I love having guests. Whether it be for an evening or a weekend, taking care of those temporarily staying at my place has always been a favorite past time. During high school my nickname was “The Hostess with the Mostest” for my love of party-throwing and general affection to having people stay at my house. In college I found myself cooking for our newspaper’s fellow staff workers and making dinners every weekend at my friends’ apartments. Now, being the grownup I am (/sarcasm), I get to entertain guests staying at my apartment!

My oldest sister D visited me last weekend for a little overnight getaway and I had this delicious and light appetizer waiting for when she arrived. Creamy ricotta mixed with pungent goat cheese and lemon zest spread on garlic toasts. Something great to nosh on while she freshened up after her car ride but not too filling with the knowledge we’d be going out to dinner in a few hours. Not too fancy but the perfect thing to make your guest feel special.

—

Crostini with Ricotta & Goat Cheese Spread

The flavor gets better the longer it sits, so feel free to make this a day in advance. Just let it come to room temperature so it’s easy to spread.

Based on the recipe from Giada deLaurentiis.

Ingredients

• 1 skinny French baguette, cut into ¼-inch thick slices
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
• 4 oz. fresh soft goat cheese at room temperature
• ¼ cup whole milk ricotta cheese at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.) Brush baguette slices with oil, dust with salt and pepper, then grill or broil until toasted. Rub hot bread with garlic cloves until they dissolve.

2.) In a small bowl, stir together 1 tsp. olive oil, goat cheese, ricotta, basil, chives, lemon zest, and juice. Taste for seasoning.

3.) Spread goat cheese mixture over crostini and garnish with lemon zest.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: appetizer, cheese, snack

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Well, hey there! Long time, no real post. I am finally back up and running, however, so here we go!

My new job is amazing and everything I wanted it to be, but one of the side effects of testing and developing recipes is, well, being full from eating all day. I don’t eat real dinners or bake for the office too often now, but I do like to snack, and these fit that craving just perfectly. They’re also great to set out for munchies during any kind of gathering, which I did for a mini housewarming soiree this weekend.

These cheddar crackers are akin to Cheez-Its, Cheese Nips, Goldfish Crackers, etc, etc, but far yummier and more fun to make. You can really add anything to change up the flavor profile once you get the basic dough down, such as sprinkling them with sesame seeds, using other cheeses, or adding fresh herbs. They’re addictive and easy and oh-so-delicious, even after a day of eating, I’ll still eat them by the handful.

—

Cheddar Crackers

Based on the recipe from Country Living.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ tsp. ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 8oz grated cheddar cheese
• 3-4 tablespoons water

Optional: Sesame seeds.

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.) In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, pepper, and butter until crumbled and combined. Pulse in the cheese a little bit at a time until incorporated, and then slowly add the water until a dough ball forms and pulls away from the sides.

3.) Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate until chilled, at least a half hour or up to 24 hours.

4.) Once properly chilled, flour a board and roll out the dough to about 1/8″ thick and cut into squares, circles, shapes – whatever you like! Using a fluted cutter gives them a fun shape.

5.) Place the crackers on the prepared baking sheet (don’t worry about spacing them out – they puff up, they don’t spread out). Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Cool and snack!

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: baking, cheese, snack

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Quick post/Quick Friday dinner time!

I actually made this on Sunday for Easter lunch/dinner, but it also happens to be one of my favorite fast go-to dishes. My sister Valerie is nuts about this goat cheese tart and it’s the number one thing she requests when I’m home and cooking, and it’s easy to understand why. The tart is light and delicate, but also rich and satisfying, making it the perfect dish for brunch, lunch, or dinner. The dressing I threw together since I had leftover dill from the tart and buttermilk from making cinnamon rolls.

I cut time by using a prepared pie crust (which I had leftover from a previous baking adventure), but you can easily just use refrigerated pie crust and roll it out. The rest of the dish comes together in just a few minutes and then it’s just waiting for it to bake, which can be torturous but hey, just treat yourself to a glass of wine (a nice crisp sauvignon blanc is to die for with this dish) and relax. It’s the weekend!

—

Goat Cheese Tart

Based on the recipe from Ina Garten.

Makes 12 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 prepared or store-bought pie crust, at room temperature
• 4 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 9 ounces soft goat cheese, preferably with herbs
• ¾ cup half-and-half
• 3 extra-large eggs
• ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (½ cup if you’re not using herb goat cheese, I like basil and dill)
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350° F. Roll out prepared pie dough to fit an 11″ tart pan with a removable bottom (although I have made this with a glass solid tart pan with no problem). Poke the bottom with a few holes, fill with dried beans or pie weights, and bake until slightly golden, about 10 minutes.

2.) While the shell bakes, prepare the filling. In the bowl of a food processor, chop the shallots and garlic until small, but not fine. Heat the tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a small pan, and then saute the shallots and garlic until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

3.) Rinse the bowl of the food processor and add the herbs. Pulse a few times until chopped. Then add the goat cheese, half and half, eggs, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

4.) Assemble the tart. Sprinkle the shallots and garlic over the bottom of the prepared tart shell. Pour the goat cheese mixture over the top and bake until set and the top is slightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from the tart pan. Serve warm or at room temperature with a nice leafy salad and crisp white wine.

Buttermilk Dill Salad Dressing

This dressing only gets better the next day, so don’t be afraid to double it and save some for the weekend. It thickens and the flavor gets even better the longer it sits.

Ingredients

• ½ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt or low-fat mayonnaise (whatever you have on hand)
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1.) Whisk together all ingredients, taste for seasoning. Toss with fresh baby spinach and enjoy.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: baking, cheese, favorite, quick friday dinner, spring

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Fennel is one of those odd, underused vegetables in an everyday kitchen. It looks like celery, tastes like black licorice, and changes like a chameleon depending on how it’s cooked. But it’s a wonderfully versatile and healthy thing to work with – you just have to give it some time and love.

Incredibly high in vitamin C and fiber, fennel can be served crunchy raw, boiled, braised, baked, and everything in between. The cool thing is, once you bake it, the flavor can change dramatically from pungent and bitter, to sweet and aromatic. If you’re one of the many out there who dislikes its natural black licorice flavor, blanching and baking it is your road to fennel happiness, which you can follow below.

I saw this side dish of baked fennel with parmesan in the latest issue of Everyday Food, and immediately decided to make it. As I wandered around my grocery store trying to come up with something to serve it with, the idea of fennel = fennel seeds = sausage popped into my head. Since Italian sausage traditionally has fennel seeds in it, why not take a plain or non-Italian chicken sausage and bake it with this yummy fennel side dish to get that flavor profile, but in a much more elegant, muted way? Tender and velvety fennel with the rich and robust sausage, the dish is all-season friendly. Plus, the whole thing comes together in under 45 minutes, using only 2 pans, and could easily be served for a hearty lunch or light dinner.

Words cannot describe how much I love this stuff.

Blanching.

Pre-bake.

Golden brown.

—

Baked Fennel with Sausage

Serves 3-4

Based on the recipe from Everyday Food.

Ingredients

• 1 very large (or 2 small) fennel bulb, washed and quartered (reserve the stems and fronds, chopped, if there are many)
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Salt and pepper
• 2 large chicken sausages (not Italian), cut into 8 pieces

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 450° F with the rack set in the lower third. Butter a 9×13″ baking dish and set aside.

2.) Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the fennel bulbs (and stems, if applicable) and boil 10-15 minutes until tender. Remove and drain, cut sides down, on paper towels for a few minutes.

3.) Place the fennel cut side up in the prepared baking dish, and brush with butter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme, and parmesan cheese. Stick the sausage pieces in between the fennel and pop in the oven.

4.) Bake 20 minutes, turning the sausages halfway through. Sprinkle with fennel fronds and serve hot with a nice leafy salad or crusty bread.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cheese, chicken, fast and easy, savory, vegetables

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

There’s nothing quite like being home and indulging in all those favorites you only eat once a year. (Well, for one week a year…)

We have quite a few culinary traditions in my family for the holidays, and this is probably the most indulgent of them, next to the insane amount of Usinger’s sausage and cheese we eat in the next 2 weeks. I affectionately call this dip “fat and fat and fat and fat with artichokes and spinach” because that’s honestly what it is. In theory, you could make this healthier by using low fat cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, etc, but really… what’s the point? Just embrace the fat here and dip carrots in it if you want to fool yourself into feeling okay about eating it.

The other great (lazy) thing about this recipe is it’s made in the microwave and comes together in about 15 minutes using things you can keep in your fridge and pantry all the time. We like to have this around to dip tortilla chips and Ritz crackers in, and since it makes so much, you can just keep setting it out whenever someone stops by, reheat it, and then put it back in the fridge until next time.

Fat and fat and fat and fat with artichokes and spinach…

My mom’s battered recipe box which holds many precious secrets.

Huge bowl of spin dip…

Dipped!

—

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients

• 1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of all moisture
• 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, in water, drained and rinsed, then lightly squeezed to remove water
• 16 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic salt

Directions

1.) In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and garlic salt. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, then stir.

2.) Add the spinach, artichoke hearts, and parmesan cheese. Microwave an additional 4 minutes and stir. Taste for seasoning. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, or slices of toasted bread.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cheese, fast and easy, indulge, salty

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh