Fig and Blue Cheese Savories

Fig and Blue Cheese Savories

Here is an easy recipe using nicer ingredients.  Pretty darn tasty too.  

1 cup flour

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon oregano

dash of cinnamon

Freshly ground black pepper

About 3 tablespoons fig preserves

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Place the flour, butter, blue cheese, oregano, cinnamon, and a few grinds of black pepper in the bowl of a food processor and process until the dough just comes together and starts to form a ball.

4. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to pull it together.

5. Then roll out to a 1/8-inch-thick circle with a floured rolling pin.

6. Cut rounds out of the dough with a floured 1-inch round cutter and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

7. Reroll the scraps (no more than once) and cut more rounds.

8. Using the back of a rounded ½ teaspoon measure or your knuckle, make an indentation in the center of each dough round.

9. Spoon about ¼ teaspoon of the fig preserves into each indentation, using your finger to push the preserves as best as possible into the indentation.

10. Bake the savories until the preserves are bubbling and the pastry is lightly golden on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes.

11. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Dark Chocolate and Apricot Tarts

Dark Chocolate and Apricot Tarts

1 cup flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

¼ cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, cubed

1 egg yolk

1 ¼ cup dried apricots, finely chopped

2 tablespoon lemon juice

dash of cinnamon

2 tablespoons toasted almonds

2/3 scant cup unsalted butter

¾ cup dark chocolate

2 eggs

¼ cup sugar

2 whole apricots

powder sugar

3

1. To make the pastry sift the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl, add the butter and blend with fingers until forms a crumb texture.

2. Add the egg yolk and combine, add a splash of water if too dry and bring together with hands. 

3. Form into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

4. In a pan add the dried apricots and just cover with water and the lemon juice. 

5. Cook for 5 minutes until soft. 

6. Put into a food processor with the almonds and cinnamon and puree, set aside.

7. Grease 4 mini tart pans. 

8. When the pastry has chilled roll it out onto a floured surface, then place over the pans and push into place make sure there are no holes. 

9. Prick the pastry with a fork and leave to chill in the fridge again for 30 minutes.

10. Preheat the oven to 400°F, remove the pastry cases from the fridge. 

11. Line the pastry cases and weigh down with baking beans or rice and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. 

12. Now remove from the oven, remove the baking beans and leave to cool.

13. Spread a quarter of apricot paste onto the base of each tart. 

14. In a bowl over a pan of simmering water melt the butter and chocolate. 

15. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar until pale. 

16. Fold the egg mix into the chocolate mixture.

17. Pour the mixture into the tart pans on top of the apricot paste, smooth the top and bake in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. 

18. Whilst cooking pour boiling water over the 2 apricots, peel off the skin, chop in half and remove the stone. 

19. After 10 minutes place an apricot half on top of each tart and then cook for a further 15 minutes. 

20. The tarts will still be slightly gooey inside when they're done.

21. Sprinkle tarts with powder sugar and serve.

Sweet Potato Kale Frittata

Sweet Potato Kale Frittata

6 large eggs

1 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon salt

dash of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cup sweet potatoes

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 cup firmly packed chopped kale

½ small red onion

2 clove garlic

3 ounce goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Whisk together eggs, half and half, salt, nutmeg, red pepper, and black pepper.

3. Sauté sweet potatoes in 1 tablespoon hot oil in a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden; remove and keep warm.

4. Sauté kale, onion, and garlic in remaining 1 tablespoon oil 3 to 4 minutes or until kale are wilted and tender; stir in potatoes.

5. Pour egg mixture evenly over vegetables, and cook 3 more minutes.

6. Sprinkle egg mixture with goat cheese.

7. Bake at 350°F 10 to 14 minutes or until set.

Quinoa Caprese Casserole

Quinoa Caprese Casserole

1

1 teaspoon of olive oil

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups marinara sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

⅔ cup finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1½ cup cherry tomatoes halved

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¾ cup shredded fresh basil

6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ½-inch cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Lightly coat a 2-quart square baking dish with olive oil; set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan combine the water, the quinoa, and salt.

4. Bring to boiling and then reduce the heat.

5. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.

6. Let the quinoa stand for 5 minutes and then uncover the dish and fluff the quinoa with a fork; set aside.

7. In a large saucepan, combine the marinara sauce and tomato paste.

8. Stir over low heat until smooth.

9. Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.

10. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.

11. Add the cooked quinoa and mix gently.

12. Using a rubber spatula, fold in ¾ cup of the tomatoes, the shredded mozzarella cheese, and ¼ cup of the basil.

13. Spoon the quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.

14. Top with the fresh mozzarella cheese.

15. Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until heated through.

16. Top with the remaining ¾ cup tomatoes and the remaining ½ cup basil.

Creamy Celery Soup

Creamy Celery Soup

100

1 large bunch celery with leaves, chop into 1-inch pieces and save the leaves for garnish

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 cups white wine

8 cups veggie broth

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1. In 6-quart saucepot, heat oil over medium heat. 

2. Add celery and leaves, onion, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until celery is soft but not browned, stirring occasionally. 

3. Add wine and cook 2 minutes or until wine is mostly evaporated.

4. Add broth and potatoes to saucepot; cover and heat to boiling over high heat. 

5. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.

6. In batches, ladle celery mixture into blender; cover, with center part of cover removed to allow steam to escape, and blend very well until pureed. 

7. Pour puree into large bowl. 

8. Repeat with remaining mixture.

9. Return soup to saucepot; heat through. 

10. Sprinkle with pepper and garnish with celery leaves.

Sweet Potato Minestrone

Sweet Potato Minestrone

4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large stalks celery, chopped

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 teaspoon of basil

1 teaspoon of marjoram

salt and pepper to taste

4 tomatoes, diced

6 cups vegetable broth

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 large carrots, sliced thin

6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups of cooked small shell pasta

freshly grated Parmesan, garnish, optional

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.

2. Saute onion, celery, oregano, basil, marjoram, salt, and pepper until tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in tomatoes, broth, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and garlic.

4. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

5.  Put 1/2 cup of cooked shells in each bowl, ladle soup over the pasta, and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Ribollita

Ribollita

Italian bread soup.  Very comforting on cold winter days.

3

1 lb. dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight

6 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

2 carrots, thickly sliced

2 ribs celery, thickly sliced

2 all-purpose potatoes, thickly sliced

1 large bunch swiss chard, coarsely chopped

1 bunch cavolo nero or kale, coarsely chopped

1⁄2 small savoy cabbage, coarsely chopped

1 cup chopped plum tomatoes

3 thick slices day-old country white bread

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook beans in the broth for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, reserving cooking liquid.

2. Reserve 1 cup cooked beans; then purée remaining beans along with 2 cups of the cooking liquid.

3. Set beans, purée, and remaining cooking liquid aside in three separate containers.

4. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.

5. Add onions, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

6. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, chard, cavolo nero, and cabbage, stirring until mixed.

7. Add tomatoes, cover, and cook until greens wilt, about 20 minutes.

8. Add puréed beans and remaining cooking liquid, and simmer, covered, until vegetables are soft, about 1 hour.

9. Add bread and reserved beans, stir gently, cover, return to a simmer and cook until bread begins to soften, about 10 minutes.