White Bean Crostini

Serves 8

Perfect super fast appetizer to feed everyone at a moments notice.

Ingredients

• 1 french stick, sliced
• 1 can white beans, strained and rinsed
• 3 spring onions
• 1/2 red pepper
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• generous pinch salt
• pinch of chili flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

Directions

1. Pre-heat your broiler to high, grill the baguette slices, on both sides
2. Throw everything else in the processor, and blend until smooth
3. Generously spread on the bread and drizzle with olive oil and garnish with green onions.

Roasted Poblano Soup

Makes 4 to 5 cups-ish

This is just amazingly good. Kelly says it’s her favorite soup…EVER

3 pounds poblano/pasilla peppers (about 5 or 6)

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 small white or yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic clove, minced

2 1/2 -3 cup chicken broth

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

Diced avocado, chopped green onion and cilantro for garnish

• Place peppers on a baking sheet and broil until blackened all around, or put on top of a gas burner on your stove - you'll have to turn them a couple times. Or you could put them over your stove's open top and keep turning until blackened all around

• While they blacken, heat oil and butter in large deep skillet, cook onions about 5 minutes until softened

• When black, put the poblanos in a paper bag, or in a bowl and cover with foil or cling film for 15 minutes to steam

• Peel off blackened skin, remove stem and seeds and rough chop and add to the onions with the garlic

• Stir until fragrant then put in a blender and blend until smooth

• Put back into the pan/pot and add broth until it’s at the thickness you like - heat through

• Serve in a bowl with the avocado, green onion and cilantro

• Boom…hell yes beotches!!!

View fullsize

---

Caprese Grilled Cheese

Makes 2 sandwiches

What’s not to like? We take all the wonderfulness of a caprese salad but turn into a grilled cheese with a little garlic aioli to go with it. I’m in love…

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 4 slices Sourdough (or any white bread with a good crust)
• 1 large fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Combine mayo, garlic, chopped basil and lemon juice, mix well and set aside
2. For each sandwich, generously spread the aioli on 1 slice
3. layer on mozzarella, tomato, more mozzarella and top with other slice of bread
4. Butter the top, then place face down onto medium hot grill pan and cook until golden brown
5. Butter the top, flip and cook until golden
6. Slice and serve, enjoy!

 

Wonton & Noodle Soup

Serves 2

If a Jewish & Chinese grandmother got together and made a feel-good soup, this would be it.

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1" fresh ginger, thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed & roughly chopped

• 6 green onions, white & light green parts cut in one inch lengths, with the dark green parts chopped finely for garnish

• 6 frozen chicken pork or chicken pot-stickers

• 4 baby bok choy, root end cut off & leaves separated

• 1 pack instant ramen noodles (discard the seasoning pack, don’t need it)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame chili oil

Directions

1. Bring broth, ginger, garlic & green onions to a simmer in a medium sized pot - simmer 5 minutes

2. Add pot-stickers and cook for 5 minutes, then add noodles and bok choy

3. Cook until noodles are softened, then stir in soy

4. Serve with a drizzle of chili oil and green onion

One Minute Breakfast Bagel

Serves 1

No time to eat you say? In a rush and can’t get it together? Well the most important meal of the day needs more respect than that. And in the time it takes you to brush your teeth you could make this.

Ingredients

• One egg
• Salt and pepper
• 2 ready bacon strips
• One slice of American cheese
• 1 bagel

Directions

1. In a microwave safe bowl beat one egg and season with salt and pepper
2. On one large plate put the bowl on one side and on the other, folded kitchen paper with bacon laid on top, then microwave for 1 minute.
3. While it cooks, grab your bagel cut in half and layer on cheese
4. Then top with egg, and bacon, cut in half and enjoy.

Pesto Meatball French Bread Pizza

Makes one French loaf - serves about 6

Frozen meatballs, pesto & French bread tun into a wildly good pizza-kinda-thing.

Ingredients

• 20 frozen 1-inch meatballs
• 2 tablespoons butter 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• 1 loaf French bread
• 1 cup Mozzarella, grated

Directions

1. Place meatballs on a plate and microwave until just softened, then cut in half
2. Put in a bowl and toss with pesto - set aside
3. Melt butter in a medium pot on low heat, add garlic
4. Cook about a minute or until just fragrant then whisk in flour
5. Continue stirring and cook about a minute until it becomes a thick paste
6. Add milk and whisk to incorporate
7. When it starts to thicken, add Parmesan cheese and stir well until thick & smooth
8. Preheat broiler
9. Cut french bread lengthwise and add a generous layer of the cheese sauce to both cut sides
10. Add a layer of meatballs and top with mozzarella
11. Place under the broiler until bubbly, melty and gorgeous
12. Slice & serve

Artichoke & Alouette Dip

If I can get down to 1-ingredient recipes some day, I'll be very happy. But until then, this simple and delicious little 2'er will have to suffice.

Ingredients

• 1 can artichoke bottoms
• 1 6.5 oz tub of Alouette Garlic & Herb Cheese spread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Drain artichokes and chop fine
3. Place in a bowl and mix well with Alouette
4. Put in small ovenproof bowl, and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes
5. Serve with crackers or toasted pitas

Crab Quesadilla

There's good crab and there's bad crab. If it's spelled with a 'k', as in 'krab' - stay away. It won't be crab - but it will be krappy.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces crab meat
• 1/4 cup red pepper, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapenos
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Fresh tortillas

Directions

1. Heat large pan over medium heat
2. Mix all ingredients except tortillas in medium bowl
3. Spread approximately 3/4 of a cup of mixture over tortilla, and top second tortilla
4. Place in pan and squish down slightly
5. Cook until lightly brown on both sides
6. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa - the green kind (salsa verde) would be very good with this

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Makes one 10 inch pizza

This has all the great taste of those spicy little chicken wings except in a pizza and with no bones.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (one of those deli roasted ones perfect)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 ounces hot sauce
• 3/4 cup blue cheese dressing, any kind but chunkier is better
• 1-10" ready-made pizza crust like Boboli, or fresh pizza dough spread out to be about that size
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Melt butter with hot sauce in small pot, remove from heat
3. Add chicken to the sauce and set aside
4. Spread dressing on crust, then chicken mixture - it will be messy
5. Top with mozzarella
6. Bake until bubbly, brown and awesome looking - about 15 minutes

Artichoke & Red Pepper Dip

We make this all the time...you should too.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers - drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup artichoke bottoms - drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese - shredded
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Mix all ingredients together except parmesan
3. Transfer to oven proof bowl, and sprinkle parmesan on top
4. Bake about 30 minutes until heated through and bubbly and delicious
5. Serve with crackers, or even better - toasted pitas - see recipe

Asian Wings

Once again those frozen chicken wings I told you to keep in your freezer are coming in handy - and you thought I was crazy. Listen to your mother...and listen to me.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 12-18 chicken wings, frozen even

Directions

1. Mix soy and brown sugar well in a bowl
2. Pour mixture over wings, coat well and allow to marinate up to 30minutes - but if you only have 5 minutes...go with that
3. Place under the broiler for 15 minutes, flip and cook for another 15- try to baste 2 or 3 times on each side
4. Serve on a platter and sprinkle with thinly sliced green onion tops

Baked Ravioli

Keep extra ravioli in the freezer and you'll be set for a last minute, unexpected gathering. Buy the larger ones - you eat these with your fingers and the bigger ones are more fun.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh ravioli, any kind
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Mix bread crumbs, cheese and herbs in a large bowl
3. Cook ravioli in boiling water according to package directions
4. Drain, but not too well and toss them in the bread crumb mixture to coat
5. Place on greased baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes or until bottoms start to brown
6. Remove and place under broiler until tops brown as well
7. Serve with any sauce for dipping - regular pesto, sun dried tomato pesto, spaghetti sauce, mustard sauce - it's up to you Emeril

BBQ Chicken Packs

Makes 8

Delicious little packages of BBQ chicken and cheese and you don't even have to wait until your b-day to open them!

Ingredients

• 1 tube refrigerator biscuits (the big ones are easier)
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce
• 1/2 cup cheese
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Remove biscuits from package and flatten with your hand
3. In the middle of each biscuit, place some chicken, some barbecue sauce and some cheese - I say "some", because you want to be able to fold them over once the stuff is inside and the amount depends on what size biscuit you buy
4. Fold biscuit over 'stuff', seal edges well and place on cookie sheet
5. Bake at 350 until brown

Hoisin Beef Skewers

Makes about 2 dozen skewers

These can be made in 5 minutes and cooked in about 5. That's pretty darn good - plus you get to eat them off those cool little sticks. Put the steak in the freezer for about 15 minutes before slicing - it will make it easier.

Ingredients

• 1 pound steak, I think a New York works well
• 1/2 cup Hoisin sauce, supermarket Asian aisle
• Juice from 2 limes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• bamboo skewers
• chili sauce, to taste
• green onions, thinly sliced and toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

1. Mix Hoisin, lime juice and garlic well - set aside
2. Trim steak across grain into slices about 1/4 thick
3. Thread steak onto skewers
4. Add some of the sauce to the skewered meat - reserving some for dipping
5. Heat grill pan or bbq really well
6. They won't take long - no more than about 3 minutes a side
7. Mix a little chili sauce with reserved dipping sauce and serve on the side

Bruschetta

Makes approximately 16

A perfect appetizer, and it's yours in no time.

Ingredients

• 2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 or 4 large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ounces soft goat cheese
• French or Italian bread, sliced crosswise about 1/4 inch thick

Directions

1. Preheat broiler
2. Mix all ingredients except bread and goat cheese in a medium bowl
3. Spread about 1 tablespoon of goat cheese on each bread slice
4. Top with tomato mixture
5. Place on baking sheet and place under broiler about 4 minutes
6. Make sure it doesn't burn

Cocktail-Rye-Cheesey-Olivey-Things

Ok, so it's got a stupid name, but it's still a great quick and easy appetizer. Plus you get to make it on those funny little rye bread slices.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped green olives (with pimento if you like)
• 1/4 cup chopped black olives (of the Mediterranean kind)
• 2-3 tablespoons mayo
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Cocktail rye bread slices

Directions

1. Heat broiler
2. Mix all ingredients except bread
3. Spread about a tablespoon of olive mixture on each slice
4. Broil 5 to 7 minutes
5. Yum.

---

Crab Dip

You can buy expensive crabmeat at your favorite seafood joint, but as long as you find yourself a really good quality canned version you don't need to.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound crabmeat
• 1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, I like Cholula
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix all ingredients well and put in a oven proof serving bowl
3. Bake for 15 minutes, then place under broiler to brown top
4. Serve with crackers or something crunchy like baked won ton chips

Crab Won Tons

Makes about 30

This falls under the heading of "Don't make the same thing all the time". They're delicious, simple and different - plus they're baked, not fried. I would try to insist on fresh crab, but there's no point. You're going to use what you want and besides - canned in this case is actually not that bad. But if you do use the canned, buy the 'lump'.

Ingredients

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 green onions, sliced very thin
• 1 cup crab meat, approximately
• 1 tablespoon Asian hot sauce (Sriracha)
• 1 package won ton wrappers, I like the round ones

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Mix all ingredients well in bowl, except wrappers
3. Put about a teaspoon and a half of mixture in center of each wrapper
4. Dip finger tips in water and wet edges of wrapper lightly and fold in half - try to remove as much air as possible
5. Seal tightly and place won tons on baking sheet coated with cooking spray
6. Bake until they start to brown - should be about 15 to 20 minutes
7. While they cook, make the dipping sauce:
8. 3 tablespoons soy
9. 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
10. 1 teaspoon sugar
11. 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
12. 1 teaspoon green onion, finely chopped
13. Mix all ingredients and serve on the side

Feta and Red Pepper Pockets

Roasted red peppers, feta and pesto all baked together? Who doesn't love that?

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 16 refrigerator rolls (round ones)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients well, except biscuits and set aside
2. Separate rolls and flatten
3. Put approximately 1 large tablespoon in each and fold in half
4. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 until lightly browned (about 20 minutes)

Grilled PB and Jelly

Makes one

This is not as goofy as it seems. If you like a PB & J, and who doesn't?...then this is a must-try. Give it a whirl for lunch one weekend.

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of bread (if you're asking me, this needs a heavier grain bread)
• PB - of course
• Jelly - of course (I would go grape here, trust me)
• Butter

Directions

1. Spread PB on one slice of bread, and the J on the other.
2. Put both slices together with the gooey stuff in the middle- as if that wasn't obvious.
3. Lightly butter outside of one slice and place face down in a warm pan.
4. Squish down and flatten a little with a spatula or your hand, but watch out for the sides.
5. Butter top piece of bread and flip over once the bottom has browned slightly.
6. Cut into wedges and enjoy!