Dancing Taste Buds --- Crescent Roll Appetizer Pizza!

What a whirlwind of a week! We had a wonderful trifecta going on here ... my baby celebrated her crossover into double digits -- 10th birthday (yikes!), out of town guests arrived in honor of said birthday girl, and gleaming beams of sunshine warmed our faces! Rolls of laughter and streams of happy tears were part of the picture perfect goings-on. It’s been a while since I laughed so heartily that I cried. Felt really good. Have to do that more often.Since I was preparing food for a crowd (made me think about Marjie), I thought it would be fun to experiment with some one pan meals. Years ago I had a version of today’s recipe as a vegetarian appetizer. So, I thought to myself, why not turn it into a brunch meal by tossing on some meat and serving larger portions. It was a hit with my guests. All the grown ups devoured it. The kids didn’t touch it; I think my son may have even wrinkled his nose. Of course the beast had no problem sneaking bites of salami as I was prepping this meal, and the girls kept snagging cucumber slices. Does your family do that? Swipe bits of this and that as you are cooking? Still it was no biggie as I had plenty of food, and planned something else for them as this is not a gluten free meal anyway. I'm working on a gluten free version of it.Have you seen this recipe before? It’s been featured in those mini magazines they sell at the check out line at the grocery store. Made with Pillsbury crescent roll dough and cream cheese, it couldn’t be easier. I tossed on some leftover grilled chicken plus some cubed salami, and the result made my taste buds dance. If you want dancing taste buds, check this out. Soon.

Ingredients:

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (I used the low fat ones)
1 brick cream cheese – softened
½ cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon dill
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

RAW veggies: 1 cup chopped fresh broccoli, ½ of a red pepper, 1 carrot shredded, ½ of a cucumber, seeded, and 3 green onions, sliced thin.

1 cup diced leftover grilled chicken, warmed up
1 cup diced thick salami

Preheat your oven to 375. Spread the crescent dough out onto a large, non stick sheet pan, pressing the seams together to form one large flat sheet of dough. Bake for 10 minutes, or until just lightly golden. Remove from over and let cool.

Meanwhile, combine the softened cream cheese and the sour cream until smooth. Stir in the dill and garlic powder. Spread onto the cooled crescent dough. Top with veggies and meat. Cut into squares and serve immediately. (Be careful cutting on a non stick pan.) This can also be put in the fridge a day early and served cold.Just look at this! It was soooo good. This little meal is bursting with texture ... crunchy veg, creamy spread, chewy crust, and flavorful meat. I just loved every bite. This would be great as an appetizer for summer potlucks as well as a great brunch dish. Totally yummy! Go ahead, try it and let your taste buds dance!

Pimento Cheese If You Please!

Ah, my friends, it’s time to be bold! Seize the day! Embrace calories! Huh? What's up with that? Have no fear, my fellow bloggers. Read on, it’s worth it!

Several months ago, during a late night insomnia stretch, I tuned into a Food Network show called Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. This particular episode featured a diner in the south called The Penguin that was known for, among many things, its Pimento Cheese. As soon as I saw the cheesy spread, I remembered eating it at my neighbor’s house back when I still measured under 5’ tall.According to the show and my subsequent research on the subject, Pimento Cheese is a creamy spread that is much beloved in the South. Perhaps some of you from the South can share your Pimento Cheese stories with us. I'd love to hear about them. Anyway, this stuff is amazing. Let’s be clear here; I’m not talking about that over-processed stuff shoved into jars next to the cans of aerosol cheese at the grocers. Rather, this creamy concoction is a versatile spread of yumminess. Stuff it into celery for a crunchy and creamy snack, glide it between two slices of bread for a kicked up grilled cheese, lovingly layer it on an egg omelet, spoon it onto a baked potato for a jazzy side dish, or serve it as a show stopper spread on your appetizer tray.Mmmm ... cheese coma! If you are like me, and I pray that at least one of you is, you will wince when you read the ingredient list. When I first read it, I wrinkled my nose and thought to myself ... “Who would ever put these items together and think it would be good?” Well, thank goodness someone did because I’m here to tell you that this is unbelievably tasty. I’ve served it twice now at gatherings, and it’s always devoured down to the bowl scrapings. Friends and family are forever asking for the recipe and everyone makes yummy noises when eating it. It’s a real crowd pleaser and superdy simple to make. I’m certain that it’s loaded with calories. I have no idea what its fat content measures, but at least it’s made with all natural ingredients. So, let’s get ready to clog those arteries, shall we?

Pimento Cheese

8 oz brick of extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz brick of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz brick of Mont. Jack cheese, grated (for extra zip, you can use Pepper Jack)
4 oz jar sliced or diced pimentos
1/3 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 teaspoon onion powder (I used dried onion that I soaked in water)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper (I totally forgot to put it in this time.)
Pinch Cayenne
½ teaspoon green pepper sauce (I used the green tobasco. DON’T use the red)
2/3 cup generous mayo

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients and refrigerate for 30 minutes. That’s it! That’s all there is to it! Couple hints: Grate your own cheese and use the large holes on your grater. Also, although you start off with a ton of cheese, it really condenses down when mixed with the mayo. Oooh, it’s so good. It pairs great with fruit, too, especially grapes.Along with Spring like weather comes more opportunities for entertaining. This spread will be a sure fire hit with your guests.Here, have a little nibble? What do you think? Picture yourself with a glass of wine in one hand, and a tasty pimento cheese laden morsel in the other. Mmm ... your guests will be begging for pimento cheese, if you please! Oh, that reminds me, this is gluten free all the way, baby! YUM!

Savory Polenta Rounds - Easter or Anytime Appetizers!

I almost titled this post “polenta and probability”, but had a change of heart at the last moment. As you know, I’m a homeschooling mom, and I recently taught my son the joys of probability. Now, now ... no groaning. Math is your friend, your compadre, your kemosabe. I’m pushing it, aren’t I?I don't think I'd have to push these appetizers onto anybody. They are soooo goooood! I love appetizers. There’s something wonderful about sampling finger food, no matter if it’s a tried and true thing like shrimp cocktail or something more intricate like phyllo tartlets. Appetizers can take the place of a meal, too; and because you're nibbling here and there, you can enjoy some guilty pleasure by sampling bits of this and that without overloading your plate or your metabolism.

Today’s recipe at It’s All Gouda is a scrumptious, savory polenta appetizer that can be prepared in so many varieties -- it’s hard to pin down all the combinations that you can create. I started with 3 different cheeses and 3 different meats, which gave me 9 different meat/cheese pair combinations to make. Go ahead ... make a probability tree ... you’ll come up with 9 pairs as well.Anyway, with Easter around the corner, I thought I’d have a go at preparing some gluten free finger foods. I’ve always hosted an Easter brunch at my house; however, this year will be the first time it will purposefully include some gluten free offerings. I’d recently received a glorious package of goat cheese from Ile de France, and thought I’d revise an appetizer that I’d made for years that includes goat cheese and onions. These are really, really easy to make, but they do take time. It would be fun to make these delightful rounds with your kids, or with your guests for that matter, as everyone can design their own.Helloooo, beautiful! Basically, these gorgeous, circular beauties bites consist of a firm polenta base, topped with the most amazing, crispy fried onions, your choice of cheese, your choice of meat, and then drizzled with gorgeous chive oil. In the past, I’d made these using either thick pita bread or pizza dough, and they turn out wonderful that way, too. They are soft, chewy, crispy, creamy, salty, and mmm, mmm, good!

You start by making a basic, seasoned polenta, and spread it out on a sheet pan to cool and firm up.When cool, cut into small rounds using a glass or cookie cutter. Then either pop under the broiler or pan sauté to produce a golden crust. Set aside.

Meanwhile, slice an onion into very thin, half rounds. Sprinkle with some sea salt. Sauté in olive oil and butter until just starting to caramelize. Then turn the heat up, and fry until crispy. NOTE: These are addicting. Make extra. Trust me. You’ll be nibbling on these as you cook. It’s not possible to ignore them.

Next, prepare your protein. I used prosciutto, which didn’t need any prep work other than to open the package. I also microwaved some thin bacon until crisp, and very quickly seasoned and fried some super thin strips of steak on top of the stove. You could, of course, use left over grilled steak, sliced ultra thin.Now, set out your cheeses. I used my lovely goat cheese from Ile de France, some creamy brie, and a lovely, crumbled gorgonzola. Feta would be wonderful here, too, but I didn’t use Feta this time. If I had, that would increase my probability to 12 pairings. Ahem.You could also just serve a vegetarian version of just cheese and onions. That changes our probability options as well!

Time to assemble your rounds. Heat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with foil, and place all your golden polenta rounds on the foil. Top each round with one type of cheese (don’t combine the cheeses). Then put some of the crispy onions on top of the cheese. Pop in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove, and top each round with your choice of meat (don’t combine them). Drizzle with a chive oil made from pureeing chives in olive oil. It’s amazing.Garnish with chopped tomatoes and serve warm.

These lovely savory polenta rounds are gluten free, all the way. Take care, though, as not all corn meal products are gluten free, and not all gluten free eaters can eat corn. We have no problem with corn. My youngest appetizer eater, the gluten free girl, gobbled these up like there was no tomorrow.They will find their way onto my Easter buffet. What’s your favorite appetizer?

Roll Me Up Shrimp Spring Rolls

I just returned home from a couple days of R&R at the beach. (Imagine sea gull and surf sounds.) I feasted on some succulent seafood while I was there. A typical breakfast for me at home is on the small side ... either some fruit, or some cereal, or my favorite ... eggs. Caution was thrown to the wind on this trip as I dined on ... ahem, prepare yourselves ... dungeness crab cakes benedict with creole hollandaise sauce for breakfast. Then there was the spiced calamari plate at dinner. As if that were not enough, I had a bite of my girlfriend's fresh oyster gratin ... and went into a cream coma. Good food, great company, wonderful accommodations, and relaxing atmosphere. It was all gouda, folks.

I came home still craving seafood, but wanting something lighter. Thumbing through a cookbook, I saw a photo of Vietnamese Spring Rolls with peanut sauce and knew that I had found a way to satisfy my inner beast.

I love Spring Rolls! Since I had to go to the store anyway, it was easy to pick up the ingredients required for these bountiful bundles. You can put just about whatever you want in them; I don't know how authentic this version is, but it was really good and hubby man literally snatched it off of this plate the moment the camera shutter clicked. These little rolls are delightfully refreshing on a hot day because they are served cold. Personally, I think they make a nice light lunch or an appetizer at dinner. And roll me up baby, these are gluten free, too!

Ingredients:

Rice Paper Wrappers
Shelled Cooked Shrimp - Cocktail Dipping Size - Sliced in half long length size
Cooked, Sliced Pork - (I used a sliced pork chop) Optional
Bean Sprouts
Cooked Rice Vermicelli Noodles
Carrots - sliced in super thin matchsticks
Cucumber - sliced in super thin matchsticks
Lettuce - your favorite kind
Basil Leaves
Cilantro Leaves
Large shallow dish with warm water - needs to be large enough to hold the Rice Paper Wrappers.

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce - I used tamari wheat free sauce
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon chile-garlic paste - this gives it a bit of heat, not too much
  
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/3 cup hot water

1. Mix the sauce ingredients together, adding more water if it's too thick. Set aside.

2. Take one rice paper and submerge it in the water for about 20-30 seconds, or until it has softened. Remove from the water and set on your work station.

3. Just as you would fill a burrito, layer your other ingredients. Start with three shrimp halves, cut side up, in the middle of the wrapper. On top of the shrimp, layer the other ingredients: bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, basil, cilantro, lettuce, and noodles. Then just as with a burrito, fold the sides over, and then tightly but gently roll up the wrapper. Place on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Serve at once, shrimp side up, with the peanut sauce. They are crunchy and chewy, and bursting with flavor. I like to cut them in half so the pretty layers can be seen. Don't these look pretty?

If you are making them in advance, wrap each roll in plastic wrap or else it will get gummy and disintegrate. The rolls should be nice and tight ... which can be kind of tricky. The wrappers are very delicate and can tear easily. Don't be deterred by that; these are sooo tasty. Don't want the meat? Prepare yourself a strictly vegetarian version. If you want it spicier, you could add some hot chilies to either the rolls or the sauce or both! Some people like to put mint in them, but I don't like mint in my food. Makes me feel like I'm eating toothpaste. Blech. These roll, though, are the opposite of blech. Give everyone their own peanut sauce bowl ... double dipping is sooooo allowed with these babies. That peanut sauce rocks!


Here's where I was the past couple of days. If you get out a magnifying glass, you can see Yaquina Head Light House in the distance. I love this photo with the wee little people in it because it gives you a truer sense of glorious, gorgeous mother nature. The tide has just gone out in this early morning photo (taken from my balcony -- oh yeah, it was an awesome way to greet the day.) Do you like to get away? Do you have a favorite get away location?

Prior to my roll of motherhood, I enjoyed a fast paced career where I met two of my dearest friends ever. These are amazing, strong, inspiring women who encourage me to be my best, and still love me when I falter. Over the past 19 years, we've been together for sickness and health, marriages and divorces, births and deaths, and our commitment to friendship remains steadfast. Oh, we don't talk everyday nor do we see each other every week, but no matter how much time passes in between our get togethers, it's always as if no time has passed at all. Prior to my having children, we used to go away for a "girls wild weekend" every year. (Wild being a relative term here ... but it doesn't sound as exciting to say "Girls Getting Away From It All So They Can Sleep In", so we add the word wild for flavor!) Once kids came on the scene, though, the weekends came to a halt. We revived our tradition last year, and were committed to making it happen again this year. We decided to include the kids this year, and boy oh boy did we have fun. Our "wild weekends" have taken on a new flavor and as usual, the time went by way too fast. Better to leave wanting more, than leave thankful it was finally over!

Here's a photo of my littlest beachcomber. (Marjie: Notice her necklaces?) The Oregon coast is unlike other coastlines. First, the ENTIRE coast line is public access. You won't run into fences keeping you out and mother nature in. The beautiful Pacific Ocean remains COLD all year, so the beaches are not swimming magnets like Florida or California. Certainly there are brave souls who swim, and my kids do enjoy getting soaked, but I'll only stick in a toe. Maybe. Mostly, the beach is a place to hang out and relax. Build sandcastles. Dig tunnels. Race the tide. Nap. The kids partake in lots of kite flying, playing in the sand, and kicking back.

The farther south you go in Oregon, the warmer the water becomes, but we were more north and true to form, it was cool yet comfortable. The morning fog lifted to brilliant sunshine and temperatures in the upper 60's. Don't be fooled by the cool temperatures, though. Sunscreen is a must unless you want a lobster colored nose.

Here's a pic of my beach beauties playing together. I never get tired of seeing them together. I took only my girls with me, and they had fun getting to know the other kids. We were lulled to sleep by the sounds of the surf and the gentle breezes swirling in off the water.

In our absence, Hubby man and son decided to have a "stay-cation" at home where they went bowling, played arcade games, went to the movies, and rented videos. We try hard to spend 1:1 time with each child, but it's tough. :-( We tend to do a lot as a family which is great. Still, 1:1 time is nice. Most 1:1 time comes when we have errands to run, and we grab one kid to go. Or at bedtime. Although I missed my men folk, it was great to spend time with the girls. How do you spend 1:1 time with your kids?

******************

A special thank you goes out to Jan and Ohio Mom for giving me this award. Be sure to check out their websites. I really enjoy reading Jan's Range Warfare website. In addition to her witty writing, great posts, and yummy food, she's also an author. Ohio Mom's site is also fun to visit. She's got some great recipes, and it's fun to read her exchanges with her grown daughter.

The rules for receiving the award are as follows:

• Post the logo on your blog.
• Add a link to the person who nominated you.
• Nominate 5 other people for this award and add links to their blogs.
• Leave a message for the people you've nominated

There are soooo many excellent blogs, many of whom have already received this award. It would be easier to nominate 10 blogs! 20 blogs! I'll have to check to see who's already rec'd this and follow up in another post. Thanks again, Jan and Ohio Mom, for your kindness.

Dreamy Beanies Please

My littlest offspring #3 was really sad yesterday. This is newsworthy because #3 is usually the happiest living being in the entire universe. Really. She's definitely a "cup 1/2 full" kind of child, so her quiet, glum little expression caused warning bells to rouse me to full mommy mode. After a quick check to insure that she wasn't feverish, and pulling her onto my lap, I asked "why the sad face, little peanut?". The proverbial dam burst open and the little lass poured out her dismay that she can't eat anything anymore. Ah, I fully understand. You see, in the past couple of weeks, I've removed, as best as humanly possible, wheat from #3's diet. Despite doctor's reassurances that stomach aches are common in children and that I should simply ply her with antacids, I've decided to trust my gut, as I should have long ago, and retort that no it's not ok for a child to have this many stomach aches, particularly a well adjusted, well loved, well liked sprite of a girl. Soooo, I removed wheat and what do you know ... no more tummy aches. Plus, both #3 and offspring #2 don't drink milk and can only have limited dairy (it's a milk protein thing, not a lactose thing). Now, while that may seem daunting, I'm pleased to report that there are actually zillions of choices of what to eat. Mostly meat, seafood, fruit, legumes, rice and veggies ... all of which are good for you. I'll admit that I miss being able to whip up a big batch of pasta (it's an Italian thing), and sandwiches and pizza are out, yet I also have to admit that it's actually working out quite well. An adjustment, for sure, but not that bad. Anyway, back to youngest offspring ... after a nice heart to heart chat, I got out my cookbooks and had her flag any recipes that she would like me to make. Said cookbooks now sport about 10 zillion post it notes flagging her stomach's desire. Her first request was "dreamy beanies, please" A variation of that wonderful concoction known as white bean spread; it's easy, fast, and full of protein. Simply blend white beans cooked with garlic, olive oil, rosemary sprig, a couple grinds of sea salt, and sage. (remove the rosemary before blending) A finishing drizzle of olive oil and a couple grinds of pepper make it a great appetizer or light lunch. I mash it by hand, but it's also delightful whipped up in the food processor. This photo shows it pared with Rice Chips. It's great spread on crostini, too. Next is our full flavor Santa Fe Stew. This made the entire house smell heavenly. I made it with ground turkey, but the meat can be completed omitted or feel free to substitute whatever type of meat you like. This comes together quickly, so prep everything in advance.

2 T olive oil
1 lb ground meat (I used turkey)
Salt to taste
1 large onion diced
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon (yep, cinnamon)
2 large garlic cloves minced
1 cup minced peppers (I used a combo of Anaheim, Poblano, and regular green)
2 T chili powder
1 cups chix broth or water
1 medium (2 lbs) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 can red beans, rinsed and drained

Heat the oil in a dutch oven, and add the meat, onion, salt, cumin and cinnamon. Cook over low heat until the onion is soft, about 10 min, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic, peppers, and chili powder. Cover and cook about 5 more minutes. Add the broth or water, stir and cook another 5 minutes. Add the squash and lemon juice. Stir, cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the squash is cooked, but not mushy. Gently stir in the beans, cover, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt if you desire it. Serve hot as is or with warmed soft corn tortillas, a sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds, a little bit of cilantro, and sr. cream.

PS: Offspring #3 is once again a jubilant little sprite.