Peach Salsa

On a bit of a peach kick here! Hard not to be with perfectly ripe peaches in every market. This is the perfect summer salsa made with seasonal fruits and vegetables; all you need is a food processor to create the right consistency. Its colorful presentation and delicate balance of sweet, spicy, and fresh flavor makes this salsa very well received. I am particularly fond of the sweetness from the peaches that helps balance out the acidity from the tomatoes and lime. This can be served as a dip with chips or alongside your favorite grilled chicken or fish as your new light and refreshing summer condiment. Make it soon while all of your ingredients are in season!

Peach Salsa
Adapted from Pink Parsley 
http://www.pink-parsley.com/

2 ripe peaches, peeled and  chopped
3 medium tomatoes, seeded chopped
1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, and diced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
juice of 1 ½ limes
¾ teaspoon salt
1/8  teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse 10-15 times, or until desired consistency is reached. Add salt, pepper or lime to taste.

Black Bean Dip

Over the past 4 years, my husband and I have been part of a supper club consisting of a group our dearest friends that get together once a month to have dinner. It has truly become such an enjoyable time for us all to get together, try new foods, and catch up on our busy lives. I always look forward to the amazing foods that my friends prepare each month; as they are all fabulous and inspiring cooks. Today I am sharing a black bean dip recipe that one of my girlfriends served a few years back. It has remained a staple on my appetizer rotation over the years for its simplicity and crowd pleasing effect. If you have a microwave, a can opener, no time and an appetizer to make, then this one is for you!

Black Bean Dip
Recipe courtesy of Kathie Stronach
Serves 8-10

1 can black beans
1 8 oz block reduced fat cream cheese
¼ cup diced red onion
4 Tbl jalapeño jelly or any hot jelly

Mix well and microwave the beans and cream cheese, once warmed add onions and jelly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Baked Jalapeño Poppers

We have a standing Sunday evening cocktail hour in our neighborhood that has become something that we all look forward to.   Whoever is around and wants to attend simply shows up with a snack and drink; it is our rebellion against the “Sunday blues”.   I went overboard in the produce section yesterday (shocker) and ended up with way more jalapeños than two adults can possibly consume, so I decided to share the abundance with our friends.  This was my first time making jalapeño poppers and I was really pleased with how they turned out.  The only caveat is that they really need to be served hot, so unless you are walking next door I would not consider them a traveling appetizer.  I did make Emeril’s seasoning, but you can surely use your favorite creole seasoning in place of that.  Do not shy from these if you do not like spicy foods, they are really quite mild!

Baked Jalapeño Poppers

adapted from Emeril Lagasse

serves 4-6

Ingredients
6 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, stems, seeds and membranes removed
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated Colby Jack
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or less, to taste
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
4 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese, shredded cheese, cumin, and cayenne.
In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and 1 teaspoon of the Essence. In a shallow dish, combine the panko crumbs and remaining 2 teaspoons of Essence. In a third dish, combine the flour and remaining 1 teaspoon of Essence. Spread 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the middle of each jalapeno half. One at a time, dredge in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the panko crumbs, pressing to coat. If necessary, repeat the process. Place the coated peppers, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the filling is runny and the crust is golden, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

*Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup

Guacamole and Shrimp Tortilla Bites

We attended the most wonderful wedding in the NC Mountains this weekend. We had amazing weather and a great time catching up with friends new and old, it was memorable for sure. As you all know I am always on the hunt for new easy recipe ideas, so when I saw a platter of these bites passed during cocktails I knew I had a new one! I love these because if you want to take every shortcut using prepared shrimp, guacamole and chips then these can be assembled in just a few minutes. However, if you want to put a little extra effort into them and marinate and grill the shrimp, make your own guacamole and homemade chips you can have something extraordinary. Either way, I recommend them! I think these are the perfect appetizer for the upcoming warm weather, not to mention alongside your margarita this Thursday. Here is my version, for now at least!

Guacamole and Shrimp Tortilla Bites
Serves 4-6

18 tortilla chips (use a sturdy chip)
1 ripe avocado
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ lb of shrimp (21-30 count) peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425.
Line a baking sheet with foil and toss the shrimp in the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Roast the shrimp for 6-8 minutes or until the shrimp have turned pink. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mash the avocado, lime, salt and pepper together. Lay the chips out on the serving platter and top with guacamole. Add the shrimp on top and then serve.

News...

I wanted to take and minute and thank you all for all of your feedback and encouragement!  I am having so much fun doing this and truly appreciate all of the support that I have received from all of you.  I never imagined that when I started this blog in January that it would become such a source of inspiration and motivation for me.  I was recently invited to become a contributing columnist for the online women's magazine Ask Miss A.  I am really excited about the opportunity to reach a broader audience and evolve as a blogger.  My goal is to always keep you all engaged and interested in the things that I am writing about, so please know I am always interested in your feedback!   The really good thing about this new column is that I am going to need to start taking pictures, which I know you all have been missing...they are coming sooner than later!

Here is the link below to my column this week, check it out...bacon wrapped dates...you want these, I promise!

Grilled Herb Shrimp

Our local grocery store ran a buy 1, get 2 free special last week on 21-30 count bags of frozen deveined shrimp. This is close to $60 in savings! Frozen shrimp is the easiest dinner staple that I have in my kitchen because it thaws quickly, needs little time to marinate and can be cooked in less than 5 minutes. I love to add it to pasta dishes, roast it, boil it and in this case, grill it! Turning to my always reliable Barefoot Contessa cookbook, I found this delicious marinade for grilled shrimp. The fresh herbs and lemon give this shrimp a wonderful brightness while the mustard and garlic provide a very mild heat. I like to serve this dish at dinner parties because I can marinate and skewer the shrimp in advance and then cook them at the last minute. It makes an easy summer meal with roasted tomatoes, grilled squash and couscous.

Grilled Herb Shrimp
Barefoot Contessa
Serves 6

Ingredients

2 pounds large shrimp (21-30 per pound), peeled and deveined (see note)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, small-diced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 lemon, juiced

Directions

Combine all the ingredients and allow them to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Skewer the shrimp. I use 5-6 shrimp on a 12-inch skewer for dinner. Heat a grill to med-high heat. Grill the shrimp for only 1 minute on each side.

Note: I leave the tails on when I'm peeling the shrimp.

Italian Antipasto Squares

Anyone invited to a party this weekend? Take these and I promise you will be asked back! All kidding aside, these pizza squares (created by a contestant in the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest a few years back) are really great for a casual cocktail party, tailgate or potluck. There is good news and bad news about this dish. The bad news is the people in line at the deli counter will most likely roll their eyes when you place your order. The good news is once you have your ingredients you will be on your way to making a really easy, crowd pleasing appetizer.  You can certainly substitute different ingredients to match your tastes, but be sure to pat dry any wet ingredients so that you do not end up with soggy squares.


Italian Antipasto Squares
www.pillsbury.com
Serves 12-16 for appetizer portion

2 cans (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 2 cans (8 oz each)
4 oz thinly sliced salami
4 oz thinly sliced Swiss cheese
4 oz thinly sliced pepperoni
4 oz thinly sliced American cheese
4 oz thinly sliced capocollo (cured Italian ham) or cooked ham
4 oz thinly sliced provolone cheese
2 eggs
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon pepper
1 jar (12 oz) sliced roasted red bell peppers, drained and patted dry
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained and patted dry
1 egg yolk, beaten

· Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 13x9-inch pan or spray with cooking spray.

· Unroll 1 can of dough into 1 large rectangle; place in pan. Press in bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of pan to form crust, firmly pressing perforations to seal.

· Layer all meats and cheeses in order listed over dough. In small bowl, beat 2 eggs, the garlic powder and   pepper with wire whisk until well blended. Pour over meat and cheese layers. Layer roasted peppers and olives over top.

· Unroll second can of dough into 1 large rectangle; press into 13x9-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal.

· Place over top of layered ingredients. Pinch edges to seal. Brush beaten egg yolk over dough. Cover with foil.

· Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before serving. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Serve warm.

*You can assemble these the night before and bake them off the next day. 

Spicy Thai Steamed Mussels

On our recent trip to California we had the most enjoyable lunch with friends at this great little bistro in Laguna Beach, 230 Forest Avenue. The most memorable part of our meal there were the mussels that we shared as an appetizer, prepared in a traditional wine, herb, and butter broth. Our friend commented that he wished restaurants made mussel broth soup and served it with a loaf of bread and I agreed! The broth is the best part! Ever since we got back I have been craving mussels and decided to try them as a main course for our dinner last night. Being that it is “all about the broth” I decided to try something a little different that incorporated a lot of our favorite Thai flavors. I served these with a loaf of garlic bread and a spinach salad with the most amazing ginger dressing. For those of you that are fans of ginger dressing, check out this post.

A note on mussels: When you purchase your mussels make sure that you keep the plastic bag open so that they are able to breathe. Store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. 30 minutes prior to cooking, go through the mussels and discard any chipped or opened mussels. Place the remaining tightly closed mussels in a large bowl of cold water and soak them for 20 minutes. This will give them time to expel the sand and grit that is still in the shell that you do not want in your food! When finished soaking, remove them to a colander and pat them dry. Be careful not to pour them into the colander or else all the sand that you just strained will be right back where it started. Just remove them with a slotted spoon.

Spicy Thai Steamed Mussels
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
Serves 2 as a main dish (with a lot of extra sauce!) or 4-6 as an appetizer

Ingredients
2 pounds mussels (preferably cultivated)
3 limes
13 1/2-ounce can light unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 ½ tablespoons Thai red curry paste
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups fresh chopped cilantro

Scrub mussels well and remove beards. Squeeze enough juice from limes to measure 1/3 cup. In a dutch oven bring the lime juice, coconut milk, wine, curry paste, garlic, fish sauce, and sugar to a boil over high heat, stirring, 5 minutes. Add mussels, tossing to combine. Cook mussels, covered, stirring occasionally, until opened, about 5 to 8 minutes. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Chop cilantro and toss with mussels.

Serve mussels with garlic bread.

Roasted Asparagus with Crispy Prosciutto

Spring produce is popping up everywhere! It is the first indication of the abundant fresh produce that we will enjoy in the warm months ahead. Nothing against root vegetables and winter greens, but I love this time of year!  One of the great things about spring is that it instigates us entertain a little more so I always have a few quick appetizer staples on hand for the "drop in" cocktail or dinner guest.  This is one of my favorite appetizers that is on the lighter side and with only five ingredients, it is easy to assemble and can be enjoyed hot out of the oven or at room temperature.


Roasted Asparagus with Crispy Prosciutto

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
1 pound asparagus , trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 oz paper-thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Snap the dry stem ends off of each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Wrap each asparagus with 1 piece (about 1/2 a slice) of prosciutto, exposing tips. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until the asparagus is tender and the prosciutto is browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.
Arrange on a platter and serve warm or at room temperature.

Mexican Spinach Dip

I love the Super Bowl!  Not because I care at all about football, but because it is an excuse to indulge in foods that I do not eat that often.   Everyone has their favorite Super Bowl snacks and one of mine is spinach dip.  Please don’t yawn with boredom, as I too have gotten pretty tired of seeing it in the line up of usual suspects somewhere between the hummus and the cheese platter.   For that reason, I have revamped this old classic with some new flavors.  I have been served two variations of this Mexican inspired spinach dip and both have been absolutely wonderful.  As usual, I played with both of those recipes to create my favorite balance of flavor and texture.  Below is my version of Mexican Spinach Dip that I serve with tortilla chips or pita chips.  I know the chopped pecans sound a little different, but trust me, you want them there! 


Mexican Spinach Dip
Serves 10-15

Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese ( I use 1/3 less fat)
1/3 cup sour cream ( I use low fat)
1 jalapeno chili seeded and chopped
2 10oz cans of Rotel, drained
1 small onion, chopped
1 ten oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 ½ cups monterey jack cheese  
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2+  teaspoon chili powder
1/2+  teaspoon cumin
1 cup chopped roasted pecans (I like the spicy ones from Trader Joe’s)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray your casserole dish with cooking spray.
Combine cream cheese, sour cream and jalapeno.
Fold in Rotel, onion, spinach, 1 cup of cheese, salt, chili powder and cumin.
Top with remaining cheese and pecans.  Bake in 350 degree oven about 30 minutes until bubbly.

Chickpea and Feta Salad

It was almost 70 degrees here this weekend!  After all of the freezing cold weather we have been having, I jumped at the opportunity to have a picnic.  We packed lunch and headed to the park for a few hours, and it was wonderful!  It got me thinking about picnics, cookouts, and potlucks and all of the yummy food associated with them.  Good picnic food essentially has two requirements: food that can be served at room temperature and transported easily.  I found this recipe a while back on a food blog that I check occasionally, Aggies Kitchen, and decided to try in out in preparation for the warm spring months ahead.  With just a few adjustments, I was very satisfied with the results!  I think this would be wonderful as an appetizer served with pita chips, served as a side dish, or even as the main component of a fresh salad.  Bring on the warm weather!

Chickpea and Feta Salad

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) can of chickpeas

½ green onion, sliced thin

¾ cup diced cucumber (peeled with seeds removed)

½ cup diced bell pepper

½ cup crumbled feta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon. fresh cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, onions, cucumbers, bell peppers and feta.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, oregano, pepper and salt. Pour over chickpea mixture and toss to combine.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Sweet n' Salty Goat Cheese Spread

Last night I hosted a "ladies wine night" for some of the girls in our neighborhood. For menu inspiration, I dug through my recipe pile in search of the easiest appetizer that I could find. Entertaining on a weeknight can be difficult, unless you have a few shortcuts.  A couple prepared "go to" items at the grocery store and "no cook" recipes like this one from Southern Living Magazine can make it much more manageable.  This is truly the easiest appetizer that I have ever made and it totally delivers in flavor!  I am on the hunt for more of these easy recipes, so stay tuned...we will all be hosting weeknight parties in no time! 


Sweet n' Salty Goat Cheese Spread
Southern Living
Serves 4-6


Ingredients
1 (10.5-oz.) goat cheese log- if you have access to Trader Joe's try the honey goat cheese
1/2 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup honey
Assorted crackers

Directions
1. Press or roll goat cheese log in sunflower seeds, thoroughly covering cheese, including ends. Arrange cheese on a serving platter with any remaining sunflower seeds. Drizzle with honey. If making in advance, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Otherwise, serve immediately with assorted crackers.