Blue Cheese-Apricot Bites

Photo by Rachel's Bite, Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 US licensed.

Sweet, savory, and crunchy! You do have to be a fan of blue cheese to enjoy these, but I think there's nothing better than a pungent cheese with a bit of sweet. I found this recipe for Blue Cheese-Apricot Bites in a 2010 Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications for Appetizers. It's the perfect party food! And these candied walnuts you end up with, you'll want to make a whole batch of just those. But be careful, they can get soggy.

I have made this recipe several times. I usually make a double batch because you only end up with 16 and I always eat 3 or 4 while I'm putting them together because they are so yummy. I have tried these with organic apricots which is a bit better for you, but the organic apricots are darker and might look strange to some. Being an appetizer people just think they are dark because they are cooked, but I wanted to warn you of the discoloration in case you try those out.

Blue Cheese-Apricot Bites
Makes 16 appetizers

2 tsp. butter
2 Tbsp. finely chopped walnuts
2 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. snipped fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp dried rosemary, finely crushed
¼ cup crumbled Gorgonzola,Roquefort, or other blue cheese (1 ounce)
1 ounce cream cheese
16 dried apricots
Snipped fresh rosemary (optional)

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add wlnuts and sugar; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until walnuts are lightly toasted. Stir in ½ teaspoon fresh or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary; cook and stir for 30 seconds more. Transfer nuts to a foil-lined baking sheet; cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine Gorgonzola cheese and cream cheese. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Spoon about ¾ teaspoon of the cheese mixture on top of each dried apricot. Sprinkle with nuts. If desired, garnish with additional fresh rosemary.

Per appetizer: 33 cal., 2 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 5 mg. chol., 24 mg sodium, 3 g carb., 0.3g fiber, 1 g pro.


Love is all around you... Enjoy!

- Rachel

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Polenta Crostini with Fig and Kalamata Olive Tapenade

Polenta is one of those really fun foods... you can do so many different things with it. A few weeks ago I had a polenta appetizer at a restaurant where the polenta was sliced and grilled and then topped with a mixture of chopped veggies. So when I saw this recipe for Polenta Crostini with Fig and Kalamata Olive Tapenade in The Christmas Table cookbook I knew I wanted to try it out for my family.

It is actually pretty simple to make. Prepare polenta, pour into a bread pan and chill. Something so simple yields a really nice alternative to crackers when serving to guests.

The combination of figs and kalamata olives may be off-putting to some. In face many of my relatives wrinkled their nose when I told them what was in this, but they all tried it and everybody loved it.

Polenta Crostini with Fig and Kalamata Olive Tapenade Makes about 75 Polenta Crostini Olive-oil cooking spray 3 cups water 1 cup instant polenta 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, preferably parmigiano-reggiano 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Fig Tapenade 1 1/2 cup stemmed and finely chopped dried black mission figs 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. small capers, rinsed and blotted dry 1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano 1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

To make the polenta crostini, generously grease an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with olive-oil cooking spray. Set aside.

In a 2 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the polenta, salt and pepper and continue to stir constantly until the polenta has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust the heat to low if the polenta is bubbling too vigorously. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Pour the polenta into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top so it is level. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly over the polenta to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside until cool, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the polenta to firm up. (The polenta can be made up to 2 days in advance.)

To make the fig tapenade, place the figs and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until the figs have softened and the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Transfer the figs to a medium bowl. Add the olives, pine nuts, vinegar, olive oil, capers, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix gently to combine. Transfer a serving bowl, cover, and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. (The tapenade can be prepared up to 5 days in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 45 minutes before topping the crostini.)

To finish the crostini, position an over rack 4 inches below the heat source and preheat the broiler. Unmold the polenta onto a cutting board, and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into thirds to form rectangles. Arrange the pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and brush the tops with the olive oil. Broil until lightly golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before topping. (The polenta crostini can be broiled up to 3 hours before serving. Set aside at room temperature.)

To assemble and serve, place the polenta crostini on a large platter. Spoon a small dollop of the fig tapenade in the center of each rectangle. Serve immediately, or cover and set aside at room temperature for up to 45 minutes.

Cool Veggie Pizza

One thing that is present at almost any party I, my family, or my friends host is Cool Veggie Pizza. I had this for the first time at a Pampered Chef party about ten years ago and we have been making it ever since.

This holiday my co-workers decided to have a potluck so I made this. The night before I chopped up the veggies and stored them in separate baggies. I also made the cream cheese mixture. I cooked the "crust" before work in the morning on a disposable cookie sheet. I assembled everything while I was on a conference call just before our lunch! It worked out perfectly.

Cool Veggie Pizza
8-10 appetizer servings

1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dill Mix or dill weed

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups of a variety of fresh vegetables: zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, green or red peppers, green onions, seeded tomatoes, seeded cucumbers, etc.

1 oz. (1/4 cup) shredded cheddar cheese, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread crescent roll dough onto 13-inch baking stone and pinch seams together (you can use a cookie sheet as well). Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Blend cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt and pepper. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of cooled crust. Coarsely chop chosen vegetables.

Sprinkle layer of each vegetable over pizza. Top with grated cheese, if desired.

Chocolate Tostada with Salt

I recently had salty chocolate for the first time and I adore the combination. Vosges Barcelona Exotic Candy Bar is made with milk chocolate, smoked almonds and gray sea salt. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was amazing! I love salt and add it to lots of different things. So I was really excited to try it when combined with chocolate.

Inspired by that candy bar, I decided to try the Chocolate Tostada with Olive Oil and Salt recipe I found in The New Spanish Table. It is really easy to make and a very interesting little snack which would be fun appetizer at a party. But I confess, I like the candy bar better.

Chocolate Tostata with Olive Oil and Flaky Salt Tostada de Chocolate con Aceite de Oliva (serves 4 to 6) Ingredients: 5 to 6 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao), grated 1 piece (9 to 10 inches long and at least 2 inches in diameter) dense, chewy baguette, cut in half lengthwise Fragrant extra-virgin olive oil Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Instructions:
Preheat the broiler.

Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler and melt it over simmering water.

Brush the cut side of each baguette half very lightly with olive oil. Broil the bread until golden, watching out that it doesn't burn around the edges. (Alternatively, you can toast the bread.)

Spread the cut side of each baguette half with the melted chocolate, lightly drizzle a little olive oil over the chocolate, and judiciously sprinkle it with salt. Cut each baguette half on the diagonal into roughly 1 1/4-inch pieces and serve at once.