Baked Brie with Shiitakes

This is one delicious appetizer.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 6 Shitake mushrooms, stems removed & thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• Pinch Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch garlic powder
• 1 sheet puff pastry, removed from freezer about 30 minutes before using
• Flour
• One 8 ounce wheel of brie, with top rind removed
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Put non-stick pan on high/medium heat, add oil, butter and mushrooms - cook about 5 minutes until nicely softened, add thyme, salt, pepper and garlic powder - stir well to combine then remove from heat and set aside
3. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to make it a little thinner
4. Place cooked mushrooms in the center of the pastry - spread out to approximately the same diameter as the cheese
5. Spoon mustard on top of brie, then place mustard-side down onto the mushrooms
6. Fold the pastry up over the cheese to cover and turn over - trim the excess - and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet and press down to seal. Reserve the pastry scraps for decoration (if you want)
7. Beat the egg and milk to combine in a small bowl with a fork or whisk. Place seam-side down onto a lined (parchment paper) baking sheet. Decorate with the pastry scraps, if desired - brush with the egg wash
8. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown - serve with thinly sliced baguettes or crackers.

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WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS

Polenta Bruschetta

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer

Ingredients

• 4 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small

• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

• 1 Polenta Chub (makes about 20 rounds)

• 3 tablespoons cooking oil (use what you have but I used avocado oil)

• ½ cup goat cheese, soften

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil - pinch of salt and pepper to taste; set aside

2. Open Polenta and remove rounded ends

3. Slice polenta into ½ inch slices

4. Brush oil onto polenta slices and season with salt and pepper

5. Grill on each side for 3-5 minutes until they get really good grill marks

6. Remove polenta from the grill

7. On each grilled polenta round, spread a little goat cheese, top with bruschetta mixture and serve.

WATCH ME MAKE THIS

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MINI QUICHES

Bust these out for parties and NYE, they are quick and super delicious. Also, a great way to use up leftover pie dough and anything else in the fridge.

Makes 12 quiches

INGREDIENTS

• frozen and thawed pie dough
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 12 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3/4 cup soft goat cheese or Monterey Jack
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon Sambal chili paste (or any hot sauce)
• Big pinch Kosher Salt
• 5 grinds fresh black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. cut out 12 pastry 4'' circles (I use a cup), shape into muffin baking tray
3. Preheat skillet on high, add oil, mushrooms and onion cook 3 minutes
4. Lower heat to medium, add garlic, cook 1 more minute
5. Add spinach, let it wilt for 1 minute, remove from heat let it cool
6. Beat eggs, cream, Kosher salt and pepper, Sambal chili paste
7. Spoon 1 tablespoon of vegetable mix into each, spoon 2 tablespoons of egg mix
8. Bake for 22 minutes, cool on rack for 2 minutes, eat!

WATCH ME MAKE THEM

Herbed Goat Cheese

A perfect last minute appetizer for the holiday season or any party.

INGREDIENTS

• 4oz soft goat cheese log
• 2 green onions, chopped finely 
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped finely (or, dill works too)
• pinch Kosher salt
• 6 grinds fresh black pepper
• whatever bread you have... Bagel, French Baguette, sliced thinly

DIRECTIONS

1. mix green onion parsley and salt and peper
2. roll the goat cheese in the mix coat generously and evenly
3. toast your bread and serve. 

WATCH ME MAKE THIS... 

Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 24 mushrooms

These little gems are perfect for anything. NO really - anything.

Ingredients

• 24 mushrooms: white, cremini, brown, whatever works for you
• Olive oil
• 6 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup smoked Gouda, grated
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and fresh ground
• 1/2 cup bacon, cooked and finely diced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Remove stems from mushrooms, set caps aside and chop stems finely
3. Preheat non-stick pan on low/medium heat
4. Lightly drizzle mushroom caps with olive oil and place bottom-side up in pan
5. Cook until softened and just beginning to color - about 5 minutes - remove, gently turn upside down on a paper towel to drain any liquid then put face up on a lightly greased baking sheet
6. Cook chopped stems with a little oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan about a minute
7. Add green onions and continue to cook until all is softened, 4 to 5 minutes more - remove and put in a bowl
8. Add panko, gouda, Worcestershire, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper & bacon - mix well
9. Put some of the mixture into each mushroom cap
10. Bake 20 minutes or until slightly crispy on top - serve

My Mom's Lox Dip

So simple yet so delicious. Man, she's good.

Ingredients

• 1-4 oz package sliced Lox, chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese (3/4 small package)
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 hard boiled egg, grated
• thinly sliced green onion for garnish

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well
2. Chill in refrigerator about 20 minutes
3. Sprinkle with a little more sliced green onion
4. Serve with toasted pitas (see recipes)

French Martini

Makes 1

Chambord is raspberry liquer and a great addition to your bar - or cupboard, too - as it's great even just on ice cream.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Vodka
• 1 ounce pineapple juice
• 1/2 ounce Chambord
• 1 lemon twist

Directions

1. Put ice in cocktail shaker
2. Add all ingredients and shake well
3. Pour into glass, add lemon twist and drink

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King Crab Legs

Serves 2

This is a great opening to a romantic meal for two. Don't be put off thinking crab is difficult to deal with - it's not.

Ingredients

• 1 pound King crab legs
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions

1. Cut the stick of butter in half and put each half into a small bowl - don't do anything with it yet
2. Break each leg into 2 - 4 pieces - depending on how long they are (pieces should be about 5 - 6 inches long)
3. Fold 3 paper towels in half, so they're sort of 1 1/2 paper towels long and lightly dampen with water then wrap around the crab legs (these are already cooked...we're just warming them)
4. Place the bundle in the microwave for 2 minutes
5. Remove the crab, and while you're putting it onto a platter, put the butter bowls into the crow to melt - about 30 seconds I think
6. Remove bowls and add the pepper to one and the chili powder to the other
7. Open the shells, get to the meat and dip into your favorite butter sauce (but be sure to try both before you decide)

Pomegranate Champagne

Serves 6

I'm not a huge Champagne guy and even less huge when it comes to the classic Mimosa (Champagne & OJ). I find it a bit sweet. But pomegranate juice is tart and makes a very different, yet still special drink. There's really no need to buy expensive champagne when you're mixing it like this--that would just be unnecessary.

Ingredients

• Ice
• One 26-ounce bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine (by the way, sparkling wine is just Champagne that comes from somewhere other than the Champagne region of France)
• 12 ounces pomegranate juice
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Fill tall glasses with ice and add the Champagne and juice
2. Squeeze, then drop in the lemon wedge and serve

Spicy Ahi Poke

If it's me - it's serves one (kidding)

I am a huge fan of poke and we make this often. You should too.

Ingredients

• 1 pound sushi grade ahi tuna, cut into a 1/2 inch dice

• 1 tablespoon soy

• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

• 2 tablespoons Kewpie, Japanese mayo

• 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons Sriracha

• 4 green onions, white and light green parts diced fine

• Something crunchy to serve

Directions

1. Put all ingredients (but only half the onions) in a large bowl and mix gently

2. Plate & top with remaining green onion

3. Serve with something crunchy - and btw good potato chips are 100% ok...