Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!! No parties for me this year, we got word on Tuesday of this week that our sellers (of the house we've been trying to buy for months!) had their short sale approved by the bank (YAY!!!!!) so J and I decided to be low key and stay home so we could get some things done now that we know we'll be moving for sure in a few weeks! Looks like we'll close the week of the 9th, and hopefully be all settled in by Thanksgiving!

I spent the day carving pumpkins, (albeit badly!), and baking these delicious Ham and Cheddar Pretzel bites with Jalepeno Mustard, courtesy of Gourmet magazine's spread on Chef Edward Lee (from the October issue). A little time consuming, as pretzels are, and mine are nowhere as pretty as the ones pictured in the magazine are, but they were delicious and I plan to make them again! The recipe calls for "Country Ham" which is a southern thing, and I'm nowhere near the south and could not find any or anyone who knew what that was at the grocery store, so I picked up a hamsteak and diced part of that up for the recipe. The bonus is that J can have some ham with his eggs and bagel in the morning.

We got a lot of Trick or Treaters this year, all the little kids come early in the night, and then the last half hour are all teenagers. It's pretty funny!

Cheddar Horseradish Bacon Dip

(I'm no longer posting on this blog - enjoy the recipe but if you want to see what I'm up to, visit me here.)

This is a dip I came up with for a BBQ when I didn't feel like going to the store and I wanted to come up with something low fiber for a family member's dietary needs. Luckily, you can't really go wrong with bacon, cheese and cream cheese. I feel kind of dirty just posting this because it really doesn't have any redeeming nutritional value (well maybe calcium and protein) but it was fricken delicious so I thought I'd share. I promise this will be the last dip I post for a little while. You must think my refrigerator is just packed with a whole shelf of cream cheese. Haha. You could be right.

I served this with homemade Olive oil crackers. I found the recipe at 101 Cookbooks. I modified the recipe by making lots of tiny crackers instead of several large ones. They came out great and took almost no time to make. Lots of crunch and the flavor was light enough to not overwhelm the dip.

Ingredients

8 oz light cream cheese, softened
1/3 block of cheddar horseradish cheese**
1/2 cup of grated sharp cheddar
1 tablespoon horseradish sauce (Kraft or Ingleoffer)
2 tablespoons cream or milk
7 slices of nitrate free bacon, cooked
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
kosher salt and black pepper

**Cabot makes a great one, if you can't find it, use 1/2 tsp of grated horseradish or an extra tablespoon of horseradish sauce and an extra 1/2 cup of grated cheddar.

Crumble bacon and put into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to break down some more. Add all the other ingredients and pulse until well blended. If it seems too thick, add another tablespoon or two of milk or cream. Season with Kosher salt and pepper to taste.


All text and photographs (except where noted otherwise) © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Creamy Garlic & Chive Goat Cheese Dip

Hi!!! I'm back! Sorry I've been so quiet!! So, I was planning on getting on here this weekend but J and I went house hunting and were way too excited to do anything but talk about and look at houses. The internet has been the last thing on my mind. Anyhow, let's talk food . . .

Earlier this week, I went to the store to buy goat cheese for a salad I was making. I usually only buy the 4 oz packages because as much as I love the stuff, a 12 oz log is just way too much cheese for J and I to eat in a short period of time. Unfortunately, all the store had was the large size this time so that's what I bought. Which means that I have a ton left over, and being the type of person I am, I can't let it go to waste and need to find a way to use it other than just slicing off creamy slabs and tossing it in my mouth. Soooooo, I peeked in the fridge to see what else needed to be used up and voila, we've got ourselves another yummy dip. I realize that I have a problem with dips being the only appetizer I make. I'm stuck in 1986 apparently. I know. I don't care, dips taste good!

Ingredients

4 oz Goat cheese, softened/room temperature
3 heaping tablespoons light mayo
1/3 of a 16 oz container of light sour cream
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
large handful of chopped chives
dash of hot sauce
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well blended, scraping down the sides as necessary. If it's too thick add a tablespoon or two of half and half or milk and pulse until combined. Let chill for an hour before serving (to bring out the chive and garlic flavors). Serve with pita chips, crackers or vegetables.
All text and photographs (except where noted otherwise) © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Garlic Hummus with Rosemary Pita Chips

I'm always amazed when I meet someone who doesn't like hummus. There are so many different ways to make it, so many things you can add to it for extra flavor and it can be eaten with almost anything. You are bound to find one that you like.

Every couple of years I go through a new hummus phase. In college, it was homemade hummus eaten with lime tortilla chips, at Pearl St (a house I lived in with friends for years in Portsmouth, NH) it was pita bread or pretzels, these days it's with pita chips or sliced veggies. Every store brand differs in texture and acidity so I guess that could be a factor in why some people don't like hummus. Make your own and you won't be able to stop eating it.

Ingredients

For the Hummus

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tahini
2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons water
2 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)

Put the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse several times then slowly add the lemon juice and water while the machine is running till the mixture becomes creamy and mostly smooth. Adjust salt/pepper and lemon juice is needed. Pour into a bowl and stir in olive oil if using. Serve with Pita chips, tortilla chips or sliced vegetables.

Get comfortable with this master recipe and then try adding additional ingredients for flavor and variety. Add roasted red peppers, extra garlic, spinach and artichoke hearts, jalepeno's, roasted veggies, sun dried tomatoes and different seasonings (not all at the same time of course!)

Pita Chips

4 Pita pockets
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
dried rosemary*
*you'll need a mortar and pestle for this

You don't need a real recipe to make pita chips. Cut the pita pockets into as many triangles as you like. I cut the pockets in half (as if you were going to make two sandwiches) and then cut each half into 6 or 8 pieces. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the cut pieces of pita on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In the mortar and pestle put 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary and a pinch of salt and grind to a powder (the salt helps create friction and the rosemary will crumble faster). Sprinkle the rosemary on the pita triangles. Bake for 6 minutes, flip and bake for 5 minutes more. Let cool. EAT!!



All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Prosciutto and Brie Quesadillas with Arugula and Pears in Balsamic Sauce

Friday night, I had gotten home from the gym late and J and I were starving. The kitchen was a mess still from the night before and I realized that I had forgotten to buy arugula at the store. And then I remembered that I planned to put these on the blog. I scrambled around the kitchen moving things out of the way so I could make dinner and take a few half-hearted pictures, and ended up burning one quesadilla and undercooking the other. I am the most awesome cook ever. :) At least they taste good!


These quesadillas are sweet, buttery and salty. They're also a little rich, so if I eat anything else with them it's usually something basic to balance things out, like a plain vegetable or a salad. I've been trying to come up with a salsa that complements the flavors here but the quesadillas have enough moisture on their own that it's really unnecessary. Most of the time, I just eat them "dry" or with a small dollop of sour cream. Have them for dinner or cut into small triangles and serve as an appetizer with some white wine.


Serves 2

Ingredients

4 flour tortillas (8 in diameter)
4 oz prosciutto
4 oz good quality brie, cut into small chunks
3 pears, sliced into long strips
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup diced onion
1 cup arugula
pinch of rosemary
non-stick spray
kosher salt
black pepper

Lay two of the tortillas on a flat surface, side by side and top each tortilla with 1/4 of the brie, 1/2 the prosciutto, and (if you aren't forgetful like me) 1/2 the arugula. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan and when moderately hot add the onion, and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes. Add the vinegar, honey, a pinch of rosemary, kosher salt and black pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the pears and stir to coat them in the vinegar mixture. Cook for another minute.

Spray a 9 or 10 inch skillet with non-stick spray and heat to medium. Place one of the tortillas (with the brie & prosciutto) you set aside earlier in the skillet. Top with 5 or 6 of the pear slices and a little of the vinegar sauce. Top with another 1/4 of the brie and cover with a tortilla. Cook for two minutes and flip gently with a large spatula (the bottom tortilla will be crispy so it will be easy to flip). Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes and remove. Cool. Follow the instructions in this paragraph again to make the second quesadilla. Cool and then cut both in half or quarters.

All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Tyrokavteri: Feta and Roasted Red Pepper dip

Once again, this is another recipe inspired from something I tried at a restaurant. It was at Giorgio's in Milford, NH. They have a great menu in general but sadly I don't think this appetizer is on it anymore. My version is a little thinner and spicier than Giorgio's but the flavor is very similar. It's creamy, sweet and tangy and takes all of 5 minutes to make.

Ingredients

8oz block light cream cheese, softened
2.5 oz feta cheese
1 large roasted red bell pepper, drained
1 large garlic clove
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons half and half or light cream
2 teaspoons Oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use less if you're sensitive to spice)
black pepper

Pulse the cream cheese, garlic, and roasted bell pepper in a food processor. When the pepper is well broken up and the mixture becomes a salmon color, add the feta, oregano, pepper flakes and black pepper. Pulse until the feta is broken up thoroughly. While the machine is running, add the lemon juice and half and half and blend for 20 seconds or so. I don't add salt because the feta is salty enough for my taste. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve with pita chips or raw vegetables.

All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Fig and Prosciutto Pizza with Spinach and Goat Cheese

The inspiration for this pizza came from one I tried at a restaurant on Cape Cod. I would have never thought to use fruit as a pizza sauce otherwise. This is one that can be a meal or an appetizer (my pictures are from Christmas when my sister asked me to bring it as an appetizer. Just substitute 3 or 4 mini pizza shells for 1 large one and cut into 1/8ths). I love eating this for dinner. It's not low-calorie but figs are high in fiber so that makes them okay in my book.

Ingredients

1 cup Black Mission Figs (dried are fine)
2 - 3 tbsps olive oil
5 cloves roasted garlic or 2 fresh
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
kosher salt and black pepper
4 oz prosciutto, chopped
10 oz box frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry.
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 premade thin style pizza crust
optional: caramelized onions, mushrooms and/or bell peppers.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop the figs roughly and bring to a simmer in a small saucepan with a little water. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the figs begin to soften. Drain the water and reserve it for later. Put the figs, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary in a food processor. Pulse until well chopped. Slowly stream in some of the reserved fig water while pulsing. The mixture will be thick but should be easily spreadable. Add more liquid if needed. Adjust the seasonings if needed (I like mine flavored with a lot of garlic and rosemary). Line a cookie sheet or pizza pan with foil and place crust on top. Spread the fig puree onto the crust. It's very sweet so it shouldn't be too thick. If you have extra puree, you can freeze it for later use. Lay the prosciutto pieces across the pizza, covering it evenly. Do the same with the spinach and any other veggies you decide to add (no really, try caramelized onions!). Top last with the goat cheese. Bake for 10 minutes and then leave under the broiler for an additional 3 minutes. Cut in 4 pieces and serve (unless using as an appetizer).

All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Smoked Gouda and Sundried Tomato Spread

I have an unhealthy love for all things cream cheese (bagels, cheesecake, creamy soups etc). It's always in my fridge. I needed another appetizer for Thanksgiving a few years ago and didn't feel like hitting the store again so off I went to rummage in the cabinets and fridge to see what I could come up with. This cheese spread is what I ended up putting on the table. Super easy to make and super tasty to eat. All you need is a food processor. The flavor of the smoked gouda will make your vegetarian friends think you are trying to trick them into eating bacon.

Ingredients:

1 8oz block light cream cheese, softened
1/2 to 3/4 cup grated smoked gouda cheese
5-8 sundried tomatoes*
3 cloves or 2 tsps of roasted garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Put the first four ingredients in food processor and pulse until well blended. Taste before adding the salt and pepper (the cheese is salty so it may be unnecessary). Garnish with parsley or basil and serve at room temperature with crackers or pretzel thins.

* I use oil-packed sundried tomatoes but you can certainly use dried ones if that's what you have on hand, just reconstitue them first by pouring boiling water over them and let them soak for 20-30 minutes. They'll release more flavor and be less likely to break your food processor blade if you soften them like this first!







All text and photographs © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley