Summer Peach and Prosciutto Flatbread
Posted: June 16, 2017 Filed under: Fruit (15), Snacks (12) Leave a comment
Do you like flatbread? My son and I will quite often share one while dining out. It’s a nice appetizer to share with friends or if you’re not super hungry. Peaches are in season now and they pair nicely with prosciutto. It’s a nice light alternative when you don’t want to eat something too heavy. Now I know it might sound weird to be firing up the oven to 425 on a hot Summer day, but they bake rather quickly once you’ve assembled them. Alternatively you could throw them on the grill as well and enlist some friends to help assemble. Cut into wedges and serve with a nice crisp white wine while lazing around the pool.
Summer Peach and Prosciutto Flatbread
yield: serves four
4 store bought naan flatbreads (such as Stonefire brand)
apricot preserves
6-8 slices prosciutto ham, sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons
7 oz. white cheddar cheese, sliced into thin slices (I used Kerrygold aged white cheddar)
fresh thyme leaves
2 fresh peaches, washed and dried and cut into thin slices
fresh ground pepper to taste
red onion sliced thin (optional)
approx. 2 Cups fresh baby spinach, sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons
Preheat oven to 425° F. Place flatbreads on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool for a few minutes, then spread a thin smear of apricot preserves over each flatbread. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, 5 slices of white cheddar broken into pieces, ribbons of prosciutto, and 5 slices of peaches. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. If you like, you could add some thin slices of red onion (I did not have any in the house, but I think it would be nice). Bake for 10 minutes until flatbreads are crisp and golden brown. Top with the lemon-olive oil dressed ribbons of spinach. Cut into wedges and enjoy.
Lemon-Olive Oil Dressing
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
pinch of each salt and pepper
In a medium bowl whisk together the ingredients and then toss the spinach gently to combine.
Strawberry Apple Cobbler
Posted: April 29, 2016 Filed under: Fruit (15) | Tags: Strawberry & Apple Cobbler, Strawberry Cobbler Leave a comment
I’m falling in love all over again with my cast iron pan. Not that I fell OUT of love with it mind you, but I was rearranging my pots and pans in the cupboard and I came across my old friend. He was hidden in the back, but not completely forgotten. Comfortable like an old shoe, and familiar; the cast iron pan can do many jobs. He’s a Jack of all trades. Lately I’m in a phase of simplicity and easy recipes. That can all change on a weekly basis, but my old friend fits into my easy breezy lifestyle that I’m embracing this week. This is a recipe that comes together rather quickly and you’ll be singing the praises of your iron clad buddy as you spoon out warm strawberry oozy goodness to your family and friends. Have some vanilla ice cream at the ready….
Strawberry Apple Cobbler
serves six
1 1/2 lbs fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled (very large ones cut in half) otherwise kept whole
1 Cup sugar, divided
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 pink lady apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
2 tsp vanilla, divided
1/2 Cup butter, divided
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Cup heavy cream
Turbinado sugar
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Prepare the biscuit topping:
In a large bowl whisk the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. Cut 1/4 cup of the butter into small cubes. Cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry cutter until butter is the size of small peas. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and stir gently until just combined. Set aside while preparing the filling.
Filling:
In a 9 or 10 inch cast iron pan place the strawberries, 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and vanilla and stir to combine. Heat over medium heat until bubbly and starting to thicken; about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the butter and the apples. Drop the biscuit topping in six equal portions over the hot filling, sprinkle biscuit portions with turbinado sugar and place in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then serve warm. Top with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Vanilla And Chinese Five Spice Roasted Plums
Posted: June 27, 2015 Filed under: Fruit (15) | Tags: Roasted Plums, Vanilla & Chinese Five Spice Roasted Plums Leave a comment
I always buy more plums than I think we’ll eat. I really like dark plums when they are almost too ripe as the insides turn a beautiful purple color. If you realize you’ve been a little over zealous in buying plums, this is a great way to use them up and turn them into a side dish for dinner. Try to find the type of plums where the stone comes out clean as they are easier to remove the pits. I was not as lucky- so I had to cut out the pits, either way they are still delicious. They are great along side grilled pork chops or roasted chicken.
Vanilla & Chinese Five Spice Roasted Plums
8 fresh ripe plums (mixture of red and black)
3 Tbsp. pomegranate juice or cranberry juice
3 Tbsp. clover honey
1 tsp. Chinese Five Spice
1 tsp. vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut each plum in half and remove pits, place cut side up in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle plums with the spice. Mix together the juice, honey and vanilla and pour over plums. Toss plums to coat evenly. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until soft. Serve warm or chilled as a side dish with chicken or pork or simply as a snack. Store plums along with juice in an airtight container in the fridge.
Honeydew Mint Granita
Posted: June 14, 2015 Filed under: Fruit (15), Ice Cream/Frozen Treats (13), Weight Watchers/Cooking Light/Light Recipes (2) | Tags: Granita, Honeydew Granita, Honeydew Lime Granita, Weight Watcher Friendly Recipe Leave a comment
This time of year when the weather turns hot but you still want to entertain, the key is to keep things simple. You don’t want a heavy dessert. This frozen treat is very refreshing after a spicy meal or quite frankly just on a hot summer night. For an extra glamorous effect, freeze some pretty or decorative glasses to create a frosted effect. Right before serving, scoop the granita into the glasses, top with a dollop of Greek yogurt (the contrast of tang is amazing) and a mint sprig. Beautiful.
Note: For my Weight Watchers Friends, one serving equals 3 Points Plus
Honeydew Mint Granita
yield: about 6-7 servings
1 medium honeydew melon, seeded and chopped into cubes (about 4-5 Cups)
1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup fresh lime juice
12 fresh mint leaves
Opitonal: Fresh mint leaves and Greek yogurt (vanilla or plain flavor)
1. In a food processor place the cubed honeydew melon, sugar, and lime juice. Puree until smooth. Add the mint and pulse until you can visibly see small flecks. Pour mixture into a square pan and place in the freezer. Once the mixture starts to freeze slightly, rake the mixture every 30 minutes with a fork until mixture is granular in appearance. Serve in glasses with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a mint sprig.
Holiday Spice Fruit Mince Tassies
Posted: December 22, 2013 Filed under: Fruit (15), Holidays (29), Pie/Tarts (29) | Tags: Donna Hay Fruit Mince Tarts, Holiday Mince Meat Tarts, Mince Meat Tassies, Spice Mincemeat Mini Tarts, Spiced Fruit Mincemeat Tarts 1 CommentThis recipe is an homage to my Mom as she loves mincemeat. Everyone knows how I love mini sweets, so when I saw this recipe in Donna Hay it definitely spoke to me. I found the original recipe interesting but I tweaked the recipe quite a bit by adding in additional flavors such as Holiday inspired spices and a bit of brandy. Oh yeah~ don’t forget the brandy. They are divine!
Holiday Spice Fruit Mince Tassies
recipe: adapted from Donna Hay
yield: 20-24 mini muffin size tarts
1/2 Cup grated, peeled granny smith apple, (excess juice discarded)
1/4 Cup currants
1/4 Cup diced fine sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 Cup diced fine pitted dried dates
1/4 Cup slivered almonds
2 Tbsp. diced fine candied orange peel (optional)
1/4 Cup orange juice
1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
2 Tbsp. (25 gm) unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp. brandy
Confectioners sugar (for dusting on top)
* 1 recipe of my cream cheese press in crust (per below)
For Filling: In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients and let sit to absorb all the flavors for at least one hour. Stir mixture a few times during soaking time. Make the crust while the filling is soaking.
Prepare the tassies: Lightly grease a 24 well mini muffin tin(s) and press in cream cheese press in crust by pinching off an inch of dough and rolling it into a ball. Flatten the ball into a circle about 2 1/2 inches big. Press the crust into the prepared tin. If crust gets too soft while working, let chill in the fridge for a few minutes. Fill each well to the top with mince meat filling. If desired: Top each tassie with a star cut out by pressing scraps of dough flat and using a small cutter. Brush each star and edges of crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350° F for 30-35 minutes or until edges of crust are golden brown. Let cool in tin for about 5 minutes, then carefully remove to cool completely over wire rack. Dust with confectioners sugar if desired before serving.
*Cream Cheese Press in Crust
3 oz. cream cheese, cubed at room temp
1 stick butter, cubed at room temp
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
pinch of salt
In a large shallow bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Add the cubed butter and cubed cream cheese. Using a fork mix to combine into one cohesive mass. Knead gently into a ball to gather up any scrappy bits of dough. Wrap in plastic and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
