barefoot contessa: mustard and swiss batons

Staying with the theme from last Tuesday, today I give you another great appetizer recipe from Barefoot Contessa's Foolproof.  I will say that I did not follow the instructions exactly for this recipe (I am not a huge fan of measuring), but I think it would have been helpful- at least for the amount of mustard to use.  If you are like me (and you don't measure exactly) and your batons still need a little kick, just serve with a side of mustard dipping sauce.  Let me know what you think!

Mustard and Swiss Batons
Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Foolproof

Ingredients:

• Flour for dusting cutting board
• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed and very cold
• 3 Tbs. dijon mustard
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water for egg wash
• 3 ozs. swiss cheese, grated (original recipe calls for gruyere, but due to expense, I used swiss)
• 2 Tbs. parmesan cheese
• Flaked sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Unfold sheet of puff pastry on a well floured board and roll it into an 11x13 inch rectangle with a rolling pin.  
2. With a shorter end of the pastry closer to you, brush the lower half of the pastry evenly with mustard, leaving 1/2 border around the edges.  Brush the border of the pastry with egg wash and fold the top half over the bottom half, lining up the edges.  
3. Place pastry on sheet pan and chill for 15 minutes.
4. Place the pastry on a board and trim the three irregular edges with a sharp knife.  With the folded edge away from you, cut the pastry into 1x6 inch strips.  You should have 10-12 "batons."
5. Brush the top of the batons lightly with egg wash (don't let it drip down the sides) and sprinkle evenly with swiss, parmesan, and 11/2 tsp. seal salt.  Chill for at least 15 minutes.
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400.
7. Bake the batons for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and puffed.  Allow to cool on pan for 3 minutes and serve warm.  

Enjoy!

xo,

barefoot contessa: tuscan mashed chickpeas

Good morning!  As promised in yesterday's post, here is one of the delicious appetizers I made for our long weekend in the mountains.  My mother-in-law has been raving about the newest Barefoot Contessa cookbook, Foolproof, and I flipped through her copy while we were in the mountains.  One of the recipes that immediately caught my eye was this delicious spread.  I had to make a few changes/adaptations since I didn't have all of my kitchen gear (against Ina's firm directions), but it still turned out great and was a definite crowd pleaser.  Give it a try next time you need a quick, warm appetizer.  

Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

Ingredients:

• 2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas
• 1/2 C. chicken stock (I used chicken broth)
• 3 Tbs. olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 2 ripe, medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I used the pre-minced kind from the grocery store)
• 1/4 C. parmesan cheese (I actually forgot to add this in the original taste test and it was still delicious.  So, if you are dairy free- feel free to exclude.)
• 3 Tbs. minced parsley
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Grilled Country Bread

Directions:

1. Pour chickpeas into a collander and rinse them under cold water.  Drain well.  Place chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor.  Add the chicken stock and pulse until the chickpeas are coarsely chopped but not pureed. (I used a blender very briefly and it turned out great.)
2. In a medium saute pan, heat 3 Tbs. of olive oil over medium high heat.  Add tomatoes and saute about 3 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.  Add the chickpeas, stirring to combine with the tomatoes and garlic.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until warm throughout.  
3. Transfer chickpea mixture to a bowl and add chopped parsley, parmesan, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve warm or at room temperature with grilled country bread.

Grilled Country Bread: heat a gas or charcoal grill and toast bread for 2 minutes each side, until it's lightly brown.  (I did this on a griddle pan and just pressed down on the bread with a spatula to create a flatter, more grilled look.)

Enjoy!

xo,

last spring break

Good Morning.  Last weekend was a big one...my last spring break as a student...ever.  I think it's finally safe to say I will be done with my schooling when I graduate in May, so this really was my last random break for the time being.

image

While I can't say I spent my break living it up on a beach somewhere, I had the most wonderful week and I am so thankful for the time I got with dear friends.

As a quick recap of the last week:

• Put our house in North Carolina on the market...went under contract the first Saturday of break
• Spent time in Florida with friends and family
• Spent lots of time in Florida house hunting
• Spent time in the mountains with law school friends

outdoor fire / mountain sunset

The last part of break was a great time to hang out with the law school friends we have made over the past three years.  While all of us will be in different states after we graduate, I am confident that we will remain close friends.  (The bonds formed during weeks of an 8:30am class and the stress of exams are quite enduring.)  

As a quick recap of our weekend celebration:

swiss mustard batons / saturday night dinner / beef tenderloin / tuscan chickpeas and grilled bread

We ATE, ATE, and then ATE some more.  As a result, salads and veggies are going to become VERY prevalent in our household over the next few weeks.  Check back for recipes soon.

wine tasting / whiskey tasting / a new find

Josh organized a blind wine tasting on Saturday night.  Each couple brought a bottle and we blindly tasted and ranked each.  While it was a close race, a malbec won the day.  The boys (and a few girls) were also so excited to do an "irish whiskey tasting" at the Old Edwards Inn in Highlands.  I'm still not sure how we talked the hotel into opening the tasting to us non-hotel guests, but we were thankful and the boys loved the free whiskey.

hiking

After all of our eating, we attempted to be active with a hike up Whiteside Mountain.  I can't say I am in the best hiking shape, but the views (and friends) made the climb worth the trip.

shopping in highlands / pj quadruplets / out to dinner / hiking

I couldn't help but post this collage of "girl pictures."  We laughed all weekend that we must all be friends - we kept showing up in almost identical outfits (including the pjs featured in this post.)  Great minds think alike ladies!  In all seriousness though, I am so thankful for all of you- the last three (and two KK) years would have been a much different adventure without each of you.  Love you all!

Last, I have to leave you with this picture of our mountain pup.  He was so happy to spend some time in the mountains and let his ears fly free!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

mac

xo,

pear and pancetta crostini

Good Morning!  We are waking up to temperatures in the teens and this Florida girl is feeling VERY thankful for her warm house this morning.  Maybe one day I will get used to colder temps, but in the meantime I am already trying to figure out how many layers of clothing I can fit under my puffer jacket!

I made this recipe over Christmas and only just realized that I never shared it with you!  I love making warm appetizers and this is the perfect thing when you want something that presents beautifully but doesn't leave you slaving away in the kitchen for hours.  It really only takes about 15 minutes of hands on time.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Pear and Pancetta Crostini
Sheri Castle, Southern Living

Ingredients:

• 12 thin slices of pancetta
• 1 Bartlett pear (you could use another type of pear, but make sure it is FIRM)
• 4 oz. goat cheese
• Fresh cracked pepper
• Honey
• Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450.  Arrange pancetta slices in a single layer on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.  (A jelly roll pan really works best here- the pancetta greases may run off the sides of a standard cookie sheet.)
2. Bake pancetta for 8-10 minutes until golden.  Transfer pancetta crisps to a paper towel lined rack with a spatula and let sit 10 minutes to become crisp.
3. Core pear with an apple corer.  Cut pear crosswise into 12 thin rings and arrange on a serving platter. (I would recommend even thinner than the picture above shows.)
4. Top each pear slice evenly with a pancetta crisp and goat cheese; sprinkle with pepper.  Drizzle honey over each just before serving and garnish with thyme if desired.

ENJOY!

xo,

PS: Please consider "following" my blog by clicking the "join this site" button on the right hand sidebar.  Thanks!

artichoke dip

Hello Loves!  Once again I am off with the blogging schedule, but late nights and early mornings make for quick posts these days.  Today, I am sharing a quick, yummy appetizer.  This is my go-to for almost any event where I need to bring an appetizer...so if we are headed to the same party- I call dibs!  Just kidding...

In all seriousness though, this sounds a little gross just reading the ingredients, but it is always devoured.  AND, since you all loved my confessions so much on Friday, I will confess that sometimes I just make this and eat it as a meal.  (Not exactly in line with these goals for 2013, but artichokes could be considered a veggie even when they are covered in cheese!)  Try it out...you won't be sorry!

sorry for the photo of just artichokes...I don't have a picture of the completed dish because it is usually eaten before I find a camera!

Warm Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of artichoke hearts, drained
• 1/4 C. mayo (you can also use plain greek yogurt if you prefer)
• 1 package of shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 bag of pita chips (I like Stacy's or the triangle shaped triscuits)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a casserole dish.  (It is best to use the casserole dish you are going to serve in because this is hard to transfer to another dish later.)
2. Add the artichoke hearts to a medium bowl and cut into small pieces.  Add the mayo and 2/3 of the cheese and mix well.
3. Transfer the artichoke mixture to the casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and dish is warmed throughout.  Serve warm with pita chips.

ENJOY!

xo,

PS: Don't forget to check out the Charles Emerson Designs Jewelry Party I am hosting here.  Enter discount code "PartyWithAnnie" for 10% off your entire order until Tuesday, January 22.