I have to admit I’m a little behind in posting this recipe.  Smoky & Swiss Fondue was my husband and my late night Monday dinner. . .last week.  However, it’s been one of those weeks that seems extra long.  Let’s just say that what was supposed to be two separate weeks of business travel for my husband became one two-week trip due to a cancelled flight caused by rainstorms at O’Hare last Friday.  So, with many end of the year school activities and four kids missing said husband over the weekend, I had other things occupying my time that were more pressing than posting this recipe.

However, if I place myself in the way back (ok, the 8-day into the past) time machine, I can tell you that this was an excellent dinner for the two of us.  As is typical of our Monday meals, we didn’t eat until all kids were in bed and work was finished, which is about 9:00.  However, when that time arrives, it is fairly magical for a dinner at home.  The dining room is lit by candlelight, and the house is quiet.

As we sit at the table, this evening has many enjoyable pieces.  As much as we adore our children, it is wonderful to have time to discuss our days without hearing the latest middle school gossip or being quizzed on plans for the weekend.  Enjoying tapas as we do, it also is nice to have a meal consisting of little bites of this and that.  Finally, it is a wonderful way to unwind after the day that typically is the longest day of the week for each of us.

Smoky Swiss Fondue

1 clove garlic

2 cups gruyere, grated

1-1/2 cups baby swiss, grated

1-1/2 cups, smoked gouda, grated

1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch

2/3 cup Sauvignon Blanc

2 Tb. cognac

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Cut garlic in half, and rub inside of fondue pot with cut edge. Combine gruyere, baby swiss, and gouda in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with cornstarch, and mix well.  Place Sauvignon Blanc and cognac in fondue pot, and place over fondue burner.  When boiling add cheeses, and stir occasionally until melted.  Add nutmeg, and stir.  Adjust fondue burner to a temperature that allows the fondue to stay melted without burning.

Serve with dipping items, such as foccacia, blanched broccoli or cauliflower, and apples cut into bite-sized pieces.

Our 11 year old daughter and my husband have been working together on a small container garden.  Most of the plants are herbs and have been growing slowly.  However, this weekend our daughter noticed that the cilantro was getting quite big and could be used for cooking.

This prompted the big question, “What can we make with cilantro?”  After explaining that cilantro is a common ingredient in Mexican or Spanish dishes, she and I decided to make sort sort of homemade salsa.

In an attempt to make this dish more appealing for her, so that she would get to sample the fruits of her labor, I suggested making a fruit-based salsa.  We had half of a pineapple already on hand and could find some other tropical fruit at the grocery store.

Although it was made to be a salsa, it ended up being more of a salad as the fruits and red pepper created a substantial dish, which was an excellent accompaniment for that evening’s pork chops.  Unfortunately, this dish was not of great interest to the herb grower herself.  She took a small bite and moved on to other dinner dishes.  However, the rest of us found it to be quite enjoyable with a nice amount of sweetness from the fruit and a little bit of heat from the jalapeno.

Mango Pineapple Salsa Salad

1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped

2 mangoes, peeled and chopped

1 red pepper, seeds removed and chopped

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/3 cup lemon juice

1-2 Tb. honey

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

Combine pineapple, mangoes, pepper, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl.  In a 1-cup measuring cup, combine lemon juice, honey, and jalapeno, and mix well.  Pour dressing on fruits and veggies, and toss to combine.  Chill for at least 1 hour.

When I was planning the week’s menu, I asked the kids for some input.  Our 13 year old son requested shellfish for dinner one night.  However, he wasn’t certain how he would want it prepared.  With a week of rain and cool temperatures forecast, I suggested soup.  That wasn’t quite what he had in mind.  My next suggestion was coconut shrimp, and that sounded perfect to him.

I had made coconut chicken tenders a couple months ago, and the recipe was a hit.  They were easy to  make and had a decent amount of crunch even though they were baked instead of fried.  While I had given the chicken a coating of batter and a coating of coconut, for the shrimp I decided a single layer of coconut would be better.

With the assistance of our 11 year old daughter, the shrimp were coated and ready for the oven in no time.  While the shrimp cooked, we made a veggie stirfry, which provided a savory contrast to the sweetness of the coconut.

One very important note about this recipe:  Make sure you use a liberal amount of nonstick cooking spray on the aluminum foil topped baking pan.  Between the egg whites and sweetened coconut, the shrimp will stick to the foil quite easily.

Coconut Shrimp

1/3 cup cornstarch

pepper

3 egg whites

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 375.  Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.  Using 3 small bowls, put cornstarch in one, add some freshly ground pepper, and mix well.  Place egg whites into second bowl, and whisk lightly.  Put coconut into remaining bowl.  Rinse shrimp, and place on paper towels to remove excess moisture.  Take 1 piece of shrimp, and dredge in cornstarch.  Dip shrimp in egg whites, then coconut, coating completely.  Place shrimp on prepared baking sheet, and repeat process with the rest of the shrimp.  Bake for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.

Last Friday night was a typical weekend night for us.  Our 13 year old was headed to the movies with a friend, and our 11 year old had 2 friends over for dinner.  The three girls were thrilled with the idea of take-out pizza for dinner, although my husband and I were less excited.  To please everyone, we ordered pizza for the girls and decided that the adults would enjoy some munchies later.

After a day of work and an evening of bringing different kids to different places, we wanted appetizers that were simple to prepare.  We had a package of chicken andouille sausage in the freezer that we could grill and serve with some homemade sweet and sour sauce for dipping.  We wanted another finger food to balance the spiciness of the sausage.  Using fruit and cheese seemed like the perfect compliment.

Sure, we could have made dinner very simple by serving cheese, crackers, and fruit, but it was Friday night, the start of the weekend.  So, with just a couple minutes more of effort, we made a warm appetizer that was appealing to see and eat by combining goat cheese and nectarines.

While nibbling on this snack (and after having taken photos), we decided to make a few additions of flavor.  This dish rounded out the palate quite nicely with an assortment of flavors.

Goat Cheese and Nectarines

4 oz. goat cheese

freshly ground black pepper

1 ripe nectarine, diced

honey

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Slice goat cheese into 1/4-inch pieces. Place in pie plate.  Sprinkle a small amount of black pepper on each slice.  Top goat cheese with pieces of nectarine. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is warm and slightly melted.  Remove from oven, and drizzle a small amount of honey on each slice.  Serve immediately with pita chips, crackers, or bagel chips.

A while ago we purchased lamb shanks while grocery shopping.  We put them in our freezer, saving them for a special “dinner for two” night.  Last Sunday seemed the perfect day for cooking them.  After defrosting them overnight, we slowly braised them with red wine and an assortment of spices and vegetables.

Unfortunately, while they were cooking, it seemed that fate had other plans, and the shanks were put aside until Monday.  However, there was a hidden benefit to that.  I hadn’t planned an interesting side dish for Sunday, but with dinner delayed a day I decided to go to the grocery store and get items for a yummy veggie dish.

We had made Spiced Cauliflower previously at Thanksgiving as an appetizer.  However, it worked well as a side dish for the two of us.  The spices used to coat the cauliflower were perfect in that they weren’t overpowered by the red wine in the sauce or the bleu cheese coating for the lamb but also didn’t hog the spotlight.

Having made Spiced Cauliflower twice, I think it could become one of my favorite go-to recipes.  I can use it as a side dish or appetizer, and it is a dish that is ready with little time or effort.  I also think that the spices could be varied to compliment other dinner dishes or please diners’ preferences.

Spiced Cauliflower

2 lb. cauliflower, cut into florets

2 Tb. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 500.  Using a microwave, melt butter in a large bowl.  Add florets, and toss well to coat.  In a small bowl combine seasoning, sugar, salt, cumin, and black pepper (to taste).  Sprinkle seasoning on cauliflower, and mix well.  Spread cauliflower onto a baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cauliflower is golden brown.

Lazy Sundays are wonderful.  With four children, these don’t happen all that often.  However, this past Sunday was a free day without a schedule.

We started our day by savoring several cups of coffee, watching food shows, and making a little breakfast.  This relaxing start was followed by shopping for new kitchen decor.  I am very lucky in that my husband enjoys shopping with me.  We went to a couple stores, found a few chicken pieces for our kitchen, and then headed to the grocery store.

As we were braising and roasting lamb shanks for dinner, we decided to make an afternoon snack to hold us over.  Seeing wonderful looking mushrooms in the produce department, we thought we would try our hands at some sort of mushroom dip.  I was envisioning a dip in which the mushrooms had been sauteed to enhance their flavor, blended to give it a smooth consistency, and then baked with cheese for a gooey topping.  My husband liked my idea (smart man), so our appetizer was decided.

While blending our veggies we needed to add some liquids to help with the process.  As noted in the recipe, we used a pinch of olive oil and some Pinot Grigio.  However, you can use different amounts of oil and wine or use a different liquid, such as chicken broth, depending on your taste preferences.

Mushroom Pate

2 Tb. olive oil, divided

1  medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, diced

1/3 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced

1/4 lb. shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup Pinot Grigio

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add onion, and saute for 5 minutes.  Add garlic, and saute for an additional minute.  Add both mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes.  Place mushroom mixture in blender, and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, Parmesan, and Pinot Grigio.  Blend until smooth, adding more liquid if needed.  Do not overfill your blender, as the ingredients are hot!

Divide blended mixture evenly among 4 ramekins, top with mozzarella, and bake for 5 - 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve with crackers, pita chips, or bagel chips.

*For additional kick, add roasted poblano or jalapeno peppers when blending.

When I was working on this Monday’s tapas menu, I wanted a veggie dish that would compliment our Greek theme.  Zucchini seemed to be a prevalent ingredient in Greek menus that I reviewed.  As both of us like zucchini (and the kids generally don’t), it was a great veggie to use for our adults only meal.

I decided that it would be fun to use the zucchini for a fritter sort of dish.  However, I am not a fan of frying which means that I had a problem, as fritters are fried dishes.  So, what I decided to do was make a fritter-style batter but pan-fry my creation in a nonstick pan without oil, giving us non-greasy zucchini cakes.

To make these cakes have more of a Greek flair, I also made some tzatziki sauce.  Tzatziki sauce is a condiment that is newer to my cooking but one that I thoroughly enjoy.  The cooling flavor of cucumber combined with the bite of garlic makes a wonderful pairing of tastes in one sauce.  Served atop piping hot zucchini cakes the sauce rounded out the dish quite nicely.

Served with Nachos with a Greek Twist, we had a delightful Greek tapas dinner on Monday.

Zucchini Cakes

2 medium zucchinis, grated

1 egg, beaten

2 scallions, diced

1/2 cup flour

salt & pepper

Sprinkle grated zucchini with a little salt, and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Wrap zucchini in a few layers of paper towels, and squeeze gently to remove moisture.  Use additional paper towels, if needed, to remove all excess liquid.  In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, egg, scallions, and flour.  Grind a little fresh pepper onto mixture, and stir.

Heat large nonstick frying pan over medium heat.  When warm, spoon a generous tablespoon of zucchini mixture into frying pan.  Repeat with addition batter.  (You should be able to fit about 5 or 6 fritters in your pan.)  Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown,  and flip.  Cook second side for another 2-3 minutes, again until golden brown.  Move to serving plate, and cover with foil to keep warm.  Repeat cooking directions for second batch.

It’s been a few weeks since we had Tapas Monday at our house.  Between business travel and family obligations, we have not been at home together on a Monday night recently.  So, yesterday I was quite excited to plan our dinner.  With a freezer full of meats from a recent shopping trip, I decided to create a theme out of the meat I chose.

After checking out my options, ground lamb seemed like an excellent starting point.  Lamb makes me think of Greek food, which led me to wondering what fun appetizer I could make with a Greek theme.  So, rather than make a traditional Greek dish, I decided to create some nachos with a bit of Greek to them.

To make this dish resemble its ethnicity, I made homemade pita chips, which I love because they are easy to make, low calorie, and quite tasty.  The ground lamb was seasoned and served with an assortment of toppings:  diced tomatoes, diced kalamata olives, and a feta cheese sauce.

After a day of meetings, deadlines, driving kids to activities, and homework review, we look forward to our Tapas Mondays.  When the clock strikes nine, it is with great excitement that we sit at our dining room table for great food and wonderful conversation.  Even though we both thought this appetizer was delicious, the best part of the meal was having some quiet time together.

Nachos with a Greek Twist

1/2 Tb. olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground lamb

1/2 small eggplant, diced

1 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

salt & pepper

feta cheese sauce (recipe below)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Coat bottom of pan with olive oil, and add onion.  Saute for 5 minutes.  Add garlic, and saute for another minute.  Add lamb, and cook until thoroughly browned.  Drain meat on paper towel lined plate to remove excess grease.  Return meat to frying pan, and add eggplant, oregano, chili powder, and cumin.  Stir to combine well, and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add salt and pepper (and additional oregano, chili pepper, or cumin, if needed) to taste.

Serve with pita chips, homemade or store bought, and top with feta cheese sauce.

Feta Cheese Sauce

1-1/2  Tb. unsalted butter

1-1/2 Tb. flour

1 cup whole milk

3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces

Salt & pepper

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted, add flour, whisking for 1 or 2 minutes.  Slowly add milk, whisking continuously until sauce thickens and begins to boil.  Add feta, stirring until cheese has melted.  Taste sauce, and add salt, pepper, and additional feta, if needed.

As mentioned in the previous post, Saturday was an afternoon of grocery shopping and cooking for my husband and me.  While I worked on the Pineapple-Mango Chutney, he was busy creating a pork dish.

Keeping with our plan for finger foods to be eaten at an indoor picnic, we decided that this dish should be able to be eaten in the same manner.  Our actual intention was to make a lamb dish, but the store didn’t have any cuts that would have worked well.  (I guess being the day before Easter, we should have figured that lamb would be in high demand.)  So, we found some thin boneless pork chops that seemed perfect for pinwheels.

With the great cheese counter at this grocery store, we knew they would have goat cheese for part of the filling.  We had hoped to combine the cheese with figs, but apparently figs were also a popular item, as they were sold out.  Looking around the produce department, I suggested dried apricots, which sounded good to my husband also.

This dish was very simple to make, requiring only 5 ingredients and taking only 10 to 15 minutes to prepare.  A little time for baking, a couple minutes to cool, then slice it, and dinner is ready.  Enjoyed with the previously mentioned chutney, pita chips and brie, and a glass of Chenin Blanc, this made for a great picnic for adults.

Pork Pinwheels

8 - 10 thin sliced boneless pork chops

5 oz. goat cheese

6 - 8 dried apricots, diced

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 cup almond liqueur*

Preheat oven to 425.  Place 1 pork chop between layers of plastic wrap, and pound until 1/4-inch thick.  Repeat with remaining pork chops, and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine cheese, apricots, and seasoning.  Divide cheese mixture evenly among pork chops, spreading on top of each piece of pork. Starting at narrow end, roll tightly.  Place in an 8 x 8 baking pan, seam side down.  Once all pieces are in pan, slowly pour liqueur over pork.  Cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes, or until meat reaches a temperature of 150 when checked with a thermometer.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch slices.

*Almond liqueur can be replaced with chicken broth.

Saturday was an enjoyable day.  My husband and I spent the afternoon shopping at our new favorite grocery store and then came home and cooked.  We made an assortment of finger foods that we could eat as a late night, indoor picnic.

With our grocery store having excellent butcher and cheese shops, we planned on making stuffed pork pinwheels and pecan coated brie topped with pineapple-mango chutney.  Unfortunately, while we were busy with prep work and cooking, we forgot to place the brie in the refrigerator in the post-coating, pre-baking stage.  Luckily, we baked the brie in a pie plate, so it didn’t drip onto the bottom of the oven. It was still edible, but instead of having 5 small pieces, we had one vast layer of melted brie and pecan.  While it didn’t make for good presentation (or photographs), it tasted wonderful.

The chutney that we made to top our pecan and brie “puddle” was quite simple to make and had great flavors- a combination of savory and sweet with accents of the tropics.  Prepared on the stove and allowed to sit for several hours before serving, all of the flavors melded nicely.  Served atop the brie-pecan mixture on a homemade pita chip, this was my favorite part of our Saturday night picnic.

Pineapple-Mango Chutney

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tb. brown sugar

2 Tb. honey

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 fresh pineapple, cored and diced

1 mango, peeled and diced

Combine vinegar, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, and garlic in a medium pot over medium heat.  Add jalapeno, pineapple, mango, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.  Place in a covered container, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.