We’ve all seen or had the brie in puff pastry served with a tart/tangy jam (I prefer a good currant jam!). Today I played with a new appetizer – crostini with brie, soppressata and pepper jelly. This combination works as either just brie and pepper jelly (similar to the original that inspired this effort) or with the added soppressata. The addition of the soppressata gave the appetizer some heartiness and the salty, peppery soppressata complimented the creamy, tangy brie and spicy, sweet pepper jelly for a more complete taste experience. Just think, here is a new twist on a standard – just in time for holiday parties! Save Print Crostini with Brie, Soppressata and Pepper Jelly Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 4…
Have you ever considered how versatile the omelette is? From a simple cheese omelette to any combination of ingredients, this often overlooked breakfast dish is easy and satisfying – especially when cooked in in butter that browns ever so lightly imparting that additional flavor to the eggs. Here is my take on the simple omelette… let’s get cracking! Save Print Brown Butter Cheese Omelette Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 2 mins Total time: 7 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients 2 large eggs or ½ cup egg substitute ⅛ cup cream 1 tsp Tabasco sauce pinch of salt a few grinds of black pepper 2 tsp butter ¼ cup shredded cheese, plus 2 tbsp reserved dried parsley (optional) Instructions Heat a…
Here is a quick, tasty lunch or snack, depending on when you want it and how hungry you are! The key to this slider, in my opinion, is the pretzel bun. There is something about roast beef, horseradish, and a pretzel bun that makes my mouth water. Add some cheese and sliced pepperoncini to kick it up a little – like all sandwiches, the sky is the limit. Let’s get to it! Save Print Roast Beef Sliders Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 4 mins Total time: 9 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients 2 pretzel slider buns 6 oz deli sliced roast beef 2 tsp horseradish 4 – 5 pepperoncini, sliced thinly 4 tbsp shredded Italian cheese (Mozzarella, Romano, Parmesan, Asiago) Instructions Preheat…
Back in August, I posted ‘Cheater, cheater… pizza eater!‘ on how to make a custom pizza quickly using Papa Murphy’s $5 Fave pizza. Today, this is the real deal – pizza from scratch. Yep, you read that correctly… homemade pizza dough for one. I apologize to my Chicago friends in advance as this recipe is more like a New York style pizza, but I will get to a Chicago style pizza eventually! This recipe takes a bit of planning to allow the dough to rise, but overall was simple to make when using a food processor. Since it takes time to make, let’s get cracking! Save Print Homemade Pizza Dough Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 24 hours…
Lunch… today I decided to make a quick lunch and share the results with you. It is a simple meal of pancetta, shaved brussel sprouts, and tortellini fried in butter and the pancetta renderings. The only seasonings… a little salt (very little since we are using panceta, a type of Italian bacon), freshly cracked black pepper, and minced garlic. Simple, but quite delicious. And need I mention fast! Tortellini with Pancetta and Brussel Sprouts Ingredients: 4 slices of pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch squares 4 – 5 brussel sprouts, shaved (cut into a chiffonade) 6 oz fresh cheese tortellini 2 tsp butter 1 small clove garlic, minced salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste shredded Italian cheese (optional) Preparation: Begin by cooking the pasta per…
Here’s a perfect snack/salad/appetizer for one or many… Mini Caprese Salads on a toothpick! Caprese Salads Poppers Ingredients: Mozzarella Ciliegine (cherry sized mozzarella) Cherry Tomatoes Basil Olive Oil Balsamic Vinegar (or Balsamic Glaze) Fresh cracked black pepper Preparation: Wash the tomatoes in cold running water. Skewer the mozzarella and tomatoes with toothpicks. Chiffonade the basil and spread over the tomato/mozzarella, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic, and fresh cracked black pepper.  …