Quick Mexican Pizza

Sometimes you find that you have several things to use up in a short time frame, and that's exactly what happened here -- I had a small avocado that needed to be used that day, some leftover bacon bits, and some shredded West Indies chicken breast. I was thinking of baked potatoes but wound up coming up with this much lower carb version. Forgive the poor lighting, but it's delicious just to look at.

You can vary the amounts of each ingredient to suit what you have on hand as long as you maintain a balance; the tortilla will be thin and crispy, so sometimes minimalist is best. You will need:

1 large tortilla
2-3 tbsp enchilada sauce
1/2 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese
2 tbsp finely diced red onion
3 oz precooked white meat chicken, cut into cubes or shredded
1 small avocado or 1/2 large avocado, diced
homemade bacon bits to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and put the tortilla on a nonstick cookie sheet. Add the enchilada sauce, cheese, chicken, and bacon bits, and turn the heat down to 420 once you put the tortilla in. Let it bake for 5-6 minutes or until the edges are becoming brown and the cheese is melted. When it's hot, add the diced avocado and red onion. Cut into triangles and serve with salsa or sour cream.

Golden Saffron Oven Pancakes

It's the season to break into your spice cabinet to find flavor to compensate for the fresh, green variety of summer. This isn't a bad thing, though -- it can result in adding a new twist to an old favorite. This recipe can be made in any amount any number of ways (by adding pureed fruits or vegetables, mainly) as long as you stick to the formula of 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup flour per 1 egg.

Salted saffron can be made in a hurry if you have a mortar and pestle. Combine coarse salt with a good pinch of red saffron threads. Let the threads sit out in the open for at least 20 minutes. Then use the mortar and pestle to grind them together until you get a grainy orange mixture.

You'll need:

2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salted saffron
1 heaping tsp ground turmeric
cream cheese, baked camembert or creme fraiche to serve alongside

Whisk together the milk and eggs, and then add the flour and spices. Mix until thoroughly blended and bright yellow and let the batter sit for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and pour the batter into a very greased, nonstick 9 inch cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly browned, then allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Serve it with a soft, subtle cheese and a side of honeyed figs.

Hot Vegetable Pancakes

These came about from an abundance of summer vegetables and herbs. This recipe makes a solid "medium" in the spiciness department, but it can be adjusted with the addition of paprika. Try this next time you want the basis of a good vegetarian meal -- this can make an excellent main dish as well as a side course or appetizer. I found that baking them resulted in a much better patty than pan frying, but they remind me more of pancakes than anything so that's the name I've gone with.

You need:
3-4 cups grated summer squash
3-4 shredded fingerling or blue potato
1/2 cup grated peppered cheese (I like The Screaming Dutchman peppered gouda)
1 egg
2-3 large cloves of garlic, chopped finely
5-6 fresh leaves of basil, also chopped finely
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp hot smoked paprika (depends on how spicy you want it)
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Combine the squash, cheese, potato, egg, and garlic into a smooth mixture. Add the spices and bread crumbs and mix until sticky and uniform. Using a nonstick baking pan, grease it with the olive oil. Take small amounts and flatten into patties about "3-4 in diameter and about an inch thick. Bake at 450 F for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot with a dash of sea salt and sour cream.

Spicy Vegetarian Sriracha Rolls

I made these when a craving for spring rolls just wouldn't quit and I wanted to add some punch to my regular egg roll recipe. My fiance also enjoys spicy food so I decided to utilize my big bottle of sriracha. This one is time and cleaning intensive but worth it, especially for a large group of people. This recipe serves 6-8 people.

You will need: 3 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup cooked mung bean threads or cellophane vermicelli
1 egg
1/2 lb tofu, chopped into small pieces
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1/8 cup chopped scallions
1 1/2 tbsp sugar or 2 tbsp duck sauce
1-2 tbsp Sriracha, depending on how spicy you like it
1 pack egg roll wrappers vegetable oil for frying
small bowl of water for wrapping egg rolls
a greased cookie sheet or other flat nonstick surface

 Start by boiling the mung bean threads until they're clear and flexible, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Remove them from the water with a strainer and chop into short pieces with a knife. Set them aside.

 Using salted water, boil the cabbage and carrots together for about 5 minutes. Strain and allow them to dry for a few minutes. Mix them with the chopped mung bean threads and set the mixture aside to cool for a few minutes.

 Take the tamari, duck sauce, sriracha, scallions, tofu, egg and put them into the cabbage mixture. Mix until they're even and make sure the noodles don't stick together. Set the bowl near your wrapping station. Start heating the oil to medium.

Put a small amount -- a mound about the size of a golf ball -- in the center of the wrap. With one corner pointing at you and the other pointing away like a diamond, take the bottom corner and tuck it up and around the filling. Securely fold the two side corners in, making sure to seal the filling inside well. Apply a little water with your finger to the top corner of the roll and continue rolling up, using water to seal any openings. Set onto a greased surface. Rinse your hands and repeat until they're all rolled. You can find videos online of how to roll spring or egg rolls which may be more helpful than my description. Practice also makes perfect.

 Fry them each until golden brown, setting them onto paper towels immediately after taking them out of the oil. Make sure to drain them well and get rid of any pockets of oil. Each roll should take about 3-5 minutes, and you can cook up to 3 at a time depending on the size of your pan. Serve with tamari, duck sauce or plum sauce. These are pretty versatile, and the egg can be omitted in vegan circumstances. Enjoy!

Fall Fruit Salad (with a twist)

This is a great recipe if you're anything like me -- usually on the go, but wanting something fresh and healthy to take wherever it is you're going to. I work evenings and nights these days so it's important not to succumb to the fast food, pizza and soda so prevalent at my office. That's why I love keeping a container of something like this in the fridge, I can nosh on it without even having to reheat. Since it's dairy free, you don't have to worry nearly as much about keeping it out at your desk, although it's definitely better chilled.

You will need:

1 lb fresh figs
2-3 apples, I used Jonagold
1 large cucumber
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Slice the tops off the figs and quarter them. Cut the apples into bite sized pieces, making sure to discard the seeds and core. You can either leave the cucumber peeled or unpeeled, but I do recommend scooping out the seeds after slicing it in half -- goes much better with the texture of the salad. Add the lemon juice as soon as you add the apples and finish with the spice and sugar, tossing well. Chill and eat!

Russki Style Potato Salad

This recipe is so freaking easy. It's also very flavorful and generally well received, somewhat to my surprise as I tend to use vinegar more than the average bear. Anywho, here ya go.

You will need:

about 1 lb Russian Fingerling potatoes, cooked until tender
1 white onion, chopped finely
1/2 cup fresh dill, de-stemmed but you don't have to chop it if you don't want to
3 tbsp herbed vinegar (look in the kosher section of the grocery store, it's in a green bottle)
2/3 cup sour cream
salt to taste, about 1 1/2 tsp

Chop the potatoes into bite sized pieces. Mix the ingredients together and chill for about half an hour. Voila, done!

Stuffed Zucchini

This is a recipe inspired by Kayotic's famous stuffed zucchini recipe. It's heavy on dairy so the creamy, savory stuffing combines especially well with the slightly crispy, fresh zucchini boat. This is good to make if you're serving an even number of people, as you can vary the servings depending on how many zucchinis you're working with -- I used 2 for this recipe.

You will need:

2 zucchinis
1/4 cup cream
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp Italian seasoning OR mixed oregano/basil/thyme
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
2 tbsp salted butter
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 oz monterrey jack cheese, shredded
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the ends off the zucchinis, cut them each in half and use a spoon to scoop the innards out, the shell should remain at least 1/4 inch thick. Put the zucchini guts into a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, cream, salt and butter and stir until uniform. Add the herbs, red chili flakes and chives and mix in, follow with the bread crumbs and finish with the jack cheese. You don't want to add the cheese too early, as those little pockets of melted goodness are best achieved with a roughly shredded cheese.

Use a spoon to scoop the stuffing into the boats; don't be afraid to heap it on, but keep in mind that some will most likely overflow a bit. If this isn't to your aesthetic, use 3 zucchinis instead of 2 and you'll use less filling in each boat.

Bake for about 20 minutes and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Goat Cheese and Basil Borek

I've been feeling guilty lately -- I haven't been keeping up my blog the way I used to, or the way I should. Despite that I have few readers, I like remembering how and when I first made a recipe when I find it. My great-great grandmother, a native of the Lapplands in a small village near Kiruna, Sweden recorded her recipes in a small leather journal. My grandmother recently unearthed it and gave it to my mom for safekeeping. As my Swedish is rather limited we only managed to decipher a few of the recipes, although my mother recognized the names of quite a few from eating them as a child. My great grandmother kept all of her recipes in a small green box, especially in her later years. My grandmother did the same, and now my mother has her own. It's a hybrid of everyone's recipes, from my great grandmother and namesake to a few of mine. In the internet age it may not be as romantically antique but I enjoy being able to have these all at my disposal and be able to share them with just a few clicks.

Back to the food! I finally found a fellow blogger (who has clearly had much more experience) with a wealth of northern European recipes, as well as gorgeous photography -- Dutch Girl. Pop on over to her blog sometime, as it's where I got the inspiration for this dish. It dates back to the Ottoman Empire and has since spread throughout the region. Here's what you need:

36 strips phyllo dough, about 3-4 inches wide and 14 inches wide, thawed
4 oz olive oil
8 oz goat cheese, plain
1 cup fresh basil leaves, whole
3 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 heaping cup parboiled or quick braised asparagus, chopped into very small pieces (think edamame sized)

Chop the pine nuts and basil leaves finely and combine with the lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Add the goat cheese and mix until mostly even, follow with the asparagus. Combine until the asparagus is evenly distributed and there are no pockets of spices.

Preheat the oven to 400. As I've mentioned before, phyllo dough can be tricky. Make sure your hands are dry before you begin to handle it. Take one sheet and using a pastry brush, put a light coat of olive oil over it. Place another sheet on top of it and do the same thing. Do this until you have 3 layers of phyllo. In the center of the far left side of the phyllo place about 2 tablespoons of filling. Fold the bottom corner up, forming the beginnings of a triangle. You want to fold it like a flag -- flip the corner over and repeat until you're to the other end of the dough. I got good results dabbing the top with olive oil; use a sharp knife to cut off any raggedy edges. Do this until you're out of phyllo, I've adjusted the recipe so there's no dough or filling left over.

Brush some olive oil onto a large baking sheet. Place the triangles at least an inch apart from one another and bake for 7 minutes; flip onto the other side then bake again for 8 minutes. Definitely allow these to cool for a few minutes before serving, the filling is HOT!

Lobster and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

This is a recipe modeled after a similar one at one of the restaurants here in Richmond. It's easy enough and definitely worth making if you want to impress a party.

You will need:

3 tbsp salted butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lb lobster meat
2 tablespoons finely chopped roasted red peppers
1 tsp dried dill weed
8 oz neufchatel cheese

Over medium heat melt the butter and add the garlic. Add the lobster and cook for several minutes, stirring often with a spatula, until done. Make sure to watch so the butter doesn't burn. Halfway through add the red peppers. In a blender or countertop mixer, put the neufchatel and dill weed. Take the lobster off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before adding to the neufchatel mixture. Blend until almost all chunks are gone. This makes about a cup, serve with pita chips or flatbread.

Brie, Apple and Hazelnut Schmear

This was the first thing people went for at the party after being given the overview of what was being served -- it also got the most feedback. I kept the hazelnuts whole to add interest but most of the guests found them too distracting but loved the rest of the dip. So if you're not a fan of crunchy things in dip or don't like hazelnuts, just leave 'em out. It'll still be good.

You need:

1 shredded granny smith apple
8 oz softened brie cheese (I just bought a "3-"4 wedge)
4 oz neufchatel cheese, softened
1 cup hazelnuts, chopped finely

Combine and serve. Easy!

Potato Gruyere Souffle

I recently held a smorgasbord at my home -- an entire day devoted to cooking and a night devoted to eating for a constantly rotating group of people. It was a lofty undertaking but ultimately, a success. Especially with one cook. Many of these are dishes I would never make for myself, mostly because they're too rich or simply not my taste. I'm trying to expand my culinary horizons, however, so this was a great opportunity to test recipes I otherwise wouldn't have made. These potato gruyere souffles will definitely grace my table again though.

I found the original recipe for these to be a little fussy, and it called for bleu cheese rather than gruyere. I already had a gibanica involving feta so I figured two brined cheeses might be too much. These were a favorite and actually pretty easy once I simplified the method. It may not be a true souffle but it's still worth a try.

You will need:

12-count muffin pan
apx 1 1/3 stick of butter, melted altogether
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 lbs of peeled potatoes
2/3 cup whole milk, room temp
1 tsp salt
1/2 lb gruyere, cubed
3 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350. Using a brush, grease the inside of the muffin tins with butter. Dust with the bread crumbs. Boil the potatoes until tender then quickly peel. While they're still hot, use a fork to scrape away at the potato to produce crumbs -- you can also use a ricer or food mill for this. Throw them into a large bowl and beat with 1/4 cup of butter, the milk, salt and eggs.

Fill the muffin tins halfway with the potato mash. Evenly divide the cubes of gruyere between the 12 tins. Use the rest of the mixture to fill them completely. Brush a little butter over the tops and bake in the middle or lower rack for 15 minutes, then 450 for 5 more minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from the tins.