For the Next Time You Need to Bring an Hors d'Oeuvres...

Randi asked me the other day "What should I bring as an appetizer?" I feel like this always comes up. You are asked to bring an hors d'oeuvres to a party and all you can think of are simple and boring things - chips and dip, guacamole, cheese dip...etc (props to you if you have an arsenal of good recipes). I slightly panicked when Andrew's mom told us that we needed to bring one to Christmas dinner, but I remembered a recipe I saw Giada make that looked amazing (another problem I have is that I see things that look good, but forget to make them). Thank goodness I saw the episode recently! See, bumming around and watching TV comes in handy for entertaining :)

I doubled this recipe for 8 people and had leftovers (including the three that fell on the floor and got to be a special Christmas snack for the pooch). It was really easy - just simple assembly and oh so good. I will be making this for years to come! Also, I can imagine that it would be easy to modify with different protein/cheese.

Oh Giada, I love you! You are a life saver yet again!!

Apricot and Chicken Bruschetta
makes 10 pieces


1/2 loaf ciabatta bread
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup apricot preserves
5 ounces fontina cheese, thinly sliced
6 ounces roasted chicken breast, cooled and thinly sliced
3 ounces (about 5 slices) prosciutto, thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice the bread into 10 slices, each about 1/2-inch thick. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until crisp and golden. Cool to room temperature.

Spread each slice of the toasted bread with the apricot preserves then place a slice of the cheese on top. Arrange the sliced chicken on top of the cheese. Cut each piece of prosciutto in half and place on top of the chicken. Transfer the bruschetta to a serving platter. Drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

How Sweet It Is - Salmon and Sweet Potato Frittata

Lately I have been on a big salmon kick. Apparently, you are supposed to eat two servings of Omega-3 rich fish per week (hard to do admittedly but a worthy goal) and I got tired of the usual salmon recipes, so I've been experimenting. Last week I made a Roasted Salmon with Fennel and Onions (which was totally awesome and I will post on when I make it again for Andrew), but this week I made a Salmon and Sweet Potato Frittata - mostly because I love sweet potatoes and had a few in the fridge.

Sweet potatoes are a funny vegetable, you either love or hate them. I love them. LOVE THEM. We grew up eating baked sweet potatoes on a regular basis and I make them whenever I get the chance. People douse them with sugar and butter to make them more desert like, which I don't totally understand, because they are so yummy (and very good for you, lots of beta carotene and fiber).

This one-pot meal was another hit from Real Simple (I'm on a kick, what can I say). It made great leftovers. I cut the cheese a little to make it a little healthier.

Salmon and Sweet-Potato Frittata
serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and grated (3 cups)
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, diced
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 cups Swiss cheese, diced (8 ounces)
1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 375° F. In a deep 8- to 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add salmon and cook 5 minutes for the salmon or until cooked through. Remove the skillet from heat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, tarragon, salt, and a few grinds of pepper and add to the skillet. Stir. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes or until set. Transfer the frittata to a plate; cut into wedges.

Long Overdue!

I am not going to give excuses. Randi and I have been painfully negligent of this blog for the past million months - mostly me I suppose as it is registered in my name...But on this Christmas morning, I decided to use the new year (a little early) to get back in the game! This is the first of three recipes I will post this morning. So here goes:

My future mother in law gave me a subscription to Real Simple magazine for my birthday (thanks Dorry!) and they always have spectacular and simple (hence real SIMPLE I suppose) recipes. The thing I love about their recipes is that although the ingredient combinations are sometimes a little odd, the flavors are spot on! This recipe calls for Savoy cabbage, which I'd never used before. If you are like me, I have a love-hate relationship with cabbage. However, this cabbage will change your mind. When I bought it, the card next to it read "Great to cook with!" This cabbage is not bitter like green or purple cabbage and has a really pleasant flavor. It cooks down really nicely, but is great raw in salads too.

I also experimented making my own pasta for this dish. I had never done it before, and sans pasta machine it was still pretty easy (I will definitely get a pasta maker though, as it is a little hard to roll out the dough). Unfortunately, I can't find the exact recipe I used, but don't be afraid, you should give it a try!

Anyway, this was quick, easy and delicious - a total winner. I am also submitting it to Presto Pasta Nights of course - to start off 2009 right, the creator of PPN, Ruth, will be doing the roundup this week. I will be making it again for sure:

Pappardelle with Cabbage, Prosciutto and Sage
serves 4
8 ounces pappardelle or some other wide pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 head Savoy cabbage -- quartered, cored, and sliced (8 cups)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 pound sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the cabbage and broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the prosciutto, butter, and sage and cook until the butter has melted. Serve over the pasta.