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Crispy Toasts with Goat Cheese Spread & Black Olive Tapenade
These
toasts have a savory, crunchy bite, and are easy to make.
Ingredients:
1/2 French sourdough
baguette
1 stick salted butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz soft fresh goat cheese
1/2 pint (or 1 jar) Kalamata olives
1 clove of garlic
olive oil
Slice bread into
1/2" rounds and spread with softened butter. Toast in a 350
oven for 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Let
cool on a open rack to keep the bottoms from becoming soft.
Finely chop olives
and garlic, mixing together in a chunky paste. Add a splash
of olive oil; stir.
Spread the goat
cheese on top of the toasts in a thick, generous layer, and
add a small spoonful of the olive mixture on top. Arrange on
a platter and serve.
Watercress, Strawberry, Red Onion & Orange Salad
This
unexpected combination of sweet and savory flavors makes an
exciting salad.
Ingredients:
1 head watercress (substitution
option: 1/2 lb. Arugula)
1/2 red onion, sliced into very thin rings
1 blood orange, peeled and sliced into wedges
1 pint fresh strawberries, rinsed and quartered
olive oil
1 lemon
Rinse and dry watercress
and place in a large bowl, being careful not to bruise the
leaves. Add the onion, orange and strawberries. Drizzle the
mixture with olive oil and lightly toss to coat each piece.
Squeeze lemon over the salad and toss again. Season to taste
with salt and pepper.
Pan-Seared Lamb Chops with
Fig-Wine Reduction
Ingredients:
2 double-cut lamb chops, frenched (split in half).
1 pint black figs, chopped into quarters
olive oil
1/4 red wine or port
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons
olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the
lamb chops and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook to
desired doneness, about 3 minutes on each side for
medium-rare. Remove from pan and transfer to platter. Cover
in foil to keep warm.
In the same skillet, melt
1 stick of salted butter, and add the figs and wine. Cook
for 2 minutes until warm and bubbly. Remove.
Arrange chops on plate and spoon fig
mixture over the top.
Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding with
Brandy Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
Pudding:
1/2 pound (approx. 2 cups) egg bread (brioche
or other),
crusts trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces.
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup 2% milk
1 tsp. vanilla
In a heavy saucepan, combine
the cream, sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil,
stirring constantly, until a smooth paste is formed. Remove
from heat and stir in the chocolate chunks. Let stand for
1-2 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, milk and
vanilla until foamy. Fold in the chocolate mixture. Add
bread chunks and let mixture stand until bread absorbs some
of the custard, stirring occasionally, about 30-45 minutes.
Butter a shallow, 1-quart baking dish and pour in the
pudding, smoothing the top with the back of a wooden spoon.
Place the dish inside of a deep baking pan that has been
filled with 3" of water. Bake at 335 F for about 50 minutes,
or until the center feels firm when pressed.
Sauce:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tblsp. Brandy
2 tblsp sugar
Just before serving, make the sauce by combining the cream,
brandy and sugar in a small saucepan and heating until
smooth and bubbly.
Pour over the pudding and serve immediately.
Optional
To make this dessert even more festive, add
dried cherries or dried apricots to the sauce before
heating.
Click here to see the next step:
Extra Spice: Bubble
Extravagana
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