Goat Cheese Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms

I had no idea that artichoke bottoms were a thing until after I opened and drained a traditional can of artichoke hearts, made this recipe to a letter and ended up with a tasty but less than pretty appetizer. They looked nothing like the beautiful photos I was trying to replicate.

They tasted amazing, I assure you. But I was fascinated by the uniform, perfect cups in the picture and was on a mission.

And so I went in search of artichoke bottoms and for $28 (but free shipping, thanks to Amazon Prime) for six cans, I had them. And they made all the difference. (I would know - I made them three times in about a week and we enjoyed them as much each time.)

I made these for one of our monthly game nights, along with jerk chicken wings and jalapeno poppers. Everything was a hit, but these were among the first to go. And if anyone knows good food, it's this group - you work up quite an appetite strategizing over Jenga and stressing over the 5 Second Rule!

And so now I'm obsessed with these gorgeous vegetables, just waiting to be filled with any combination of stuffings. They are the perfect bite-sized nibble, easy to work with and beautiful to display. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (15-ounce) artichoke bottoms, drained and patted dry
• 1 large log (11-ounce) goat cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of artichokes to level and remove any remaining tough outer leaves. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
3. In a bowl, combine goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chives, parsley and salt and black pepper to taste. Spoon filling into artichokes, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbling. Serve immediately.

Source: A Cookbook Obsession

Baked Caribbean Jerk Chicken Wings

Over the summer, my brother turned us on to a great jerk seasoning and marinade. When Brian and I were planning our football-playoff-Sunday menu a couple of weeks ago (yes, we planned our menu), we decided to grill some chicken wings with that marinade.

And then I left the marinade at home. And we couldn't find it at either the grocery stores at the beach. And we already had two pounds of wings.

So I took to Pinterest to find a recipe. There were lots of options, but the thing that got me about this one is that the chicken is baked and there's very little oil. As the marinade came together, it smelled amazing - spicy, warm and sweet. They caramelized perfectly and by the time they came out of the oven, the meat literally fell off of the bone. We used two Habanero peppers (the recipe called for one) - they were definitely spicy but it wasn't overpowering. We put out some mango and pineapple salsa, but they were too good by themselves to add a single thing.

This recipe is absolutely a keeper - we're making them again for Super Bowl!

Ingredients:

• 2 scallions 
• 5 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 Habanero peppers, seeds and ribs included (definitely can use as much or as little as you prefer)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 onion
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 lbs chicken wings (we used only 1 lb. for this marinade - used BBQ sauce for the other pound - there was lots of left over marinade)

Method:

1. Coarsely chop the onion, garlic, hot pepper and scallions. 
2. Put vegetables into a food processor or blender and give it a few pulses until you get a sort of smooth (runny) consistency. Set aside.
3. Separate the wings from the drum sticks.Wash the chicken with some lemon juice (you can use lime or vinegar as well – about 3-4 tablespoons), rinse with cool water and drain. Pat dry with paper towels so the marinade can really stick onto the wings. Put chicken in a resealable, gallon-size plastic bag (we did 2 lbs. of wings and split them between two bags).
4. Pour 1/3 of the marinade on the wings and massage the wings with this lovely jerk marinade. Allow this to marinate for at least 30 minutes, before you place it into a 400 degree oven (middle rack).
5. After 30 minutes, remove from oven, flip the wings and return to oven for another 30 minutes.
6. The last 5 minutes, turn on the broiler setting and allow the wings to get a rich brown color with a sort of toasted edges. You may have to give them a flip to ensure all sides gets this lovely sort of charred look.

Source: Caribbean Pot

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Just as we've all recovered from our tryptophan-induced food comas from Thanksgiving, I figured it was a good time to share the Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms I made for our appetizer.

I've made several different stuffed mushrooms over the years - some with sausage, others with crab, some with just cheese - but I've never before seen a recipe call for marinating the mushroom caps before stuffing them. Doing so made for a really tender, flavorful vegetable that held up to and complimented the rich stuffing mixture. It was an easy way to set these apart from others I've had.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 package extra-large white mushrooms, about 20 total
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. red wine - I used a Pinot Noir we had open
• 3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
• 6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2/3 C panko crumbs
• 6 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 1/3 C freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with the olive oil and wine. Set aside.
3. Spray a medium skillet with cooking spray and heat medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the cheese has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.
4. Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

Source: Ina Garten / Food Network

Antipasto Appetizer

In honor of our first anniversary in our house, we had some great friends and family over for appetizers and cocktails, with a few desserts thrown in. Several people had offered to bring a dish and it turned into a decadent pot luck. My favorite kind of party!

My contributions were all those meatballs I had made - Italian turkey with sauce and Swedish - and this super-simple, quick-to-disappear antipasto platter.

Using the original recipe for inspiration, I put together all the things I love about an antipasto. You can add just about anything and everything that sounds good to you - or that you have in the fridge. Here's what I used...

Ingredients:

• 1 jar marinated artichokes, including marinade
• 1 jar green olives with pimentos, drained and rinsed
• 1 can sliced hearts of palm, drained and rinsed
• 1 can "baby" corn, drained, rinsed and halved
• 1 medium sized jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 1 container grape tomatoes
• 1 small package button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 small container bocconcini (small balls of mozzarella)
• 1 block of Colby Jack cheese, diced
• 1 hard salami, diced
• 1 packet of Good Seasons garlic & herb salad dressing, prepared according to package directions

Method:

1. About three hours prior to serving, combine all ingredients in a container large enough for them to be tossed freely.
2. Cover container and gently rotate until all ingredients are coated in the dressing.
3. Refrigerate, rotating occasionally, for three hours.
4. To serve, transfer antipasto to a platter with a slotted spoon. Spear several pieces of antipasto with toothpicks and provide additional toothpicks for serving.

Source: The Flirty Guide

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

I've made veggie and ranch dressing pinwheels (like these) for years. It's an incredibly versatile recipe and you can use any combo of veggies you have on hand.

I've also enjoyed buffalo chicken dip at parties, as great bar food, and out of my own kitchen.

But I never thought to put the two together. So glads someone else did!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup hot wing sauce or cayenne pepper sauce
• 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup colby-jack cheese, shredded (4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
• 1 pound chicken breast, cooked and shredded
• 5 large flour tortillas (approximately 10 1/2" diameter)
• Optional: celery sticks, carrot sticks, blue cheese dressing

Method:

1. In a bowl, beat cream cheese on low and add in sauce, blue cheese, colby-jack cheese, and green onions. Beat until blended.
2. Stir shredded chicken into mixture by hand.
3. Spread approximately 3/4 cup of mixture on top of one of the tortillas. Roll up tortilla tightly, but without shifting the mixture too much. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Place rolled tortillas on a place and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. (I used about half of these the first night I made them and after having been in the fridge for a few hours they were perfect; I tried to serve the rest of them a couple of nights later and the tortillas had become gummy and I had to throw them away. Moral of the story: I believe the filling would keep well for several days in the fridge, so only make as many pinwheels as you'll use right away.)
4. Remove from refrigerator and unwrap. Slice each rolled tortillas in half and then each half into 3 slices, discarding ends. Place pinwheel slices on serving plate or tray and serve with celery and/or carrot sticks and extra blue cheese dressing for dipping, if desired.

Source: Home Cooking Memories

Asparagus in Phyllo Dough

I had never worked with phyllo before, and the original recipe explained that you need to keep the rest of the thawed dough covered with "damp paper towels" to keep it from drying out. The first time I made these, my paper towels weren't damp enough and the dough did get a little dry; the next time, the towels were too damp and made the top piece of dough very gummy. Neither really changed the way the appetizers turned out - crispy, a little tangy from the cheese and mustard, and completely addictive - but I clearly need more practice working with phyllo.

What a pity.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of asparagus (I had 42 thin spears in my bunch), washed and dried
• 1 roll thawed phyllo sheets (best way to thaw is to put a roll in your fridge the night before)
• 4 tablespoons of butter, melted
• ¼ cup good mustard (I used Dijon)
• salt (the salt is optional - omit if you are using a salty cheese)
• freshly ground pepper 
• 4 tablespoons Asiago Cheese, grated (or whatever kind of cheese you like)

Method:

1. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus spears. 
2. Unroll the thawed phyllo sheet roll on your counter and place a couple of damp paper towels over the top so they don't dry out.  
3. On a large cutting board, place two of the phyllo sheets. Brush some melted butter over the entire top sheet. Brush some of the mustard on the sheet.  Sprinkle with a little salt (if you are using) and the pepper.  Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the cheese all over the sheet.  
4. With a very sharp paring knife, cut the sheet in half.  Cut each half in half.  Place two asparagus spears on each piece of phyllo and roll up.  Place on a parchment (or foil) lined baking sheet.  Brush the tops with some melted butter and sprinkle additional seasoning on top. 
5. Repeat until all your asparagus is used.  You can refreeze any unused phyllo sheets if you want, as long as you haven't let them dry out.  Just roll up with plastic wrap and seal tightly. 
6. At this point, you can cover with plastic wrap and place the baking sheets in the fridge until you are ready to bake them. You can even assemble these the day before.  When you are ready to cook them, bake them in the oven at 375° F for about 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown. 
7. Serve warm or at room temperature.  Serve extra mustard on the side for dipping if you want. 

Source: The Italian Dish

Homemade French Onion Dip

There is absolutely a time and place for onion dip made with an envelope or two of onion soup mix and a tub of sour cream. Throw in a bag of Ruffle potato chips and you've got yourself a hell of a party.

But with just a handful of common ingredients and less than an hour's time, you can take onion dip to an entirely new level. Cream cheese adds richness while the freshly caramelized onions bring a sweetness and complexity that you just can't get from an envelope of dehydrated onions and some dry seasoning.

We had plenty of leftovers (since I made it for just the two of us), but the dip held up well in the refrigerator for several days. It was best if left at room temperature for a few minutes, though, to loosen up a bit.

Ingredients

• 2 large red onions
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 C white wine or dry vermouth
• 12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 C sour cream

Method

1. First, make the onion jam. Peel and slice the onions into fine half-moons. Place them into a wide heavy-based pan, along with the olive oil, and sweat over a medium-low heat until they begin to caramelize and brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the thyme leaves and granulated sugar to the pan, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the sugar is melted and the onions are well caramelized.
3. Pour the white wine or vermouth into the pan, and working quickly, stir and scrape any sticky, browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring and scraping until the pan is basically clean, and the liquid has completely evaporated. Turn off the heat, and set aside to cool.
4. To make the dip, beat the cream cheese (either with a wooden spoon or with an electric mixer) until it is completely smooth. Add the sour cream and beat again until smooth, thick and combined.
5. Add the cooled onion jam and mix the two together, reserving about a tablespoon of the onions, diced, for garnish. 
6. Try not to eat the entire dish of dip in one serving.

Source: Food 52

And, if you like caramelized onions as much as I do, check out this Caramelized Onion and White Bean dip.