grilled zucchini canapes

As I mentioned in the last post, I made some Swedish rye bread. I actually tried to adjust the bread's ingredients to make a sweeter, more like pumpernickel, flavor. Unfortunately, it did not taste exactly like I wanted, which made me want to tweak the recipe some more. I will update once those trials happen. But anyways, I found myself with two loaves of bread needing a purpose. These canapes were a solution, since they actually called for a pumpernickel bread.

Roasting the peppers were really easy, nothing to be intimidated by. I just placed them directly on the trivet of my stove over medium-high heat. It will start to blister and may even pop slightly, but that's quite all right. Turn to char all sides and once completely blackened, place in a bowl covered by plastic wrap for 15 minutes. The steam will loosen the charred skin for easy removal. Remove the skin, core, and seeds.

Got to use the mandoline from E. again, I love it, one of my new favorite kitchen supplies. Makes thin slicing easier than boiling water. I wish I had this little wonder when I made potato crusted halibut last year. Had to make paper thin slices of potatoes with my chef's knife, not necessarily a task for a novice. Anyways, I was in no way about to take out the outdoor grill for a few zucchinis, so I just used my electric George Foreman grill. Worked completely fine and I'm sure the grill pans for your stove will work perfectly as well.

These were pretty good for being basically all vegetables. Make sure you season generously as mine came out a bit bland. The roasted flavor comes through nicely and the peppers added a slight sweetness. I think I would have liked to add a slice of prosciutto or smoked ham, or if adjusted for a lunch portion a piece of grilled chicken. Nonetheless this was a nice change in how sandwich components are perceived.

Grilled Zucchini Canapes

makes 2 dozen

1 small eggplant (10 oz)

2 1/2 oz feta cheese

12 1/4-inch-thick slices of pumpernickel bread

6 oz baby zucchini or 2 6 oz zucchini

2 large roasted red bell peppers

sea salt and pepper

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Place whole eggplant on baking sheet and roast until the skin buckles and the flesh is cooked throughout, 30-40 minutes. If using a larger eggplant, cut in half and place cut side down. Scrap cooked eggplant into food processor and process until as smooth as possible. Set aside to cool. Crumble in the feta and process until blended. Season.

Reduce oven heat to 300. Toast bread slices on baking sheet, about 5-7 minutes per side. Cut into 2 1/2 by 3 inch pieces.

Slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices using mandoline. Heat grill. Brush zucchini with olive oil and grill until light grill marks appear.

Cut roasted peppers into about 2 1/2 by 3 inch pieces. Spread each bread slice with eggplant puree. Place a roasted bell pepper over the puree and arrange zucchini slices on top, parallel with the short end of the bread. Trim crusts and cut each piece into 2 rectangles.

bread, bread, and more bread

I love bread. Everything from basic baguette to Chinese sweet taro buns...there's no discrimination. When Starbucks started marketing their sandwich line, I remember reading an ad in a magazine where no coffee was mentioned at all and the entire blurb was dedicated to the awesomeness of bread. I agreed wholeheartedly.

In the past two weeks, I found myself going through bread flour and yeast, waiting for batches to proof and rise, and filling my house with the unmistakable smell of baked goods. And of course, the results became breakfast for my mom and I, thank goodness she shares the same fondness for bread as I do.

First up...a cinnamon raisin bread. A great flavorful and moist bread for breakfast, simply toasted with a bit of butter was how we enjoyed it. A thick slice was bagged for A., who had her eyes on the brown sugary corner; something unintended for, but I guess at least she liked. My mom liked it so much, she gave me one of the best critiques, "You could sell this." I laughed and ate more bread. I baked a mini version (the lower left picture), which resulted in the cutest iconic bread slice (center right) with its overhanging domed top.

Up next...a Swedish rye bread with my own spin. I wanted to create something similar to a dark squaw or dark pumpernickel bread, but as a first attempt, this fell a bit short. The rye flour was definitely noticeable, giving the bread a distinctive taste. I'm going to experiment some more, possibly by adding more molasses, some unsweetened chocolate, etc. to create a flavor I recall from a restaurant that closed a few years back.

And last but not least...banana nut bread. I had some very ripe bananas, so my mom asked for banana nut bread. Quite a simple recipe, which was great, especially since it called for 3 bananas unlike another recipe I used before that called for 6. I substituted regular milk with a bit of lemon juice for buttermilk, and the results were undetectable. The only thing that I distinctly remember liking more from the 6 banana recipe was the sugary crust, which can be easily added to this recipe by sprinkling a few teaspoons of sugar on top right before baking.

All of the above recipes were from my Williams Sonoma Baking Book, a collection I turn to all the time to find inspiration.

Happy bread eating!

sea scallops with pea puree on potato chips

It took me a while to figure out which recipe to make next from the Hors D'oeuvres book, especially since my fridge was near empty. I recently went to a girls night out dinner in celebration for audgbodge's birthday. One of the main courses was a sea scallop with risotto, which was delicious and tempting to re-create. So, I decided to buy some scallops, which worked out well for this recipe. More on the re-creation later.

I was missing a few flavoring ingredients, so naturally I made substitutions. I had some celery stalks, which I used to replace the leeks in the pea puree. Although celery doesn't have the mild onion flavor of leeks, it enhanced the sweetness of the peas. Basil was also used in place of mint, which worked out well with the sweetness of the puree.

These little one bite wonders were perfect. Pricey considering that two bites require one scallop, but worth it if serving as a small appetizer for a nice intimate dinner. The slight char of the scallop worked well with the sweetness of the pea puree, and its supple meatiness contrasted well with the crisp of the chip.

Sea Scallops with Pea Puree on Potato Chips adapted

makes about 2 dozen

1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 small celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
12 medium sea scallops, sliced in half crosswise
24 potato chips (choose one that is light in flavor)
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

Heat oil over low heat, add the garlic, shallot, and celery. Add salt and pepper to sweat. Cook until very soft but not browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the peas, raise the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until the peas are cooked through.

Transfer half the pea mixture to food processor. Add the water and 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Pulse until the mixture is a course puree, about 20 pulses. Transfer to medium bowl. Process remaining half of the peas until smooth. Stir into the coarsely pureed peas. Add chopped basil and adjust seasoning to taste.

Heat tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Add to hot pan, searing until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Place 1 teaspoon of pea puree on each potato chip and top with a scallop. Serve immediately.

recent lunches

Top left to bottom right: grilled chicken, caramelized onions, and arugula in toasted pita with jalepeno hummus; peanut butter and banana stuffed wheat french toast; stir fried chicken and scallions over noodle soup; pizza close up; french toast close up; grilled chicken and caramelized onions pizza with ricotta and spinach.

Just wanted to share some of the lunches I made recently. Sometimes it's hard to cook for just one person, so not surprisingly some of these became dinner as well.

chocolate chip mini muffins

I decided to make some mini muffins to finish off the buttermilk last week. Never understood why buttermilk is only sold in the quart size. I always have a bunch left over, trying to figure out how to use as much as I can before I have to throw it out.

These were just whipped up from pantry items that I always keep on hand. I added some nuts for texture, and because A. always liked the walnut squares from See's Candies. Gave them to A. to distribute at her office. 

Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins adapted from Williams Sonoma

makes about 20 mini muffins

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/8 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup AP flour

3/8 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup walnut, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Line mini muffin pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla until smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the buttermilk mixture, and beat until smooth and well mixed, about 1-2 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips and then walnuts until evenly distributed. Do not overmix. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling it level with the rim.

Bake the muffins until golden, dry, and springy to the touch, about 12 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.



fontina risotto balls

Having left over fontina cheese, I flipped through the Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook. This was one of the few recipes I found. I've made risotto before and found it relatively easy to make, but time consuming, so I decided to break this into a two day affair.

I made some minor adjustments due to refrigerator and pantry restrictions. For the risotto, I used fresh thyme instead of parsley. Whenever I buy parsley, I barely use a third of it and the rest just go to waste, drying out in my fridge. Since I already had thyme and thought that the lemony flavor would go well in the mild risotto, I made the substitution.

Since some of these were being given to A., I asked her if she had any ideas. Her request? Add some meat and bake instead of fry. I thought both suggestions were good so I stir fried some ground chicken, marinated in my standard Chinese marinade.

The results? Crunchy little bites with a creamy and flavorful center. A.'s dad ate all but one of the sampling I gave her, leaving just a taste to her mom. I just so happened to see my brother the following night, so I gave him a few to sample as well, he gobbled them up. I had to stop him in order to heat it up. Seems like this was a boy's dish.

Fontina Risotto Balls adapted

makes about 18

2 cups low-sodium canned chicken broth

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1/2 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc

1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 of a chicken breast, ground

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp Chinese cooking wine, like a rice wine

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 oz fontina cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1/4 cup AP flour

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup panko

olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Bring chicken stock to a simmer, keep over heat at a low simmer. Heat some olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent. Add rice to pan and toast until the edges become translucent. Add wine and cook, stirring, until nearly all the wine is absorbed into the rice. Add a ladleful of stock and cook, stirring constantly, until nearly all of the stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly, until the rice is creamy, about 15 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until the rice is al dente, about 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and transfer to a bowl. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate until firm and thoroughly chilled, 3 to 4 hours or overnight.

Marinate ground chicken breast with the soy sauce, salt, white pepper, sugar, sesame oil, rice wine, and cornstarch. Marinate for at least an hour or overnight. Heat medium skillet, add olive oil. Add garlic and cook until aromatic. Add marinated chicken breast. Cook until thoroughly cooked through, using a spatula to keep the pieces small. Transfer and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1 generous tablespoon of the risotto in the palm of your hand and form into a shallow cup. Place some chicken and one cube of fontina in the center and seal. It is important to keep the filling in the center. Place the risotto ball onto the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Place flour in a shallow bowl, season with salt and pepper. Place eggs and panko in two separate shallow bowls. Roll risotto ball in the flour to coat, tap off excess. Dip ball into egg mixture and then into panko. Place back on the baking sheet. Repeat.

Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning half way through. The panko should look crisp and lightly golden.