Chicken Apple Salad & Fruit and Cheese Plate

Fruit and Cheese Salad

 

Don’t have time to prepare a healthful meal?

When this happens to me, I surfed my frig and pantry to see what I can come up with. 

I decided to take the fruit and cheese from the frig and created a fruit and cheese platter.  I simply added a thread of olive oil on the mozzarella cheese and placed fruit around it on a plate. It took only a few minutes to assemble this recipe.

Chicken and Apple Salad

I purchase a rotisserie chicken every week and make many dishes without having to take the time to bake the chicken myself.  I decided to make Chicken salad, so I  cut up the rotisserie chicken into small cubes and I added toasted pecans, 1 apple with skin removed and cubed, shredded carrots and broccoli from a bag, a handful of golden raisins, and 2 spring onions. I took some mayo from the frig, added some freshly squeezed lemon juice and paprika and mixed it well with the chicken salad.  I placed the chicken salad over a bed of baby arugula, and frisée lettuce. I added some sliced cucumbers, baby yellow peppers, tomatoes, grain salad on each corner of the plate. For the salad dressing, I simply poured a few treads of unfiltered extra virgin olive oil and threads of pear flavored balsamic vinegar of the greens.  The chicken salad recipe took about 10 minutes to make from ingredients I already had in my frig and pantry.

Rotisserie Chicken Salad

I love it when I can come up with tasty dishes that do not require much time at all and are also healthful to eat. 

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Easy French Onion Soup My Way

French Onion Soup

1/2 stick unsalted butter                                                                    

3 (about 4 cups) large mixed onions (Red onion & Sweet Onion)                            
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour                                                        
3 sprigs fresh thyme  
Salt and pepper to taste                                
8 cups beef broth (low sodium)
1/2 cup good white wine
4 bay leaves
1/2 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch slices
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sweet Onions

 In a large pot over medium heat, add the butter, onions, thyme, salt and pepper:  cook down for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the flour until well blended. Add the bay leaves, wine, beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Remove bay leaves when ready.  

The only way to find out if the soup is ready is to taste it.  The onions should not be crunchy or overcooked.

Toast the slices of bread in the oven until just golden. Ladle soup into small oven proof dishes; place the slices of toasted bread on top of soup. Sprinkle lots of Gruyere on top of bread and then top with some Parmesan. Place in a preheated oven on 450F for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

You can also place the entire soup in one larger casserole dish, top with cheeses and bake in the oven on 450F for a few minutes until the cheese is golden.  Serve scoops in dishes.  Serve 4-6

cipolla di tropea (Red Onions)

I always thought that the simple dishes are the best ... this soup is a classic among the classics, a simple dish made with inexpensive ingredients. All it takes is a little patience and the right stuff, such as a good beef broth, good gruyere and a good white wine. If gruyere is not your kind of cheese, use Fontina, Mozzarella and Emmantel, or even a good sharp cheddar cheese. 

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Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

6 medium size portobello mushrooms

6-8 tablespoons whole ricotta cheese

4 tablespoons minced spinach, thawed

Pinch salt

Pinch black pepper

1 cup shredded Swiss Emmentaler cheese, divided

1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

  

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and wipe them gently to clean them with paper towel.

Drizzle half the oil on the surface of the baking sheet and place the mushrooms on it.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, half of the cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Drizzle a little olive oil inside each of the mushrooms.  Fill each mushroom with the ricotta mixture. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top of the mushroom is just golden.

  

This recipe was invented last night when I found some ricotta cheese and spinach leftover in my refrigerator.  It is a delicious and easy recipe to make that can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. It could even be served at a party using smaller mushrooms filled with the same mixture. I’m sure I’ll make it again and again!

 

 



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Marzipan Stuffed Medjool Dates

1 pound (about 24) Medjool dates
1 cup marzipan (almond paste)
1 teaspoon rosewater
1-2 drops food coloring (optional)

Cut a slit, lengthwise down the center of each date, but not through each date; remove the pit.

Combine the almond paste and rosewater in a small bowl. If desired, gently knead food coloring in 1/2 or 1/3 of the almond paste. Knead well until the color is incorporated in marzipan. The idea is to leave some dates in their natural color, and some with color (pink, red, or green).

Divide the marzipan mixture evenly among the dates. Roll each piece of marzipan into a cylinder that is a bit shorter than the date. Stuff the date with the almond paste. Repeat with remaining dates.

These simple and delicious treats are good for dessert, with coffee or tea, and even as a snack. They can also be served as a delicious Tapas dish with Salty Cheese and almonds.

Growing up they were always served during festive occasions in the natural, green and pink color. Sometimes even served with a blanched almond on top or crushed pistachios.

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My New Year's Eve Menu

After the hussle and bussle of the Christmas holidays, I like to prepare a quiet dinner for four with my husband and our best friends, John and Janie for New Year's Eve.  We make our favorite dishes and eat them one by one until the strike of midnight or even beyond.  We listen to our favorite music while cooking and eating, drink Prosecco with Cassis and Pomegranate seeds,and have good wine to pair with each course.This year we decided on simple and tasty seafood recipes to celebrate the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013.  I didn't prepare these dishes from recipes, I love to create them, and get instant feedback from my little group.  Once created and tasted, I them write the recipes.
I'm still writing these recipes, so stay tuned for them on my blog.

Here are some of  the pictures of recipes prepared for our New Year's Eve menu:

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Struffoli for Christmas

Struffoli with Sprinkles

                                                                     


 









 Dough:                                                                                           

4 cups flour, sifted                                                                        
4 oz butter, softened                                                                   
3 whole eggs + 1 yolk, beaten                                                    
¼ cup sugar
1 oz liqueur (anise, rum, brandy, or Limoncello)
grated zest 1 orange and ½ lemon
Pinch salt
Pinch baking soda
1 oz milk
Syrup:
1 1/2 cups honey
1/2 cup decorations/sprinkles

For the dough:

In a bowl add and mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Make a little well in the center of the bowl.  Add remaining ingredients in the center.  Incorporate and mix batter until it is homogenized.  Knead about 5 minute until  the dough is smooth (if the dough is too tough, add a little milk, if it is too soft add a little more flour). Cover with towel or a bowl and allow to rest at least 30 minutes at room temp.
 


Mounded Struffoli

 

Once rested, divide into smaller pieces, and roll  each piece into thin long logs (thin snakes). Cut each thin  log into tiny ¼ inch pieces about the size of chick peas.  Set on a clean towel.

 
Prepare a medium size pan half filled with either vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil.  When hot, add a batch of struffoli at a time and cook.  Stir often and remove when the struffoli  are golden (not brown). Lay on paper towel to drain the excess oil. Continue the process until all the struffoli have been cooked.

 To make syrup:

Heat the honey  in a medium size pan for about 3 minutes.  Turn off heat and add the ready struffoli.  Mix gently and uniformly.  Transfer the struffoli to a dish and shape like a small mountain or a wreath.  Decorate with sprinkles. Allow to rest about an hour before serving. 


Struffoli Christmas Wreath

Alba on WUSA9 cooking segment December 18, 2012

Struffoli is a traditional Napolitan Christmas somewhat sweet dough that is fried first and then dipped with warm honey.  It can decorated with sprinkles, candied fruit and even silver and white almonds.

In Naples Struffoli were prepared by nuns in convents and given to noble families to thank them for their act of charity.

Enjoy making these delicious sweet morsels of sweet dough for your family like our grandmothers used to and make your own Christmas tradition.

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Ricotta Cheese Cookies - Washington Post

Italian Ricotta Cheese Cookies

 

Ricotta Cheese Cookies

The Washington Post, December 12, 2012

Holiday Cookies 2012

• Course: Dessert
• Features: Make-Ahead Recipes, Holiday (Christmas)

Summary:

These Italian cookies are tender and caky, thanks to the ricotta, but not at all cheesy. They're so moist that other kinds of cookies stored with them will quickly turn limp –- something to keep in mind if you are giving them as part of an assortment.
The recipe makes a lot of cookies; it can easily be halved.
Because we think the holidays demand color, we tinted the glaze a bright, non-traditional blue. You can make it any color -- or leave it plain, which is traditional. Don't store the frosted cookies in an airtight container; the moistness of the cookies will cause the glaze to run.
MAKE AHEAD: The batter can be made a day in advance, covered with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface, and refrigerated. The cookies can be stored in a non-airtight container for 2 weeks.

Makes about eighty 1 1/2-inch cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies

• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cups flour
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Freshly grated zest of 2 medium lemons (4 to 6 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or more to taste

For the glaze

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
• Food coloring (optional)
• Colored sugar sprinkles, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

For the cookies: Place racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the salt, baking soda and flour in a medium bowl.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the cheese, eggs, lemon zest and rosemary; beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix well. The dough should be slightly moist.
Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes or until firm, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. The cookies should be golden on the bottom but remain white on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat to use all of the batter.
For the glaze: Place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and stir in enough lemon juice to make a thick paste. Add the food coloring of your choice, if using, and stir to blend. Thin with enough additional lemon juice to create a glaze that can be brushed onto the cookies. Lightly coat or drizzle the top of each cookie with the glaze and add sprinkles or other decorations, if desired. Allow the frosting to dry completely before storing, loosely covered, for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from a recipe by Alba Johnson, a cooking instructor, cookbook author and personal chef in Shady Side.

Tested by Jane Touzalin for The Washington Post.
E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.

 

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2012/12/12/ricotta-cheese-cookies/

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