Apple Bruschetta with Pumpkin Butter

I like this dish. As an appetizer, it satisfies your sweet tooth. As a dessert, it's a refreshing change from very sweet recipes we are used to and would go well with a little port. You can also swap out the caramel sauce with goat cheese, as an example, to inject a little savoury in with the sweet.  If you're wondering what to do with the leftover pumpkin butter, milkshakes and ice cream sundaes come to mind, but there are a number of other great ideas here:  http://www.foodandwine.com

Pumpkin butter

From: http://www.blendtec.com

• 2 cups pureed pumpkin
• 2 T apple juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 T ground cinnamon
• 1/4 T ground nutmeg
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 2 T maple syrup
• dash of salt

Apple Bruschetta

From: http://www.justusfourblog.com

• 1 baguette, sliced
• 3 granny smith apples
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/8 t nutmeg
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 T butter
• 1/2 cup caramel sauce 

Pumpkin Butter

Combine all ingredients in your blender. If you have a Vitamix, run the ingredients through the smoothie setting once, then with a spoon, stir the ingredients and run it through the smoothie setting again. If you're working with a traditional blender, blend for 30 seconds on low speed, another 30 seconds on medium and 30 seconds on high speed for two rounds. Pour the blended ingredients into a pot and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for ten minutes with the lid ajar. Remove from heat and let cool.

Apple Bruschetta

Preheat oven to 350F. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Peel, core and dice the apples. In a bowl, combine the apples with the cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar, ensuring the apples are well coated with the other ingredients. In a small pot, melt the butter and add the apple mixture. Sauté the apples for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. The apples should be cooked, but not mushy.

Spread a thin layer of the pumpkin butter on the baguette slices. Add a spoonful of the apples on top and drizzle with caramel. 

Corn & Chile Pepper Pancakes with Smoked Salmon & Horseradish Cream

Who packs canapés for their lunch when working at an industrial site? I do! Yes, this is totally over the top, but I wasn't hosting any cotillions this week, so I made these smoked salmon canapés which I packed for my lunches. I ate them in my office with the door closed so I wouldn't be judged. That said, they were spectacular little treats and when I was caught by a colleague stuffing one in my mouth he said, "That looks delicious." He was correct. 

One can adapt this recipe to cut out all cooking by replacing the savoury pancakes with pieces of rye or pumpernickel bread. Your 30-40 minute prep time will become 10-15. While you miss out on the great flavour of the pancakes, the salmon and horseradish cream combination are a treat in and of themselves.

Thanks to my mom who gave me it's source: High Plains: The Joy of Alberta Cuisine. The original recipe suggests smoked trout, but I wasn't able to find any. I'm going to have to dig a little deeper into this cookbook. It's got other locally inspired menu items that caught my eye.  

From:  Cavich, Cinda. "Corn and Chile Pepper Pancakes with Smoked Trout and Horseradish Cream" High Plains: The joy of Alberta Cuisine.  Calgary: Fifth House Ltd. A Fitzhenry & Whiteside Company. 2008. 7

Serves 8 as a starter

Ingredients

• 180 g cold, smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Pancakes

• 3 cobs of corn or 2 cups frozen corn, thawed and cooked
• 2 fresh jalapeños, chopped
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red or yellow pepper, chopped
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 plain low-fat yoghurt
• 3 T chopped, fresh cilantro
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T canola oil

Horseradish Cream

• 1/3 cup spreadable cream cheese
• 1 t prepared horseradish
• 1 t wasabi paste/powder
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 green onion, minced

Method

If using fresh corn, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the corn. Boil for five minutes then remove the corn from the pot and set aside. Once cooled, slice the corn kernels from the cob.

In a bowl, combine the corn kernels, jalapeños, chipotle, red/yellow pepper, garlic and green onions. 

In a food processor, combine the eggs, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, milk and yoghurt and blend until smooth. Stir in the cilantro and black pepper. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pour in batter to make pancakes 1-2 inches in diameter for cocktails or larger if you want them as a side dish. Cook for about 1-2 minutes on either side. Drain the pancakes of any residual oil on a plate layered with paper towel. 

To serve, place a dollop of horseradish cream on each pancake. Separate the slices of salmon and cut each in half. Roll each piece into a coronet and place on top of the cream. Sprinkle with any remaining onions and/or cilantro.

Vietnamese Meatball Lollipops with Dipping Sauce

Tis the season for parties galore... and appetizers, don't forget the appetizers. I've been scrambling for some good recipes and some of my latest attempts have been bombs. Luckily, this one wasn't. If you're taking this to a party, I'd lighten up on the oven time, so when you reheat the meatballs on site, they aren't too dry. I'm keen to try this with ground pork next time, but the beef was delicious.















From: http://www.bettycrocker.com/

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 1 1/4 lb of lean ground beef (turkey or pork will do too)
• 1/4 cup of chopped water chestnuts from an 8oz can
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 T cornstarch
• 2 T fish sauce
• 1/2 t ground pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

For the sauce

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup soya sauce
• 2 T packed brown sugar
• 2 T chopped fresh chives
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper
• 
  

Method

Heat oven to 400F. Line cookie sheet with foil.

In a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients until well combined. Shape the meat into one inch balls and place about an inch apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning the balls over halfway through the cooking time. The meat should read 165F in its centre when done.

In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Heat the pan on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.

Insert the bamboo skewers into the balls, place on a plate and serve with the warm dipping sauce. 

Quinoa & Pea Spiced Croquettes

In the quest for snacks, I've decided to get a little creative. I'm tired of humus and vegetables, fruit or whatever I usually snack on. If these croquettes were a little more gluey, they'd be easy treats to pack. Add a little Sriracha and/or sour cream to them for some extra kick.

The original recipe did not include an egg, but I added it part way through my patty making process because I needed a binding agent. I'm not sure how the original chef made it happen without one. If you don't feel like making these into patties, this also acts as a nice hash. Grill a little fish or meat of your choosing and serve it on top.

Adapted from: http://www.cookrepublic.com/

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 russet potatoes, peeled, chopped and mashed

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked

• 1/2 cup peas fresh or frozen

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 egg

• 2 t ground cumin

• 1 t garam masala

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• salt and pepper to taste

• olive oil for frying

Method

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic and saute for a minute and then add the peas, mixing well with the garlic and oil. Pour the pea mixture into a bowl and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and return to low heat. 

Add the potatoes, quinoa, cilantro, cumin, garam masala and salt to the peas and mix well. Form the mix into little patties or croquettes and set aside.

Pour about two tablespoons of oil in the fry pan and bring the heat up to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, place about four of the croquettes in the pan and cook each side for about four minutes, flipping gently as needed. Repeat with the remaining croquettes and serve warm with Sriracha sauce and a little sour cream.

Baba Ghanoush

Our new cat is helping me draft this post. He's finally curled up beside me after his four post-poop laps of the apartment and has his paw on the space bar in the event I need assistance. 

As part of this cookathon I mentioned in an earlier post, I went looking for dips to include as a snack in my meal. I'm into week five of a triathlon training program and am coming to terms with the fact that peanut butter M&M's are not the afternoon boost my coach was referring to. Too bad, because I've just heard that the U.S. has limited edition coconut M&M's on hand. Sweet lord, that sounds worth a try.  This week I thought I'd replace afternoon chocolate with afternoon baba ghanoush. While very tasty, it is definitely not chocolate. Mind you, I had a few end-of-day workouts this week that wouldn't have been possible without a substance snack and this is that kind of snack. Serve it with pita bread, veggies or crackers and enjoy. Remember that the garlic in this recipe gets more intense over time, so you may opt not to bring it to the office closer to the end of the week. I have no shame, so I just kept bringing it to work. 

In other news, the recipe this is based on calls for no salt. In an effort to reduce salt intake, the authors have indicated that the acid from the lemon juice helps enhance the flavour in this dish sufficiently to warrant no additional salt. While likely true, I added Sriracha sauce and salt, because..well.. I felt it needed a bit more punch. You may want to try the recipe from Three Many Cooks first and then add the salt and sauce if you prefer a little more punch too.

Adapted From: http://threemanycooks.com/

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants, poked with a fork
• 1/2 cup packed parsley leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 T lemon juice
• 1 T smoked paprika, plus extra for sprinkling on top of the dish
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of tahini
• 1 T Sriracha sauce
• 1 t salt

Method

Adjust your oven rack to a middle position and heat oven to 400F. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and in the oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until they look wrinkly and sad. Once they've cooled enough to handle, remove the skin from the eggplants.

Mince parsley and garlic in a food processer. Add the eggplants and remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and top with a little smoked paprika and drizzled olive oil. Serve with chopped vegetables, crackers and/or pita wedges. 

Warm Squash Salad & Winter Squash Dip

I seem to be blessed when it comes to squash: there is always one lying around the kitchen ready to inspire me. This week I had two and a hankering to transform them into something new.  Enter the winter squash dip recipe. Actually this was well timed since the Superbowl is fast approaching and this dip would please any snacker. Those with dairy intolerances, watch out! This dip contains enough cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan and butter to shock any cow.

The salad was not only the healthier option, but another lunch idea. It served me well this week. Lentils, goat cheese and a few walnuts make this a complete meal.  

Warm Squash Salad

Source: My head, although I'm sure I've seen versions of this while perusing through other food blogs.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 Head green leaf lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
• 5 oz Goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 Whole squash of your choice (I had a Hubbard Squash..I think)
• 1/4 cup Chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup French lentils, cooked

Dressing

• 3 T Balsamic vinegar
• 1 T Dijon Mustard
• 3 T Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

To prepare the squash, preheat over to 400F. Cut the squash into wedges, scooping out and discarding the seeds and stringy flesh. Brush the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes or until flesh is brown on the surface. Remove from oven and slice the skin from the flesh. Chop into 1 inch cubes.

Combine salad ingredients and set aside.  Combine the dressing ingredients and mix well with a fork or whisk. I would suggest adding a little water to the dressing to thin it. Toss the dressing with the salad and serve.

Winter Squash Dip

From: Martha Stewart Living Magazine. October 2007. p 242

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1 Squash (this one was a Kabocha)
• 2 Garlic heads with tops cut off 
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 10 T unsalted butter
• 8 green onions, white and pale green parts only, sliced 1/4'' thick
• 2 Chipotle chili (canned in adobo sauce)
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 4 t lemon juice
• Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 400F. Place squash on a baking sheet. Brush with oil, season with salt and pepper and toss. Spread squash in a single layer. Place garlic on a piece of parchment-lined foil. Drizzle with oil and wrap loosely. Place on baking sheet with squash. Bake until squash is soft and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. 

Scoop flesh from squash and transfer to a food processor. Squeeze garlic from skins and add to squash. Add onion and chipotles and pulse until smooth. Add remaining 6 tablespoons of butter, the sour cream, cream cheese, Parmesan and lemon juice and pulse until combined but not smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve in a hollowed-out squash or dish and top with pumpkin seeds. I chose warm pita wedges as my accompaniment of choice. 

Crab Salad Rolls

There is something about chef Michael Smith's haircut that just doesn't jive. I was watching his show Chef at Home at the gym and this hairdo he had going on seemed to overshadow his fabulousness. Didn't help that Pearl Jam's Eddie Veder kept appearing on an adjacent screen with his yummy tousled curls falling all over his face. I still managed to drool over Smith's  parchment paper-baked fish and tuna salad rice paper wrap creations. Only, I wanted something a little different. 

I doubt imitation crab has ever been chic, but if I was serving real crab in a prairie city such as Edmonton, I would be serving it for a special occasion. It is pricey! This isn't that occasion. I needed lunch food and a Vietnamese-style wrap sounded like the perfect item. Instead of a typical wrap filling, I opted for the crab salad recipe below. Awesome! Light, delicious and I wasn't tired of it after three days. 

Adapted From: http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 medium avocado chopped
• 2 cups chopped imitation crab 
• 2 T chopped red onion
• 2 T capers
• 1 lime, juice of
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 1 t olive oil
• salt and pepper
• rice paper sheets

Method

In a medium bowl, combine onion, lime juice, olive oil, capers, cilantro salt and pepper. Add crab meat and toss well.

Dip the rice sheets in warm water to soften (follow package instructions and take advantage of this useful tutorial on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfI1wMeDXhg&feature=fvwrel). 

Drop a few tablespoons worth of the crab salad into the centre. Fold the edges into the centre of the wrap and roll the paper into a tube-like creation. Seriously, just watch the tutorial.

Scallops with Celeriac Puree

This is definitely a party menu item. It wows in terms of presentation and tempts foodies to dream of the next course. My mother-in-law sent us a box of fresh produce from her neck of the woods over the holidays and one of the items was a celeriac bulb. Having had no experience with celeriac I immediately went to Tastespotting to peruse all celeriac-related pics. This was definitely my favorite and gave me another reason to whip out my new food processor. I made this as a starter, but the original recipe suggest serving three scallops on each dish if you are using this as an entree. Enjoy!

Adapted From: http://www.juliegoodwin.com.au

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized celeriac bulb, peeled and grated or processed into small pieces
• 1 cup milk
• 50g butter
• Salt
• 100g smoked bacon
• 12 scallops
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Method

Into a medium saucepan over medium heat, place the celeriac and add enough milk to cover. Simmer for around 10 minutes or until tender enough to squash between your fingers. 

Add half the butter and a pinch of salt and puree to a smooth consistency. Taste and add more salt if required. Keep warm.

In a non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat, sauté the bacon until the fat is rendered and it is crispy and golden. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel. Wipe some of the fat out of the pan, but leave a couple of tablespoonfuls in.

To the bacon fat add a little butter. When the butter is foaming and starting to brown, add the scallops (they may need to be cooked in batches depending on how big your frying pan is). Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute on the first side, then flip and cook for only 20 or so more seconds.

To serve, put a circle of puree on a warmed dinner plate. Top with 1 scallop and scatter with bacon and chives.

Cheese

I have mentioned before that I have a love for beef. I am Canadian and better yet an Albertan so meat often comes with the territory. At a young age I became aware that the cow was not so much a friend, but an entree. These days I enjoy meatless dishes and other meats as well, but I will always be partial to steak.

Okay, okay I got a little off track there. This post is actually about cheese. It ranks second among my favorite foods. I like 'em stinky, ripe, soft and/or hard...still talking about cheese here. After purchasing a crossbow (lord, that's another story), we ventured further west to a new cheese shop called Everything Cheese to pick up a few samples. In the center we have a little Roquefort Blue, one the far left some Tomme de Savoie, Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar and Bothee on the right. Anchovy-stuffed olives and some spicy and mild salami round out this plate. Apparently we get a kick out of abusing our digestive tracks as there are no fresh vegetables in sight. 

Tapas Night

Tapas translates to finger food in English, and despite my wish to keep last weekend's appetizers Spanish in nature, I strayed a little in order to satisfy my curiosity. We ate tapenade and a chick pea spread on crostinis, chorizo-filled dates wrapped with smoked bacon, stuffed mushrooms and meatballs with Jagermeister and mint in them. Of course there is a lot of wine to be served with it. Below are a few of my favorites.

Chorizo-filled dates wrapped in bacon

Adapted from: http://www.epicurious.com

Ingredients

• Package of bacon
• 8 chorizo sausages
• 24 dates

Remove eight sausages from their casings and saute them in a frying pan, breaking them up into small pieces as they cook. Remove the pits from 24 large dates and fill with the sausage. Wrap the sausage-filled dates with uncooked bacon and secured with a toothpick. I used half a piece of bacon for each date. Bake for about 25 minutes in 350-degree oven.


Olive tapenade crostinis

Adapted from: http://www.marthastewart.com

Ingredients

• Baguette of french bread
• 1 cup olive tapenade (either green or black olives chopped to a paste the consistency of your choosing)
• 3 T dried currants
• 3 T  fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 5 T chopped walnuts
• 5 oz soft goat cheese

Cut baguette into half-inch slices and brush olive oil on each side of each slice. Place on a cookie sheet and toast for 6 minutes each side, or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cool before using.

Place the olive tapenade, currants, thyme and walnuts into a food processor and blend to a paste. Spread a thin layer of goat cheese onto each slice of crostini. Add a few spoonfuls of the tapenade over the goat cheese. Serve with a few thyme leaves topped on each crostini.