Fruit Bruschetta

Ingredients:

16 ½-inch-thick slices crusty Italian or French bread

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1½ tablespoons sugar

1½ tablespoons cinnamon, or to taste

1 peach, peeled, pitted, and cut into fine dice

½ banana, cut into fine dice

8 large strawberries, cut into fine dice

3 to 4 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used vanilla for added flavor)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Arrange bread slices in one layer in a shallow baking pan.

Bake in middle of oven until golden, about 10 minutes.

Brush toasts with butter on one side.

1. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

2. Sprinkle mixture evenly over buttered side of each toast.

3. Broil toast about 5 inches from heat under preheated broiler 30 seconds, or until tops are bubbling.

4. Let the toast cool.

4. In a bowl, stir together prepared fruit.

5. Add remaining ½ tablespoon sugar and ½ tablespoon cinnamon to the fruit and stir.

6. Mound about 1 tablespoon of the fruit/sugar/cinnamon mixture on each toast.

7. Drizzle each toast with yogurt.

Source: Peach, Strawberry, and Banana Bruschetta from Gourmet August 1994; As seen on Crumbly Cookie.

Sausage Puffballs

Ingredients:

2 pounds bulk pork breakfast sausage (half mild and half seasoned, such as sage)
1 cup pork-flavored stuffing mix (measure first, then grind into coarse crumbs in a food processor if necessary or use a
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not the canned variety)
1/4 cup minced sweet onion
1/4 cup chunky salsa
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup small capers, minced
1/8 cup minced fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper

Optional Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup prepared salsa

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

Combine pork sausage, stuffing crumbs, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, sweet onion,salsa, raspberry jam, capers, parsley, egg, salt, and chipotle chile pepper in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed but avoid over-handling.

Cut puff pastry into 1-1/2-inch squares. Roll sausage mixture into 1-inch balls and wrap in puff pastry squares, stretching to cover. Place seam-side down on prepared pan. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes until golden and cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For optional dipping sauce, combine raspberry jam and salsa. Serve with sausage puffballs.

Yield: about 80 pieces

Sushi

Below are the basic ingredients for sushi.  You can then buy fillings of your choice to make various delicious rolls. 

I highly suggest Sushi Day for inspiration and recipes...there's even some rolls with BACON! (Bacon Crunchy Shrimp Roll and Kristen Maki). 

Pioneer Woman has an awesome tutorial with really good pictures (very helpful if you're a visual person like I am!) on how to create your rolls.  There's also a few good recipes on there as well.

Mmmm...good thing Emily took pictures of my rolls because I forgot to!

As I wasn't sure how adventures our group of Dinner Clubbers would be, I opted for all cooked (and inside out so you can't see the nori (seaweed) - out of sight, out of mind right?) maki rolls.  For my rolls, I made the standard California Roll and then did some Spicy Crab Rolls and just a few Shrimp Rolls.

Sushi Rice
(Source: Cody the Sushi Chef as seen on Pioneer Woman)

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yields: 8 cups cooked rice or about 16 rolls

Ingredients

• 4 cups Short Grain/sushi Rice, uncooked
• 1 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• ½ cups Sugar
• ¼ cups Sake Or Mirin (a Japanese Rice Wine)

Note: Used seasoned rice wine vinegar instead of sushi su (vinegar + sugar + sake).

Instructions

“Rice Prep”

1. Use short or medium-grain rice. It’s more starchy and round than the long-grain variety, which just won’t hold together well enough to support ingredients in sushi. Many stores now sell specifically-labeled “sushi rice”.
2. Before you cook it, wash/rinse the rice until the water runs totally clear—about five or six times. If you don’t thoroughly rinse the rice, it’ll end up in a big, sticky ball. There’s enough internal starch in the rice for it to sufficiently hold together for sushi, so get all the stuff on the outside off by rinsing well.
3. Use a rice cooker/steamer. Rice made on the stovetop will not work for sushi; it won’t be the right consistency. Rice cookers are widely available for as low as $12.
4. Add the rinsed rice to the rice cooker with equal parts water, and follow the directions for the rice cooker. After it’s done, transfer the cooked rice to a large mixing bowl.

You’ll need 1 part sushi su for every 4 parts rice.

Sushi Su/Sushi Rice:

1. Heat vinegar, sugar, and sake or mirin in a saucepan just to dissolve and combine. Allow to cool to room temperature. (Note: skipped this step as I just subbed pre-made seasoned rice wine vinegar)
2. Cook rice according to rice cooker directions. Transfer to large mixing bowl.
3. Pour su (vinegar mixture) over the rice, gently folding to incorporate.
4. Let rice stand for 10 minutes, then fold again.

Rice should be shiny, not mushy and have a slightly tart/sweet taste. Cover with a warm, wet towel and keep warm.

Spicy Mayonnaise
(Source: Group Recipes)

Ingredients

• ½ cup (low-fat) mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
• ¼ tsp roasted sesame oil

Directions

1. Whisk the ingredients together until well blended.
2. Store in fridge until ready to use.  Use in rolls or as a dipping/drizzled sauce.

California Rolls
(Source: Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients and Supplies

• 1 piece Makisu (bamboo Rolling Mat)
• Dark Green Nori (dried Seaweed)
• Sushi Rice (recipe above)
• Imitation Crab (round leg style)
• Avocado, Thinly Sliced
• Cucumber (Japanese, If Available), Thinly Sliced
• Toasted Sesame Seeds
• Soy sauce, for dipping
• Wasabi, if desired (used prepared Wasabi in a tube that I bought at Kroger)
• Ginger, if desired

Instructions

1. First, in order to keep your rice from sticking to the Makisu and making a terrible mess, carefully wrap the Makisu in plastic cling wrap.
2. To begin, fold the pieces of nori in half to split them. Nori is very delicate, so as soon as you press along the seam, it easily breaks in two. Next, lay the half-sheets of nori on the work surface and grab a handful (about a ½ cup) of sushi rice and cover one side of a half-sheet of nori with it. To do so, first set the rice on the end of the nori sheet closest to you. Then, working with your fingertips and/or knuckles, gently spread the rice over the surface of the nori.
3. On California Rolls, the rice is typically on the outside – not the inside – so to begin, quickly flip the rice-coated sheet of nori so that the rice side is down. Carefully position it horizontally so it will roll lengthwise. Next, place a single row of the crab across the middle of the nori. Next, place slices of avocado end to end right against the crab. It’s best to use an avocado that’s ripe but still quite firm. Lastly, lay the very thin (slightly thicker than a matchstick) cucumber slices end-to-end right alongside the crab and avocado.
4. To roll the sushi, carefully lift the edge of the mat closest to you, begin rolling the mat away from you, pressing it lightly to keep it firm. At this point, the end of the roll has been rolled upward, and your very light pressure is ensuring that they roll will remain nice and tight. Next, lift up the end of the rolling mat and pull it away from you, allowing the roll to roll the rest of the mat. Then carefully remove the roll from the mat and place it on a cutting board. Lay the mat over the top of the roll and exert gentle pressure once more to make sure it’s all secure.
5. Next, hold the roll on the mat and sprinkle the top with toasted sesame seeds. Slice using a very sharp knife, first running the knife through a damp dishtowel with the blade facing away from you. Begin by slicing the roll exactly in half. Then set the two halves side-by-side to slice into individual pieces. This ensures that each piece will be a uniform size.
6. Wrap in plastic cling and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.  Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger, if desired.

For the Spicy Crab Rolls I just shredded some imitation crab and then mixed with the spicy mayonnaise.  Added some avocado and cucumber.  For the Shrimp Rolls I used cocktail shrimp (cut in half lengthwise), a dab of spicy mayo, carrots, and avocado.

Pajeon - Korean Pancake!

Pajeon- Korean Pancake

Adapted from whats4eats and DavidLebovitz

Another Actual pic! Order this up at most Korean places as an app! Or just eat it as a snack-meal! You can put anything you want in it- we picked seafood, but you can put kim chi, meat, anything! (i was just thinking about it, don't try fruit or chocolate or candy pieces)

Ingredients: (Makes one 9-inch (23cm) pancake)

1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (125ml) ice-cold water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large or extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 bunch of scallions

a spoonful of soy sauce

optional: dried red pepper slices

additional: prawns, squid, crab, chicken, corn, bits of seaweed, tofu, mushroom slices, kimchi, asparagus slices, or some other cooked or shredded vegetables

Procedure

Tip - I find a non-stick skillet yields best results, but if you use a cast iron, be sure to add enough oil to prevent the pancake from sticking. I use relatively high heat since I want a nice, browned crust.

1. Stir together the flour, water and salt until just mixed.

2. Chop the green parts of the scallions into 3-inch (10cm) lengths. Reserve the white parts for another use

3. Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a 9 or 10-inch (23-26cm) skillet, preferably non-stick, until hot. Fry the scallions until they're completely cooked through and soft. Add a touch of soy sauce to the pan when they're almost done, to season the scallions.

4. If using other ingredients, any vegetables, kimchi, or prawns—what have you‐add them now, then toss a few times to heat them through.

5. Pour the pancake batter over the scallions (and other stuff in the pan), spreading the batter, and cook a few minutes until the bottom is nice and brown underneath. Lift the edge to peek.

6. Pour the beaten egg on top then swirl the pan to even out the egg a bit, still keeping it pretty uneven. Distribute the dried pepper strands over the egg, if using, and cook until the egg is just beginning to firm near the edges.

7. Using a wide spatula, flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two until the egg is set and preferably crispy at the edges. (I tend it cook it pretty well, although I like hard-cooked fried eggs, which I know ain't "gourmet", so use your judgment.)

5. Slide pancake onto a cutting board, then cool to room temperature. Cut into six or eight wedges, and serve with dipping sauce made by mixing 3 parts soy sauce with 1-2 parts rice vinegar and a few drops of sesame oil. A bit of chile oil can also be added.

Pao de queijo - Brazillian Cheese Bread

"Pao de queijo"- Brazillian Cheese Bread

Adapted from comments from whats4eats

If you've ever been to Brazillian steakhouse/meat buffet, you've had these awesome cheese balls before eating and know they are addictive. Here they are in your own kitchen!

Actual picture!!

Ingredients:

1 lb (450 - 500 g) Polvilho azedo (Sour or fermented Tapioca/Cassava flour)

[We found this in Jungle Jim's as Manoic flour in the Brazil/Hispanic section, whatever that is]

1 cup (240 mL) whole milk

1 cup (240 mL) filtered water

3 medium eggs beaten

1 tsp (5 mL) common salt

1/2-cup (120 mL) cooking oil

6-8 oz Parmesan cheese (grated)

Procedure:

1. Mix milk, water, oil, and salt well in a large metallic container.

2. Bring it to boil. Turn off heat.

3. Mix polvilho well with a wooden spoon/spatula. Let it cool so you can knead. [At least 10-15 minutes, if you can let it cool longer, it will be easier to handle and the puffs turn puffier]

4. Add beaten eggs and knead until smooth. It'll be too sticky. Have patience.

5. Gradually mix cheese until the dough stops sticking in your hand. Knead well.

6. Make 1-inch balls and place them on a baking pan with some space between them for expansion.

7. Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and put the pan on the bottom rack.

8. Let it cook for 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the ball until slightly brown.

[Made about 40 puffs]

Annapolis Crab Cakes

Annapolis Crab Cakes

1 pound of jumbo lump crabmeat (Phillip's brand from Jungle Jim's)
10 saltines, crushed (to make a paste-like consistency)
2 tbsp mayonaise
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp prepared yellow or dijon mustard
1 egg, beaten
Worcestershire Sauce to taste
Crush saltines into small pieces. Mix in mayonaise, Old Bay, parsley, mustard, egg and Worcestershire Sauce. Stir in crabmeat. Shape into patties. Broil or fry until golden brown
Makes about 20 appetizer-sized or 8-10 entree sized

Apple-Cherry Brie

INGREDIENTS:
1 round (8 oz) Brie cheese
1 medium apple, peeled, chopped
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted*
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet

DIRECTIONS:
With sharp knife, carefully remove rind from cheese. Wrap cheese in plastic wrap; freeze 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat apple, cherries, sugar and 1/4 cup of the water to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender.

In small bowl, mix cornstarch, cinnamon, remaining 1/4 cup water and the liqueur until well blended. Add to apple mixture, stirring constantly. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; stir in walnuts.

Heat oven to 375°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. On foil in pan, unroll dough into 1 large rectangle (if using crescent rolls, firmly press perforations to seal). Press into 11x9-inch rectangle. Cut 11x3-inch strip from 1 side of rectangle; set aside.

Cut cheese round horizontally to make 2 rounds. Place cheese rounds next to each other in center of dough rectangle. Roll sides of dough up next to cheese, forming a rim around cheese. Top cheese evenly with apple mixture. Cut remaining strip of dough into 6 (1/2-inch long) strips. Place 3 strips lengthwise across cheese. Cut remaining strips in half; place across other strips to make lattice; press edges to seal, tucking under if necessary. Fold foil edges up about 1 inch from dough; pinch corners of foil together.

Bake uncovered 30 minutes. Cover with foil; bake about 5 minutes longer or until golden brown and cheese is softened. Let stand 10 minutes. To serve, cut in half lengthwise, then into crosswise strips. Serve warm.

*To toast walnuts, sprinkle in ungreased heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently until nuts begin to brown, then stirring constantly until nuts are light brown.

Baked Pork and Apple Meatballs

1¼ hours | 20 min prep
SERVES 4

2 lbs ground lean pork (I used 1/3 sausage, 2/3 pork)
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sage
2 apples, peeled and cored
1 egg, beaten
150 ml white wine
300 ml chicken stock
salt and pepper
cornflour, for thickening (cornstarch) (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cut apples into 1/2” pieces and set aside.
3. Melt butter in frying pan and cook onions gently for a few minutes until transparent.
4. Add nutmeg and cinnamon to the onions and cook for a minute or so.
5. Remove from heat and add sage; set aside to cool.
6. Add the apple pieces, egg and ground pork to the onion mixture once it has cooled; season with salt and pepper and mix well.
7. Roll mixture into 12 meatballs.
8. In a clean frying pan, brown the meatballs in 1 tablespoon of butter making sure to turn carefully so they do not break apart.
9. Put the browned meatballs into an ovenproof casserole dish.
10. Pour the white wine into a saucepan and boil until it reduces down to about 1/2.
11. Stir in the chicken stock; pour liquid over meatballs.
12. Place in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes.
13. Remove meatballs carefully from casserole dish and keep warm.
14. Skim any fat off of the juices left in the pan.
15. Optional: Use the cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with a bit of cold water and whisk into the juices for a thicker sauce.
16. Serve meatballs with the sauce drizzled over top.

Mouth-watering Stuffed Mushrooms

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mouth-watering-stuffed-mushrooms/Detail.aspx

Ingredients
• 12 whole fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic. Set aside to cool.
3. When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Mixture should be very thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.

Crescent Wrapped Cranberry and Brie

Source: http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=22753

INGREDIENTS
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 round (8 oz) Brie cheese
3 tablespoons whole berry cranberry sauce or cranberry chutney
1 tablespoon chopped pecans
1 egg, beaten
8 small seedless red or green grape clusters
1 pear, unpeeled, sliced
1 apple, unpeeled, sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate dough crosswise into 2 sections. Press dough to form 2 squares, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut crosswise into 2 sections. Press dough to form 2 squares.
3. Cut corners off both dough squares and reserve to use for cutouts. Place 1 dough round on cookie sheet. Cut cheese crosswise into 2 equal layers. Place bottom half of cheese on center of dough circle on cookie sheet. Spread cranberry sauce over cheese. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Top with remaining cheese half. Bring dough up around side of cheese, pressing and pinching dough.
4. With small cookie or canapé cutter, cut shapes from reserved corners of dough; set aside. Place remaining dough on top of cheese round. Press dough evenly around side of cheese. Brush dough with beaten egg. Top with cutouts; brush with additional beaten egg.
5. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before serving. To serve, place warm pastry-wrapped cheese on platter. Arrange fruit around cheese.














Roasted Garlic:
http://elise.com/recipes/archives/001712roasted_garlic.php

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buffalo-Chicken-Dip/Detail.aspx

Prep Time:5 Min
Cook Time:40 Min
Ready In:45 Min
Servings: 20 servings

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bag of tortilla chips

Directions
Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pizza Bites

Source: http://www.sweetlifekitchen.com/2008/10/pillsbury-pizza-crust-pizza-bites.html

Pillsbury Pizza Bites

48 appetizers

• 2 (13 7/8 ounce) cans pillsbury refrigerated prepared pizza dough
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 48 cubes
• 48 slices pepperoni
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups pizza sauce or marinara sauce, heated

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Spray 3 9-inch pie pans with cooking spray.
3. On lightly floured surface, roll out one pizza crust and pat into 12x8 rectangle.
4. Cut into 24 squares.
5. Place one pepperoni slice and one cube of cheese on each dough square. Place in mini muffin pan.
6. Repeat with remaining dough, pepperoni and cheese.
7. Mix together oil and Italian seasoning. Drizzle or brush over rolls.
8. Top with grated parmesan.
9. Bake at 400º for 16-20 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Serve with warmed pizza or marinara sauce.
11. To Freeze: Flash freeze on a cookie sheet until frozen solid, label and place in a ziplock bag.
12. To Reheat: Microwave approximately 30 seconds or more to heat through.