Warm Spicy Citrus Castelvetrano Olives | Friday Night Bites

When I am at Whole Foods, nine times out of ten, I make my way to the olive bar.  They house one of the best selections in the Bay Area of olives without having to venture to a specialty shop in San Francisco.  One of my absolute favorites is the Castelvetrano Olive.  It is grown exclusively in western Sicilyamong the Belice river valley, near the town of Castelvetrano.  The prime time for harvesting is the beginning of October through mid November. 

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Contrary to popular belief, this olive is not actually cured, but goes through a similar process as to the Californiastyle black ripe olives.  The olive is washed in lye, or caustic soda for up to 12 hours.  It takes the bitterness out of the olive and then it is continually washed in fresh water to remove the lye.  Then it is either refrigerated or canned.  This process produces an intense green color and sweet flavor profile.   A great pairing to this beautiful olive is parmesan-reggiano, mozzarella, marcona almonds and Genoa salami.

I wanted to create a quick recipe that was packed with flavor we could enjoy for our Friday Night Bites.  Hubby doesn’t like anything with a pit or bones, so luckily Whole Foods had the pitted version of the Castelvetrano olive.  The idea of serving warm olives with garlic, citrus, spicy red pepper and fresh thyme simply resonated with me.  The flavor combination was simply divine, fresh and a perfect little bite.  I actually serve with a small fork so you can get the different bits of flavor in one bite.  The zest of the orange and lightly toasted slice of garlic with a fleck of spicy red pepper was a wonderful treat for my mouth. If you want to kick up your olives and impress your guests, this is the recipe for you!

Warm Spicy Citrus Castelvetrano Olives

2 Cups Castelvetrano Olives

6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and sliced thin

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

Zest of one Orange

1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme Leaves

¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

In a medium skillet, add the olive oil and olives and heat on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.  Be careful not to have the heat too high or the garlic will burn.  Right before serving, add the orange zest and thyme leaves and toss.  Serve in a bowl and enjoy!

Strawberry, Apricot & Coconut Scones | Secret Recipe Club

It is hard to believe it has been just a week.  A week since our little Max went to heaven. Max came into our home when he was just 8 weeks old and was a bundle of joy.  Max was our furry four legged child.  He battled cancer for the last couple months of his life and on Sunday last week, he went to the great dog park in the sky.  It had to be one of the most difficult days for hubby and me.  The next day was especially challenging since the house seemed so big and empty without our little guy.  Since then, time is beginning to make things a bit easier. The tears have lessened. I can talk about and think about him, without getting so emotional.  I will have always have a special place in my heart for Max. They say time heals and I believe it does.

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We adore dogs and will begin exploring and researching our next fur babies soon.  Our new normal is becoming reality and look forward to the day we have one or two little guys running around again.  They will never be Max, but we will bestow the same amount of love on the new doggies and love them forever, like we do Max. 

Today in the Bay Area, we have some warm humid air, which is quite abnormal for us.  I wanted to make something happy for this Sunday morning to brighten our day.  With this month’s Secret RecipeClub match, I had the honor of being paired with Sara from Cook with Sara.  After browsing through her extensive collection of recipes, I landed on her Strawberry Almond Scones.

Sara is a Midwest girl who adores cooking and eating.  She is my kind of friend. I can only imagine that her house always smells divine and she is probably the favorite house in the neighborhood.   Her mom was her inspiration for her old and new recipes that she always tests prior to posting on her blog.  Sara creates tasty treats and has a wide variety of recipes on her site.

After making my selection – by the way, Sara made it very challenging to choose from, I knew I had to put my own twist on the recipe.  I had some beautiful apricots lying around and felt they would pair perfectly with the strawberries that are so luscious at this time of year.  Our lemon tree is exploding, so the zest of a lemon added that something special to the scone.  I did not have sliced almonds, so I went for some rough chopped marcona almonds and toasted up some coconut to flatter the flavor profile.  All in all, hubby adored the scones and had a second one in the afternoon.  This was a winning recipe and will be made again soon. 

Strawberry, Apricot & Coconut Scones

3 cups flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
½  tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 ¼  cup buttermilk
¾ cups strawberries, small dice

¾ cups apricots, small dice

zest of one lemon
2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
½ cup marcona almonds, rough chop

½ cup Shredded Coconut, toasted

In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest and salt. Mix until combined.
Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. If you are not using a food processor, use a pastry blender or your fingers to crumble the butter.

Add the buttermilk and the strawberries and apricots, mixing until well combined.

Gently scoop out the dough onto the parchment-lined or non-stick baking sheets and slightly flatten each with your fingers until it forms a large circle.  Cut into eight pieces like a pie.  Gently lift and separate to have about an inch in between each one. Lightly sprinkle each scone with the turbinado sugar. Bake the scones at 400 until lightly golden around the edges, about 30-35 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before glazing. 

For the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Once slightly cooled, carefully drizzle the glaze over the scones (I found it helpful to put the cooling rack that the scones were on directly over my rimmed baking sheet while glazing-super easy clean-up!). Top each scone with a small handful of marcona almonds and toasted coconut.  I added a bit more glaze on top.

   

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Tomato, Corn & Avocado Bruschetta | Friday Night Bites

For many of us, we lead busy lives and often don’t take the time to truly enjoy time together with friends and family.  When we do slow down, it is important to truly appreciate those moments and do things that make us happy.  Entertaining is one of my favorite things.  The art of bringing joy to my guest’s faces is one of the best gifts I can give.  Everyone in this world is given particular talents or gifts; mine is bringing folks together to simply enjoy life through great food, great conversation and adding those special entertaining touches that brings the evening to the next level.

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Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of hosting an intimate wine and appetizer get together at our house for a couple that I had actually never met.  My hubby worked with this gentleman at his prior company and had extended the invitation so we could meet his longtime girlfriend and enjoy an evening together.  Both were extremely warm, engaging and lovely.  We shared great conversation, delicious food and tasty wines.  They brought over some homemade chocolate chip cookies along with a nice French wine.  Note to self – I must get the chocolate chip cookie recipe since they were quite divine.

I was thrown for a small loop when I learned his girlfriend couldn’t eat cheese.  I guess I did not realize how much I rely on cheese when entertaining.  It was a good challenge for me.  I made Moroccan Meatballs, avocado dip with crudités and Tomato, Corn and Avocado Bruschetta.  Oh and I can’t forget dessert – I made individual fruit crisps that were to die for.

The Tomato, Corn and Avocado Bruschetta were a hit.  The key to making this appetizer so delicious is to grill the bread.  The grilling adds such a dimension of flavor and kicks it to the next level.  I recently purchased a large serving piece that is the top of a whiskey barrel and makes for a terrific presentation and conversation piece.  I added a piece of parchment paper and then laid the bruschettas on top.  Such a simple appetizer and perfect for this time of year when the tomatoes are at the peak of perfection and corn is so sweet and perfect.

We started with a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand that we crisp, light and paired perfectly with this appetizer.  Cheers to a great weekend and kicking it off with Friday Night Bites!

Tomato, Corn and Avocado Bruschetta

Makes 12 to 14

1 Cup Fresh Corn

1 Cup Cherry or Small Tomatoes

½ Avocado, small cubes

2 teaspoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder

¼ teaspoon Salt

10 Grinds of Pepper

8 Large Basil Leaves, chiffonade

12 to 14 Slices of Ciabatta Bread brushed with olive oil

In a large bowl, add the corn, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder and salt and pepper.  Gently mix until all ingredients are covered.  Add the avocado dices and basil and fold gently.  Set aside.

Cut 12 to 14 slices of ciabatta bread into ½ thick slices.  Brush each side lightly with olive oil and grill on both sides until toasted. It is best to continue to flip so you don’t burn the toasts.

Top each slice of the toasted bread with the tomato, corn and avocado mixture.  Either serve whole or cut in half.  Serve and enjoy!

Pecan Cheddar Wafers | Friday Night Bites

There is something about a crisp, handmade satisfying cracker and a glass of wine that just sets the weekend in the right direction.  While browsing through an older issue of Saveur (November 2013) I came across this article that highlighted the pecan and the south. It was titled Southern Belle.  I was instantly drawn to the Pecan Cheese Wafer recipe.  I changed it up slightly. Despite only visiting Arkansas, I have yet to explore the south and have such a fascination that is dying to be satisfied.  I guess I could equate myself to being a “Southophile” versus a Francophile.

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The south is on my bucket list to visit.  The places and/or states would be:  New Orleans, Memphis, North and South Carolinaand Georgia to begin with and many others to follow.  Since the “pecan” is so southern, this recipe just sang to me and was on the list of must makes.  If you want to make more, simply double the recipe to yield more.

Once you bite into one of these enchanting crackers you sense a slight crunch then the cheese simply fills your mouth and next comes the slight bite from the heat of the cayenne and finally the crunch and richness of the pecan sits on your palate.   The end result was a crunchy, cheesy and delightful cracker that paired perfectly with a sauvignon blanc or a Pinot Noir. 

Pecan Cheddar Wafers

Makes 30

6 Tablespoons flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

1 egg white beaten

30 large pecan pieces

Pulse flour, salt and cayenne pepper in a food processor until combined.  Add cheese, butter and cream, pulse until dough is holding together.  Form dough into a square log that is inch in diameter.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour or overnight.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Slice the log into ¼ inch slices.  Transfer to a cookie sheet that is non-stick or lined with parchment paper.  Brush lightly with egg white and gently press a pecan piece in the center of each cracker.  Bake until firm and crispy, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Let cool completely before serving.

Steakhouse Crostini | Friday Night Bites

Oh how I love a great Steakhouse!  We have some good choices here in the Bay Area -although I can only imagine doing a jaunt through the mid-west – now that is steakhouse country.  When we visited Chicagolast summer, I was amazed that on almost every corner, there was a steakhouse.  Unfortunately for us, we did not have time to partake in a true mid-west steakhouse – next time for sure.  We did go here, here and here - all fantastic, especially the first one was my absolute favorite.

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Chain restaurants are not quite my thing, but will hit a few now and then.  I have to admit, I do like PF Changs but to me, it is not the traditional chain restaurant.  I absolutely adore Ruth’s Chris.  I know it is a chain BUT that 500 degree plate is adorned with a perfectly cooked steak and oh that sizzling butter.  Can I say it again – oh that sizzling butter.  This is one DARN good steak.  Not too mention the sides are divine.

Over the weekend, we had a small dinner party.  Since the weather in the Bay Area has been representative of summer, I wanted to grill some steak.  After visiting Whole Foods, they were out of flank steak so I opted for skirt steak.  I created this marinate a few weeks ago and was so impressed with the flavor that was imparted into the steak, it was worthy of a repeat performance.  The skirt steak turned out so rich, tender and flavorful that my guests went back for seconds.  I served it with a traditional Chimichurri and it simply married the flavors together.

Believe it or not, we had some leftover.  Hubby and I decided to relax on Sunday and watch movies.  I had been waiting for Jack Ryan – Shadow Recruit to be available on Apple TV and my wait was over.  If you like adventure, suspense and getting a bird’s eye view of Russia, then this is your movie.  (Worth the rental fee)  A good movie calls for popcorn or a tasty snack, which is the beauty of watching at home.  Remember, I had that leftover steak; well I put it to good use by making these Steakhouse Crostini’s.  The end result was simply divine.

Steakhouse Crostini

Makes 12

1 large onion, peeled and sliced thin

3 Tablespoons Butter

Sourdough baguette, 12 slices

Olive oil

Blue Cheese

Cherry Tomatoes

Favorite Steak Sauce

Steak (see recipe below)

In a large skillet, melt the butter and then add the sliced onions.  Cook on medium heat until lightly golden brown.  About 12 to 15 minutes.  Add a touch of salt and pepper when finished cooking.

Brush each side of the sliced baguette with olive oil.  Add to a grill on medium heat and toast until golden brown on each side with grill marks.  Continue to flip and watch, so you don’t burn.  Remove from grill and let cool.

To assemble, first add the caramelized onions to each baguette, then a couple slices of the grilled steak, then the blue cheese, top with a cherry tomato and a drizzle of steak sauce.

Note:  The recipe below will make more steak than needed for recipe above unless you are feeding a large crowd.  You can use for another recipe or simply make the Crostini when you have leftover steak.  Enjoy!

Steak with Bourbon Balsamic Marinade

6 Garlic Cloves, Sliced

1 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary Leaves, minced

1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano

2 Tablespoons Whole Grain Mustard

½ Cup Balsamic Vinegar

½ Cup Bourbon

1 Cup Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper

One 2 to 3 pound Flank or Skirt Steak

Use a large plastic bag that seals well.  Add the garlic, rosemary, oregano, mustard, balsamic, bourbon and olive oil to the plastic bag.  Shake well so that the ingredients meld together. 

Remove any excess fat from the steak and immerse into the plastic bag.  Seal the top and set inside a baking dish or large bowl to avoid any possible leeks.  Place in the refrigerator and let sit for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

When ready to grill, remove the steak from the marinade and let the excess drip off.  Season with salt and pepper.  Grill the steak over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred.  Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part registers 125 degrees.  Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes to let the juices absorb back into the meat.  Thinly slice the meat against the grain and serve.

Amaretti Sugar Cookies

This cookie is simply magical.  It is a few bites of divine flavor and texture.  I get in the mood to make cookies fairly often.  I have to admit that it is primarily to eat the cookie dough, although I enjoy the finished product.  I will typically make a double batch, so I certainly make enough in between my nibbling on the dough.

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Lunardi’s is a supermarket gem in the Bay Area and its roots are straight from Lucca, Italy.  They have great service, quality and hand selected products.  One of my favorite things to pick up there is the mini amaretti cookies.  They are crunchy, full of that wonderful almond flavor and easy to eat since they are about one inch in diameter.  They were also the inspiration for these cookies.  The addition just added that extra something and was a cookie marriage made in heaven.

I use a small ice cream scooper to get those perfect round cookies.  In addition, it makes the entire process so simple.  I highly encourage you to invest in one, if you don’t already own one.  You can also use this dough and add other things to it, such as caramel corn, crunchy cereal or chocolate chips.  Super versatile and quite tasty. 

  

Amaretti Sugar Cookies

Makes 3 dozen Cookies

½ C. Shortening, butter flavored
1 C. Sugar
1 Egg
1 T. Vanilla
½ t. Salt
½ t. Baking Soda
1 ¼ C. Flour
1 ½  C. Amaretti Cookies, slightly crushed

Using a stand mixer, cream together the shortening, sugar and salt. Add the egg and whip quickly. Then add the vanilla and baking soda until incorporated. Slowly add the flour until well mixed. Remove the mixing bowl and gently mix in the amaretti cookies with a spoon being careful to over mix. Stir until all amaretti cookies are covered.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, make one inch balls and be careful to leave plenty of room between, since they will spread. Cook for 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for one minute, and then remove with a spatula onto a wire rack to cool

Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet | Secret Recipe Club

Summer is around the corner. Not sure about you, but I can sense the change of seasons.  There is just something in the air that triggers the transition from one season to the next.  I can appreciate each season but summer is at the top of my list.  The days are longer, the nights are warmer, the food is fresh and abundant and generally people are happy and relaxed.  Now is the time of year where I pull the ice cream maker out from the back of the pantry and move it front and center.  I already have a bucket list of flavors to make and look forward to sharing with all of you in the coming months.

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Speaking of ice cream, for this month's Secret Recipe Club I was assigned to Julie who writes a blog called The Texan New Yorker.  Julie honestly had so many brilliant recipes; it made my job extremely challenging to narrow down my selection.  In the end, I chose her Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet.  The fresh flavors and simplicity were inviting.  I thought this would be perfect to finish the Father’s Day dinner I had planned.  My Dad loves strawberries and my Mom loves rhubarb, so I made a marriage in heaven dessert.

A bit about Julie – she was born and raised in Dallas.  A city I have yet to explore since I have only had a lay over at the airport. She packed up after 24 years and ventured east to New York to Newark, New Jersey, Long Islandand Queens.  She was a picky eater who discovered Food Network and her curiosity for learning now to cook was sparked.  Living in New York expanded her culinary repertoire yet she creates her Texan favorites often.  Julie loves cookbooks like I do and her list is impressive – check it out.

The Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet is originally from David Lebovitz’s book – The Perfect Scoop.  When I was little, my Mom would simply add some sugar to chopped up rhubarb and cook it down until soft and sweet.  It would cool a bit, and we would all enjoy a small bowl of this delightful treat.  This recipe calls for the same type of preparation and was so easy to make.  My recommendation is to make the base a day prior and let chill, then process in ice cream make the next day.  The end result was a bite of pure summer! 

Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet

12 oz. Fresh Rhubarb

2/3 Cup Water

¾ Cup Granulated Sugar

10 oz. Fresh Strawberries, rinsed, hulled and quartered

1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

Rinse and trim the ends of the rhubarb stalks.  Chop the rhubarb into ½ inch pieces.  Place the rhubarb, water and sugar in a medium stockpot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce and simmer for 5 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender and cooked through.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Add the strawberries to the blender along with the cooled rhubarb mixture to the blender.  Add the lemon juice and puree until very smooth.  Chill in the refrigerator until very cold – about 2 to 3 hours. Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

   

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