Kristen's Recipes

 

 

6 oz. fresh, soft goat cheese
3 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
10 cured green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil

9 1/2-inch thick slices good-quality French bread
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Minced garlic

 

For the goat cheese rounds, roll the cheese into a 4-inch long log. Slice into 1-inch thick rounds and place in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, thyme, pepper, olives, and olive oil until well blended. Pour over the goat cheese and marinate, refrigerated, for 2 hours to 1 week. Before serving, let warm to room temperature, about 30 minutes. For the crostini, preheat broiler or grill. Drizzle the bread with olive oil, and grill or broil until golden brown. When the crostini come out of the oven or off the grill, rub them with a bit of the minced garlic. Then cut in half on the diagonal. Serve the warm crostini with the goat cheese.

 

 

1 can (12 oz) Pillsbury® Golden Layers® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 biscuits)

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, drained

1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1/3 C. mayonnaise or salad dressing

2 T. cooked real bacon pieces (from 3- to 4.3-oz jar or package)

1 tsp. dried minced onion

20 Old El Paso® pickled jalapeño slices (from 12-oz jar), drained

 

 Heat oven to 375°F. Separate each biscuit into 2 rounds. Press 1 round in bottom and up side of each of 20 ungreased mini muffin C.. In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients except jalapeño slices. Spoon heaping 1 tsp. mixture into each C.; top each with 1 jalapeño slice. Bake 13 to 19 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from pan to serving platter; let stand 5 minutes. Serve warm.

 

1 1/2 lb. uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp

4 medium green onions, chopped (1/4 C.)

2 tsp. grated lime peel

1/4 C. lime juice

1 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp. sesame oil

 

Mix all ingredients except oil in large glass or plastic bowl. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.   Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches, with cooking spray. Arrange shrimp in single layer in pan.     Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Drizzle with oil. Serve hot with toothpicks.

 

Buttery Cracker Crust (See Below)

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1/4 C. whipping (heavy) cream

3 eggs

1 T. liquid from sun-dried tomatoes

1 1/2 C. shredded Havarti cheese (6 oz.)

1/2 C. sliced drained sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and herbs

8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 C.)

 

Make Buttery Cracker Crust.   Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF. Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add whipping cream, eggs and tomato liquid; beat until creamy. Stir in Havarti cheese, tomatoes and onions until well blended. Spoon evenly over crust in pan.    Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until center is set. Run knife around edge of cheesecake to loosen. Cool completely at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours. Remove side of pan. To serve, cut cheesecake into thin wedges. 

 

Buttery Cracker Crust    

   

1 1/4 C. crushed buttery crackers (28 crackers)

3 T. butter or margarine, melted

 

Heat oven to 375ºF. Mix crumbs and butter until well blended. Press evenly in bottom of springform pan, 10×3 inches. Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown. 

 

8 black mission figs, fresh or reconstituted

1/2-C. blue cheese, cubed

8 thin slices prosciutto, cut in half

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Gray salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Preheat a grill pan to a medium heat.  Cut the figs in half and place a cube of blue cheese inside each half.  Wrap the prosciutto around each fig half, making sure to cover the cheese. The ends of the  prosciutto should overlap.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Grill each piece until the prosciutto begins to color and crisp (about 2 minutes on each side).  Remove from the grill and place on a platter.  Season with Gray salt and pepper. Serve warm. Chef’s note: The key is to grill the prosciutto quickly leaving the blue cheese slightly melted with the inner part of the fig cool in temperature.

 

1 lb. shelled cooked tiny shrimp, rinsed and drained

3/4 tsp. wasabi paste or prepared horseradish

1/4 C. chopped pickled ginger

1/4 C. seasoned rice vinegar

1 T. chopped green onion

1 lb. Belgian endive

Coarse-ground pepper

 

In a bowl, mix shrimp with wasabi paste, pickled ginger, and rice vinegar. Sprinkle with green onion. Place bowl on a tray. Rinse Belgian endive, trim off root ends, and separate leaves; arrange on tray and sprinkle with coarse-ground pepper. Spoon shrimp onto leaves to eat.

 

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 pkg. crumbled feta cheese

1/2 C. chopped red onion

1/2 C. olive oil

1/4 C. cider vinegar

1 T. dried oregano

salt & pepper to taste

Procedure

 

Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato. Scoop out & discard pulp. Invert tomatoes onto paper towels to drain. Combine cheese & onion; spoon into tomatoes. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine vinegar, oil, oregano, salt & pepper; shake well. Spoon over tomatoes. Cover & refridgerate for 30 minutes or till ready to serve.

1 dozen eggs

2/3 C. silken tofu, drained

1 T. mayonnaise

1 T. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. hot sauce, plus more to taste

2 tsp. prepared horseradish

2 T. chopped chives

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. paprika

 

Place the eggs in a large saucepan and cover with water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 9 minutes. Remove the eggs from water and run under cold water for about 1 minute or until cool enough to touch. Peel eggs under cold running water.  lice the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks and discard 6 of them or save for another use. Set aside the whites.  Place the remaining yolks in a medium bowl and mash with the tofu, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, horseradish and chives. Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon the mixture into the corner of a plastic bag and snip off the end. Pipe the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with paprika.

 

 

12 oz. smoked trout or other smoked fish, skin and bone removed

3 T. mayonnaise

3 to 4 tsp. lemon juice

3 T. chopped dill

2 T. capers, chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 baguette, cut diagonally into 3/8″ slices

2 T. chopped chives

 

In a large bowl, flake trout coarsely. Fold in mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, capers, and green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Toast bread until golden on each side. To serve, spread the trout on toast. Garnish with chopped chives or parsley leaf.

 

¾ C. stemmed and chopped dried figs (slightly heaping)

¾ C. Mirassou California Pinot Noir

1 ½ tbsp. honey

2 lemon slices, seeds removed

24 (¼-inch thick) baguette slices, cut on the diagonal

2 tbsp. walnut or extra virgin olive oil

½ lb. cold Brie, thinly sliced

1 ½ tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

 

Combine figs, wine, honey and lemon slices in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook, covered, over low heat 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree in food processor or blender.  Brush bread slices with oil and place oil-side down on large baking sheet. Spread about ½ T. fig spread on each baguette slice and top with equal amounts of Brie, then top with thyme. Bake at 450°F 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.