Nut Crusted Little Qualicum Brie Cheese Salad

I've made this salad quite often for a number of years and don't even know where the inspiration for it came from. It's simple and tastes so good, the creamy cheese melting against the crunchy nuts with a slight buttery taste offset by the crisp greens. Really, there's little to improve on.

As far as a recipe goes, it's very loose: 

Set out three small bowls. In one place a couple of tablespoons of flour, in another one beaten egg, and in the third, some chopped nuts. These could be almonds (as above), pecans or walnuts. Hazelnuts might be good, too. 

Cut the Brie cheese into wedges, not too thick. The last time I served this I used thicker wedges and I think I prefer the thinner ones - the ratio of crust to cheese is better.

Coat the wedges with flour, then egg, then nuts. I use one hand for the flour, the other for the eggs and nuts. It's a little messy, but the end result is well worth the effort. Place the wedges on a plate and chill them, if you like, up to 4 or 5 hours. They can also be cooked immediately, but it's nice to do this ahead. 

Melt a little butter in a small skillet and when it's hot, almost browning, add the cheese wedges. Quickly sauté them on each side. They should sizzle a little and the cheese will begin to ooze. Place them on a plate of greens that has been drizzled with your choice of salad dressing - raspberry vinaigrette is good. And, if it's berry season, add some raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries to the salad. But really, this salad is all about the cheese.

Strawberry Squares

I try new recipes all the time. Some I make more than once, like this one. Dorothy gave me this recipe about 30 years ago. She's the wife of the physician who delivered our eldest daughter in a small jungle hospital in South America.  I remember first eating this - it was so deliciously cool and frosty - perfect for a hot and humid climate. 

I've made this recipe more times than I can count. I like having it in the freezer during the summer - to me, it's better than ice cream! 

Strawberry Squares

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Crumble the above ingredients all together, using your hands or a food processor. Place in a 9 x 13 inch glass pan. I just put all the ingredients in the pan and mix it there. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Let cool completely. Take out about 1/3 of the crumbs to use for a topping, and ensure that the remaining crumbs are scattered evenly over the pan bottom. Set aside while you make the filling.

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups partially frozen strawberries (or raspberries)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup whipping cream

In a large mixing bowl, place the egg whites, sugar, strawberries (with any juice) and lemon juice. Beat at high speed for 10 minutes. You will have a bowl full of lovely strawberry meringue. This can splatter so take precautions.

Whip the cream in a separate bowl until stiff. Fold cream into the strawberry mixture. Turn into glass pan, on top of crumbs. Smooth the top, sprinkle on reserved crumbs. Freeze for at least 6 hours. Cut into squares to serve. 

Mexican Chopped Salad

Now that summer is coming - and we ate outside for the first time this year - I'm looking for more salad recipes. This recipe is one of my favorites - lots of vegetables, lots of flavor. And if someone doesn't like tomatoes, they are easy enough to ignore. The dressing is citrusy and just barely sweet - a perfect balance. I've slightly adapted the recipe from one found in Fine Cooking magazine.

Mexican Chopped Salad

Dressing:
1 small clove garlic
kosher salt
3 T fresh lime juice
3 T fresh orange juice
2 tsp finely chopped shallot
1 T honey
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Mince and mash the garlic with 1/4 tsp salt to a paste. Whisk garlic paste with orange and lime juices, shallot, honey and ground cumin. Slowly whisk in the oil. Season to taste with pepper and a bit more salt, if needed. Set aside.


Vegetables:
corn (I used frozen and thawed)
black beans (rinsed, if using canned, and drained)
tomatoes, cored and chopped
sweet red pepper, diced (or use roasted red peppers)
avocado, diced


chopped cilantro or parsley


On a platter, arrange mounds of corn (I use frozen and thawed), black beans (rinsed and drained), chopped tomatoes, diced red bell pepper (I sometimes do these roasted), and diced avocado. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with chopped cilantro, or chopped parsley if cilantro isn't in your list of things to enjoy. (like some of my family members)


Mixing a finely chopped jalapeno pepper with the black beans would kick up the flavor a little. But if you serve this with already spicy foods, the salad is a cool contrast.

Almond Apricot Bars

There's always a little sweet in our house. This one is buttery, not too sweet, with a jammy centre that tastes of summer. It can be glazed with some icing sugar and milk, but I prefer it plain. That crumbly topping - my favorite.


I found a recipe several years ago on the Land o' Lakes site, called Almond Strawberry Bars. I've adapted it considerably and am pleased with the results.


1 1/4 cups flour (All-purpose flour is fine, but I like a combination, about 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup white, all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar, not too firmly packed


3/4 cup apricot jam (or any flavor of jam - thus, the name is flexible)


2 Tablespoons butter (in addition to the 1/2 cup)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (in addition to the 1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds


Heat oven to 350 degrees. 


In mixer or food processor, combine the flour, and first amount of butter and brown sugar. Pulse until crumbly, but will cling together when pressed. 


Remove 2/3 cup of the mixture and press the remainder into the bottom of a 9 inch square glass pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.


While hot, spread the jam over top. 


Combine the reserved crust mixture with the additional butter and brown sugar, the almond extract and the sliced almonds. Sprinkle over top of jam.


Return to oven and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool completely, then cut into small squares to serve.


I realized while typing this that I neglected to add the almonds to the crumb mixture. So they don't show in the picture. Sigh. Everything's better with almonds.

Crunchy Granola

My husband's go-to breakfast is a bowl of granola topped with a few blackberries. We pick them in late summer and freeze bags of them for winter. Sometimes he thaws them out a little in the microwave, most often he eats them frozen. They thaw quickly when milk is poured on them.


Granola is something I've always made. I've gone through several recipes, this is the latest rendition. It's simple, has minimal ingredients, but the add-ins are limited only by your taste.


Crunchy Granola


9 cups whole oats (I use wild oats when I can find them) (rolled oats work as well - they just don't have the same "chew" factor)
2/3 to 3/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2/3 cup melted butter, or a combination of butter/margarine and canola oil (I use a combination - using about half butter gives a wonderful taste and contributes to the crunch factor)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Stir together the oats, nuts and cinnamon in a large, ungreased baking pan. I use a 10 x 15 Pyrex baking dish. A rimmed baking sheet would work as well.


Melt the butter, add the honey and oil, and heat until liquid. Pour over the oats and stir to combine thoroughly.


Bake at 350 degrees 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. When cool, add in extras, if desired.


Serve with milk or yogurt, or applesauce. Top with berries


Add-ins:
coconut, dried cranberries, raisins, dates, apricots, sunflower or pumpkin seeds

Crousillants (Cheese Crackers)

As guests arrive for dinner, I like to serve a few nibbles to begin an evening of conviviality. A dish of olives and a plate of these crisp cheese crackers is easy and appeals to almost anyone. 


This recipe is taken from the Williams Sonoma Paris book, given to me by Tim who brought it home from San Francisco business trip. The dough can be made ahead and frozen, then baked early in the day. They are addictive little things - consider yourself forewarned.


2 cups shredded Comté or Gruyère cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 Tablespoons butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of cayenne pepper
2-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives*
coarse sea salt


In a food processor, combine the Comté, Parmesan, butter, flour and cayenne. Process until combined and crumbly, 40-60 seconds.


Transfer the mixture to a cool surface and pat into a log about 2 inches in diameter. You don't have to be particularly gentle with this dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. Or freeze for longer storage.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap dough and slice into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Arrange on parchment paper lined baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with the chives, then about 1 teaspoon sea salt. 


Bake the crackers until they are a light, golden brown, 10 -15 minutes, taking care to not let them get too dark. If the edges brown too much the crackers will taste bitter. 


Remove from the oven and serve to your delighted guests.

*Should you find yourself without fresh chives, a little dried or fresh thyme is a good substitute. 

Eggplant Mushroom Stacks

Eggplant is one vegetable I never tasted until well into adulthood. But since discovering it I appreciate its versatility. And fortunately my family has adventurous taste buds and will try just about anything. 


These are easy to put together, add character to a plate, and have a mellow, warm taste that fit today's snowy weather. I think the parsley, or another fresh herb, is indispensable to the dish, adding a fresh element to the mellow flavors. My husband might disagree a little, but he doesn't complain.


Eggplant Mushroom Stacks


1 medium eggplant, washed, ends trimmed, and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch slices
olive oil
salt and pepper
1-1/2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms
2 Tablespoons butter
2 green onions, sliced
2 Tablespoons white wine or chicken broth
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush olive oil on both sides of the eggplant slices. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the tops with salt and pepper. Bake eggplant for 10 - 15 minutes on one side, then flip over and continue baking another 10 - 15 minutes until very tender. 


While the eggplant bakes, melt the butter and 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Heat to medium high and add the mushrooms. Let them cook without stirring for 1-2 minutes so that they brown a bit. Add the green onions, stir and continue sautéing until the mushrooms have released their liquid. 


Push the mushrooms to one side of the pan and add the white wine or chicken broth and mustard. Whisk vigorously, combining the wine and mustard, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the skillet. Then stir the mushrooms into the liquid and cook over high heat until most of the liquid is evaporated.


When the eggplant is baked, pile the mushrooms onto each slice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for about 5 minutes. Place on a serving platter and toss parsley over.