Corn Dog Fritters

Corn dogs are a guilty pleasure of mine. With mustard. Always with mustard. This portable meal is not something I would consider making at home. Until now. This recipe is state fair food at its finest, in bite-size form! On-a-stick optional.

adapted from Mantitlement

yields 15-20 fritters

The Ingredients
canola or vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter, melted
2 ears of corn, shucked and kernels removed
3 all beef hot dogs, diced

The Process:
Fill a large, heavy-bottomed deep-sided saucepan half way full of oil. Bring oil to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and melted butter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined. Fold in the corn kernels and diced hot dog.

Working in batches, gently drop the batter by heaping tablespoon into the oil. Fry 2-3 minutes, turning once, until the batter is cooked through and golden brown.

Remove to a paper towel lined cooling rack and immedieately sprinkle with a touch of salt.

Serve hot, with condiments of your choice.

Cheesy Baked Broccoli Bites

Have you ever glanced through a magazine or a blog and tagged a recipe for later, only to not find the recipe again.  And yet the picture of the dish continues to haunt you.  On one particularly sleeplessness night, do you toss and turn, pondering upon that dish.  And suddenly...inspiration hits.  You may have lost the recipe, but that image guides you.  You burst into the kitchen prepared to create.

 This dish was sort of like that.  I came across the original post and filed it in the back of my mind.  I never actually read the recipe, though the step by step photo collage stayed crystal clear in my mind.  The successful filling for the previous broccoli stuffed tilapia brought this filed recipe back to mind.  Even without digging it up, I was certain I could come up with some facsimile of it.

And indeed I did.  After the fact, I did find the recipe.  What was different?  Surprisingly not much!  I used half the bread crumbs and slightly less cheese.   I also baked the bites a tad longer at a lower temperature.  And added srirachi and onion for a bit of bite.  Funny how just a quick glance can be enough to impart enough information! 

Inspired by Stacey Snacks

yields about 20 bites

The Ingredients:
2 1/2  cups frozen broccoli, thawed
1 green onion, finely chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Cheddar or Co-Jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
squirt of Srirachi
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350

Coarsely chop the broccoli and drain, removing as much liquid as possible.  In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix well.  If too thick, add a little milk.  If too thin, add more bread crumbs.

Roll the broccoli mixture into 1-inch balls and space evenly on an oiled baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Pineapple Spam Skewers with a Ginger Soy Glaze

Most people find spam unpalatable, or at least believe they do.  Granted, the look of that gelatinous compressed mold of meat product right out of can certainly turns my stomach.  However, what you do with that meat loaf after it oozes out of the can makes a world of difference.

I moved from the country's largest consumer of spam, where during emergencies you were limited to one pallet of the stuff at the store; to the country's number one producer, where a museum was erected to its gelatinous pink awesomeness.  I will never escape it.  Time to attempt embracing it.

Last year at our mid-winter luau, I subjected our guests to spam musubi.  They graciously left the lion's share for us to consume for days to come.  It was not a hit.

So this year in an attempt appeal to those beyond the few adventurous eaters, I turned to the classic culinary trick of pairing salty with sweet.  Pineapple was alternated with chunks of spam and brushed with a quick glaze.  After a pass under the broiler, the caramelized, salty sweet treats were ready to go.  Nothing was left of the spam this year.

the recipe is my own

serves 16

The Ingredients:
1 - 12 oz can of Spam
1 fresh pineapple
1/2 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 heaping Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
16 bamboo skewers

The Process:
Soak the bamboo skewers as you prep the other ingredients.

Remove the spam from the container, keeping the loaf intact.  Slice in half crosswise.  Cut each half in half again, this time diagonally.  Repeat, creating eight long triangles.  Lay each triangle on its side and slice into four wedges of equal thickness, yielding 32 pieces.

Remove the crown and bottom of the pineapple.  Remove the skin.  Cut the pineapple lengthwise into 8 equal wedges.  Slice the core away from each wedge, and slice the flesh into segments approximately 1-inch thick.  Reserve 48 pieces.

Preheat the broiler.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger until the sugar has dissolved.

Thread 3 pieces of pineapple and 2 pieces of spam onto each skewer, alternating between the two.  Brush each skewer generously with the soy glaze.  Broil 2-3 inches from the heat for five minutes on each side or until the pineapple and spam have begun to caramelize.  Remove the skewers to a serving platter and brush with any remaining glaze.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Cheddar and Green Chili Corn Cakes with Mango Avocado Salsa

Is it an appetizer?  Or a side?  After eating a few I may suspect they may even fit into the breakfast category.  Regardless, these little corn cakes are incredibly tasty.  You'd think fifteen would go a long way, but between three folk, we barely had any left for the next day.

Thankfully these cakes are a breeze to whip up...only a hair more complicated than pancakes.  And likely as not you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.

The salsa is a slightly sweeter spin on my usual guacamole, only the traditional tomato is substituted with mango.

Enjoy!

inspired by Alida's recipe at Simply Delicious

yields approximately 15 corn cakes

The Ingredients:
for the corn cakes
2 cups whole kernel corn
1-15 oz can creamed corn
2 eggs
1-4oz can green chilies
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

for the salsa
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili powder

The Process:
For the cakes:
In a medium bowl whisk together the corn, creamed corn, eggs, chilies and milk.  In a another bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.  Fold in the cheese.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Spoon about 3 Tbsp of the batter into the pan.  Fry for 4-5 on each side or until golden brown and crisp.  Transfer to a plate and keep warm

For the salsa
In a medium bowl, toss all of the ingredients until well combined. 

Spoon the salsa over the cakes, serve warm

Silly Simple Aioli

I made sweet potato fries.  But I failed to have my favorite condiment on hand for dipping.  Thank you, Internet, for coming to the rescue.

This is a quick and dirty aioli.  Most of you probably have these items on hand already.  And you needn't worry about raw eggs or egg yolks, so long as you are okay with store variety mayonnaise.

Adapted from Epicurious

yields about 1/3 cup

The Ingredients:
1 fat garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste.

The Process:
In a small bowl mash the garlic with olive oil.  Whisk in the mayonnaise and lemon juice until well incorporated.  Season with salt to taste.  Serve chilled.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I am certain I have waxed poetic about my fondness for sweet potatoes in the past.  So I will keep such pronouncements of undying affection to a minimum in this post.

And yet, sweet potato fries...these may be the ultimate snack food.

adapted from Cookie + Kate

serves 2

The Ingredients:
1 extra large sweet potato or 2 small
2 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp olive oil.

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 450

Peel the sweet potato(es) and slice into even match sticks, about 3/8-inch squared and 5 to 8 inches long.  Place the fries in a gallon-sized zip top bag.  Sprinkle with corn starch, salt, spices and oil.  Seal the bag and toss to coat.

Arrange the fries in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Flip the fries over and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp around the edges.  Thicker cut fries may need a little more time.

Serve hot with aioli or your favorite dipping sauce.

Bavarian Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Dip

Beer and pretzels.  When Ross and I set the date for our homebrew tasting, Bavarian pretzels were high on the list.  Whilet we were not serving any Martzen or lagers, this soft, chewy Oktoberfest staple seemed only fitting as our finger food and palate cleanser offering.  I scoured several recipes and came across many, many variations.  Most were of a quick and easy variety...attempting to replicate the slightly sweet and overly gresased varieties found at many a mall and corner cart.  Not Bavarian pretzels to say the least.

I had visions of soft, chewy, almost bagel-like interiors caramelized into a leathery, blistery brown skin, dotted with salt and full of pungent yeasty flavor.  Most recipes treated pretzel dough like bread dough...only with shorter to no proofing time and usually relying on egg washes to achieve the exterior.  Somehting didn't bode right about these.

Eventually a reoccuring method begin to pop up among recipes claiming to be more traditional or old world.  Lye.  Baking soda.  Alkalies....

It seems the trick to that memorable chwey interior and gorgeous brown skin is to boil the pretzels in an alkil solution for a mere 20 30 seconds.  In that breif moment the high pH breaks down the surface starches in to much more simple sugars which in turn caramelize in mere minutes in the oven.  The lye is food grade and can be purchased commercially...the heat of thee oven burns off any remaining, so fear not.  I found baking soda worked wonderfully.

The pretzel dough does dry out quickly.  I found having a spritzer of water at hand helped immensely when trying to roll out the ropes.  I did not try my hand at twisting traditional knots.  I did have over thirty people to supply...bite-sized bits seemed far more appropriate.  The recipe will make twelve 8-inch pretzels for the more ambitious. 

The baking soda is intimidating, but so much fun as well.  Dropped the bites in about 8 at a time.  They puffed up like magic within moments, supercharging the yeast before their trip into the oven.  The bite of residue alkali left had a cleansing effervescent quality unlike anything I've ever tasted with an American-style pretzel.  I am eager to try these babies again!

DO use parchment paper.  I learned that the hard way after trying to pry the baked morsels off of the first baking sheet.

DO remmeber to salt them before you bake them, using coarse or sea salt, not kosher salt.  Salt will not stick after the pretzels are baked, even with a brushing of oil, butter or beer. 

DO use the full amount of yeast.  2 Tbsp seems like a lot.  It is.  I snipped the tops off three packages and stirred the whole mess in.  You want the yeast. 

DO make these time and time again.  They will be a huge hit.  One guest, recently recovered from a trip to Germany, insisted I send her the recipe.  She found nothing quite as close to traditional Bavarian pretzels since returning state side.  The

pretzels adapted from the New York Times
Beer cheese dip adapted from Girlichef

yields 96 pretzel bites

The Ingredients:
for the pretzels:
1 Tbsp barley malt syrup or dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp lard or softened unsalted butter
2 Tbsp instant yeast
6 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon  kosher salt
5 cups water
10 Tbsp baking soda
Coarse sea salt or pretzel salt, for sprinkling (do not substitute kosher salt)

for the dip
10 oz beer (preferably a hefeweizen)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp  flour
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
In a large  bowl stir together syrup or brown sugar, lard or butter, yeast, 2 cups warm water and half of the flour. Add kosher salt and remaining flour and stir just until mixture just comes together.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cut into 12 pieces, gently form into balls and loosely cover with cling wrap.  Let rest 5 minutes.

Roll out each piece into a rope about 18 - inches long.  Cut each rope into approximately 8  pieces.  Place on baking sheets and loosely cover with cling wrap. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for one hour

Pre-heat oven to 425.

In a large saucepan mix the water with baking soda. Bring to a boil. Working with about a dozen at a time, place pretzel pieces in the boiling solution for 20 seconds. remove with a slotted spoon and spread out the pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with pretzel salt.

Bake for 8-10  minutes or until golden brown.

Serve immediately.

for the dip



In a medium saucepan set over medium heat bring the beer to a gentle boil.  Toss the cheddar cheese with the flour. Once beer is simmering, whisk in the cheese,cream cheese, mustard, green onions and garlic.  Continue to stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Holy Homemade Hummus!

I have been meaning to make hummus for ages.  Store bought varieties are a staple of my lunches...with veggies, on pita, sometimes with pretzels or chips.  I adore every variety I've tried...plain, garlic loaded, spicy.  With olives or roasted red pepper.   The only thing that bothered me was a slightly artificial acidic flavor that nagged every brand I'd ever purchased.  I suspected the only solution was to make my own.


adapted from Cook Eat Live Vegetarian


yields about 1 1/2 cups

The Ingredients:
1 - 14 oz can garbanzo beans
3-4 Tbsp tahini
2-3 cloves of garlic
3-4 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
oil, cumin and paprika to serve

The Process:
In a large bowl, thoroughly rinse the garbanzo beans, gently squeezing and rubbing the beans together to loosen the skins.   Skin the loosened skins off the top of the water.

Transfer the beans to a medium sauce pan.  Add just enough water to cover.  Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer the beans for about 12-15 minutes, or until soft.

Drain the chickpeas, reserving about 1/4 cup of the liquid.   Rinse, again while gently rubbing together to loosen and remove any remaining skins.  This may sound incredible tedious, but the extra step yields an extra creamy end product!

Transfer the beans to a food processor.  Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt.  Process until smooth, adding reserved liquid 1 Tbsp at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. 

Spoon the hummus to a serving dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin and paprika.  Serve with pita, veggies or chips.

The Review:
I made this to enjoy with lunch.  I almost sat down with the entire batch and a spoon...it's that good...

Homemade pitas to follow!

Very Veggie Spinach Dip

For me, a summertime snack usually involves some sort of dip.  Hummus, salsa, spinach dips, sour cream or yogurt based concoctions, peanut butter, oozy-cheesey goodness...it doesn't really matter.

Nor am I too terribly picking about what I use to scoop up the dip.  I know most days I should be reaching for the fresh veggies or whole grain pita.  But let's face it, sometimes chips are in order.

I had chips in mind when I came across the inspiration for this spianch dip.  But after trying it, I was completely content with big bowl of blanches veggies to enjoy this with.  It seemed to be a crowd pleaser across the board...regardless of our guests' snacking preferances

Adapted from recipes at Knorr's and Peas & Crayons

yeilds about 2 cups

The Ingredients:
6  cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 large zucchini, grated
1 pkg vegetable soup mix
1 cup Greek yogurt (or strained plain yogurt)
1 cup sour cream
2-3 scallions, diced


The Process:
Zap the spinach in the microwave for 3 minutes.  Stir and return to the micorwave for an additional 2 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Drain off any liquid and squeeze dry. 

In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the remaining ingredients.  Stir until well combined.  Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and chill for 2 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Serve with chips or veggies of your choosing.


The Review:
I adore spinach dips.  Doubly so if the spinach is fresh.  Something about the stringy consistency of many frozen variety of spinach out there always throws me a little.   Frozen will work in a pimch here...use 9-10 oz but be sure to thaw and drain teh leafy greens really well!

Overall the dip was a huge hit with everyone that tried it.  If you can be patient enough to let the dip sit for more than 2 hours, even better.  After chilling the veggie loaded concoction seemed to reach it's peak of flavor once it hit room temperature (and that certainly didn't take long given the toasty summer we've been having!)

Have you noticed how cream-based vegetable concoctions--coleslaw, cucumber salads and the like--have a tendency to weep and pool the liquid over time? This dip surprised me, especially considering the water heavy zucchini shredded into the mix.  The next day very little liquid had separated out.  It didn't last much longer for us to find out if it would.

Most of our guests at the evening BBQ gobbled the dip up with nothing more than basic salty potato chips.  Ross preferred the heartier tortilla chips as his vehicle of choice.  Me?  Carrots and snow peas, surprisingly...though I did have my fair share of salty potato rounds as well.

Veggie soup mixes are a staple in my pantry for slow cooker roasts and stews...I'm surprised it took me this long to try it in a dip...the recipe is right on the package after all!

Arugula and Garlic Scape Pesto

Enough with the arugula, please!  Every week for the past month we've been blessed with an incredibly large bag of the peppery greens.  But there's only some much of it I can handle!  Our farm has promised this to be the last bunch (for a while, if not for the season).  The ridiculously hot and dry weather that part of the state has been dealing with resulted in the arugula all coming ready far before expected.

This batch, this possible last bundle, was full of large mature leaves even more fragrant then baby greens we'd been treated to earlier.  Taking the farm's suggestion, I turned this last bunch into a pesto. 

recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

yields about 2 cups

The Ingredients:
1 cup garlic scapes  cut into 1" pieces
 2 cups chopped arugula, lightly packed
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

The Process:
Combine everything but the oil in a food processor and pulse into a coarse paste. Add oil in a thin stream while the processor is going. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze.

The Review:
Now that you have that bright green concoction, how do you use it?  First I tried a spoonful and was wowed by how the usually subtle flavor of the scapes came forward.

Next we tired is tossed with pasta.  A little bit of pesto went a very long way.  The flavor was bright and grassy...rounded out with the rich, but not overwhelming garlic.


How else?  Straight up with fresh veggies.  Not bad...but the strong flavor of the pesto was a bit much for the delicate red pepper and snap peas.  WAY too peppery served with raw radish, but worth the try.

Spread on buttered bread and broiled?  Amazing.

Mixed with a bit of cream cheese and scooped up with celery...a much better alternative with raw veggies than served straight up.

So many ways...so many things to try.

I'm a little disappointed I didn't start making pesto with the arugula earlier!

Fish Dumplings

I originally started this blog as an excuse to push myself to try new recipes.  At first it was more of a documentation of the recipes I've tried, good or bad.  Since then I feel I have, consciously or not, attempted to cater to a specific audience.  As such I've noticed I cook more, but actually post less.  I've tended to only share the good.

Granted I've had very few recipes that seemed to outright fail.  But they do happen.  This recipe these fish dumplings came from is a case in point.

Rather than dwell on how inedible we found this particular meal to be, I thought at the very least I would share the positive aspect.  The meal was originally a Thai style curry with fish dumplings.  The fish dumplings were amazing.  But the curry was so potent...so awful, I'd rather not share that part.  Lesson learned...if 6 shallots seems like a bit much onion to form the base of what should be a delicate curry sauce, it probably is.  The curry paste was so pungent, my eyes watered from the moment I started slicing the shallots to the moment the garbage bag with the last remnants of the dinner was tied up.

But the dumplings were lovely...

Adapted from the Curry Bible by Jacki Passmore

serves 4


The Ingredients:
1 lb flaky white fish, cubed (tilapia or swai work well)
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 Tbsp water


The Process:
Place the fish, salt and water in food processor.  Grind until soft and pasty.  Moisten your hands and form the fish into walnut-sized balls

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a gentle boil.  Add the fish dumplings a few at a time and poach until the dumpling float to the surface, about 2 minutes.  (They really do cook that fast)

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.  Gently toss with curry of your choice and serve warm.

The Review:
Easy, isn't it?  And the dumplings are quite wonderful.  Blending the fish into a paste and then forming them into little meatballs creates a texture most of us would never guess as seafood.  They are heartier.  Almost as dense as traditional meatballs, but with a wonderfully delicate flavor.

You can see why it was such a pity to have a horrendously pungent onion-dominate curry sauce with them.  These little fish balls really need something incredibly light to set off they flavor.

Mini Caramelized Onion Quiches with Sriracha Glazed Bacon

Have you noticed how many recipes for mini quiches are out there?  And yet so few of them utilize a crust.  I completely sympathize.  The pastry is fussy and time consuming when you're trying to work small.  One of my least favorite tasks in the kitchen is rolling out uniformly thin layers of pastry crust or cookie dough.  But in this instance, the butter crust adds a lot to the texture and flavor of the quiche.  And the crimped and pleated edges of pastry practically blossom out of the muffin tins.  They are quite stunning.

Many tarts, galettes, pastries and quiches have been featuring caramelized onions as of late.  So I have decided to  jump on the bandwagon.  Added bonus...mini quiches means I'll breakfast ready to heat on eat for the next few days.

the recipe is my own

yields 12 mini quiches

The Ingredients:
for the bacon
3 slices thick cut bacon
1 Tbsp honey
1-2 tsp Sriracha


for the onions
2-3 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt

for the quiche
pie crust or pate brisse  for a dbl crust
4 eggs
1/2 cup +2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
pinch cinnamon
3/4 cup cheese of your choice, shredded

The Process:
for the bacon:
Preheat the oven to 450.  On an aluminum lined baking sheet, lay the bacon out in a single layer.  In a small cup or bowl, stir together the honey and sriracha.  Brush the glaze evenly over each slice of bacon.


Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon reaches the desired level of crispness.  Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain and cool.

for the onions:
In a large skillet over high heat, melt the butter and heat the oil.  Add the onions in a single layer over the entire bottom of the skillet.  Reduce the heat to medium, medium-low.  Saute the onions over low heat, stirring every 2-3 minutes.  After 5-7 minutes sprinkle with salt to extract more of the liquid from the onions.  Continue to saute over medium-low heat, stirring only every 2-3 minutes.  The onions should slowly begin to brown and caramelize. 

After the desired caramelization is achieved, about 20-30 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.



for the quiche:
Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly oil a 12 cup, standard-sized muffin tin.

Roll out the pastry crust or pate brisse.  Cut out twelve 5- inch circles and gently press one circle into each cup of the tin, gently pleating and folding the edges as needed.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cream, milk and seasonings.  Set the egg mixture aside.

Divide the caramelized onions between the 12 pastry cups, using roughly 1 tsp per quiche.  Top each with 1/4 strip of bacon, snipped into small pieces.  Sprinkle with 2-3 tsp of shredded cheese. Pour about 3 Tbsp of the egg mixture into each cup, filling within 1/4 inch of the crust's lip.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the quiche puffs up and begins to brown.  A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean.  Allow the mini quiches to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, enabling the egg mixture to set up.  Gently remove the mini quiches from the muffin tin to a cooling rack.  Let rest until the egg settles and levels out and the quiches are cool enough to handle.

Serve warm.

The Review:
Fresh out of the oven, domed golden treasures peeked out from their pastry petals.  They quickly settled, but with that first glimpse I knew I was in for a treat.

I had a hard time waiting for the mini quiche to cool enough to take a bite.  But that first bite...heavenly.  The crust broke away in a flaky, buttery burst to reveal the smooth, velvety egg within.  A salty, smokey pop of bacon followed, and close behind that...the slight sweetness and almost creamy layer of caramelized onion.  A subtle warmth danced across my tongue as the Sriracha came forward to finish off the bite.  One small bite...so many flavors and textures. 

While still warm, the egg and bacon flavors dominated these lovely little breakfast bites.  As with many things, the flavor improved with time.  The next day the Sriracha created the most wonderful subtle warmth without a trace of vinegar or bite.  The onions held their own more strongly against the smokey burst of bacon.  And all in all the flavors mellowed and mingled a little more harmoniously.

Of course, saving them for next morning's breakfast sacrifices that gloriously flaky crust, unless you have time to reheat them in the oven.  Convenience always has its price.

Ross didn't care much for the Sriracha.  But the fillings for these quiche are limitless.  Even a change as simple as a maple-peppercorn or honey-whiskey glaze on the bacon would be enough to launch these breakfast gems into completely different flavor-filled waters.

Roasted Chili and Pork Empanadas

I was in a bind.  I run into this problem every time the word potluck is tossed about.  A friend was having a gathering and asked we bring a dish to pass.  My reputation in the kitchen is beginning to precede me.  I wanted to offer something stellar.  But I was also feeling lazy and didn't want to make a special trip to the store or put much effort into concocting an awe-inspiring dish.  Something saliva inducing was still required. Or at least palatable.  Desserts are easy...potlucks seem overwrought with cookies, bars and cupcakes.  So I wanted to bring something savory.  But easy to eat.  Serious board game playing was likely to occur and few things clutter up playing space like dinner plates. 

So the solution?  Empanadas.  Have you noticed how many cultures have savory meat pies in their repertoire? Italian calzones, Cornish pasties, Indian samosas, Spanish empanadas...heck, even hot pockets...

I picked empanadas for the broad appeal of the ingredients.  Honestly, really the biggest difference between all of these hand pies is the seasoning and sauce.  I guess I was in more of a tex-mex mood.  I've made pasties and samosas before.  Plus I already had everything on hand.  I used leftover roasted pork loin; but ground beef, shredded chicken, or rice and beans could just as easily work.  Given my impatience with pie pastry, that I did purchase instead of making my own from scratch.  I'm getting better, but Pillsbury still makes a better pie crust than I do...

the recipe is my own

yields 20-24 empanadas

The Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1- 4 oz can fire-roasted chilies
2 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 cups cooked pork loin, finely chopped
6 oz Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 recipe for a double pie crust
1 egg, beaten

The Process:
 In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute the onions and garlic until the onion is tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the chilies, cumin, chili powder.  Stir until well combined and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the meat.  Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.  Mix in  the sour cream.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly grease 2 baking sheets and set aside.

Roll out the pie crust and cut out 3-inch rounds using a cookie cutter (I ended up using the screw top band from one of my canning jars...)  Re-roll the dough as necessary to make 20-24 rounds.

In the center of each dough round, mound a scant Tbsp of filling.  Dip your finger in water and dampen the edges of the dough round. 

Carefully fold one side of the dough over the filling.  Line up the edges of the dough and press gently.  Crimp the edge with the tines of a fork to seal the empanada shut.  Place on a baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough rounds and filling.  You will most likely have some filling left over.

 Using a pastry brush, brush a little beaten egg onto each empanada.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the empanadas puff slightly the crust is golden brown.  Serve warm.

The Review:
Considering I used leftovers and pre-made pie crust, these empanadas were a breeze to make.  They looked absolutely stunning...beautiful puffed and rounded crusts, carefully crimped edges, glistening egg glaze, steaming and flavorful filling...I would make these again in a heart beat.  And it appears our friends would gladly partake of them again given the chance.  Filling possibilities are endless.  And the size is perfect for snacking and sharing.  For an entree-sized meat pie, a larger round with more filling would be easy enough to do...and I suspect they would freeze well for future quick meals.

Spam Musubi

Even more ubiquitous than poke, spam musubi could be found at every convenient store, gas station, and local kine lunch counter. Even the finer restaurants get in on the action, offering deconstructed and carefully marinated versions of the quick snack.   It is Hawaii at it's best.  A fusion treat blending hands-free Japanese snacking with the Islander's love of Spam.

I've never been much of a fan of the salty meat product, but even this treat has its charms.

adapted from several people's input

makes 8 musubi


The Ingredients:
1 can Spam, original flavor
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
4 cups short grained sushi rice, cooked
4 sheets of nori, sliced in half lengthwise
small bowl of water

The Process:
Open the can of spam and set the luncheon meat on its side on a cutting board. Slice lengthwise into 8 equal pieces.  Clean out the can.  Using a sharp knife, can opener or kitchen shears, remove the other side of the can.  File down any sharp edges.  Save for use as the musubi mold.  Alternatively, you can purchase mold specifically for this spam musubi.

In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce and brown sugar. Pour over spam and let set for about five minutes.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Layer the spam in the skillet ans sautee for 2-3 mintues per side, or until the spam begins to caramelize.  Remove from pan and set aside.

To assemble the musubi, lay one sheet of nori on a clean work surface.   Place one slice of spam in the center of the nori.  set the mold over the spam.

With damp fingers press about 1/2 cup of sushi rice into the mold.  Pack the rice down as firmly as possible.  Remove the mold.  Fold both sides of the nori over the rice, sealing edges with a little water.  Place on a plate seam side down.

Serve warm or warp in cling wrap and refrigerate.

The Review:
Salty, sweet, and a little odd.  People either love it with a passion or avoid it like the plague..though of those who dare try it, most seem to be ambivalent.  Most of our guests at least sampled the Hawaiian snack.  While it was bu no means anyone's favorite dish of the night, a new respect for the pink gelatinous lunch meat emerged.  This version was a fair tribute to the musubi we had on the islands.

Ahi Poke

This dish is Ross' kryptonite.  It has been a sore spot since leaving Hawaii that we cannot find anything remotely similar to this marinated raw tuna in the Twin Cities metro.  Sea Change makes a noble attempt, serving skewers of excellent fresh and fatty tuna with a drizzle of shoyu and sesame.  But it's not the same.  Poke was an everyman's food in Hawaii, not some delicacy served at raw bars, sushi houses and upscale seafood restaurants.  Enter and supermarket and you'd be greeted with at least half a dozen varieties of the tender tidbit of raw fish at the deli counter.

This is my feeble attempt at grasping for that tropical ideal...

adapted from a recipe at food.com

The Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh ahi tuna
1 small round onion, julienned cut (Maui Onions preferred)
3 green onions, diced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp Chinese chili sauce (Rooster Brand)
1 tsp hawaiian sea salt or 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

The Process: 
Cut Ahi into half inch cubes.  Place in large bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

In another bowl, combine julienned onion, green onion, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper flakes, chili sauce and salt.  Stir well to combine and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to serve toss Ahi with the sauce.   Let set for about ten minutes to marinate.

Serve on chilled platter with chopsticks or toothpicks.

 The Review:
Unless you have a lot of sushi fans, this may not be the biggest hit.  This was the one dish we had a lot of at the end of the night...not that Ross minded much.


Of all of the poke I remember, this version seemed particular salty.  Perhaps too much soy sauce.  The healthy red steaks quickly turned a dull brown once marinaded with the sauce too.  Such a pity too...these were gorgeous tuna steaks to begin with. 

The ginger and garlic lent a nice flavor but everything in combination seemed to overpower the tuna itself.  In the case of poke, it would seem less is more.  And the fresher thee fish the better...which is a feat in and of itself in a land locked state...