Whipped Goat Cheese and Green Olive Dip

Last Year's Post:  Split Pea Soup
Two Years Ago:   Cornmeal Herb Scones

It's the holiday season in addition to football season, which means lots of parties and appetizers.  Anyone can show up with a premade veggie tray with ranch dip, but this goat cheese dip is much more interesting and sophisticated.  You can choose to serve it with pita chips and crackers, or veggies - but not boring old mini carrots, celery sticks and cherry tomatoes.  Try sweet and colorful mini bell peppers, zucchini sticks and jicama sticks for something different.  (I found precut jicama sticks in the produce section of my grocery store, which helped speed things up quite a bit.) The dip is quite tangy from the goat cheese, olives and yogurt, so sweet vegetables such as sweet peppers, zucchini and jicama complement it well.  OK, grudgingly, carrots would go really well also.

Use any type of green olives than you want, but if you choose olives stuffed with garlic you might want to hold off on the garlic in the recipe until you taste it.  Note that I made a half recipe for the photo above - a full recipe makes almost 2 cups of dip.

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Whipped Goat Cheese and Green Olive Dip

Makes 1 ¾ cups dip

½ cup green olives, pitted

8 oz plain goat cheese

½ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon salt

Pita chips or crackers

Cut up fresh vegetables

In a food processor pulse olives until roughly chopped; set aside half of the mixture.  To remaining olives in food processor, add goat cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt.  Process about 1 ½ minutes or until extremely smooth and slightly aerated, scraping down sides as necessary. 

Transfer to a serving bowl; drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired, and top with reserved olives.  Serve immediately with pita chips, crackers, and/or vegetables.

Wine Bar (or Brewery) Platters

Last Year's Post:  Balsamic Chicken Watermelon Salad
Two Years Ago:   Ravioli with Peas, Bacon and Lemon Oil

Every wine bar or brewery has some sort of a platter listed under appetizers that typically includes cheese, meat, nuts and fruits.  It's an ideal way of entertaining - people basically love to snack - and essential if you're having a wine or beer tasting party (or football party!).  I actually love them so much that it's one of my first choices for dinner (not just appetizers) at a wine bar.  They're easy to assemble at home if you follow a few simple rules, and it's easy to scale up or down depending on the number of people;  just add more of everything, or add a few more choices.

Here are the basics of any good platter:
1. A wood platter, preferably not round.  The more rustic the better.
2. Two or three different types of cheese.  Textural differences (one soft and one hard, for example) are great.
3. Crackers and/or toasted French bread
4. One or more types of cured meats such as prosciutto, salami, sopressatta, etc.
5.  One or more types of whole roasted nuts (walnuts, pistachios, cashews, etc.)
6.  One or more types of olives
7.  Vegetables:  pickled or fresh or both
8.  Fruit: dried or fresh or both
9.  A couple of little forks and knives for spearing and spreading

Arrange everything artistically with complementary colors next to each other.  Prosciutto looks best if you sort of drape it rather than if it's lying flat, and nuts look great if they're casually tossed on rather than in a bowl. Everything should be in bite-sized pieces except cheeses, which can be served in wedges with a small knife for cutting/spreading.

Your grocer's olive bar is a great source of not only olives but also various marinated vegetables such as the mushrooms, peppers and artichoke/sun-dried tomato mix that I used.  I would call the platter that I created more of a wine bar platter than a typical brewery platter because breweries often emphasize charcuterie (cured meats) since they go so well with beer.  Here are some variations on the basic theme.

Wine Platter:  add more cheeses and less meats (sometime none at all)
Brewery Platter:  add several types of cured meats, an interesting mustard, and some dense thinly-sliced rye toasts
Mediterranean Platter:  substitute pita bread for French bread, eliminate the meats, and add hummus and baba ghanoush.  Almonds, dried apricots and feta cheese are very appropriate.

Have fun creating your own signature platters!

Cheddar Olives

Last Year's Post: Brie & Pomegranate Toasts
Two Years Ago:  Fondue

Cheddar olives were first popular a while back, and then they sort of went away for some reason.  I've started seeing them on restaurant menus again, and for good reason - they're perfect appetizers or tapas with beer or wine, and they're great on a cheese board or charcuterie board.  They can be prepared in advance and refrigerated or even frozen until time to bake, and they need to sit for 30 minutes after baking so you don't need to worry about baking them while your guests are around.

The one issue they used to have is that the cheddar dough tended to slide off when they were baked.  Leave it to the obsessed people at Cook's Illustrated to test ten jillion variations until they found one that solves the issue.  Having made cheddar olives before, I was a little surprised at the amount of dough they called for in their recipe; it seemed like you'd end up with a cheese biscuit with an olive center rather than an olive with a thin cheese exterior.  So, I decided to do my own test by doing half the olives their way, and half using a smaller amount of dough.

Starting back at the beginning, there are two important parts to making this recipe work well - using a good extra-sharp cheddar, and refrigerating the prepared olives before baking to allow the dough to set. The recipe calls for small pimento-stuffed green olives, but I've also made it with pitted black olives.  Green olives are sharper and saltier, black olives are milder.  You could even have fun and use some garlic-stuffed olives from the olive bar, but you'll need to increase the amount of dough if they're big. You typically find the smaller stuffed olives in jars; I found a 5.75 ounce jar of stuffed Manzanilla olives that ended up containing 48 olives, which perfectly used up my half-and-half recipe experiment's worth of dough.  If you use the lesser amount of dough per olive (which we preferred) you could probably do more than 50 olives.

You drain and roll the olives around on a towel to dry them, then grate the cheese and mix the dough in a food processor.  You shape the dough around the olive by first gathering about a teaspoonful in your hand, then roll it into a ball and flatten it into a disk.

 

 Place the olive on the disk and pull the dough up around the olive, then roll it around in your hand again until it forms a perfect little ball.  After you make one or two it becomes easy and it's actually kind of fun.  And magically, your hands don't even get all sticky.

Refrigerate for at least an hour, then bake and let rest for 30 minutes before serving.  Or, if you want to freeze them for later, freeze them separated on a plate or baking sheet before placing in a plastic bag so they don't all stick together.  You can bake them later directly from frozen which is really handy.

 In the first picture below, the olives with the larger amount of dough are on the top half of the baking sheet.  On the cooling rack, the bigger ones are on bottom part.  And on the picture at the top of this post, you can see the difference between the two cut olives.  As I said, we really preferred the version with less dough - it lets the olive be the star. So, I adjusted the recipe accordingly.

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Cheddar Olives

Makes approximately 50 olives

50 small pimento-stuffed green olives, rinsed (about 6 ounce jar)

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 7 pieces

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Spread olives on a dish towel and roll around to dry.  Pulse flour, paprika, pepper and cayenne in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses.  Add cheddar and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 12 pulses.  Add egg, water, and Worcestershire and process until dough ball forms, about 20 seconds.

Working with 1 heaping teaspoon dough and 1 olive at a time, roll dough between your hands to form a ball, then flatten into a disk.  Place olive in the center of the disk and fold the dough around it, then roll it around in your hands again to make a uniform ball.  Place cheddar olives on a large parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours (or freeze to bake later).

Preheat oven to 350d.  (If the cheddar olives are close together on your baking sheet, remove half and bake half at a time or use two sheets so they’re spaced at least 1 ½” apart).  Bake until bottoms are well browned and tops are golden, 16 to 18 minutes (if baking from frozen, increase time to about 25 minutes).  Transfer olives to a wire rack after baking and let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Pretzel Chicken Bites

 Last Year's Post: Forbidden Rice with Turkey, Roasted Squash and Walnuts
Two Years Ago:   Lentil Soup with Spicy Italian Sausage

The terms "football food" or "pub food" normally conjure up visions of delicious but unhealthy treats that are often deep-fried, drenched in cheese, or both.  I was therefore very happy to stumble across this recipe for pretzel chicken bites - little nuggets of chicken meat, coated in mustard and crushed pretzels - that are baked rather than fried.  If you manage to stay away from mustard cheese dipping sauce and serve it with mustard instead, it's actually very healthy.  Just don't tell the football fans.

Pretzels vary widely in terms of their saltiness, so be sure to taste one of the pretzels before you start.  To my surprise, these little thin ones weren't actually all that salty so the chicken bites needed seasoning before serving.

If you like a little spiciness you could add some chili powder to the mustard egg wash or sprinkle a little southwest seasoning on the chicken after baking.  You can also add some kick by serving the chicken bites with Dijon or Wasabi mustard in addition to honey mustard, which I particularly like because then everyone can decide how much kick they prefer.  If you use honey mustard for both the coating and the dip, these are very mild and very suitable for children.

The chicken is very easy to prepare but a little tedious in terms of rolling each flour-dusted piece in egg wash and then in crushed pretzels.  Not hard, but gloppy.

After that you just bake the chicken, turning once, and serve.  They're equally good hot or cold and make a good addition to a buffet table, plus they go great with beer.

printable recipe

Pretzel Chicken Bites

Serves 6

Note:  these are very mild if you use honey mustard and eliminate chili powder or southwest seasoning.  To make them spicier, you can add spice to the flour, or sprinkle it on at the end of baking, or use Dijon in place of honey mustard.

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup flour

Chili powder or southwest seasoning, optional (see note)

1 egg

1 cup honey mustard or Dijon mustard (see note)

5 oz crushed pretzels

Salt

Preheat oven to 425d.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl or a large zip-top bag, toss chicken with flour and optional chili powder or seasoning.  In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and 3 tablespoons mustard.  Place the crushed pretzels in a second shallow bowl.  Dip chicken pieces in egg, then roll in pretzels.  Place on the parchment-lined sheet and bake until cooked, turning once, about 15 minutes.  Season with salt and/or optional seasoning powder; serve with mustard for dipping.

Smashed Potatoes

Last Year's Post:  Shrimp, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad
Two Years Ago:   Tiny Pizzas (Finger Food)

Looking for a new and different appetizer for your next party?  Or maybe you're tired of the same old baked potatoes, mashed potatoes and french fries as a side dish.  The recipe will fit the bill either way.  Tiny potatoes are cooked twice - first boiled to make them tender, then smashed and roasted with olive oil.  The result is an irresistible treat that's crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside.  Serve it with your favorite dip and watch people dive in.

The technique is really easy and fun.  First you boil the potatoes, then take them out and put them on some towels.  You use another towel as cover to gently flatten them.  The first time I made this recipe I was pretty doubtful about the "gently flatten" part - I figured they'd turn into mush.  But they don't - they just kind of split and flatten.  The lawyer was so interested after watching me do a few, that he had to try it himself.

At this point you let the potatoes cool completely - you can even cover and refrigerate them so all you have to do later is roast them with olive oil until they're brown and crispy.  You could easily add some garlic or herbs while they roast to vary the taste.

They're excellent served up with flavored sour cream, cheese sauce,  chipotle sauce, chile sauce - whatever you like.  If you're having a party, I'd make a big batch and serve them with several sauces so people can try them all.

printable recipe

Smashed Potatoes

Serves 4-6 as a side dish or appetizer

12 to 15 baby red or yellow potatoes (1 ½ - 2 “ in diameter)

2 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

½ cup olive oil

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan (preferably in one layer) and cover with at least an inch of water.  Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt to the water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are completely tender and can easily be pierced with a skewer, 30-35 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, set up a double layer of clean dishtowels on the countertop.  When the potatoes are done, remove them individually from the water (don’t dump) and let them sit on the towels for a minute or two.

Fold another dishtowel into quarters, and using it as a cover, gently press down on one potato to flatten it to about ½” thick.  Repeat with the remaining potatoes.  Don’t worry some break apart a little; you can still use them.

Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; put a sheet of parchment on top of the foil.  Transfer the flattened potatoes carefully to the baking sheet and let them cool completely at room temperature.

Note:  the potatoes may be covered loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerated at this point to be roasted later.

Heat the oven to 450d.  Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and pour the olive oil over them.  Lift the potatoes gently with a spatula to make sure some of the oil goes underneath and that they’re well coated.  Roast until crisp and deep browned on the edges, turning once halfway through, about 30-40 minutes. 

Serve hot.

Smoked Turkey, Kale and Blue Cheese Sandwiches

Last Year's Post: Seafood Cobb Salad

Two Years Ago:  Roasted Stuffed Squash

Football Season
I think sandwiches are one of the great food inventions of all time.  There's just something so visceral about picking your food up with your hands rather than using a knife and fork - I think that's why bar food and appetizers are so popular.  I was at a wedding shower the other day that involved brunch food such as scones, muffins, and fruit.  Even though there were plates and utensils nearly everyone just picked things up with their hands to eat.  America is a nation of casual eaters.

The one danger of sandwiches is that it's easy to get in a rut, even for foodies.  I specifically wanted to make this particular sandwich because kale is not something I would normally put in a sandwich.  Kale and broccoli rabe are very popular ingredients right now, partly because they're very healthy and partly because they go so well with meat in sandwiches or sliders.  Both have slightly bitter flavors that balance meats and cheeses well.  In this particular combination, the slightly garlicky kale balances the smoked turkey and the creamy, blue cheese dressing perfectly.

I always try to mention some options for ingredient substitutions in recipes.  In this case, you could certainly vary the type of bread and the meat, but I would encourage you to stick with the kale and blue cheese dressing because they're perfect together.  You could also substitute leftover roast turkey instead of the thin-sliced deli turkey, which is a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.

You start by mixing the blue cheese dressing. You could also use a good quality bottled blue cheese dressing if you don't feel like making it from scratch.

Then you stem, chop and saute the kale until it's nice and tender.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the dressing on all the bread slices and top half the slices with kale, turkey, and more kale before placing the tops on the sandwiches.

 You could choose to finish the sandwiches in a skillet, in a panini press, or not toasted at all.  This is the kind of pub food that would be great with a cold beer, a crisp dill pickle, and a great football game on TV.

printable recipe
Smoked Turkey, Kale and Blue Cheese Sandwiches

Serves 4

 Note: High-quality blue cheese salad dressing may be substituted for the first three ingredients.

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2-3 T milk

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup chicken stock

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 ounces fresh kale, stems and inner ribs discarded, leaves coarsely chopped

8 slices country white or sourdough bread

12 ounces thinly sliced smoked turkey

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Mash the blue cheese and mayonnaise together in a bowl to a coarse puree; season with pepper and thin with milk to desired consistency and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet; add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add the chicken stock and the kale.  Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook over moderate heat until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove the lid and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about three minutes longer.  Let cool slightly.

To assemble the sandwiches:  place bread on work surface.  Divide cheese mixture between bread slices, spreading evenly.  Top four slices with half the kale, all of the turkey, and the remaining kale.  Top with the remaining bread slices, cheese side down. 

Melt one tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Spread the other tablespoon of butter over the tops of the sandwiches.  Place sandwiches in the skillet and cook until golden brown on the bottom, then carefully flip and cook the other side until golden.

Tiny Pizzas (Lilliputian Food Part 1)

I've had this strange fascination with tiny food (as in miniature versions of normal food) ever since I read an article about creating a counterpart to sliders by using little teeny weenies and making your own teeny buns for miniature hot dogs.  Although I don't like those little weiners (I think they're called Lil Smokies) I liked the idea.  After further research I learned that I could make tiny tacos, reubens, pizzas, and other Lilliputian foods that are perfect finger food for parties.  Someday I want to throw a party where all the food is miniaturized - I think that would be hilarious.

Do you have a New Years or football party in your near future?  I've never understood why so many people serve chili or regular pizza slices for football parties -messy, drippy food precariously transported from plate to mouth by a person whose eyes are glued to a TV screen.  I think the whole tradition must have been started by a carpet cleaning company.  In contrast, tiny food is securely transported with two fingers and whap! Into the mouth in its entirety.  Perfect, not to mention cute as the dickens. 

I thought I would start my erratic and occasional series on Lilliputian Food with tiny pizzas because everybody likes pizza and they're incredibly easy to make.

Although this recipe calls for using a store-bought crust, you could certainly use a refrigerated crust or make your own.  Just be sure to partially bake it first.  If you decide to use a store-bought crust, buy the thinnest one you can find so the tiny pizzas look right proportionally and the crust gets crisp.  I use sun-dried tomato pesto in place of pizza sauce because I like the additional boost of flavor but either one will work fine. The reason to chop the cheeses if they're in long shreds is because they're hard to drape on the tiny pizzas and make a mess.  Smaller pieces are much easier to handle.

You'll need a 2-inch round cookie cutter, which is easy to find at any kitchen gadget store or Bed, Bath and Beyond.  I bought a set of various sizes a while back and they come in handy.

Watch the pizzas closely because they bake fast - a minute or two will make a big difference once the cheese starts to melt because they're small and temperature is high.


* * click here for a printable recipe * *


Tiny Pizzas
Makes about 32 mini pizzas

2 large store-bought pre-baked thin crust pizza shells
Small jar of pizza sauce or sun-dried tomato pesto
Small package shredded pizza cheese blend – chopped in small pieces
Grated or shredded parmesan cheese – chopped into small pieces if needed
Pepperoni - optional
Pitted black or green olives – sliced in half lengthwise
Fresh basil – smallest whole leaves


Preheat the oven to 450d.

Cut rounds from pizza crust using a 2-inch round cutter, avoiding the thick crust edge. 

Top the pizza rounds with sauce and cover with pizza cheese blend. Top with pepperoni and an olive half.  As you can see, I made some with pepperoni and some without.  Choices, choices.

Place on a baking sheet and bake in the middle of the oven until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown, approximately 8 minutes. (Watch closely so the cheese doesn’t get too dark.)

Remove from the oven and sprinkle lightly with parmesan. Place a very small basil leaf on each and plate for serving.