Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Crostini

I have had this special birthday dinner planned for Ben for several weeks, but things have been very busy lately so I had to push it back.  This past week I took Step 2 of my medical boards, so after completing a nine-hour exam this ended up being both a celebratory dinner for me and a belated birthday dinner for Ben.  The whole meal was fantastic but it was a LOT of food, and we were absolutely stuffed.

The menu was as follows:
Appetizer - Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Crostini
Salad - Mixed Greens with Baked Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinagrette
Main Course - Beef Wellington with Mashed Potatoes
Dessert - Strawberry Creams

This post is the first of four featuring these recipes.  We really enjoyed this appetizer.  It was great to snack on while I finished preparing the rest of the meal.  I have now come to the conclusion that I love red peppers, and pretty much any recipe involving them.  Combining that with my love for pesto made this a great snack!  I will definitely be making this frequently.

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Crostini

Ingredients:

baguette, cut into ¼”-thick slices

extra-virgin olive oil for brushing, plus 1 tsp.

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 tbsp. pine nuts

1 ½ tbsp. Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley

1 tbsp. finely chopped basil

½ tsp. fresh lemon juice

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

goat cheese

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet.  Brush lightly with olive oil.  Bake until lightly browned and crispy.  Cut one clove of garlic in half and rub the cut side on the baguette slices while still warm.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Spread each baguette slice with a thin layer of goat cheese. 

 

In the bowl of a food processor, combine one clove of garlic, the red pepper, pine nuts, Parmesan, parsley, basil, lemon juice and cayenne pepper.  Pulse until a coarse puree forms.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Spread a spoonful of the red pepper pesto onto each baguette slice.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

Tomato Herb Flatbread

I first made this flatbread a few weeks ago when we had some friends over for a nice summer dinner.  This was a great appetizer and I was immediately in love.  As in, I tried to think of a reason to have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day afterward ;-)  Normally I don’t make appetizers for dinner when it is just Ben and I, but I made it a couple of nights ago because I just couldn’t go any longer without it!  It was extra special this time because I used the first tomatoes from our garden and herbs from my herb garden.  I absolutely love being able to walk outside and get ingredients for our dinner!  This could certainly be a meal in itself if paired with a soup or salad, or anything really because it is just that good and very adaptable.  Work it into your meal plan, you’ll be glad you did!

Tomato Herb Flatbread

Ingredients:

For the dough:

½ tsp. sugar

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

½ cup warm water (about 110°)

1 ½ tsp. instant yeast

 

For the topping:

extra virgin olive oil

garlic salt

pepper

dried marjoram

dried parsley

dried oregano

tomatoes, sliced 1/8”-thick

4 large basil leaves, minced

1 rosemary skewer, finely minced

freshly grated Parmesan

 

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the sugar, flour and salt.  In a liquid measuring cup, combine the warm water and yeast.  Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly pour the liquid into the dry ingredients.  Once the dough has formed, allow the mixer to continue kneading on low speed for about 2 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and clears the sides of the bowl.  Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turned once to cover the whole ball in oil, and cover with a clean kitchen towel.  Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.

 

Punch down the dough, return to the bowl, and let rise until doubled in size a second time, about 1 hour.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500°.  Shape the dough into a rectangle on a baking stone.  Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil and brush to cover evenly.  Sprinkle evenly with garlic salt, pepper and dried herbs to taste.  Lay sliced tomatoes evenly over the dough.  Sprinkle minced fresh herbs and grated cheese on top.  Bake until the edges of the dough are browned, about 12-15 minutes. 

Source: adapted from Good Things Catered

Dill Pickles

This is the first summer since moving into our house that Ben and I have planted a vegetable garden.  In past years we talked about it but were always busy with other home improvement projects and never got around to it.  Once we finally had the time, we went for it and planted lots of tomato plants, several kinds of peppers, and pickling cucumbers.  Our pepper plants were quickly eaten to death by the many rabbits that live in our yard, but everything else has done well.  I actually do not like regular cucumber at all, but I do love dill pickles.  Once our cucumber plant began producing huge quantities of the little guys, I knew I needed to find a good pickle recipe fast.  And I did!

These pickles are REALLY GOOD.  As in, I probably won’t ever want to eat a store-bought pickle again.  I’m not even a serious pickle lover but I have had to exercise major restraint with these babies and even with that, I’m eating three or four a day.  I love this recipe because it is super fast and easy, with no canning necessary.  I made five jars in no time!  At first I thought with five jars (and lots more cucumbers to come) I would be giving these away left and right, but now that I’ve tasted them, I’m not sure if any of them will leave my fridge except to be eaten by me :-)

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

For the brine:

3 cups water

6 tbsp. white vinegar

3 tbsp. kosher salt

 

minced garlic

fresh dill

cucumbers, cut into spears

 

Directions:

Combine all brine ingredients in a pitcher.  Stir well to dissolve salt.

 

Put several sprigs of fresh dill in the bottom of each jar.  Pack half full with cucumber spears.  Layer with more sprigs of fresh dill.  Finish filling the jar with cucumbers.  Sprinkle some minced garlic on top.  Pour brine into the jar until it is full and pickles are completely submerged.  Put the lid on and allow to refrigerate at least 2 days before eating.

Source: adapted from Delicious Meliscious

Restaurant-Style Hummus

I had never made hummus before, and to be honest, I have only tasted it one or two times in my life.  I enjoyed it but didn’t think much of it beyond that.  When I saw this recipe for hummus in a recent issue of Cook’s Illustrated, I decided to make it along with my pita bread and see what all the fuss was about.  At first, I thought it was just a pretty tasty dip but nothing that spectacular.  But then I kept eating it…. and eating it…. and we polished off the whole bowl in a couple of days.  So apparently I really like this hummus

I have no comments on the recipe, as I pretty much followed it to a tee.  Obviously, anything you make in the food processor is kind of hard to mess up.  I am really looking forward to trying nearly all the variations listed in the article as well, such as artichoke-lemon hummus, hummus with smoked paprika, roasted garlic hummus, and roasted red pepper hummus.  Yum!

Restaurant-Style Hummus

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. juice from 1-2 lemons

¼ cup water

6 tbsp. tahini, stirred well

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about ½ tsp.)

½ tsp. table salt

¼ tsp. ground cumin

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro or parsley

 

Directions:

Combine lemon juice and water in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Whisk together tahini and 2 tablespoons oil in second small bowl or measuring cup.  Set aside 2 tablespoons chickpeas for garnish.

 

Process remaining chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne in food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds.  Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula  With machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through food tube.  Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute.  With machine running, add oil-tahini mixture in steady stream through food tube, continue to process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

 

Transfer hummus to serving bowl, sprinkle reserved chickpeas and cilantro over surface, cover with plastic wrap and let stand until flavors meld, at least 30 minutes.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated, May/June 2008.

Homemade Applesauce

Mmmmm, this is such a delicious and comforting snack. It may not be much to look at but I feel obligated to add it to the blog because it is so simple yet soooo tasty. And even better, it is very healthy! I remember when I was little, my first grade teacher made homemade applesauce for us in our classroom. I loved it then, but I thought it seemed like it was very difficult to make and not something just anyone could do. I guess I had held on to that childish idea until now, but this was so easy I couldn’t believe it. This was a great way to use up some more of the delicious apples we have left from the orchard. It tastes really good warm and cold - I can’t decide which way I like it better!

Applesauce
Ingredients:
3 lbs. apples (I used about 5-6 large apples)
½ cup water
1 tbsp. sugar, or to taste (optional)
1 tbsp. lemon juice, or to taste
¼ - ½ tsp. cinnamon, to taste

Directions:
Combine the apples and water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cover and cook until the apples are very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the apples to a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add the sugar and lemon juice to taste, depending on the flavor of the apples used. Add cinnamon and mix well. Serve warm or at room temperature. To store the sauce, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for about two hours. Transfer the applesauce to a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to one week.

Source: adapted from Whole Foods

Spiced Pumpkin Dip

Yes, that’s right, it’s another pumpkin recipe. It’s an obsession and I can’t help it. I have been dying to try this recipe for some time but I knew it would be a dangerous idea to have a bowl of pumpkin mixed with cream cheese and powdered sugar and only me to eat it. Tonight I had a end-of-rotation get together for my OB/GYN classmates so I thought that would be a good opportunity to taste this dip and still have other people to help eat it. I made it with honey wheat bread warm out of the oven. The combination was delicious and the dip was definitely a hit. This recipe is just irresistible because it is so simple to make (only 4 ingredients!) and it tastes soooo good.

Spiced Pumpkin Dip
Ingredients:
½ cup canned pumpkin puree
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine canned pumpkin, cream cheese, powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Spoon into a decorative bowl.

Source: The Fresh Market

Summer Salsa

So, I realize that salsa may not seem like that big of a deal or even “blog-worthy”, but this is a huge leap for me. Why? Because I chose the ingredients and threw them together with no recipe to guide me!! This may not seem such a feat for some (some people rarely use a recipe) but for this girl with a B.S. in biology, this is huge progress. I have taken waaaay too many chemistry and biology labs (*shudder*) where it was very important that I measure things exactly, and follow the instructions. I really think this has had a huge effect on the way I cook. Ben is always saying he thinks I could come up with some great recipes, but I haven’t had the courage or time yet. The more food blogs and websites I read, and the more experienced I become at cooking, the more confidence I have in my ability to create something of my own. This salsa was my first step, and I must say, it is awesome. This is a pretty mild salsa but that is how I like it best. I really wanted to try to make this before the end of summer, and I’m so glad that I did. Paired with some baked Tostitos, this is a pretty healthy snack or side. The “recipe” is below and all measurements are approximate. Enjoy!

Summer Salsa
Ingredients:
6 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3-1/2 red onion, chopped
½-1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
splash of lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste
dash of cumin

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. For best flavor, place in an air-tight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Source: me

White Bean Dip

Yesterday my in-laws, brother- and sister-in-law and my adorable 5-month-old baby niece all came over for dinner at the end of a very long wedding weekend. I took this as a great opportunity to try out several new recipes without Ben and I having to eat it all. This will be a big series of blog updates so I can write about each recipe individually and do them all justice.

I started the evening out with a small appetizer. I knew no one would be overly hungry, so I opted for something simple and on the lighter side with Giada’s white bean dip. The recipe includes pita chips to go along with the dip, but unfortunately both grocery stores that I went to were out of pita flat bread (yet had plenty of pita pockets). We decided to just serve it with blue tortilla chips, and it was a great combination. This was a really good and ultra easy appetizer. It would be a great option if you were pressed for time. The original recipe is below, including the pita chips. I’m definitely going to try those next time provided that I find the ingredients I need.

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 pitas
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°.

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt and pepper. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until toasted and golden in color.

Holy Guacamole!

This evening I decided to try making homemade guacamole. This is quite a step for me, as I have been sort of repulsed by it ever since I was a kid. I remember vividly ordering nachos at a restaurant for dinner. When they arrived, there was a little bit of guacamole on them, and I was sure it was a booger…ew. Ever since, I have been too scared to try it - until now. Ben loves it and I felt like cooking so I decided to give it a shot. I am now a guacamole convert! Although avocados are relatively high in fat, they are lower in calories and have even more potassium than bananas, so guacamole can be a nutritious snack for people who don’t normally eat a high-fat diet.

This is another recipe from my Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I have definitely gotten far more use out of this cookbook than any other one I own. Every recipe I’ve tried has been a great success, and I can’t wait to try more! My only warning is that this recipe makes A LOT of guacamole. I will probably halve it next time. It would be great for a party, but for only two people, this is a little much.

Guacamole
Ingredients:
4 ripe Haas avocados
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
8 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced

Directions:
Cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Immediately add the lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.