10 February 2017 Baked Pepperoni Pizza Dip

Baked Pepperoni Pizza Dip

February 10, 2017 By

Baked Pepperoni Pizza DipWe were just going to order pizza while watching the “big game” since it was just the two of us, but then I decided to make the next best thing – pepperoni pizza dip!!

The dip would be great with potato chips but I served it with toasted baguette slices. You’ll want a sturdy vessel to run through all the layers of gooey yumminess (see what I mean by gooey and perfect).  

Ingredients:

  • 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or Italian blend cheeses
  • 20 slices pepperoni
  • Toasted baguette slices.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, oregano and black pepper. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the bottom of 9″ round pie plate or other baking dish.
  3. Top cheese mixture with the pizza sauce.
  4. Top the sauce layer with the mozzarella cheese.
  5. Top the Mozzarella cheese with the pepperoni slices.
  6. Bake the dip for 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the dip is bubbly.
  7. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices.

Yields 8 appetizer portions.

 

 

Adapted from this recipe.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Cheese, Italian, Snacks, Starters Tagged With: , , ,
6 February 2017 Baked Feta Cheese Dip

Baked Feta Cheese Dip

February 6, 2017 By

Baked Fetal Cheese DipI love any type of baked cheese dip. I’d been fortunate enough to find Dodoni brand Feta cheese at my local grocery store a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it as part of a Greek salad, but I had a lot left that I wanted to be sure to use.

Since the “big game” was coming up and I’d be doing a bunch of appetizers to munch on during the game, I opted for a baked Feta dip that was out of this world. Note that the cheese gets marinated for 12 hours, so remember to start the day before you want to serve this dish.

The dip would be great with baked pita chips but I served it with toasted baguette slices. You’ll want a sturdy vessel to run through the flavored oil created from the marinade and the gooey cheese (video: see what I mean by gooey and perfect).  

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 8 ounces Feta cheese in a block, rinsed (I highly-recommend Dodoni brand if available)

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, garlic, black pepper and dried oregano.
  2. Place Feta cheese in a resealable bag. Pour the marinade over the Feta and allow to marinate overnight, or at least 12 hours, in the refrigerator.
  3. Preheat oven to 375F.
  4. Place the Feta and its marinade in a small baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until the Feta is melty and bubbling.
  5. Serve with sliced baguette or baked pita chips.

Yields 6 appetizer portions.

 

 

Adapted from this recipe.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Cheese, Greek, Snacks, Starters, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,
29 January 2017 Buffalo Shrimp – Hooters Copycat

Buffalo Shrimp – Hooters Copycat

January 29, 2017 By

Buffalo ShrimpThe “big game” is next weekend and I’ve been trying to come up with a couple appetizers to make while we watch the game. Chicken wings are always a winner, but my all-time favorite Buffalo anything is by far Buffalo shrimp. I know I’m not supposed to like chain restaurants as a discerning foodie, but the Buffalo shrimp at Hooters at the greatest. I’ve used the breading and Buffalo sauce that my sister’s come up with in terms of Hooters wings copycat but simply used large shrimp in place of the chicken.

These are absolutely fabulous with the right amount of heat – tangy but not scorching. Pair these with the typical carrot and celery sticks and a pool of chunky blue cheese dressing.

Don’t like seafood? Use chicken tenders! Don’t like a heavy saucing like I do (see image below)? Add half the sauce!

Shrimp Marinade Ingredients:

  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
  • 2 tsp. each creole seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper
  • 1 pound large deveined peeled shrimp (I used 21-25 count)

Buffalo Sauce Ingredients:

  • ¼ pound butter (1 stick)
  • 1 cup hot sauce (I use Frank’s)
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Coating Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 tsp. creole seasoning
  • 1 tsp. black pepper

Marinade Directions:

  1. Heat the vegetal oil in a large, heavy saucepan (or use an electric fryer) until deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, mustard and spices to create a thick marinade. Toss the shrimp in the marinade to fully coat and set aside for about 15 minutes.

Buffalo Sauce Directions:

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the hot sauce, garlic powder and lemon juice – whisk to combine. Pour the hot liquid to a heat-proof bowl.

Coating Directions:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a large ziptop bag, shake well.
  2. Toss the shrimp in the corn flour in the bag to coat well.
  3. Working in batches (I did three batches), shake the excess corn flour coating off the shrimp and carefully place in the hot oil. Cook each batch of shrimp for 4 minutes then drain on paper towels.
  4. Immediately toss shrimp in buffalo sauce.

Serves 4 as appetizer portions.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Seafood, Snacks, Starters Tagged With: , , ,
23 January 2017 Vegetarian Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

Vegetarian Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

January 23, 2017 By

Chili CookingWhile winter’s been mild here so far in New Jersey, I’m still craving hearty, comforting food. In my continued effort to ‘prep Sunday – eat throughout the week’, this week, I’ve made a meatless chili that was uber satisfying and can be used in various ways during the week. I used it as dip for chips during the football game and topped a baked sweet potato with it for lunch (see photos).

This chili can be made in the slow cooker too – just throw all the ingredients in the crockpot (except for the toppings) and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup vegetable broth, then more if the chili gets too thick
  • 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 28-ounce can of crushed totatoes
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 28-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • Toppings (optional) – fresh cilantro, lime wedges, diced avocado, sour cream and cheddar/jack cheese

Directions:

  1. In a large heavy Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute.
  4. Add the butternut squash, the salt and pepper, the chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, corn and black beans.
  6. Bring to a light boil then reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 45 minutes, or until the butternut squash is completely tender.
  7. Thin with an additional broth if needed.
  8. Serve with desired toppings, if using.

Serves 8.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Cheese, Entrees, Mexican, Slow Cooker, Snacks, Soups, Starters, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,
9 January 2017 Hash Browns Vegetable Frittata

Hash Browns Vegetable Frittata

January 9, 2017 By

frittata-cutOn Christmas morning, my mom went all fancy on us and served this delicious frittata. A frittata is an Italian egg-based dish alike an omelet or a quiche without a crust. It was a perfect, comforting dish on a snowy Quebec morning.

I like that it’s vegetable-packed and unlike a quiche, it doesn’t require a pesky crust that needs to be painstakingly rolled out. Mom used bacon (6 slices chopped) and breakfast sausage (6 links chopped) in her version, but meatless is great too!

Feel free to play around with the veggies you use. Asparagus, artichoke hearts and roasted butternut squash would be great and replacing the spinach with kale or arugula would also work. It’s a great way to empty out the fridge!

This frittata was served hot at mom’s house but could easily be served at room temperature if featured at a brunch or breakfast buffet.

Note that if grating your own potatoes, the starchier the potatoes, the crisper the “crust”. Baking potatoes would be the starchiest, followed by Yukon Golds and boiling potatoes as the least starchy. All three would work.

Ingredients:

  • 15-ounce package of hash browns or 4 cups freshly-grated potatoes, dried very well
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 red bell peppers, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (could use white button mushrooms)
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 ½ cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup grated Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon
  • 10 large eggs, beaten well

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Butter or coat with cooking spray a 10-inch oven-proof skillet. Spread the hash browns on the bottom and walls of the skillet, creating a “crust”. Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges of the hash browns have…browned! Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, the butter, the peppers, onion and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened. Add the spinach and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain excess oil/moisture.
  4. Place the cooked vegetables over the baked crust.
  5. In a large bowl, add the cream, the salt, the pepper and the tarragon to the beaten eggs – whisk for a minute then pour over the vegetables, in the skillet.
  6. Top the eggs with both cheeses.
  7. Place the skillet on a baking sheet (to help with any drips) and bake for 40 minutes, or until the frittata is set in the center.
  8. Cool for 5 minutes and serve, or, cool completely, wrap in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for a day. If serving the next day, allow the frittata to come to room temperature and reheat in a 250 degree oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes.

Serves 8 generously.

Filed Under: American, Breakfast, Cheese, Entrees, Italian, Mushrooms, Potatoes, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,
3 January 2017 Healthy Chicken Fiesta Bowls

Healthy Chicken Fiesta Bowls

January 3, 2017 By

chicken-fiesta-bowlsIt’s a new year and I’m making all efforts to use meal prepping more so I can cook on Sundays and have delicious, healthy lunches during the week. I did pretty well with this in 2016, but since I travel over 50% of the time, meals at home weren’t very frequent. This recipe makes four lunch since bowls that are easy to take to work and reheat in the microwave. Corn would be a nice addition to this recipe, so feel free to add if you’re not trying to cut down on carbs a bit. Ingredients:

  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into three pieces each (6 pieces total)
  • 2 red bell peppers, julienned
  • 1 large onion, chopped in medium pieces
  • 1 Tbsp. creole/blackening seasoning (could use taco seasoning)
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinses
  • 1 cup fresh salsa (don’t want to make your own, check out the produce section of your grocery store for fresh salsa)
  • 4 Tbsp. cilantro leaves (optional)
  • 1 lime cut into 4, optional

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

  1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (to make cleanup easy). Place the chicken, peppers and onions on the baking sheet then sprinkle with blackening seasoning, salt and pepper. Drizzle the oil on the veggies and chicken and toss to coat with oil and spices evenly. Bake for 25 minute then turn oven to broil and broil for 3-4 minutes, until lightly charred. Allow to cool, then chop the veggies and chicken in bite size pieces.
  2. To assemble, divide the rice, black beans, salsa, chicken and cooked vegetables among 4 microwave-safe storage containers. Refrigerate until ready to eat, up to 5 days.
  3. When ready to eat, microwave partially-covered for 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro leaves and, if using. Can also serve with additional salsa and lime juice.

Makes 4 lunch entrees.  

Filed Under: American, Chicken, Entrees, Mexican, Vegetables Tagged With: , , ,

Best Dishes 2016

December 31, 2016 By

My job had me on the road more than not in 2016 and while I’ve had many, many unforgettable meals this past year, I’ve tried to narrow down the 15 best dishes I enjoyed during the past year. Here’s the list in restaurant name alphabetical order.

Ai Fiori – New York, NY. Eating at this Chef Michael White restaurant is a luxurious treat and lobster seems to be an appropriate ingredient to have in the beautiful dining room. The Lobster with Asparagus and Morels was one of the best lobster dishes I’ve had.

Buca Yorkville – Toronto, ON. Branzino is my favorite fish and at Buca, the Cyprian sea bass is expertly-carved tableside in its pure raw state and topped with Prosecco, olive oil and lemon.

Escape – Montclair, NJ. The seafood grits with a giant portion of sea urchin was just a fabulous dish at the now defunct Escape.

FLX Table – Geneva, NY. Very cool dining experience at Chef/Master Sommelier Christopher Bates’ new chef’s table restaurant in the Finger Lakes. The multi-course dinner showcases locally-sourced ingredients and the dish I thought stood up among the winning lineup was the Uber B.L.T. consisting of tomato, sweet summer corn and lamb bacon. The presentation was glorious with a pool of tomato water in the bowl of the plate and beautifully-arranged raw and dried tomatoes, the bacon and corn then avocado and Thai basil.

Grace – Chicago, IL. I treated myself to Grace this year and wasn’t sorry for the splurge. The Alaskan King Crab dish was gorgeous, light yet flavorful. It’s served artfully with char roe, cucumber, floral cream and tangerine lace. The king crab salad is positioned at the bottom of a v-shaped glass filled with herbs and flowers then a flavor-neutral tuile seals the salad. Crack the tuile with a spoon and the crunchy bits add an unexpected texture to the delicate crab.

Heirloom Kitchen – Old Bride, NJ. Chef David Viana cooked up perhaps the best duck I’ve had. The masterly-seared duck breast is served with sherry herbed barley, granola, parsnip, date purée, maitake mushroom and duck jus. The earthiness of the roasted maitake and the sweet/savory date purée compliment the rich duck perfectly.

Hot & Soul – Ft Lauderdale, FL. My year-end best dishes compilation wouldn’t be the same without an entry from my favorite Ft Lauderdale restaurant. The Mushroom Manchego Toast is a must to start off a meal at Hot and Soul. The shareable dish with its creamy sherry sauce is a winner.

Kalofagas – my home in NJ. Toronto-based chef and cookbook author Peter Minaki prepared a dish of spaghetti with uni (sea urchin) sauce at my home this year that was simply outstanding. Briny uni-tomato sauce coated the al dente pasta perfectly.

Lorena’s – Maplewood, NJ. Meals at Lorena’s are never less than stellar and this year, my favorite dish at the popular restaurant was the Cavatelli Carbonara. Instead of the eggs being incorporated in the sauce in a traditional way, Chef Campos serves it poached with a runny yolk to coat the pasta.

Razza Pizza Artigianale – Jersey City, NJ. While it’s best known for its outstanding pizza, my favorite dish at Razza is the Bread and Butter service featuring house made butter that has the right funky flavor and crusty, pizza oven-baked bread.

Redux – Madison, NJ. Chef Ubhaus serves up delicious, comforting food and calling out Disco Fries as my top dish at his restaurant undersells his culinary talents. Having said that, this dish is pure decadence with SLABS of St Andre cheese over properly-made fries and rich veal gravy.

Square Root – New Orleans, LA. The meal I had at Square Root was one of the finest I enjoyed this year. The Red Fish with Horseradish Bubbles was THE dish in the long list of dishes we were served. The red fish was properly-cooked and bubbles made from horseradish were blown in the open kitchen, right in front of us.

Stages at One Washington – Dover, NH. Yes, two of my favorite dishes were enjoyed at Stages this year: Lomo and Egg and Cabrales-Stuffed Raspberries. Chef Evan Hennessey is simply brilliant and raspberries and blue cheese are now a favorite.

The Bachelor Farmer – Minneapolis, MN. Pork Meatballs, Spätzle in Lobster Broth was one of the several outstanding dishes I had at this Minneapolis gem. Pork and lobster? Yes, it totally works.

I’m looking forward to 2017 and the food adventures I’ll enjoy.

Happy New Year!!

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Culinary Travel Tales, Food & Wine Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
23 December 2016 Dried Cherry Divinity

Dried Cherry Divinity

December 23, 2016 By

divinityDay 9 of my 12 Days of Christmas Baking compilation.

My mom and I were just reminiscing about Christmas earlier this week and about how her mom was such an amazing, avid baker. She loved Christmas and hosting family dinners and around Christmas, her house was filled with holiday treats. She always had her go-to recipes: fudge, peanut butter and chocolate treats, sugar pie and her famous divinity with dried cherries.

The divinity treats were my mom’s favorite and they’ve never been made since then – pure white, crisp meringues gilded with specks of red dried cherries – very festive! This year, I’m resurrecting these traditional treats with Grandma on my mind. Noe that I‘m not a fan of cherries, so mine are made using chopped pistachios.  

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • ½ cup diced candied cherries

Directions:

  1. In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil, about 3 minutes. After the mixture starts boiling, cook over medium heat, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 250 F (hard-ball stage). Remove the hot syrup from the heat, set aside.
  2. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until stiff peaks form, 3-4 minutes. With mixer running on high speed, carefully pour hot syrup in a slow, steady stream into the beaten egg whites. Add vanilla and salt. Beat on high speed just until candy loses its gloss and holds its shape, about 10 minutes. Stir in the dried cherries.
  3. Drop the meringue by the teaspoonful onto waxed paper. Store in airtight containers.

Makes about 3 dozen treats.

Recipe by Taste of Home.

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Desserts, Eggs Tagged With: , ,
22 December 2016 Dutch Butter Cookies

Dutch Butter Cookies

December 22, 2016 By

dutch-butter-cookiesDay 8 of my 12 Days of Christmas Baking compilation.

My guy is Dutch so around the holidays, I try to add a few traditional Dutch recipes into my lineup. These cookies are melt-in-your-mouth yet so ridiculously easy to make.

They remind me a bit of those Danish cookies that come in a blue metallic tin around the holidays – know the ones I mean?

Ingredients:

  • 3 sticks (1 ½ cups) butter, softened
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar plus ½ cup, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt

Directions:

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and the 1 1/3 cups of sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and the vanilla then beat for 30 seconds.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat to combine. Chill the dough for 15 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  5. Using a tablespoon, scoop dough, roll into a small ball then place on ungreased cookie sheets. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
  6. Flour the bottom of a drinking glass then lightly flatten each dough ball.
  7. Sprinkle each cookie with the remaining ½ cup of sugar.
  8. Bake the cookies between 12-15 minutes until light golden brown around edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yields 5 dozen cookies.

Filed Under: Desserts, Dutch Tagged With: , ,
21 December 2016 Ferrero Rocher Brownies

Ferrero Rocher Brownies

December 21, 2016 By

ferrero-rocher-browniesDay 8 of my 12 Days of Christmas Baking compilation.

Ah Ferrero Rocher chocolates….those golden little treats that are available year-around but sooooo prominent around the holidays. I’ve incorporated Rochers in cupcakes before to fabulous results (think chocolate cupcakes with Nutella frosting and a Rocher in the center), but this weekend, I tried them in my brownie recipe – chocolate hazelnut goodness!

I’m sure this would work fine if you used a commercial brownie mix but I used my amazing Ghirardelli Dark Fudgy Brownies.

Ingredients:

 

Directions:

  1. Prepare the brownie batter as per the instructions.
  2. Pour half the brownie batter in the prepared pan.
  3. Add 9 Ferrero Rocher in a pattern that will allow for a Rocher in the center of one of nine brownie squares (see photo for a visual).
  4. Cover the Rochers with the second half of the brownie batter and bake 3 minutes longer that the recipe calls for.

Yields 9 sizeable brownies.

Filed Under: American, Chocolate, Desserts Tagged With: , ,
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