Golden Beets with Smoked Trout & Dill
Posted: 02/19/2014 Filed under: Appetizers, Fish, Hors d'oeuvres, recipes | Tags: Appetizers, cooking, golden beets, party food, recipe, roasted beets 40 Comments
Golden Beets with Smoked Trout & Dill
As a kid, I never looked twice at a beet. Back then, they were a vegetable I was usually forced to eat, but never consumed by choice. I think a lot of it had to do with how they were prepared or maybe integrated into a dish. As a youth, no one ever showed me what an absolutely awesome vegetable the beet actually was. When they’re perfectly roasted, the beet’s natural sweetness and earthiness is developed.
I was invited to a birthday brunch last weekend, and was given the task of bringing an appetizer. I thought these Golden Beets with Smoked Trout and Dill was the perfect choice to bring. Growing up in Philadelphia, bagels and lox was a Sunday morning staple, so this was my take on that dish. The combination of the sweet beets, the smokey taste of the fish and the tart cream cheese was loved by all. I like when that happens.
Roasted Golden Beets
Roasted Golden Beets with Smoked Trout & Dill
- 12 medium size golden beets or 6 large
- 1 package of Smoked Trout (usually in the deli section)
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- couple sprigs of dill
- salt & pepper to taste
- olive oil
- 24 water crackers
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the green, leafy tops off of the beets. Place all the beets in a large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and then toss to coat. Wrap 3 beets (if using small ones, or 1 at a time if using large ones) in aluminum foil to make little packets.
- Place the aluminum packets on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes. The size of the beet will determine how long you need to roast it. A larger, denser beet will take longer. The beets are done when you can pierce them with a fork. When they’re done, open the packets and let the beets cool. Once cooled, place the beet in between a paper towel and rub the beet skin right off.
- Slice the beets into 1/8 – 1/4 inch slices.
- Place a beet slice on a water cracker, top with a little dollop of cream cheese, a piece of the smoked trout, and a tiny sprig of dill.
Mama’s Tips
The size of the beet will determine the cooking time. Larger sized beets will take longer in the oven. They’re done when you can pierce them easily with a fork.
You can find the packaged Smoked Trout in the deli section of your market with the packaged lunch meats and smoked salmon. I bought a 5 ounce package, and it was plenty.
Golden Beets with Smoked Trout & Dill
Recipe: Easy
Chicken Sliders with Herbed Mayo
Posted: 01/28/2014 Filed under: Appetizers, Hors d'oeuvres, main dish, Meat, recipes, Sandwiches, snacks | Tags: chicken sliders, sliders, Super Bowl snacks 42 Comments
Chicken Slider with Herbed Mayo
When one is planning a Super Bowl get-together, one must give serious consideration to the refreshments. Because really, what is a Super Bowl party without the proper accouterments. Like the Super Bowl itself, watching the game at home should be an “event”. I would be negligent in my duties if I only served chips and dip, and my husband and sons have come to expect more from me as the years go by. Chips and dip are still on the menu, because every sports-loving guy still loves and expects them, but I needed to serve something more substantial but still in the realm of down home comfort food.
Chicken Sliders seemed like the obvious choice, because you can hold them in one hand while your screaming at the tv and holding a beer in the other. I would call this kind of breaded and fried chicken, Chicken Schnitzel or Chicken Milanese. Basically it’s boneless, skinless chicken breast that’s dredged in flour, eggs and panko bread crumbs and then fried. The end result is chicken that’s crispy and crunchy on the outside, and moist and tender on the inside. And, for a little extra added tastiness, I plopped on a dollop of this homemade Herbed Mayo. Yay, score one for Mama!
Pound the chicken breast to tenderize it
Chicken Slider with Herbed Mayo
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into approx. 2″ x 4″ pieces)
- 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk
- vegetable or canola oil for frying
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 mini slider rolls ( I used King’s Hawaiian Rolls & Rockenwagner’s Mini Pretzel Rolls)
- red onion, thinly sliced
- Roma tomato, thinly sliced
- arugula
Herbed Mayo
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon finely minced parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely minced chives
- 1 teaspoon finely minced chervil (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard (dijon or brown)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Rinse chicken under cool water and pat dry. Pounding the chicken breast will enable it to cook through consistently if all slices are of same thickness. Cut the chicken into 2″ x 4″ pieces (approximately). Lightly season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Now make yourself a “dredging station”. Take three shallow bowls, and put the panko crumbs in one, the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, in another, and beat the two eggs with a tablespoon of milk and place in the third bowl. Using tongs (or a fork) dip the chicken into the flour and gently shake off the excess. Next, dip it into the egg mixture on both sides. Last, dip the chicken into the panko crumbs, pressing the crumbs to adhere to the chicken breast. Lay the finished coated pieces on a wax paper covered baking sheet.
- In a large skillet, set over medium heat, pour the vegetable oil about 1/4″ deep. Don’t put the chicken in until the oil is hot enough, but also don’t let the oil get too hot. If the oil is too hot, the outside coating will burn, and the chicken inside will not cook through. Also, do not crowd the pan, make sure there is room in between the chicken pieces. When the chicken is golden brown, remove from the pan and let drain on a paper towel.
- To make the Herbed Mayo: place all the ingredients in a small bowl, and whisk together until smooth. Adjust the salt and pepper to your own taste. Cover bowl and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
- Just assemble the sandwiches, spread with the Herbed Mayo and enjoy.
Makes 8 Slider Sandwiches
Fry the breaded chicken in about 1/4″ of oil on medium heat
Fry chicken until it’s golden brown and crispy
Mama’s Tips:
When working with chicken you always have to be concerned about contamination. When I pound my chicken, I cover the bottom surface with plastic wrap, place the chicken on top, then cover the chicken with another sheet of plastic wrap. I never want to get the bacteria on my surfaces or on the rolling pin I’m using to pound the chicken. Always wash your hands after handling chicken and touching something else.
Make sure the chicken is always cooked through (no pink inside) to avoid salmonella poisoning. If your not sure, take a small pairing knife and cut into a piece of chicken just to check the inside.
When frying chicken, try to keep the oil at an even temperature. If it gets too hot and starts to burn, or there’s a lot of burnt pieces of bread crumbs in it, clean the pan and start with new oil. Burned, dirty oil will affect the final taste of the chicken.
If you can’t get panko bread crumbs (usually found in the Asian section of the market) you can use regular bread crumbs. but I find the panko crumbs give the chicken a much crunchier, crispier texture. It’s well worth seeking these crumbs out.
The reason I pound the chicken is that the breasts are naturally thicker in some parts and thinner in others. By pounding it, the breasts are the same thickness at all points and therefore will cook through consistently.
Chicken Sliders with Herbed Mayo
Chicken Sliders with Herbed Mayo
Recipe: Intermediate
Roasted Tomato Soup
Posted: 12/23/2013 Filed under: Appetizers, Hors d'oeuvres, soup, Vegetables | Tags: cooking, recipe, soup, soup shots, tomato, tomato soup 46 Comments
Roasted Tomato Soup
When I got up this morning I was actually planning to do another blog posting about cookies. I know what you’re thinking, Mama, enough with the cookies already. It is an uncharacteristically cold and gloomy day here, yes, 55 degrees is cold, so I decided to re-think my strategy. I thought I should choose to make something for my posting that I could also serve to the family for dinner tonight. Ah yes, therefore killing two birds with one stone.
Due to the aforementioned gloominess, I decided that my family would probably appreciate some good ‘ol comfort food. I don’t know about you, but grilled cheese and tomato soup is about as cozy as you can get. I rarely get a reaction from the husband and kids regarding my cooking, but the Roasted Tomato Soup got rave reviews.
It’s just a suggestion, but if you’re having a get-together for New Year’s, how about Roasted Tomato Soup Shots with a dollop of creme fraiche, or for a New Year’s brunch you can serve the soup in mason jars with a mini grilled cheese sandwich. And the best part is you can make the soup in advance, because it will actually taste better the next day.
Roasting tomatoes in the oven.
Roasted Tomato Soup
- 2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (I used tomatoes on the vine)
- 5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cans (28 oz) San Marzano Tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Garnish with a dollop of creme fraiche, sour cream, yogurt or mascarpone (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, and place rack in the lower third of oven. Wash and dry tomatoes, and then cut them in half. Using your fingers, gently squeeze out the seeds. Place the tomatoes and garlic in a large bowl and drizzle with the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, and toss it all together with your hands. Spread the tomatoes out on a large baking sheet cut side up. Place the garlic pieces in the tomato cavity (I don’t know what else to call it) as shown in the above photo. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until tomatoes begin to caramelize. Yum, now we’re creating great flavor! Then set aside to cool.
- Now, strain the juice into a measuring cup or bowl, from the 2 cans of tomatoes and reserve for later. You should have about 1 cup of liquid from the cans. Next, puree the canned tomatoes, the roasted tomatoes and garlic in batches in a blender and place in a large bowl.
- In a large stock pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter, then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 medium, diced onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes until it becomes translucent. Add 1/4 cup of flour and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and quickly whisk or stir with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Add all the pureed tomato and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, the bay leaf, cumin, rosemary spring, thyme sprigs, reserved juice and 1 cup of chicken broth. Whisk to make sure no flour has stuck to the bottom. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring in 15 minute intervals. Remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs. After it simmered, I used an immersion blender to blend the onion into the soup. If you don’t have one, you could run it through the blender again. You should let the soup cool a bit before you so though, because hot liquids spurt out of the blender. Cover the top of the blender with a kitchen towel.
- I ran the soup through a sieve to remove any seeds and tomato skin and ended up with a smooth, silky soup. I returned the soup to the stock pot to warm before serving.
- I like to serve the soup with a little dollop of creme fraiche for a little added creaminess.
Makes about 8 cups of soup
Roasted Tomato Soup in Mason Jars with Mini Grilled Cheese
Mama’s Tips:
You can store the soup in a sealed container. It’s actually better the next day after all the flavors meld together. Just gently reheat to serve.
If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, you can substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth or water.
To add extra creaminess to the soup, you can garnish it with creme fraiche, sour cream, yogurt or mascarpone.
If your soup comes out too thick, then just thin it with a little extra broth or water. But remember, add just a little at a time to achieve your desired consistency.
Roasted Tomato Soup – Soup Shots with a dollop of Creme Fraiche
Recipe: Intermediate
Roasted Tomato Soup
Fig & Prosciutto Crostini
Posted: 10/01/2013 Filed under: Appetizers, Hors d'oeuvres, recipes | Tags: Appetizers, cooking, crostini, fig crostini, figs, party food, recipe 41 Comments
Fig & Prosciutto Crostini
This weekend my family will celebrate a most momentous occasion, that being my parent’s 60th wedding anniversary. They were of course, the Ward and June Cleaver of Havertown, Pennsylvania. (A 1960’s cultural reference only old people will get, young people, you can google it.) I’ve always said that they make marriage look fun, in fact, they’re totally “adorbs!” (Younger generation cultural reference.) So, what does this have to do with crostini you ask? We’ll be serving these tasty hors d’ oeuvres at our upcoming gathering.
What I love about these appetizers is that they are the perfect “marriage” of different tastes and textures. Did you like the way I segued into that, huh. Anyway, you’ve got your crunch from the toasted bread and walnuts, paired with the saltiness of the prosciutto, the creaminess of the goat cheese and the sweetness of the fig and balsamic all in one perfect little bite. Actually, it’s probably two-bites, but who’s counting.
Fig & Prosciutto Crostini
Fig & Prosciutto Crostini
- 12 fresh figs – Black Mission or Brown Turkey varieties
- 1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1/2 cup baby arugula
- 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped small
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- French baguette sliced into 24, 1/2″ slices
Directions
For the Balsamic Reduction: Pour the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar into a small but heavy saucepan and bring to a steady simmer. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, allow the mixture to simmer until it begins to thicken and become syrupy. Then, pour it into a small bowl and let it cool. Set aside.
Place the walnuts that have been chopped into small pieces into a small frying pan and over medium heat stir constantly until the nuts become fragrant and their natural oils are released. Keep your eye on them as they can burn quite quickly. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Snip the stem off of the figs, and then cut them in half. Slice the prosciutto into slices that will fit the size of the crostini. Slice the baguette into 24 – 1/2″ slices and place on a baking sheet. Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients together, place the bread slices into a 400 degree F oven and toast bread until it becomes golden on the edges. Then remove.
Top each bread slice with a piece of prosciutto, a piece of the arugula, a fig slice, then a few goat cheese crumbles and walnuts. Drizzle the crostini with the balsamic reduction and serve!
Makes 24 individual crostini
Fig & Prosciutto Crostini
Mama’s Tips:
Have all your ingredients prepared and in little bowls so when the bread comes out of the oven, you can make the crostini assembly-line style and serve while the bread is still warm.
In case you were wondering, figs are an excellent source of dietary fiber. I eat them by the boatloads.
Fig & Prosciutto Crostini
Mama's Gotta Bake 