Mini Blue Cheese Popovers

I have been reading Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook for a few weeks now, and overwhelmed by the number of incredible looking food that she has on this cookbook. She has gorgeous pictures and just incredible creative ideas! Unfortunately, some of the recipes are also very time-consuming. I don't mind those for special occasions, but prefer simpler recipes that I can make relatively quick!

These are simple, but a nice alternative to the usual popovers or parmesan popovers that I am used to, and are made in small muffin tins with 1 1/2-inch diameter. The rise and fall of these popovers may be less dramatic, but I think they are just perfect for tapas party, or appetizer.

As an added bonus, they can be made ahead, and just bake before serving.

Yield: 4 dozens

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for tins

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh thyme

1. In a large bown, whish together the eggs, milk, melted butter, flour, salt, and pepper. Whisk until all of the lumps have dissapeared. Whisk in the cheese and the thyme. Transfer the batter to an air-tight container. The batter, must be chilled, refrigerate for at least 2 hours aor up to 1 day.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degree F. Generously butter the mini muffin tins. Fill each cup to the top with the chilled batter. Bake the popovers until golden and puffed, 15-18 min. Repeat until the batter is used. Serve warm.

Bacon-wrapped Jalapeno

I first saw this recipe on Pioneer Woman's website and literally sprint to the grocery store as soon a I found out how easy this was to make! This has been a regular at our house when we can find fresh jalapeno at the grocery store!

Check out how easy this was to make:
Split the the jalapeno length-wise into two different pieces, seed both halves of the jalapeno (wear gloves!), and fill them with teaspoon of cream cheese. Next, wrap about 2-inch piece of bacon, secure them with tooth pick, and broil them for about 6-8 minutes until the bacon is slightly browned, and the cream cheese is bubbly!

Enjoy!

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

I have been craving goat cheese ever since I saw the Barefoot Contessa episode where she made this recipe. I was so excited when my friend Lindsay is coming over to spend an afternoon with us. Red and I decided that this was going to be recipe that we will use! Boy, wasn't this a hit! She loved it, and we loved it too!!

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
• Good olive oil
• 4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
• 3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
• 4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
• 1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
• 3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Directions

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

Cornmeal-Fried Onion Rings

We made these delightful rings to go with our Filet Mignon steakhouses. After this fantastic dinner -our house will never be the same. P.S. And my dad will be so proud of me... Yum! Yum! Yum!


Ingredients

• 2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
• 1 quart vegetable oil

Directions

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes.

Serve hot.

PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

I have been craving these yummy appetizers for about a month now. I used to live within five minutes driving to a PF Chang restaurant and really enjoyed the convenience of having easy access to their great menu selection. The closest PF Chang location now is about two and a half hours from where we live now. So I decided to try making these appetizers myself. I found this recipe on line, and couldn't think of anything that I would change to make it differently next time. The key here is the ability to tailor the flavoring from the amount of sauce that you'd use. If you like a more spicy version, just mix in the spicy sauce into the original sauce.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnut
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions

• Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
• Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
• Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
• Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
• Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
• Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
• Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
• Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
• Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
• As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
• Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
• When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
• With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
• Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
• Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
• Top with"Special Sauce".