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| Yes, I know "tastey" is spelled wrong on Santa's but. Hell, it's been spelled wrong for 6 years...why fix it now? |
GET READY, GET SET.....START YOUR OVENS!!!
Welcome back Tasty Tuesday Recipe Exchange Fans!I am so happy you are back for more recipe sharing!
And, a big HELLO THERE to new Tasty Tuesday Recipe Exchange readers!
I am excited you are joining us.
I promise all of you 5 Tuesdays of taste tested recipes that will surely make you the star of the holidays......!
December 2013 sure did get here quick. Don't ya think?
Thankfully, it's been another year of good eating here in Judiland.
So, I'm armed with an arsenal of taste tested and fabulous recipes!
This year, I decided to present recipes in courses. That means that today I will be sharing a few "starter" recipes.
I'd love to hear about your favorite "starter" recipes!!!
Let's kick off this year's TASTY TUESDAY with a yummily perfect cocktail to greet your guests this holiday season......
St. Germaine Winter Wine Cocktail
FUN FACT: Even though St. Germain is fabulous and rich tasting....it is only 80 calories per ounce and has just 18 percent sugar by volume (compared to the 30 to 35 percent found in many liqueurs). It's also all-natural, and gluten-free. Woo hoo!
Anyway.....
St. Germain is an elderflower liqueur from France. It is super yummy and one of my newest conquests of the year. It's that one ingredient that always had me scratching my head with wonder when I would order one of my favorite gin concoctions (gimlet) at a little bar known for it's amazing cocktails. Finally, I got up the nerve to ask the bartender for his little secret. That's when he held up the pretty bottle of St. Germain....and wala.....a booze I never heard of!
The next day, I was at the liquor store buying my very own bottle and set about finding all kinds of new-to-me drink recipes! This liqueur is a little bit pricey but not overly so. I've had lots of success adding it to my typical Hendricks Gin Martinis. But, for the holidays I wanted something that would be good for those tender folks who would prefer not to go full-martini mode. That's when my research brought me to this little recipe......it's quick, it's light and it's a lovely starter. For those of you who can tolerate club soda....feel free to top it off with some!!!
Ingredients
3 parts light dry white wine (I used Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc)
1 ½ parts St. Germain
Dash of Angostura bitters
Directions: Stir ingredients in a tall ice-filled Collins glass, mixing completely.
And, now.....to accompany this lovely cocktail, I am going to share a recipe that came to me quite by accident over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. In an attempt to serve my house guests something other than leftover turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes but to use some of my leftovers and some things I had on hand, I came up with this scrumptious flat bread. Everyone devoured these while watching some predinner football this past Sunday. It was seriously decadent and was met with oohs and oohs and smacking lips. Don't you just love when that happens?
NEXT WEEK: Salad and Soup Course RecipesThe next day, I was at the liquor store buying my very own bottle and set about finding all kinds of new-to-me drink recipes! This liqueur is a little bit pricey but not overly so. I've had lots of success adding it to my typical Hendricks Gin Martinis. But, for the holidays I wanted something that would be good for those tender folks who would prefer not to go full-martini mode. That's when my research brought me to this little recipe......it's quick, it's light and it's a lovely starter. For those of you who can tolerate club soda....feel free to top it off with some!!!
Ingredients
3 parts light dry white wine (I used Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc)
1 ½ parts St. Germain
Dash of Angostura bitters
Directions: Stir ingredients in a tall ice-filled Collins glass, mixing completely.
And, now.....to accompany this lovely cocktail, I am going to share a recipe that came to me quite by accident over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. In an attempt to serve my house guests something other than leftover turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes but to use some of my leftovers and some things I had on hand, I came up with this scrumptious flat bread. Everyone devoured these while watching some predinner football this past Sunday. It was seriously decadent and was met with oohs and oohs and smacking lips. Don't you just love when that happens?
Basil Pesto and Balsamic Glazed Mushroom Flatbread with Goat Cheese
( I am not allowed to call this pizza in our house....my 100% Italian hubby says that all pizza must have tomatoes on it....)
I adapted this a little bit so that I could share with you.....since I did use leftover mushrooms and some of my homemade pesto that I have in my freezer--I know you may not have these things on hand. But, have no fear....it works out just as well regardless! It's nice to know that you can use a jarred pesto that will work just fine. And, the mushrooms are easy to put together (I linked it up to a good recipe for you to use). This comes together really quickly.
I made 6 flat breads with these ingredients.....
-Olive Oil
-Flat-Out Bread (I used 3 Italian Herb and 3 Whole Wheat since that's what I had in my fridge)
-1 1/2 cups of prepared pesto (there are several good brands on the market...2 that work just fine are Trader Giotto's Pesto Alla Genovese or CIBO Naturals Basil Pesto)
-2 small containers of crumbled goat cheese (I used one small container from Trader Joe's and one log of Trader Joe's honey goat cheese that I crumbled up myself...this is what I had on hand)
-Balsamic glazed mushrooms (as much as you desire!)....here's a recipe very similar to how I make mine
Directions: Place flat bread on preheated pizza stone (preheating the stone helps with the crispiness factor!), brush with olive oil. Spread basil pesto, a hand full of goat cheese and mushrooms on the flat bread. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until cheese is bubbly is crust is crunchy!
and last but certainly not least.....
I present to you one of the easiest and most elegant appetizers I have ever encountered. My friend--the caterer to the stars of Pittsburgh---made this for an event during restaurant week and reported back to me that it was the absolute hit of the evening. So, when I had to pull off a quick appetizer for my Girlfriend Wine Social (my girlfriends and I just like to make this every-other-month evening sound respectable.....essentially, it's an evening of 5 girlfriends all dressed up like hookers drinking wine till we are silly. We eat finger foods so that we don't get silly stupid....). So, without having tested this recipe, I went with my friend the caterer's review and threw this together. Let me tell you---not only did it look absolutely lovely on the platter (whyohwhy didn't I take a picture of it??), it is still being talked about......
2 comments:
I have one!!! Yay Me! It's one I believe you will love Judi! It's Giada's but wonderful!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/polenta-half-moons-with-whipped-goat-cheese-recipe/index.html
I also came across this Caribbean Wing recipe that surprised us all over the summer.
Caribbean Chicken Wings
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 habanero, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons fennel seed
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
7 pounds chicken wings
Directions
In a food processor, blend together all the ingredients but the chicken until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of marinade. Place chicken wings into a large resealable plastic bag and pour remaining marinade over them. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet trays with parchment. Remove chicken from bag and place on the baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring reserved marinade to a boil. Reduce by 1/3 until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove chicken from oven. Brush chicken with the glaze. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and cook chicken until cooked through, another 20 minutes.
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