Goat Cheese Croquettes

Three cheers for more ways to eat goat cheese!  This one is fried with shallots and honey.  It is most delicious spread on bread as an appetizer!

Who doesn't like cheese?

Why not try a new method -

And enjoy it MORE!

Ingredients

• 1 4oz log of goat cheese, frozen
• 1 shallot
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• Honey
• Olive oil

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add sliced shallot (separating each ring) and cook until shallot is glistening, and starting to brown.
2. Remove from heat, drain on paper towel and set aside.
3. Cut goat cheese log into four pieces (1 oz each).
4. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and cover a piece of the goat cheese in egg.
5. Dredge the same piece in panko crumbs, being sure to cover it completely.
6. In a pan with heated oil, immediately start frying the panko covered goat cheese, 2-3 minutes on each side.
7. On a serving plate, drizzle honey, sprinkle fried shallots, and top with fried goat cheese.  Drizzle a bit of honey on top and serve immediately!

The next time I make these, I think I'll keep the goat cheese soft and try it without the egg.  (I like fewer steps).  I also think I'll sprinkle them with freshly ground pepper before drizzling them with honey.  I also might make a honey-balsalmic sauce for the plate.  I'll let you know how it turns out!

Recipe from East Village Kitchen.

Datiles con Tocino

These little tidbits are delicious.  They are not quick to make, but I don't know anyone who doesn't like them!

Tasty tiny treats

Datiles con tocino

Worth all the effort!

Ingredients:

• 12 plump dates
• 6 strips of bacon
• 12 Marcona almonds
• Valdeon cheese (a spanish blue cheese)

1. Slice the dates in half an remove the pit.
2. Replace the pit in each date with an almond and a little bit of the cheese.
3. 
4. Close up each date and roll each one in half a slice of stretched bacon.
   
5. In a bit of olive oil or butter, fry the bacon wrapped dates, turning consistently (approx 2 minutes on each side).
6. Remove the dates from the pan to a plate covered in paper towels to soak off some of the grease.
7. Insert a toothpick into each date and serve after cooling a few minutes.

The dates are supposed to be deep fried for a more consistent cook.  Do as you please!

Recipe from Seamus Mullen, chef at Boqueria, NYC.

Paella

Paella is such a versatile dish and can be made to anybody's tastes.  This dish served four with leftovers and followed a table of tapas.

A family-style meal

Sparks lively conversation

Colorful; Hearty.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, cut in wedges
• 6 oz medium button or cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1/8 tsp saffron threads
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 4 fresh plum tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 can, or 6 thawed (from frozen) artichoke hearts, quartered
• 8 sea scallops
• 8 black mussels
• 8 shrimp

1. Steam the rice according to directions.  Set aside.
2. Add oil to a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and saute until onion is soft and mushrooms have given up most of their liquid, stirring often, 5 - 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Stir in saffron, paprika, cayenne, and bay leaf.  Stir in onion mixture, rice, tomatoes, zucchini, and artichoke hearts.  Return to a simmer, cover, reduce heat, and cook until rice has absorbed liquid, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, steam the mussels and the shrimp while pan-searing the scallops.
5. Add the scallops and shrimp to the rice mixture, cover and let sit 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.  Gently fluff with a fork to combine.
7. Serve topped with mussels and lemon wedges.

This dish can be altered by adding sausage or chicken, edamame, or serving it as a vegetarian dish of just vegetables!  Adding a red bell pepper to the onion mixture would also be delicious.  

Recipe adapted from Mariel's Kitchen.

Slumming It with Cupcakes from a Box

As if making cupcakes from a box isn't unappetizing enough on its own, my sister and I had fun with some unique cupcake decorating for my birthday this year.

Cupcakes from a box - 

Not a bit of nutrition!

Good for the spirit.

Biting into a lemon cupcake that says "pink eye" without being grossed out reminds me a bit of the Stroop Task used by psychologists to test directed attention. As weird as it seemed, we had no problem enjoying them.

Thank you Pillsbury and Betty Crocker!

Angel Hair Pasta with Morels and Asparagus

This was a delicious seasonal meal that was very satisfying and everyone enjoyed - it was a lot of fun to cook too! I did NOT find the morels myself.

What to eat in spring?
Morels and asparagus
Followed by some pie.

• 1 lb fresh angel hair pasta
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup chopped shallots
• 2 cups diagonally sliced fresh asparagus ( 2-inch pieces)
• 1 ½ quarts fresh morel mushrooms, halved and cleaned
• 6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
• ½ tsp black pepper
• kosher salt to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl and keep warm.
2. In a large skillet on medium high heat, add olive oil and shallots; sauté for 30 seconds. Add asparagus and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in morels and cook 1-2 minutes or until softened.
3. Drain asparagus-mushroom mixture, reserving juices.
4. Add the mixture to the pasta and return the juices to the skillet. Cook to reduce by ¾. Add butter, stirring constantly, until melted.
5. Remove from heat; stir into pasta mixture with the chives, pepper and salt.
6. Garnish with chives and serve.

I used a tad less butter and added just a wee bit of white wine. I also sprinkled parmesan cheese on top with the chive garnish. Don’t look at how much I used. You’d prefer less. I’m addicted.

Recipe found at culinarycafe.com.

Caribbean Coconut Rice

This side dish was subtle and flavorful and I can see myself making this often to accompany many a meal!

Any time of year

When in a tropical mood

Stay in - cook - pretend.

• 2 tsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 3- inch cinnamon stick
• 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
• ¾ cup light coconut milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp grated lime zest
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• ¼ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut, optional

1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, and cinnamon stick and sauté 1 minute, or until fragrant.
2. Stir in rice, and sauté 2 minutes, or until rice grains are opaque.
3. Add coconut milk, sugar, salt, lime zest, white pepper, and 2/3 cup water, and bring to a simmer.
4. Stir once, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes. Fluff rice with fork, cover, and let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with toasted coconut, if using.

Of course, when is rice sufficient for an entire meal? While cooking up the rice, I whipped up a mango lassi with mint to sip. Using the remaining coconut milk from the can, as well as some garlic and ginger, I baked a tilapia fillet and some snow peas to go with the rice. The entire meal was fabulous with a grape and saffron beer and was followed by some caramelized bananas.

Recipe from Vegetarian Magazine, April 2009.

Wild Rice and Quinoa Muffins with Cranberries

It is probably quite obvious that I am a fan of mini-muffins. Here is my most recent batch – a muffin that is packed with protein and flavor and great for a little pick-me-up.

Sweet and healthy treats
Festive and aromatic
Perfect on-the-go

• Nonstick spray
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 – 3 Tbsp granulated sugar (optional)
• 1 ¼ cups cooked wild rice (cooked a day or so in advance)
• 1 ¼ cups cooked quinoa (cooked a day or so in advance)
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Lightly spray 10 standard (I used mini, of course) muffin cups with nonstick spray.
2. Place the flour, salt, baking powder, and brown sugar in a medium to large bowl. Break up any little clumps of sugar with your fingers, and then stir the mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the granulated sugar, if you like your muffins on the sweet side.
3. Add the cooked grains, using a fork or your fingers to separate and distribute them throughout. Stir in the dried cranberries.
4. Measure the 1 cup of milk into a 2-cup liquid measure. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat gently with a fork or a small whisk until smooth.
5. Slowly pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, adding the melted butter at the same time. Using a spoon or a rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Don’t overmix; a few lumps are okay.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, place on wire rack to cool, and wait 30 minutes before serving.

I used a little bit of almond flour to replace some of the unbleached all-purpose flour and then replaced ½ tsp of the vanilla extract with almond extract. It gave the muffins a very hearty and delicious smell and made them feel like a holiday treat. Enjoy!

Recipe (again) from Molly Katzen's Sunlight Kitchen.