Spicy Shredded Pork

Okay folks - you must try this one.  Truly, it is fantastic.  First of all, it takes just minutes to prep which is always a good thing.  It certainly does take a long time to cook, but the active prep time is very minimal.  After roasting for just 45 minutes, my house was smelling so good that I was practically drooling (okay, so I was drooling - let’s be real).  It was very obvious to me when this was finished cooking, as I went to turn the pork and it completely fell apart.  Now that’s tender!  I prepped this early in the day and then reheated when Ben got home for dinner.  And OH, did he love it!  I think his exact words were, “Oh my God….oh my God….oh my God,” etc. etc. for a few minutes.  Then he announced that this dinner had shot right up the ranks into his top five favorite dinners.  Impressive!  I loved it as well, far more than I expected.  We served it up on flour tortillas, topped it with some homemade salsa and sour cream, and it was heavenly.  I had originally planned on freezing the leftovers but instead we ate it for lunches until it was all gone.  We will be having this again and again!  (For what it’s worth, I would not really call this spicy at all, but it is so tasty I don’t care what you call it!)

Spicy Shredded Pork

Ingredients:

4-7 lb. pork shoulder

1 onion, quartered

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground cumin

¼ cup brown sugar

3-4 garlic cloves

1-2 tbsp. salt

pepper

1-2 tbsp. olive oil

2-3 tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 cups water

 

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder.

 

Combine the onion, spices, brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper to taste in the bowl of a food processor.  Add the olive oil and white wine vinegar.  Blend mixture until totally combined.  Pour over the pork shoulder.  Rub over the whole surface of the pork, being sure to cover any folds or crevices. 

 

Place the pork in a Dutch oven or roasting pan and add water to the pan.  Cover tightly and roast at 300° for several hours, turning once every hour.  When it is fork tender turn the heat up to 425°, remove the lid, and roast skin-side up for 15-20 more minutes until crispy.  Let rest 15 minutes.

Shred the pork shoulder using two forks.  Pour some of the juice from cooking over the shredded meat to keep it moist.  Serve with warm tortillas, lime wedges, sour cream and pico de gallo.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Pumpkin Spice Granola

My standard breakfast is a bowl of cereal.  I have it almost every single day, and really, I don’t mind at all.  I like cereal and I especially like how little thought it requires - I have enough going on in the mornings without worrying about breakfast.  And I’ll be honest - I love kids’ cereals.  I never grew out of them!  My favorite cereal is Count Chocula.  I’m just a big kid!  Unless I make a batch of muffins or scones, cereal is my standby.  However, this week I decided to switch it up when I saw this recipe for pumpkin spice granola.  Almost anything with the words “pumpkin spice” hooks me immediately.  This was a nice change of routine and layered with vanilla yogurt, it was an very enjoyable breakfast.  It also made for a simple addition to a healthy lunch or an easy afternoon snack.

This recipe is a nice way to use up whatever dried fruits and nuts you have on hand.  I normally am not a fan of nuts but I threw a handful of chopped pecans into the mix and I think they went well with the flavor of the granola.  I used dried cranberries for the fruit and I thought they were the perfect match, but I’m sure many other fruits would work well in their place.  This was a breeze to throw together and we have enjoyed snacking on it all week.  I have a feeling I will be making this frequently from now on.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups rolled oats

2 ½ cups puffed rice cereal

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¾ tsp. salt

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup applesauce

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

up to 1 ½ cups chopped nuts

up to 1 cup dried fruit

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

In a large bowl, combine oats and puffed rice cereal.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract.  Whisk until very smooth.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated.  Spread on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.

 

Bake for 30 minutes.  Then turn over the granola using a large, wide spatula.  Sprinkle the nuts onto the granola and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until crisp and golden.  Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center may not be fully dried if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola and let the rest cook until done, 10-15 more minutes.  Cool on pan or on a fine wire rack.

 

Break up granola as desired and toss with dried fruit.  Store in an airtight container.

Source: adapted from Baking Bites

Apple Pie Cupcakes

The moment I saw these cupcakes I knew I HAD to make them.  Unfortunately, I have this feeling about almost every cupcake recipe I see (not to mention all other desserts).  I am saving recipes at an alarming rate, but thankfully, I have a wonderful outlet for my baking - the teachers’ lounge at Ben’s school!  I can bake my little heart out, sample the results, and send the rest to school with Ben.  He always returns at the end of the day with an empty container.  Works for me!  Because of the astounding number of dessert recipes I have saved, I have made a resolution to bake at least one thing per week to send to school with him so I can start making some progress with this mountain of recipes.

These cupcakes may seem somewhat complicated or involved, but I was actually surprised how quickly they came together.  I have never made a cupcake using the cone method before, so I was glad to have the opportunity to try that technique.  For anyone who isn’t familiar, it is exactly what it sounds like - use a paring knife and cut a cone shape out of the top of your cupcake to leave room for filling.  In this case I wanted an open-faced cupcake so I discarded the tops (okay, so we ate a few - you would too!)  I loved these because it was a great compromise between Ben’s favorite dessert, apple pie, and my love for cupcakes.  You can’t beat the cuteness factor either!  Make these for a fall get-together, they are sure to be a hit!

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

 

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup milk

 

For the apple filling:

2 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. cinnamon

2-3 tbsp. sugar

3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

 

For decorating:

vanilla buttercream (I used 3/4 of a batch)

 

Directions:

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. 

 

In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract and mix well to combine.  Add in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Stir until just combined. 

 

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3-3/4 full.  Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pans.  Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

 

To make the apple filling, heat the butter a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the cinnamon and sugar and cook for a minute, until the mixture begins to bubble.  Lower the heat to medium and stir in the apples.  Mix well.  Cook until the apples are somewhat tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

 

While the apple mixture is cooling, use the cone method to remove a chunk from the center of each cupcake, making sure to leave a rim around the top of the cupcake.  Fill the holes with the cooled apple mixture.  To decorate, top each cupcake with a swirl of vanilla buttercream.

Source: adapted from Fatty Fat Fats

White Bean Chicken Chili

Chili is definitely one of the fall foods that I most look forward to each year.  I certainly could make it during the summer, and I have done so in the past, but I just don’t enjoy it quite as much until it is truly fall.  As much as I love my classic chili recipe, I have never even tasted any kind of white chili so I was very eager to give this recipe a try.  It was absolutely delicious!  It had the perfect amount of spice and was nice and creamy.  It was a bit more soupy than what I would normally expect of chili, but that could be easily remedied by reducing the amount of chicken broth you add.  And of course, one of the best things about this dish is how incredibly quick and easy it was to prepare.  It will be perfect for chilly fall and winter weeknights when I am pressed for time.  This made about six servings and was excellent as leftovers.

Another bonus - I got to use my beautiful Dutch oven!  This color just makes me happy

White Bean Chicken Chili

Yield: 6 servings

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ -inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 ½ tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. oil

2 (15.5 oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

½ cup whipping cream

fresh cilantro and paprika, for garnish

 

Directions:

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.  Add beans, broth, chiles and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer; let simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and whipping cream.  Sprinkle with paprika and top with fresh cilantro for garnish, if desired. 

Source: adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

I know pumpkin is all the rage right now with the beginning of fall, but I enjoy pumpkin all year round.  Particularly in the form of these muffins.  I love muffins and have made many, many kinds that are fantastic, but I don’t think anything can ever beat these in my book.  I made this most recent batch as payment for our friends who babysat for Andrew - a fair trade, in my opinion :-)  This recipe makes a LOT of muffins.  It can be easily scaled down but I recommend just making the full batch and sharing them with friends, coworkers, etc.  They’ll love you forever.  Oh, and I meant to take a picture of the delicious cream cheese filling, but they didn’t last long enough.  Sorry!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Yield: 24 muffins

 

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

3 cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tbsp. and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 eggs

1 ¼ cups vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups pumpkin puree

 

For the filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

 

For the streusel topping:

½ cup sugar

¼ cup and 1 tsp. flour

4 tbsp. butter, cubed

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

 

Directions:

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until smooth.  Form into a log on plastic wrap or foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan.  Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours.

 

To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.  Mix well and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin puree.  Mix until well combined.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

 

To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Mix together with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.

 

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line two muffin pans with paper liners.  To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well halfway with batter.  Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices.  Place a slice in each muffin well.  Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, on top of the cream cheese.  Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool completely before serving.

Source: adapted from BakeSpace

Mexican Lasagna

Ever since we moved into this house, over two years ago now, I have loathed the kitchen floor.  However, we have done lots of small renovations over time as we could afford them, and the kitchen floor just wasn’t as pressing an issue as some other areas.  I finally decided it was time.  The 12-year old linoleum with countless gashes had to go.  So I went and picked out a gorgeous new floor!  Of course this meant being deprived of my kitchen for three whole days while we tore out the old floor and had the new one put in.  It seemed like forever but it was so worth it!

Booo - my ugly old floor.

Hooray for my beautiful new floor!!!

The night before we tore out the old flooring, I made this lasagna to hold us over until the kitchen was back to normal.  It was easy to assemble and fed us for four nights, plus some lunches.  This recipe is especially great because it is so adaptable.  I used chili powder, paprika and cumin for seasoning this time but I think next time I will try pre-packaged taco seasoning.  I know some people turn their noses up at it, but I won’t lie - I love the stuff!  Next time I may also try incorporating some minced jalapeno into the rice mixture and reducing some of the other spices for a different kind of heat.  Don’t get me wrong, this was a pretty spicy meal, but I love using jalapenos anytime I have the chance.  I also think this could be great using traditional tomato salsa in place of salsa verde, and plan to try that eventually too.  Obviously, I plan on making this again and playing around with it

Oh boy, am I backed up with blog updates!  With having the floor redone and being out of town, I’ve been delayed getting things posted.  But I’ve had lots of great things coming out of my kitchen in the last week or so.  Stay tuned for lots more good things to come soon!

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

2 cups unprepared rice

3-4 cups chicken broth

2-4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1-1 ½ onions, chopped

4-7 cloves garlic, minced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

taco seasoning (or chili powder, paprika and cumin)

1-1 ½ lb. ground sirloin

1 (16 oz.) jar salsa verde

8-12 small flour tortillas

12-16 oz. shredded Mexican cheese

4-8 oz. enchilada sauce

1 can corn, drained

sour cream and cilantro, for garnish

 

Directions:

Cook the rice according to package directions with chicken broth in place of water.  Salt to taste.  In a large skillet, melt a ½ tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat.  Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until onion is tender.  Add in chili powder (approx. 1 ½ tablespoons), paprika and cumin (approx. ¾ tablespoon of each), or taco seasoning to taste.  Stir to combine.  Add the can of beans and stir to combine.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add cooked rice.  Stir to mix well.

 

In the now empty skillet, brown the ground sirloin.  Mix with chili powder (approx. 1 ½ tablespoons), paprika and cumin (approx. ¾ tablespoon of each) and salt to taste, as well as 2 oz. of water to create the taco beef.

 

To assemble the lasagna, pour half of the jar of salsa verde in an even layer over the bottom of a casserole dish.  Layer evenly with flour tortillas to cover.  Spread approximately half of the rice mixture evenly over the tortillas.  Sprinkle with a layer of shredded Mexican cheese.  Add another layer of flour tortillas.  Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce over the tortillas.  Spread taco beef evenly over the enchilada sauce.  Layer one can of corn over the beef.  Top with the remaining rice mixture in an even layer.  Spread the remaining salsa verde evenly over the rice, and sprinkle with a layer of shredded cheese to finish.

 

Bake at 375° for 25-35 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and begins to brown a bit.  Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.  Top individual servings with sour cream and fresh cilantro, for garnish.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Strawberry Creams

Sorry for the delay in posting this final installment of the birthday dinner.  We have been out of town in fabulous Chicago, and we had a wonderful time!  This is a nice light dessert after a very filling meal.  It is great because it uses frozen fruit, so it can easily be made all year round.  And of course, it’s always an added bonus when you can make dessert far in advance, refrigerate, and forget about it and then focus on preparing the rest of the meal.  I considered skipping the raspberry jelly on top of these but I am glad I didn’t.  I think it was a nice addition to the flavor of the cream layer.

Strawberry Creams with Raspberry Jelly

Yield: 6-8 individual servings

Ingredients:

For the strawberry cream:

21 oz. frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed

1/3 – ½ cup granulated sugar

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

2 packages (1/2 oz.) unflavored gelatin

½ cup cold water

 

For the raspberry jelly:

12 oz. frozen unsweetened raspberries

1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 ½ tsp. unflavored gelatin

¼ cup cold water

 

Directions:

To make the strawberry cream, place the thawed strawberries, sugar, and buttermilk in a food processor and process until very smooth.  (Taste and add more sugar if necessary.)  Transfer this mixture to a medium sized saucepan and bring just to a boil, stirring constantly.

 

Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatin over the ½ cup of cold water.  Let this mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.  Then stir the softened gelatin into the heated strawberry cream and continue stirring until the gelatin particles have completely dissolved.  Let the cream cool slightly and then 6-8 wine glasses, dessert cups or ramekins.  (Make sure to leave enough space for a layer of raspberry jelly.)  Place in the refrigerator and chill until the cream has set, 2-4 hours.

 

To make the raspberry jelly, place the frozen raspberries and sugar in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.  Cover the bowl with a piece of aluminum foil and heat the berries, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes, or until the berries are soft and have released their juices.  Remove the berries from the heat and press them through a fine mesh sieve suspended over a large measuring cup.  All that should be left in the strainer is raspberry seeds.  You will need 1 ¼ cups of raspberry juice so add water if necessary.

 

In a small bowl soften the gelatin in the ¼ cup cold water.  Let this mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile heat the raspberry juice until hot, stirring constantly.  Stir the softened gelatin into the heated raspberry juice until the gelatin particles have dissolved completely.  Return the mixture to the heat if necessary.  Let the raspberry jelly cool slightly and then pour over the chilled strawberry cream.  Refrigerate for about 2-4 hours or until set.  Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Source: adapted from Joy of Baking

Beef Wellington

I have been really looking forward to an occasion to make this dinner.  I personally am not much of a beef-eater, but Ben is a big fan so I knew he would love this meal.  This turned out to be a huge hit on both sides of the table.  It surprised me - I thought it was delicious and almost ate my whole serving.  The beef was juicy and perfectly cooked, and the puff pastry was incredible.  I think this is a really great meal to know how to make.  It is surprisingly simple and easy to assemble, but is definitely impressive enough to use for entertaining.

My only change next time will be to use smaller pieces of beef.  If I hadn’t served such a large meal with so many other dishes, this might have been the right size entree, but because of the appetizer, salad and side, this was just too much.  If I were to make it again with so many accompaniments, I would probably just buy one filet and cut it in half to make two smaller servings.  I made double the amount of mushroom duxelles and really enjoyed it but it could be easily halved if you prefer.

Beef Wellington

Ingredients:

2 (6-oz.) thickly cut filet mignons

salt and pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. minced shallots

1 clove minced garlic

8-10 oz. button mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed and finely chopped

2 ½ tbsp. dry white wine

1-2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed (enough for two 7-inch squares)

1 egg beaten with 2 tsp. water for egg wash

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

 

Season both sides of each filet with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the filets and sear for 1 minute on each side for medium-rare.  Transfer to a plate to cool completely. 

 

While the filets cool, prepare the mushroom duxelles.  Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.  Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to medium; cook, stirring, until all the liquid had evaporated and the mushrooms begin to caramelize, about 12 minutes.  Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan, until all the liquid has evaporated.  Remove from the heat and let cool before using.

 

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and cut into two 7-inch squares.  Spread up to half of the mushroom duxelles on top of each filet.  Place each filet, mushroom side down, in the center of a puff pastry square.  Using a pastry brush, paint the inside edges of the puff pastry with the egg wash.  Fold the pastry over the filet as though wrapping a package and press the edges to seal.  Place the packages seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.  Brush the egg wash over the tops and sides of each package and bake until the pastry is golden brown and an instant read thermometer registers 140° for medium-rare, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Food Network

Mixed Greens with Baked Goat Cheese

I thought this salad would be an elegant addition to our celebratory meal.  I really liked it because the baked goat cheese added a unique element, making it different from the types of salads I usually make.  Plus, you really can’t go wrong where breaded goat cheese is concerned ;-)  I ended up using store-bought salad dressing simply because I ran out of time with all my other meal prep going on, but I have included the recipe for the vinaigrette as I am sure the homemade version is much better.  I also forgot to brush my cheese discs with olive oil before baking, but they tasted fabulous without.  I think that step is more for appearance than flavor.

Mixed Greens with Baked Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

For the baked goat cheese:

4 oz. log goat cheese

3 oz. Melba toast

1 egg

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. freshly chopped basil

1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley

olive oil, for brushing

 

For the vinaigrette:

6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. minced shallot

salt and pepper, to taste

 

mixed greens

 

Directions:

Slice the log of goat cheese into 6 equal slices.  Roll each section into a ball and flatten into a disc.  Place the Melba toast in the bowl of a food processor and process into fine crumbs.  Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.  In a small bowl, gently whisk the Dijon mustard into the egg.  Finely chop the fresh herbs.  Roll each disc of goat cheese in the fresh herbs, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the Melba toast crumbs.  Place the breaded discs onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

 

Preheat the oven to 475°.  Brush each disc of cheese lightly with olive oil.  Bake the discs for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.  While the cheese bakes, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl.  Toss with mixed greens.  Allow the cheese to cool a couple of minutes before serving atop a bed of the mixed greens tossed with vinaigrette. 

Source: adapted from Feed Yourself

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