Honey Jalapeno Cornbread

I have made cornbread many times and this one is by far my favorite. It's sweet and moist with just a bit of heat and flavor from the honey and jalapenos. I made collard greens and wanted some cornbread with them so I searched for jalapeno cornbread recipes since I had two leftover in my fridge.
I saw iowagirleats recipe on Pinterest and modified it. Thank you Iowa girl for the recipe. I loved it. She uses unsweetened apple sauce but I used regular apple sauce which is what I had. Therefore, I may reduce the sugar next time to be more savory and less sweet but it was delicious the way it was. I didn't have butter either so I used olive oil and it turned out just fine and moist. I plan to just use olive oil next time too. Also since I used regular apple sauce it was already sweet enough that we didn't need more honey to drizzle

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup sugar (will reduce or omit this next time)
1/4 cup honey
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup low-fat buttermilk ( I used 1 TBS lemon juice and fill up one cup with whole milk )
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8×8 or equivalent sized baking dish well with nonstick spray then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil and applesauce. Add sugar and honey then whisk to combine.  Add eggs and buttermilk (or sour milk) then whisk to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk into dry ingredients in two batches. I took some batter out to make a mild version the added jalapeno to the rest of the batter.
3. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish then bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

 Below is a non spicy version in cute littles ramekins I made before I added jalapenos for my baby girl so it wont be too hot for her. She loved them. They were only in the oven for about 22 minutes since they were smaller and baked faster.

Pretty Beet Terrine

Beets are becoming more and more popular these days in many gourmet or new American  restaurants. I was introduced to beets in the form of juice last year and loved them ever since. Roasted beet salad is one of my favorite things to eat and I have been making it often. This time I wanted to try a different recipe to use up the beets I bought from a farmers market. As usual I saw some great ideas on Pinterest and I decided to make a beet terrine. I came up with the following recipe after reading other beet terrine recipes and looking at what ingredients I  had in my fridge. 

Some people have never eaten beets and this terrine may not be for everyone but it sure is a very pretty appetizer loaded with nutrients that are great for your body such as iron and antioxidants.

Ingredients :

3 red beets

2 golden beets

4oz soft goat cheese

4 oz mascarpone cheese

1 tsp honey

Salt & pepper

Honey & olive oil to drizzle

Basil leaves for garnish

Directions:

Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and peel the beets, then wrap them individually in foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 min till tender but not mushy so you can still slice thinly.

Meanwhile, mix the cheeses with 1 tsp of honey to obtain a smooth paste. This is going to be your glue between the beet slices. 

Once the beets are roasted and cooled, slice them thinly (about 1/8 inches) using a very sharp knife. 

In a loaf pan or container of your choice lined with plastic wrap, start layering beet slices starting with the golden ones then cheese paste sprinkling salt and pepper in between. Repeat the layering ending with the red beets.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. Also place some kind of weight on top to press on your beets and help the terrine set and firm up. 

When you are ready to serve the beet terrine, remove the block of beets from the pan using the plastic to lift. Then slice the terrine. 

Drizzle with honey and olive oil ( I used lavender infused olive oil ). Also, if available, thin basil leaves strips  sprinkled on top will not only add color but also add flavor that goes well with this beet terrine. 

Hope you try this pretty terrine and enjoy it. It is not hard to make yet the end result looks like you spent hours trying to get this beautiful terrine.

Marinated Cheese

Look how pretty and colorful this easy dish is! The name sounds interesting as well. This simple appetizer was introduced to me at a holiday party a few years ago and my friend was nice enough to share the recipe. This yummy recipe is a keeper for certain and I am sharing it with you for you and family or friends to enjoy!


Ingredients


1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1 (2 ounce) bottle diced pimento, drained

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons minced green onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cold

Directions

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the olive oil, wine vinegar, pimento, parsley, green onion, garlic, sugar, basil, salt and pepper. Shake vigorously to blend. Set aside.

Cut the block of Cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices to form squares. Repeat with cream cheese. Arrange cheese squares alternately in a shallow baking dish with slices standing on edge. You can arrange in a single long row, or 2 parallel rows depending on the size of your dish. Pour the marinade from the jar over the cheese slices, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

To serve, remove slices to a serving platter so they are still arranged in an alternating pattern. Spoon some of the extra marinade over the cheese, and serve with crackers.

Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Turnovers

I love gorgonzola cheese and was searching for recipes that use this cheese for a party. I found several recipes that sounded good but I chose to make these mini turnovers from simply recipe because I love the combination of apples, gorgonzola and honey. They turned out well and we enjoyed them. I will make this again and when I do, I will put a little more gorgonzola than the original recipe calls for. The combination of the sweetness of honey and apples, the crunchy walnuts and the cheese was AWESOME!


Recipe:

If using prepared frozen puff pastry sheets, they need to be defrosted in the refrigerator at least 3 hours before using.

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups peeled, cored, chopped apples (use a good cooking apple such as Jonagold, Pippin, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Gravenstein, Mcintosh)
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled)
* 2 Tbsp honey
* 2 7-ounce prepared puff pastry sheets (total 14 ounces)
* 1 egg, beaten

Method

1 Place chopped apples in a bowl, microwave on high heat for 5 minutes until apples are cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool. Drain excess moisture. Once cooled, chop further so that the pieces are between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch square. (Note you can skip this step if you want; the main purpose is to get the apples to release some of their moisture before cooking into the pastry.)

2 Combine apples, walnuts, gorgonzola, thyme and honey in a small bowl.


3 Preheat oven to 400°F. Working with one puff pastry sheet at a time (leave the second one in the refrigerator until using it) roll out the pastry to a size of 9-inches by 12-inches. Cut into 12 3x3-inch squares (a pizza slicer works great for this). Paint 1/2-inch of border around each square with beaten egg (this will help the pastry seal). Place a heaping teaspoon of the apple walnut mixture in the center of the squares. Fold over the squares into a triangle shape, stretching the dough if necessary to cover the filling. Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges. Place triangles on a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet, with space between the triangles. Chill for 5 minutes in the refrigerator before baking, or chill while you prepare the second puff pastry sheet.

4 Whisk in a half teaspoon of water into the remaining beaten egg. Use a pastry brush to paint on the tops of the pastry triangles for a nice glaze. ( I sprinkled some sea salt on the top too). Place in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until nicely puffed up and lightly browned. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Makes 24 turnovers. Serve either warm or at room temperature. Can be made several hours in advance.

Fresh Basil Pesto...Straight from my garden :)

Oh what a delicious way to use up all the basil I have in my garden! I am so delightful that I found this fantastic pesto recipe from Simply Recipe. I used some of this pesto in
my chicken pesto florentine and my family quickly ate the rest as an appetizer with some bread while I was making the pasta dish. I did add a little more olive oil than what the recipe called for but I am sure it is fine the way it is too. Pine nuts are expensive and I have heard that using macadamia nuts instead is also delicious. I am not sure how much money you will save though. This little one cup of pesto can get pricy especially if you have to buy everything, but I was able to use my basil from the garden. I made sure the olive oil and the parmesan were also good quality. next time I will try it with Romano cheese to see which one I prefer. This recipe requires a food processor but there are recipes that do not. I will never buy pesto again!!!

Fresh Basil Pesto

Yield: Makes 1 cup.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Equipment needed: A food processor

Directions:

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Gyoza (Pot Stickers)

Gyozas are a type of dumplings. Dumplings started in China but they are very popular throughout Asia with each country's own variations. The filling is often made from ground meat, shrimp and/or vegetables of choice. Leeks, cabbage, and garlic chives are popular vegetables in making Gyoza. I used to make a million of these when I was in college in my apartment's tiny kitchen. I used to take them to work and they were always a big hit at pot lucks. They are easy to make but can be time consuming, even if you use premade gyoza wraps like I do. I have never made wraps from scratch and don't plan to make them soon. I make these for my family to snack while we watch the super bowl today. These freeze well so I usually make bunch and freeze the left overs. The following is what I used.

5 cups shredded nappa cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped green onions
1 TBS minced ginger
1 TBS minced garlic
1 medium onion chopped finely
1 lb ground turkey
5 or 6 jumbo shrimps, minced
1 TBS oyster sauce
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 egg whit
1 package of Gyoza wraps
salt and pepper to taste

Vegetables of your choice.

Chopped your vegetables.

Heat up your oil with garlic and ginger. When the ginger and garlic starts to sizzle and produce nice aroma, add your ground meat.


jumbo Shrimps.

Peeled and minced shrimp.

Add vegetables and seasoning sauces. When everything is cooked, drain out all the liquid so your filling is not wet.

Fill each one, fold in half, and seal the edges using egg whites as your glue.

Done filling. Pan fry or freeze. (Can steam or boil too)