybe, I will share some of them with you. So far I have made three simple recipes, which we enjoyed tremendously! This happens to be one of them. It is similar to the roasted bell pepper salad I make, except it uses mini bell peppers. You actually stuff these cute peppers with feta cheese. In the book, the feta cheese was more curd like( probably a bit more fresh than what you find in the stores). I didn't use too much feta to fill mine... I think it would have overpowered the flavors. But, I really liked these little peppers. It is a wonderful addition to any platter. Serve it with some hummus, eggplant dip(or baba ganoush), some olives and good pita bread (naan) and you have a wonderful meze selection....vegetarian too! If you are wondering where to get these mini peppers, you might check your local Costco. They have a decent size bag...Costco-like:).

You will need:

15-20 mini bell peppers

1 garlic clove

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 TBS cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

crumbled feta cheese

kalamata olives

chives or parsley

Directions:

Place peppers on skewers or if you don't have any directly on a hot grill.

Grill until the skin is charred. You will need to turn them so that all sides will be charred.

Place the grilled peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This will steam them and then you can peel them easier.

When they have cooled enough to handle, peel the charred skin. Cut tops off and place the peppers in a dish.

Pour some olive oil(you may need more or less) vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Mix to combine. Place some crumbled feta cheese in each bell pepper. Sprinkle with some chives/parsley and some kalamata olives.

Tomato Onion Basil Phyllo Dough Pizza

Tomato Onion Basil Phyllo Dough Pizza... I first had this pizza at my sister's house....many years ago. She had just taken it out of the oven and I thought...wow! It smelled so good!It also looked amazing...just beautiful. It was a pizza, but made out of phyllo dough of all things! I had never seen that before. It was delicious and so easy to make! I love the fact that it comes together rather quickly and you really don't have to worry about the phyllo dough breaking up on you.... its ok if the sheets break ...in the end, the sheets overlap and stay in place. You will never know the difference. I just love the flavor of the onion/tomato/cheese....it goes exceptionally well! I don't bother with amounts of cheese..I just sprinkle to my liking. I think it tastes better too! This time around I was a bit on the conservative side with the cheese ... oh, well. You can vary what kind of cheese you use...I like to use what I have on hand. I like to add some spice by using a bit of pepper jack. But, always use some mozzarella because it bakes/melts wonderfully. I've also added some thinly sliced/chopped ham as well. Play around with the herbs. You can definitely be creative. Just be sure to butter sheets when layering and sprinkle some cheese in between. This ensures that the phyllo sheets stay together.

Here is another simple recipe that can be done ahead. Just assemble it early in the morning, cover it well with plastic wrap, and bake when you need it that evening. I've even heard that you can freeze it...but who has roomin their freezer to put a large baking sheet. Really, it doesn't take that long to prepare. We love this recipe with a side salad...a great light meal. Actually, you still feel hungry after eating this:)! You can also use it as an appetizer. Either way, I think you will love this. Hope you will try it.

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons butter, melted (you can use olive oil instead if you like...but, butter is always tastier)
7-10 sheets phyllo dough

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided (or use Italian blend cheese)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (or use Italian blend cheese)
thinly sliced onion
plum tomatoes, sliced

herbs to taste...to include any or all of the following: (I only used basil this time around)
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 TBS fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:

Brush a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with some of the melted butter. Unroll phyllo dough;

Brush a rectangular baking sheet lightly with some of the butter. Lay 1 sheet of the phyllo on the the butter; brush lightly with some of the butter. Sprinkle the phyllo with some of the Parmesan/mozzarella cheese;

Lay another sheet of the phyllo on top and press it firmly so that it adheres to the bottom sheet. Butter, sprinkle and layer the remaining phyllo in the same manner, ending with a sheet of phyllo and reserving the remaining 1 T.(or so) of Parmesan. Sprinkle the top sheet of phyllo with the mozzarella, scatter the onion evenly on top and arrange the tomatoes in one layer over the onion. Sprinkle the pizza with the reserved 1 T. Parmesan, herbs, salt & pepper to taste

Bake in the middle of a preheated 375 oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are golden(keep an eye on it). Cut in squares and serve immediately.

Apricot Almond Cookies...Giada's Recipe Adaptation

Apricot Almond Cookies... adaptation of Giada De Laurentiis's Recipe ...First of all, I have to apologize for the not so great picture. I happened to make them in the evening and being a cloudy day, I didn't get the best shot. Regardless of the picture not doing the cookie justice, I really liked this cookie. Since I LOVED Giada's ricotta cookies , I decided to try her Apricot and Nut with Amaretto Icing cookie recipe.It had great reviews, so I was up for trying it....hoping it would be somewhat of a decent cookie. If you like amaretto, you will like this cookie. This cookie sort of reminds me of a biscotti. If you will notice, there is no leavening agent. So, don't expect to get soft, fluffy cookies. I didn't have any pine nuts around and so I used all almonds. Also, I used apricots from the whole foods store...they don't have the preservatives added to them, therefore the brownish color. I didn't have any amaretto liqueur so I used some almond extract and a bit of milk. If you don't care for the amaretto, you might add some orange zest instead. Though, I think next time I will dip half of the cookie in chocolate/white chocolate. I think it will look rather pretty and I am sure it will taste great! Well, here is the link to Giada's cookie recipe...click here. If you want a different cookie, you just might like this.

Note: I made a second variation, by using roasted macadamia nuts with cranberries... and skipped the icing. They were a crisp, biscotti-style cookie. I loved them! You will notice updated photos.

Ingredients: adapted from Giada De Laurentiis1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 + 2 TBS cup slivered almonds, toasted*

* you can substitute the 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds with toasted pine nuts

Icing:
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp almond extract + milk*

* this can be substituted with 5 to 7 tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (recommended: Amaretto)

Directions:Toast your nuts, if they are not toasted, in a dry skillet.

Watch so as not to burn them. They go from golden brown to burnt rather quickly.Dice your apricots. Place them in a small container. Proceed with the recipe.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until light and fluffy. It should take you about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and mix until combined. Stir in the flour until just blended.

Don't over mix. Mix in the apricots, almonds( and pine nuts ,if using).
Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for use later.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. I cut mine at a slight angle to sort of mimic a miniature biscotti.

Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

For the Icing: Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the almond extract and a bit of milk ( or almond flavored liqueur), until the mixture is of drizzling consistency.

Place the wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, about 30 minutes.