½ pound feta cheese, crumbled (about 2 cups) ½ pound ricotta cheese (about 1 cup) 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened 1 egg 1/3 cup chopped parsley Dash of cayenne Dash of salt Dash of grated nutmeg 1 (1-pound) package filo pastry, thawed 1 ½ sticks (6 oz) unsalted butter, melted
In a large bowl or food processor, combine feta cheese, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, egg, parsley, cayenne, salt, and nutmeg. Mix until well blended.
On a flat work surface, unfold filo and cut lengthwise into 6 or 7 strips 2 to 3 inches wide. Cover filo strips with plastic wrap and top with a damp towel to prevent drying.
Brush 1 filo strip with melted butter. Top with a second strip of filo and brush again with butter. Place about 1 ½ teaspoons cheese mixture on short end of strip, off to 1 corner. Fold 1 corner over to opposite edge, covering filling and making a triangle. Continue folding strip as you would a flag, keeping the triangular shape with each fold. Place filo triangle on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with butter and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Repeat with remaining filo and filling. (If made in advance, refrigerate up to 8 hours. Freeze for longer storage.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange filo triangles about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet and bake until puffed and barely golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Slightly modified from a recipe in “Natasha’s Kitchen” by Natsha Kravchuk
Makes about 24
Canola oil 6 strips regular-cut bacon (not peppered, not thick), cooked until crisp, drained, and cut into small bits 4 oz plain cream cheese, at room temperature (low-fat/neufchatel works fine) 1/2 cup grated Parmeson cheese 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley plus more for garnish (omit for Burns family) 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 pound small- to medium-sized button mushrooms
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Mash with the back of a spoon to mix everything thoroughly, then add the bacon bits and mix again.
Divide the filling among the mushrooms – it will mound up. Arrange on the baking sheet, evenly spaced. Sprinkle the remaining bacon bits on top of each mushroom. Bake for 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are starting to soften and the tops are brown in a few spots.
Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter, sprinkle with the reserved parsley, and serve.
1 large carrot, rough chopped 2 ribs celery, rough chopped 1/2 yellow onion, rough chopped 1 large clove garlic, crushed 4 cups chicken broth (I use filtered water + Penzey’s chicken base) 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 4 mushrooms, very thinly sliced 2 green onions, dark green part only, very thinly sliced
In a medium-sized saucepan with a lid, combine the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic with 1 Tablespoon of water and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant. Add the chicken broth and soy sauce. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, let simmer 30 minutes. Strain broth to remove all the vegetables. Keep the broth over low heat with the lid on until ready to serve. Ladle into bowls, top with mushrooms and green onions.
From “Mediterranean Harvest” by Martha Rose Schulman
Serves 4-6
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup water 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar 1 bay leaf 2 garlic cloves, crushed 6 whole black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 pound small mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed even with the cap
1. In a large, lidded skillet or wide saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the mushrooms, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan, rounded side down. Simmer five minutes, uncovered. Using tongs, turn the mushrooms over. Simmer for another three to five minutes until just cooked through. Using tongs, remove the mushrooms to a bowl.
2. Place a strainer over the bowl, and strain in the liquid from the pan. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate or serve at room temperature. To serve, remove the mushrooms from the marinade with a slotted spoon, place in a serving bowl or on a platter, and have toothpicks and napkins close by. Optional: sprinkle mushrooms with chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, chervil, or marjoram) when you serve them.
Advance preparation: You can make these three to four days ahead.
Deb writes: Poblanos are very mild hot peppers. You could use fewer or swap them with a small bell pepper for less heat, or swap one or both with a hotter jalapeño or other chile for more heat. Kristin says: I didn’t have a poblano on hand, and didn’t want the heat of a jalapeno, so I substituted a small can of chopped fire-roasted green chiles and it was delicious (and made the recipe even easier and quicker).
Yield: 6 quesadillas, serves 6
2 small or 1 large fresh poblano chiles OR 1 can (small or large, as you choose) chopped fire-roasted green chiles 1 small head cauliflower, cored and cut into rough 1-inch chunks Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking quesadillas 3 scallions, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon lime juice 2 cups (about 8 ounces) coarsely grated Monterey jack cheese 12 small (7-inch) flour tortillas OR 6 burrito-sized tortillas, cut in half
If using fresh peppers: Char peppers: Over a gas burner turned to high, hold the poblanos over the flame with tongs and char them until they are black and blistered all over. Alternatively, you could do this under a broiler, turning them frequently for even blistering. Transfer hot chiles to a bowl and cover tightly with foil. Set aside to steam and let their skins loosen while you cook the cauliflower.
Char cauliflower: In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper, until it’s evenly coated. Heat your largest heaviest frying pan over high heat until almost smoking, add cauliflower, and let it cook until each piece has a few black spots but is not mushy, turning and moving it frequently to ensure even cooking. This will take 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer florets to cutting board to rest.
Mix filling: If using fresh peppers: When poblanos are cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin off with your fingertips or a paring knife. Pull out and discard stems and seed clusters, and slice peppers into 1/4-inch wide strips.
Add (fresh or canned) peppers to cauliflower on board and give both a rough chop together, reducing the cauliflower to no bigger than 1/2-inch chunks. Return cauliflower and peppers to the large bowl, add scallions, lime juice and salt to taste. You should have about 2 cups of cauliflower filling.
Assemble and cook quesadillas: Lay out 6 tortillas and spread 1/3 cup cauliflower filling and 1/3 cup shredded cheese on each. Place second 6 tortillas on top as lids. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, coat lightly with olive oil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook quesadillas until browned underneath, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully a flip — a large, thin spatula helps here — and repeat on the second side. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.
To serve: Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with your choice of fixings. Two choices are below.
Cumin-Lime Crema
1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema A few gratings fresh lime zest 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin Pinch of salt
Combine, adjust seasonings to taste, and serve alongside quesadillas.
Lazy Taco Slaw
1 bag coleslaw mix, or 3 cups finely shredded red cabbage and 1 coarsely grated carrot Coarse salt Juice of half a lime 2 scallions, sliced thin A dollop of mayonnaise, sour cream or plain yogurt A dash of hot sauce (optional) 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves
Toss cabbage mix, salt and lime together in a large bowl; set aside for 5 minutes. It will shrink down a bit. Stir in scallions, then mayo and hot sauce. Adjust seasonings/ingredients to taste, then stir in cilantro leaves. Serve alongside quesadillas or any of your favorite tortilla-clad meals.
1 cup sour ceam
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
2 teaspoons dry onion
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons dry parsley
1/2 recipe with variation:
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
1/2 teaspoon Penzey’s Ozark seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 Tablespoon Greek yogurt
Best made a day or two ahead.
From Grandma Euler’s recipe box, with a note that the recipe came from Ruth Cameron. I used to make this for the party after piano recitals in Mary Dunkel’s studio.
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 small can crushed pineapple, well drained
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 Tablespoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 or 3 drops Tabasco sauce
Put half the nuts in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Form into a ball or log and roll in the remaining nuts. Make one day ahead. (Maybe it would be better to roll in the nut coating just before serving?)
Rub 1 teaspoon of the oil on one side of each tortilla and arrange them oiled side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Combine the cheese, mushrooms, scallions, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until you have a coarse puree. Spread the puree on the tortillas, covering the entire surface of each one. Sprinkle the remaining 4 teaspoons oil on top.
Bake the pizzas for 12 to 14 minutes, until hot, bubbling, and browned underneath. Cut into quarters and serve.
Nonstick cooking spray, as needed (I used olive oil spray)
3 cups prepared cauliflower rice, cooled*
1 bunch scallions, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 egg + 1 egg white, lightly whisked
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it generously with nonstick spray.
2. Press the prepared cauliflower rice with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Add the scallions, parsley, cheese, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, egg and egg white; mix to combine. Add the bread crumbs and mix to combine.
4. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of the mixture and form it into a cylindrical shape. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the mixture has been used. Spray the surface of the tots with nonstick spray.
5. Bake until they’re golden brown on the bottom, 17 to 20 minutes. Flip the tots and bake 5 to 10 minutes more to get the other side all golden. Serve immediately, with your favorite dipping sauce(s).
*Using a food processor with the grating disk, shred one medium-sized head of cauliflower. Put into a bowl, cover, and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Remove cover, pour onto a clean kitchen towel and let the cauliflower cool and pat away excess moisture with the towel.
Spray a non-rimmed baking sheet* with non-stick spray or line with parchment. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place triangular tortilla chips in a single layer with edges touching as much as possible in the center of the baking sheet. Top with a mix of grated jack and cheddar. Add any optional toppings of your choice:
taco-seasoned ground beef or chicken
beans
Top with additional cheese and heat in the oven until the cheese is melted.
Remove from oven carefully – don’t let them slide off!
Slide the nachos off the baking sheet onto a plate. Top as desired with sliced olives, green onions, salsa, cilantro, sour cream, avocado or guacamole, hot sauce…
Kristin's Favorite Recipes 