Parmesan Cones with White Bean Mousse

For the last few weeks I've been on the hunt for appetizers unlike the usual ones I normally make, scouring through different cookbooks trying to find something different and elegant looking. Well I found what I was looking for, not only do these look good they taste even better!
Savory cones made of coarsely grated fresh Parmesan cheese that is specked with black pepper and filled with a mousse made of white bean, basil pesto, fresh lemon juice and olive oil.

I was going to make these for my son and DIL's upcoming baby shower but opted not to, because they're a little too time consuming for a large crowd, but for a smaller and more intimate dinner party these would be fantastic! Just remember to fill them right before eating so the cone stays nice and crispy.

Heres what you do:

Make a paper cone out of a 3 1/2" circle, sturdy paper, tape it and set aside.
Heat oven to 375F and on parchment paper trace 3 1/2" circles 3" apart. Have 2 baking sheets ready to go.
Grate about 3/4 cup of cheese on a metal grater, please do not use powdery fake cheese, it won't work!
Combine cheese and pepper together and spread a heaping tablespoon of cheese onto each circle, bake for about 5 minutes till melted and golden.
Remove from oven and after 1 minute gently remove with a thin metal spatula and shape it over your paper cone. Let them cool before removing. Repeat process. This recipe makes 10 cones.

White Bean Mousse

1 can of rinsed and drained white beans.
Basil pesto, (a couple of teaspoons). Taste it for flavor but be careful not to use too much you might turn the white bean color green.
A good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Put this all in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy by drizzling in some good olive oil.
Spoon mousse into a ziplock bag and snip off a corner and pipe right into the cone, garnish with basil and serve immediately. Cones can be made ahead. Place in a tin with wax paper until ready to fill.

Happy Entertaining!

Grilled Pizza and a Garden Salad

Making pizza on the grill has become a summertime favorite for us. The dough cooks up in a matter of minutes, and it always creates a nice crisp crust. Whether you have a good source for buying fresh pizza dough or you make your own, if you haven't tried this yet put it high on your list!

I like to roll my dough out a little, but when you put it on the grill it changes it's shape, but that's the beauty of it! Make sure your grill is nice and hot. Brush the top with olive oil and put that side down on your hot grill. Brush the raw side with olive oil and then flip the dough when you see grill marks underneath.

Have all your ingredients ready because now you will be adding them to the first cooked side, it grills up very fast so have things precooked, mostly light and fresh ingredients work best. I have tried so many combinations, as you know when making pizza the possibilities are endless!

For this pizza I tried something different. Pancetta with caramelized red onions, creamy bocconcini, fresh tomatoes and roasted artichoke hearts, a great combination that I would do again. Here's a couple of my other favorites.

This is great for a leisurely weekend dinner while you're sitting outside enjoying the weather, pour yourself some wine, make a salad, and you have a great meal!

Speaking of salad! This all came from my garden, doesn't it look so nice and fresh? I can't wait to dress it up with my best olive oil and favorite vinegar.

Buon Appetito!

Figs, Sweet and Savory

The other day I came across a small container of the most beautiful fresh figs, you could just smell their sweetness! I knew I had to make something special with them. We're huge fig fans here and my hubby loves a good custard pie, so when I saw this recipe while searching the Internet, I knew instantly it would be a match made in heaven!

My version I tweaked a little, I didn't have an 8" tart pan so I used my 9" one, I also wanted to lighten it up a bit so I used half and half instead of heavy cream, and 2% milk instead of whole milk. It took longer to bake but I just kept checking it til the custard didn't wiggle anymore and was completely set. I also doubled the custard amount because my pan was larger, but ended up with some left over. The result was outstanding, and the hubby was a very happy man!

This is a great appetizer to get your sweet and salty fix. We love the taste of fig with warm brie cheese, in fact we often buy a jar of this wonderful fig spread that Whole Foods carries and put it over a wedge of brie that's been warmed up a little. It's so good!! These little one bite wonders give you that same flavor but with the added bonus of proscuitto! Your eyes will roll as you taste the combination! I'm not kidding!!

All you have to do is quarter your figs, stick a skewer through them, place a small cube of brie on the side and then wrap with a strip of proscuitto. They're fragile, so I used my inside grill pan, but you can certainly do them outside if you have a smaller hole grill pan on top of your grates.

Just cook for a couple of minutes to crisp up the proscuitto and melt the cheese a bit.

Only use sweet, juicy ripe figs they are the key to both recipes!!

Buon Appetito!

Stuffed Onions with Grilled Chicken Under A Brick

For your next BBQ try these stuffed onions, they make a great side dish to any protein you might be cooking on the grill. I like to prep them the day before and have them all ready to go.

Large sweet onions that are filled with feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, breadcrumbs, fresh herbs and pine nuts. There's something about the sweet taste of a caramelized grilled onion!

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO:

In a large pot of boiling water add 2 large whole onions with the skin on. Boil for about 12 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut each onion in half and carefully slip off the skin. Remove the center of each onion, leaving a thick shell. Chop up the scooped out onion, place in a bowl along with 1 cup of crumbled feta,1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped, 2 small minced garlic cloves, chopped parsley, thyme, and basil and toss in some pine nuts.

Brush the whole onion with olive oil, drizzle some on top too, place on your grill with a tent of foil over top, cook for around 40-45 minutes.

CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

I usually cut the backbone out and then split a whole chicken in half, place a brick that's been cleaned and wrapped in tin foil on top of the chicken, this will ensure nice even cooking, crispy skin, and a very moist and juicy chicken.

I make a paste/rub consisting of 5 cloves of garlic that has been smashed with the back of your knife then chopped fine, 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped rosemary, a healthy dose of black pepper and course salt, place in a small bowl and drizzle in some olive oil, then rub all over the chicken, underneath the skin and everywhere.

The garlic rosemary flavor makes this crispy juicy chicken a definite must for your summertime grilling.

Happy Grilling, and Buon Appetito!

Thinking Pink with a Raspberry Souffle

Pink is in the air as we anxiously await the arrival of a new baby girl in our family! This will be the first child for my son and daughter-in-law, and we are beyond excited for them, and for us!

We can't wait to meet her and to see what her sweet little face looks like!

I know I'm a little early, because the stork is not due to arrive until Sept 1st, but I've had pink on the brain with shower planning and shopping for a little girl.

So in honor of my soon to be baby granddaughter, I thought I'd post something pink!

I've also been on a quest to lighten up our desserts around here, and so a souffle seemed the way to go since I was lucky enough to come across some beautiful raspberries. I looked on the Internet for some recipes and this was the one that I chose, I altered it slightly by using a little less sugar in the egg whites, and then finishing it off by pouring a little raspberry liqueur right down the center.

This dessert takes no time at all if you use your food processor to puree your berries, but remember that raspberries have lots of seeds, so you have to strain it really good. Gently fold your puree into your stiff white peaks and bake, that's it! To be honest, the puree was so good the hubby tried it on some ice cream and loved it. I might do that more often!

This was almost too light for the hubby, I think he ended up eating three! Oh well, so much for portion control!

I found this onesie the other day, I couldn't resist, isn't it the cutest?