Spaghetti Pie

If you happened to have visited this little kitchen in the early days, you were subjected to dark and yellowy pics and you were assaulted by too many exclamation points. I still have a ways to go on my photography and I'm still excited about food... however, I've picked up a trick or two to make this food look as good as it tastes, and I've found other ways to express my enthusiasm.

Cranberry Apricot Brie

There are two situations that you could in find yourself in on this Thanksgiving Eve that could make this recipe quite worth your while.

Crispy Hash Brown Cakes

There is something about a weekend breakfast at a little greasy diner that I love so much. 

Mr. Hungry usually orders a breakfast plate... eggs, bacon and hash browns.  I like some sort of scrambled egg whites with cheese and maybe some grits and a good biscuit.  I love grits so I always go with that carb option, but only because I know I can sneak some hash browns off Mr. Hungry's plate. 

Now that you know more than you ever needed to know about our breakfast habits, let's get to the point.

There is nothing monumental or fancy about these breakfasts. Pretty standard food we could choose to make at home.  But Mr. Hungry loves good hash browns and they seemed to always to turn out tasteless and mushy in my kitchen. 

Until now that is. 

These little hash brown cakes have a crunchy crispy exterior with a bit of soft buttery potato inside.  

There is exactly one major secret involved in getting these incredibly crispy potatoes.  Wringing every ounce of water out of these spuds.  It was quite shocking to see how much water is in a potato. 

When you think you have all of the water out.  Wring a few more times.  Im talking squeeze-until-your-biceps-hurt kind of wringing.  

After that, all you need is a good cast iron skillet and a generous amount of butter.

These hash brown cakes are kind of like my hair.  

 

They start out a very unruly mess and all over the place, but with a generous amount of product... butter... and quite a bit of shaping and care, you can pull together a somewhat presentable hash brown cake. 

Nice and crispy too.  Hopefully not like my hair. 

Crispy Hash Brown Cakes

Slightly adapted from The Kitchn
Recipe Notes
There are two keys to crispy hash browns.  Wringing all of the water out of the potato and generous amounts of butter.  When you think you are finished squeezing all the water out, squeeze again.  I can barely believe how much water is in a potato, but get it out of there if you want crispy cakes.  Half way through the cooking my potatoes had absorbed the whole tablespoon of butter so I added more half way through to make sure both sides got crispy.  Add butter as necessary. 

Ingredients

1 large (8 to 10 oz) russet potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, more if needed
Equipment
Cheese grater
Dish towel
Skillet, preferably cast iron
Spatula

Step by Step
Cover your surface with a clean dish towel. Peel the potato and discard skin.  Using a cheese grater, grate the potato over the clean dish towel.

Gather the dishcloth and twist the neck until you form a tight package. Over the sink, squeeze and wring the potato as much as possible.  Squeeze one more time just to make sure you have gotten every last drop.

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and then add the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes to coat them with butter and then divide them into portion sizes using a spatula. Flatten each portion with the back of the spatula to maximize contact with the hot pan.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Cook each side until desired doneness.  Whether that is a little bit soft or overly crispy, you be the judge.  Try to only flip once so that the cake does not fall apart.

Serve Immediately. 

Makes 3 small servings or 2 large servings. 

Peanut Butter Patty Oreo Balls

I found myself hopping out of bed feeling super refreshed after about 5 hours of sleep.

I took one look in the mirror and thought wow, my hair stayed perfectly put together during my slumber.  I slipped on a pair of jeans and had to grab a belt.  I seem to be shrinking.

I walked past my beautiful lawn and sat on a little chair next to all of the sun flowers that had sprouted in my backyard while I picked my perfectly ripened tomatoes to throw in a sauce that I would be simmering all day. 

And then I woke up. 

Oh yeah, that was totally a dream.  Gosh, it was good.  

My dream world consists of...

Cooking all day long with no clean up involved.  

A hair dresser that pops by every morning to style my hair and make it look pretty. 

Gardens that seem to weed and re plant themselves. Birds that find something else to eat besides my homegrown tomatoes.  

Hours in the day to keep everything nice and tidy (and these hours cannot be used for anything else so you will never feel like your missing out while you are reorganizing your bathroom closet).

My reality consists of...

A foot of bush like hair... wavy as all get out... with no morning hair dresser.  

Christmas trees that just cannot seem to figure out heavy trash day. 

Full days of work with precious minutes left to get dinner on the table. 

Gardens that so desperately need a re haul.  

But most importantly, my reality consists of Peanut Butter Patty Oreo Balls that give you that Girl Scout Peanut Butter Patty taste any time of the year.  

Reality just got a little bit sweeter.

Wow, these totally blew me away. 

Never underestimate the power of chocolate and peanut butter combined. 

Today, you should totally drop the task you deem to be way important.  Getting rid of that Christmas tree?  What's another week? Doing laundry?  Put on some old clothes that never see the light of day. Doing your taxes?  Okay, that is important but tomorrow is not April 15th, so what's another day?

Take a quick trip to the grocery store, buy just three ingredients and get to work.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Mr. Hungry's Thoughts...
And so it is, a house divided.  I loved everything about these.  Mr. Hungry's taste buds did not agree.  To him?  Too mushy.  But that's life, right?  Perfection to him is a coconut cream pie and I would rather skip dessert if that is my only option.  So let's just see where you land.

Here's to hoping you are equipped with a developed and refined set of taste buds like mine.

Peanut Butter Patty Oreo Balls

Recipe Notes
Now don't completely hold me to this being a replica of a Peanut Butter Patty.  You are missing one key ingredient.  In the real thing, there are two layers when you bite in... a crunchy one and grainier peanut butter one.  There is no crunchy cookie layer in this one, but I didn't miss it for one second. 

You use the whole cookie for this recipe.  Leave the icing in the middle when you place them in the food processor.  Dipping in chocolate can be a little tricky.  The method I prefer is to dunk the oreo ball in the chocolate, roll around to coat and then using a fork in one hand and your fingers, scoop the ball out and place on parchment paper. You will probably have a little bit of chocolate left over so melt only half a box at a time. 

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package Oreo Golden Sandwich Cookies
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 (8 ounce) packages Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (I like Baker's brand)
Directions
In a food processor, crush all of the cookies into a fine crumb mixture; place in medium bowl. Add peanut butter; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into one inch balls. 

Cover a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.  Heat chocolate according to directions on packaging.  Dip balls in chocolate and place on lined baking sheet to harden.  (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) 

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover oreo balls, covered, in refrigerator.

Makes about 42 oreo balls. 

Oreo Truffles

Do you eat cake balls/ cake pops? 

I don't. 

From the moment of their conception, I have never been interested.  The texture sounded weird and the process in which people smash cake and icing and roll it in a ball  simply grossed me out.  And what about the effort?  You bake a wonderful cake, but then mash it with icing and dip it in coating? Blew my mind. 

Naturally I wasn't thrilled when oreo balls were requested for a party I was catering.  Might as well have ordered cake balls in my book. But hey, I wasn't going to eat them so it didn't totally rock my world. 

I wasn't happy about it, but I felt like I needed to take a wee bite of one just to make sure I wasn't serving a disaster.  To my absolute shock and surprise, they were amazing.  Seriously, so good.  You get a nice little crunch from the semi-sweet chocolate and then you are met with a velvety chocolatey ball of goodness.

Cake ball people, I know you are out there and I know they are all the rage, but here's the deal...whirling up oreo crumbs is a thousand times faster than baking a cake  so get on the band wagon and let's do this. 

These went fast... lightning fast.  They were served on a dessert bar with Sprinkles cupcakes and other tried and true favorites and they were gone first. 

That's statistics.  You can't argue with statistics. 

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Oreo Truffles

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Recipe Notes

You use the whole cookie for this recipe.  Leave the icing in the middle when you place them in the food processor.  Dipping in chocolate can be a little tricky.  The method I prefer is to dunk the oreo ball in the chocolate, roll around to coat and then using a fork in one hand and your fingers, scoop the ball out and place on baking sheet.  

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
1 (8 ounce) package Cream Cheese, softened
2 (8 ounce) packages Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (I like Baker's brand)
Directions
Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into one inch balls. 

Cover a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.  Heat chocolate according to directions on packaging.  Dip balls in chocolate and place on lined baking sheet to harden.  (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

Makes about 42 truffles.  

Veggie Shooters

There is really no room for extras in this kitchen.  Our everyday dishes already have to be housed in the dining area and cabinet space is precious all over this little home. 
So if something is going to make its way in that is not essential, it is going to have to be extremely versatile.  Enter these 3 oz. glasses.  If you throw a party even once every couple of months, these are worth the investment.  The options are endless. 

I can't wait to try these darling milkshakes.  What a perfect way to pass milk and cookies.  The soup options are endless.  Yep, I'm in love and now own two boxes, which comes to a total of 72. 

If you are interested, here is where I got mine and my favorite part is the thin bottom of the glass. They look less like shot glasses and they could go modern or rustic.   If you are not quite ready to make the investment, you could use small clear plastic glasses as well.

Goodbye to the days of camping out over the veggie tray. 
From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Veggie Shooters with Hummus
Recipe Notes
You can really choose any dip you want for the bottom.  I have found hummus to be the most popular, but ranch dressing works great too.  Plan on about 2 oz. of hummus per glass.  You might have a little leftover, but this will help you not run out. 
Ingredients
Assortment of vegetables, cut into 3-inch skinny strips (bell peppers, celery, carrots, cucumbers)
Hummus, about 2 oz. per glass
Step by Step
Fill a small ziploc bag with hummus and seal.  Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag.  Be careful to not make the hole too big.  Start small... you can always cut more off in you need.  Fill each glass 2/3 full with hummus.  Stick 3 or 4 vegetable strips in each glass.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Honey Comb Goat Cheese Spread

True story. 

The first time I served this to a crowd was for a ladies tea/ luncheon/ get together sort of thing that I catered in the fall.  I spent quite a bit of time preparing all kinds of tea sandwiches, making a few dips and mini appetizers.  When I got to the party, I threw together this dish in about 5 minutes. 

About 30 minutes into the party, the honey comb goat cheese had been utterly devoured and the other dishes were just starting to show signs of being nibbled on. 

Moral of  the story:  Preparation time does not equal the amount of goodness or popularity of a dish.

Okay, so that is not brain science, but listen up... you are totally going to to need to serve this at your next get together.  A tiny bit of extra sweet honey comb with a bite of tangy goat cheese topped off with the burst of a fresh berry or a fig is the definition of a party in your mouth.

This is just what January needs.  Fresh flavors that are a tad funky.  This is so 2012. 

Honeycomb honey is great.  The honeycomb is insanely sweet so a little goes a long way.  I'm sure it is quite helicopter momish of me, but I feel like I must instruct people on how to eat this.  If I'm leaving the party, I make sure to instruct folks and also urge them to pass on the word to other guests who might not have shown up yet.  It's just that if you get the perfect bite, it is pure bliss.  

So my instructions include: Grab a cracker, slice off a tiny piece of the honeycomb... like 4th of a marble size tiny... scoop a little goat cheese honey mixture and top with a berry.  Perfection.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Honey Comb Goat Cheese Spread
Recipe Notes

Honey with a honey comb can be bought at specialty grocery stores and some of the larger stores as well.  If you are in Texas, HEB carries the brand pictured below. It will be on the shelf with the rest of the honey selection, but look closely and you will see a honey comb floating in the middle of a few varieties.  Use berries depending on the season.  I love fresh figs this time of year, but raspberries and blueberries (or a mix) are also great choices. If using figs, cut off stems and quarter them.    I also like to serve this with two types of crackers.  Wheat Thins ( I like the "BIG" ones that are a little bit larger of a square than the regular) and Wafer thin crackers that seem to be popping up in most grocery stores.  There are a lot of brands, but this is what they look like.

Ingredients

1 jar of honey with a honey comb (see recipe note)
1 large log of goat cheese (10 or 11 ounces), or the same amount of pre crumbled goat cheese
1 to 2 cups of figs, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
Your favorite plain crackers and Wheat Thins, for serving
Step by Step
Remove honey comb from jar of honey and place in the middle of a large serving platter.  Drizzle a little bit of honey on the rest of the plate.  Crumble goat cheese all over the plate and honey comb.  Drizzle a little more honey on top.  Sprinkle berries on top. 

Serve with crackers.

Serves 8 to 12.

Truffle Butter Popcorn

Ah, these days.

I love 'em.  Christmas was fantastic... I love the fresh start of a new year...and here we are in the in between. It's totally perfect.  It's like these days don't count.  It feels right to sleep absurdly late.  It seems perfectly acceptable to see two movies during the day.

It's the perfect afternoon to throw away every sock that doesn't match and try to find matching lids to tupperware.  Yep, I'm totally ignoring my rotting Christmas tree and opting to organize the kitchen and my closet.  By the time 2012 rolls around, I'll be moving at the speed of light because everything will be so organized.  It's my vision...I'm goin for it.

In the meantime, we must ring in the New Year.  Make it fun.  Keep it simple.  Ignore the hype.

Make this fancy popcorn that is exactly that... fun and fancy and ridiculously simple.

Truffle popcorn and champagne is all you need to say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012.

Hope you have a smashing New Year's and I'll catch ya in 2012.

Truffle Butter Popcorn
Recipe Notes
Truffle oil is expensive, but totally worth it. I have a tiny bottle that cost about $12, but has lasted years.  You only need a smidge so make the investment and you will have a sprinkle whenever you need it.
Ingredients
1 bag unsalted, unflavored popcorn (8 to 10 cups popped)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon truffle oil
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste
kosher or fine sea salt
Step by Step
Melt butter in a small microwave safe bowl.  Mix truffle oil into butter.  Pop popcorn.  As soon as popcorn is finished pour in a medium sized bowl.  Drizzle butter mixture over popcorn, making sure to turn the popcorn and evenly coat.  Sprinkle parmesan evenly over popcorn while still warm.  Taste popcorn and add salt to taste.  Serve immediately or reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

{Pull yourself together} Kale & Kiwi Smoothie

So here we are.  The Monday after Thanksgiving and at the cusp of holiday treats, festive cocktails and party buffets.  Yes, my friends, just as soon as the Thanksgiving day closes, it seems Christmas and all the calories that come with it begin immediately.

So let's be good for just one day.

This green monster will make you feel good after the Thanksgiving holiday and give you plenty of room to splurge for the Christmas season (and it just so happens to provide a lot of energy in the meantime). Yep, this will erase anything.

Please allow me to introduce... the kale and kiwi smoothie.

Now I have a feeling that most of you would blow right past this post when you saw kale in a smoothie, but something about that extra slice of pie you had on Thursday and that leftover pie you had on Friday and Saturday kept you reading.

 

Don't be scared.  This is actually unbelievably delicious.

I would dare to say that if you found yourself on Top Chef and you were in one of those name the ingredient challenges, you would never guess kale.  Besides the groovy color, nothing about this tastes like kale.

So let's be super healthy and sneak a super food into fruit smoothie.  Let's feel light and airy and super skinny.  Am I over promising here?   Well maybe, but here is one more really exciting piece of info.  You do not need a juicer! I love the idea of a juicer, I love the idea drinking fresh juices, but there is just no way my tiny kitchen can take one more honking appliance right now.

Did you know kale and spinach will puree up beautifully in a blender?  Yay.

One for me and one for you... Cheers.

Kale & Kiwi Smoothie
Ingredients
1 frozen banana, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped kale, stems removed
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
Step by Step
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until blended smooth.   Pour into 12 ounce glasses and serve.  Add a fancy straw and feel good about yourself.

Makes 2 glasses.

The Best Biscuits

Oh, good morning.

You look like you could use a biscuit.

Not just any old biscuit... the best darn biscuit I have ever had.  

Now I know it's only Tuesday, but lets start planning a weekend brunch, shall we?
Let me start by telling you these will take you maybe seven minutes longer than busting open one of the cans of biscuits from the grocery.  Seven minutes of extra work for the most amazing homemade goodness you could imagine on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Why wait?  Let's make your Thursday one to remember.

I am pretty convinced cream is essential to the best baked goods.  I had a hunch when these scones turned out so well and it was definitely confirmed with these biscuits.  A little bit flaky, a little bit creamy... a little bit perfect.

My preferred way of eating... doused in honey.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy. 

The Best Biscuits

Adapted from James Beard’s American Cookery via Smitten Kitchen

Recipe Notes

To make these especially quick in the morning, pre-measure all ingredients into a ziploc bag.  When ready to make, dump dry ingredients in a bowl and add the cream.  

Ingredients

3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the surface
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

parchment paper

honey, jam or butter for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter and set aside. In a large bowl, combing two cups flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Fold in 1 1/4 cups cream. Mix until cream and dry ingredients are just combined.  If the dough is not soft or easily handled, fold in a little bit more cream.

Turn dough onto a floured surface, mound it into a ball and, using your hands, press it to a thickness of about 3/4 inch. Cut into rounds, 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Gather dough scraps and continue to make rounds. Dip entire biscuit into melted butter and arrange on the baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake until edges are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. 

To Freeze:  Freeze unbaked, un-dipped biscuits for up to one month.  When ready to bake, dip in melted butter and bake straight from frozen on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Add a few additional minutes for baking. 

Makes 10 to 12 biscuits. 

Crostinis... the best thing since sliced bread.

So technically crostinis are sliced bread, but the kicker is the slight toasting and the drizzle of olive oil that turns sliced bread into a sophisticated crostini.

However, it is the endless options and possibilities of what goes on top of these suckers that really gets me hyped up.  Sauteed mushrooms, tomato bruschetta, cheese and a drizzle of honey, olive tapenade... the possibilities are literally endless.  

The Italians have it right.  Make one thing... say a mushroom sauce, and eat it on pasta today and leftovers can become a mushroom crostini tomorrow.  Reason #682 my soul feels most at home in the Tuscan hills.

So this is barely a recipe, but getting this down now will make your future very bright.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

A classic Italian way of eating crostini is to toast the bread and slice a garlic clove in half.  Rub the garlic on one side of the bread and then drench it in really good olive oil right before serving.   

Crostinis

Recipe Notes

You can pretty much use any type of bread for crostinis, but I have two favorites... either a baguette or ciabatta bread.  You just want a nice sturdy loaf... not sandwich bread.  

Ingredients

Baguette or country-style Italian bread, sliced about 1/2 inch thick. 

Olive oil

Step by Step

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly brush each side of the bread with olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake them until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Check halfway through and if bottoms are browned but tops are not, flip each piece over and finish toasting. 

To serve plain, drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.  

Topping Ideas:

Fresh mozzarella cheese and a thin slice of prosciutto

Marinated tomatoes to make Tomato Bruschetta

Olive tapenade

Drizzled with balsamic vinegar

Goat cheese and thinly slice roasted red peppers

Fresh Whipped Cream

It's Tuesday.

You look like you could use a magic trick.  Nothin spices up a Tuesday like a little magic.

And I bet you this might be the tastiest magic trick you've ever seen. You also need this right now because it's the best {and easiest} dessert for this time of the year.  All you need is a little fresh whipped cream to make a bowl of fresh summer berries seem like a refreshing and fancy dessert.

And no, canned whip cream does not even come close to what this tastes like.  Sorry, but no.

Mr. Hungry was a little floored when he saw me whisk this up out of what he thought was liquid cream that only seemed to be useful for his coffee.

You just need a few dollops for small batches of berries so grab a whisk and this will be ready in minutes.

For bigger jobs, you might want to pull out the hand mixer or you could be whisking for quite awhile.

Summer berries are still at their prime so go ahead and put this at the top of your to do list before berries go back to being expensive and out of season.  Seriously... hurry.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Recipe Notes
The exact way you make this will depend on what you are making it for.  With fruit, I like to add a pretty good amount of sugar to make it sweet.  If you are adding a dollop to a pie or cake, you might want to only add a little bit of sugar because you already have so much sweetness.
If you are trying this for the first time, start with very little cream.  Watch how the process works and then add more.  If you are making more than one cup of cream, I would probably use a hand mixer (unless you have lots of time to whisk).
* Regular sugar or powdered sugar will work.  If you have powdered, use it.  If you don't, you do not need to buy any.  The only different is that you  need to add the regular sugar early in the process so that it has time dissolve into the cream.  Powdered sugar is preferable because after whipping, you can add more at the end to get to the exact sweetness you would like.
** A little vanilla goes a long way, but once again, the exact amount will depend on what you are making.  I always add a dash, but if I am putting cream on something that would be great with a vanilla flavor I add a little bit more.

What you need...
Heavy Whipping Cream
*Powdered Sugar or regular sugar
**Vanilla (optional)
Large bowl
Whisk

1.  Start with cold cream in a large bowl.  The colder the cream, the easier and faster it will whip.  Having a large bowl will also help quite a bit.

2.  Time to start whipping.  Make wide strokes with a whisk, changing direction every so often.  This will help get air into the cream faster.  Bubbles will start to form.

3.  Now it's time put some muscle into it.
Exercising and making dessert at the same time?  This is just the best.
When the cream starts to thicken, add sugar and vanilla (if using).

Tip:  A good rule of thumb is two teaspoons of sugar for every cup of cream.  Adjust sweetness according to tasate.  Optional:  Add about a teaspoon of vanilla per cup of cream

And before you know it, you will have peaks that look like this.

Done! Seriously, we are done.  What was that, like 1 minute worth of work?  And you have great looking arms.

Ah, I love magic.


Keep in the refrigerator and serve within an hour of making.

Add a dollop to a bowl of mixed berries, perhaps a freshly sliced peach, or maybe on top of a piece of pie or chocolate cake.  But that means you cannot sit there and eat the whole bowl.  But no one's watching... maybe just the first batch... no one has to know.

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

There is a lot more Italy to come.

However, since we've been back, I've been doing my best to cool things down around here since it's so darn hot, so let's talk about a few things to beat the heat.

If macaroni and cheese is the fall's best comfort food, then ice cream sandwiches take the cake for summer's best comfort food.

And something about this cookie with that ice cream is about the most addicting thing I've ever had.

I've always been a Blue Bell girl, but Mr. Hungry requested these one night and he likes Hagen Daaz.  So I thought I would choose my battles and go with Hagen Daaz and man, am I glad I did.  There is something about the texture and taste of Hagen Daaz that fits perfectly with this cookie.

You really can't mess this up so I've got one piece of advice... make a lot.  They go quick.

{All you need}

A batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies  +  Vanilla Hagen Daaz ice cream

{All you do}

Leave the ice cream out and let it get really soft.  Or you can stick it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Scoop a small bit on to one cooled cookie.  Smash together with the other cookie.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Freeze sandwiches without touching each other for at least one hour.  After sandwiches have frozen separately, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to one month.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy. 

Antipasto Platters

I make a mean antipasto platter.

I'm not sure that's really an accomplishment since there is little that you are actually cooking, but they are always a hit at cocktail parties.  It's kind of the perfect answer to what serve at a party in the summer.  You turn on your oven for .5 seconds and then you just assemble.

Granted this is another one of my non-recipe recipes, but sometimes the simpler the better. And what better for a cocktail party than savory food that you do not have to keep warm and can be assembled ahead of time? Perfection.

This is my personal version of an antipasto platter.  Traditionally, they are made with a variety of meats and cheeses, but I like to spice it up a bit.  I thought I'd share my favorites, but let's get real, the possibilities are endless.

So let's get started...

I always include marinated tomatoes.  Click here for recipe. They have such great flavor and very addicting.  You just need to think about these the night before so they can marinate, but that's about all the prep work there.  Moving on...

These prosciutto wrapped asparagus are what make this platter feel fancy.   Check below for recipe...

My favorite cheese to serve is this marinated mozzarella.  This big tub comes from Costco and is super cheap for the quantity.  I prefer this to just plain fresh mozzarella balls because these have a lot more flavor.

You need some crackers to balance all this.  My two favorites are Carr's table water crackers and these Italian breadsticks that can be found at most specialty grocery stores.  They also add nice height.
And then I like to pile on olives.  But I'm an olive person.  If you are not, let's talk about some other ideas.

Thin slices of prosciutto, cuts of salami, artichoke hearts, sliced hearts of palm, piles of nuts, dried apricots... again more of my favorites, but they all work pretty well.

Hopefully you have something to work with here.  Now go ahead and invite your friends over.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus

Recipe Notes

The key to this is having extremely thin proscuitto.  If it is thick, it will be hard to bite through.  Costco sells a great prepackaged very thinly sliced prosciutto at a great price.  Or ask your butcher to cut it paper thin. Be careful to not overcook the asparagus.  You want it slightly cooked, but still crunchy... not mushy.  Asparagus size can vary dramatically so if you have very thin spears, keep your eye on them.

Ingredients

Asparagus (2 to 4 per person)

Prosciutto, about 1/2 a slice per piece of asparagus, sliced paper thin.
olive oil
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground pepper
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Trim the white, woody ends of Spread the asparagus in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast asparagus for about 5 minutes (see recipe note for timing).  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Cut each piece of prosciutto in half, so you have two strips.  Wrap each piece of asparagus with a half piece of prosciutto.  Repeat until all asparagus have been wrapped.  Can be made up to 6 hours in advance and kept refrigerated.  Serve at room temperature.