Tag: appetizer

Appetizers, Crostini, Fish and Shellfish

Smoked Mackerel Paté with Horseradish and Dill

by Lynda Balslev16 Comments on Smoked Mackerel Paté with Horseradish and Dill
Smoked Mackerel Paté with Horseradish and Dill

Smoked Mackerel Paté with Horseradish and Dill

In the world of blogging I have discovered that there are certain recipes that are sure-fire winners in terms of traffic. Usually these recipes are familiar crowd pleasers, such as comfort food favorites and baked treats we remember from our childhood. Then there are other recipes which generate less traffic. These are recipes we eat in our home that are inspired by the countries in which we’ve lived and traveled. They are part of my family story and they represent this blog’s voice. Most importantly, while they may be exotic or obscure to some, they are equally delicious.

Smoked Mackerel Paté with Horseradish and Dill is a family favorite with a Scandinavian slant which will fall in the second category for some. It reminds me of the Nordic culture, which I think of as frugal, minimal and tasteful. This recipe is easy and economical to prepare, requiring a short list of readily available ingredients. It’s rich in smoky, salty flavor, smoothed with cream and brightened with lemon and dill. And it’s packed with nutrients – mackerel is an excellent source of Vitamin D, magnesium, selenium and heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. That’s a lot to say about a simple pot of smoked fish mousse. Oh, and I should mention that it’s addictively good. So, go ahead – try it, and let me know what you think.



Smoked Mackerel Paté with Horseradish and Dill

This pate tastes best smeared on country style bread or baguette. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

8 ounces smoked mackerel or trout, skin and any pin bones removed
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish

Baguette slices
Dill sprigs

Combine the mackerel, cream cheese, horseradish, lemon juice and black pepper in bowl of food processor.  Process until the consistency is light and smooth. If too thick, add additional lemon juice. (The pate may be prepared up to 6 hours in advance at this point. Cover and refrigerate.) Before serving, stir in chopped dill. Serve smeared on baguette slices. Sprinkle with fresh horseradish and garnish with extra dill.

 


Appetizers, Fish and Shellfish, gluten-free, Vegetables and Salads

Calamari, Fennel and White Bean Salad with Arugula

by Lynda Balslev13 Comments on Calamari, Fennel and White Bean Salad with Arugula
Calamari, Fennel and White Bean Salad with Arugula

This salad is the edible version of one-stop shopping. In one bowl, you will find some of the best ingredients and flavors of Italy: Cannellini beans tossed with garlic and lemon, crispy arugula and fennel, Parmesan shavings, and flash cooked calamari coated in olive oil and pepper. Put it all together and you have a light and healthy salad or a heaping topping for bruschetta worthy of a dinner party.

Calamari, Fennel and White Bean Salad with Arugula
Serves 4

For the vinaigrette:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups cooked cannellini beans (or one can, drained and rinsed)
1 small fennel bulb, ends and fronds trimmed, thinly sliced

For the calamari:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound calamari (body and tentacles), body sliced in 1/4 inch rings
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups arugula leaves, washed and dried
2 ounces shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish

Prepare the vinaigrette:
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.

Combine the beans and fennel in a medium bowl. Pour 1/2 of the vinaigrette over the beans and toss to combine.

Prepare the calamari:
Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute 30 seconds. Add calamari and saute 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the beans and mix together.

Arrange arugula in a serving bowl.  Spoon beans and calamari into the center of the arugula. Drizzle arugula with remaining vinaigrette. Garnish with Parmesan shavings and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Appetizers, entertaining, gluten-free

Prosciutto Roll-ups with Arugula, Fennel and Parmesan

by Lynda Balslev12 Comments on Prosciutto Roll-ups with Arugula, Fennel and Parmesan
Prosciutto Roll-ups with Arugula, Fennel and Parmesan

Prosciutto roll-ups are the perfect appetizer. Salty strips of prosciutto wrap around leafy arugula sprigs, crispy fennel spears and nutty Parmesan shavings, binding the vegetables together in an edible cocoon basted with lemon and garlic infused oil. This is the best kind of finger food – healthy, fresh and seasonal.

Feel free to fiddle with the ingredients and take advantage of the season’s produce.  Be sure to include a leafy green, a crisp vegetable and cheese for a variety of textures. Other suggestions would include a combination of basil or mint leaves, blanched asparagus spears or crispy pear slices, and pecorino, gorgonzola or manchego cheese.

Prosciutto Roll-ups with Arugula, Fennel and Parmesan
Makes 24 roll-ups

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
12 slices of prosciutto, halved lengthwise
2 cups baby arugula leaves, washed
1 large fennel bulb, fronds removed, sliced in half lengthwise, each half thinly sliced, lengthwise
4 ounces Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese, thinly shaved
Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk oil, garlic, lemon juice and zest together in a small bowl.
Place one prosciutto slice on work surface, long side parallel to the edge. Place several arugula leaves at one end. Top with several fennel slices and a few shavings of cheese. Drizzle with a 1/2 teaspoon of the oil. Sprinkle with pepper. Starting at the filled end, roll up the prosciutto. Place seam-side down on a platter. Repeat with remaining slices. Brush the roll-ups with a little of the oil. (May be prepared up to 4 hours in advance. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature to serve.)

Appetizers, gluten-free, Vegetables and Salads

Roasted Asparagus and Prosciutto Spears

by Lynda Balslev4 Comments on Roasted Asparagus and Prosciutto Spears

If you are looking for a too-easy-to-believe appetizer, then this recipe is the one. Requiring merely 3 ingredients, an oven and less than half an hour to prepare, the finger-licking results belie the ease. This recipe takes advantage of spring’s tender asparagus and salty prosciutto, which is always in season in our home. Baking crisps and coaxes the salt from the ham, while olive oil lightly naps the spears. Be sure to eat these warm straight from the oven – with your fingers.

Roasted Asparagus and Prosciutto Spears
Makes 12

12 asparagus, medium thickness
6 prosciutto slices, halved lengthwise
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 Lemon (ok, that’s a 4th ingredient, but it’s optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. (190 C.)
Snap off the woody stems of the asparagus and trim the bottoms with a knife. Wrap a slice of prosciutto diagonally around the asparagus stalks, leaving the tips and base exposed. Brush the exposed bits of the asparagus with olive oil. Arrange on a baking tray. Roast until the asparagus tips are tinged brown and the prosciutto is crispy,  about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and arrange on a plate. Drizzle with a little lemon juice, if desired.

gluten-free, Soups and Stews, spring, Vegetables and Salads

Asparagus Soup

by Lynda Balslev11 Comments on Asparagus Soup
Asparagus Soup

Nothing says spring to me more than the arrival of asparagus in the markets. Their green stalks fill the shelves, upright and dignified, like silent soldiers adorned with purple-tinged crowns. I can’t help myself: I grab one bunch, then another, heaping them in my basket, while eyeing others for even firmer, taller, more deeply colored specimens. If I see them, I’ll take them.

Once home, they need to be put to use – steamed with lemon and olive oil, oven-roasted for a little char, shaved raw into salads, and, of course, in soup. This recipe is simple and relatively minimal, as an asparagus soup should be. Too many flavors will overpower their subtle grassy flavor. A little cream is added to the soup for body and richness, and a sprinkling of Pecorino cheese for garnish adds that extra umami quality, begging for seconds.

Asparagus Soup

Serves 4-6

1 pound asparagus spears
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Trim and discard the woody ends of the asparagus. Cut and reserve 4-6 asparagus tips, 2 inches in length. Slice remaining spears in 1/4 inch pieces.
Melt butter with the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté onion until translucent without browning, about 2 minutes. Add asparagus pieces and sauté until brightened in color and beginning to soften, 2 minutes. Add stock; bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until asparagus are very tender, about 20 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, blanch the reserved asparagus tips in salted boiling water until bright in color, 30 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold water; set aside.
Purée soup with an immersion blender or carefully in batches in a food processor. Return to soup pot. Add cream and black pepper and heat through to serving temperature. Taste for seasoning. Serve in bowls or glasses, sprinkled with pecorino cheese. Garnish with asparagus spears.

Appetizers, Autumn, Fall, Restaurants: Switzerland, Vegetables and Salads, Vegetarian, Winter

Golden Onion Tart with Gruyère and Thyme

by Lynda Balslev17 Comments on Golden Onion Tart with Gruyère and Thyme
Golden Onion Tart with Gruyère and Thyme

This tart is a vehicle for caramelized onions. It’s also inspired by an appetizer I ate years ago in a Swiss auberge overlooking the Lake of Geneva. It’s been so long, I can’t remember the name of the restaurant, but I do remember the onion tart. It was simple and rustic, just like the half-timbered dining room with its roaring open fire where we tasted it. Sweet, rich and minimal, this tart was perfection in its simplicity. Today I make a version of this memory while we enjoy another view from our California home. I like to serve it in small slivers with glass of wine before dinner.

Golden Onion Tart with Gruyère and Thyme
Serves 8 to 12

For the dough – adapted from a recipe by Alice Waters:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut in 1/4 inch cubes
3 tablespoons ice water

Stir flour and salt together with a fork. Toss in butter. Work the butter into the flour with a fork or your fingertips until it resembles coarse meal, with some pieces of the butter apparent. Sprinkle in the water while stirring with a fork until the dough comes together, adding another tablespoon of water if necessary. Form into a ball and flatten. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour

For the filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons port wine
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces finely grated Gruyère cheese
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
1 egg, slightly beaten

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or pot. Add onions and salt. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown, soft and squidgy, about 30 minutes. Add port wine and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove onions from heat and stir in the pepper. Cool slightly.
While the onions are cooling, roll out the dough to fit in the bottom and up the side of a 10 inch round tart tin. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the bottom of the tart. Spoon onions into the shell and spread evenly. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon thyme over the onions. Brush the exposed crust rim with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tart and crust with the remaining cheese.
Bake in a preheated 375 F. oven until the crust is firm and golden and the onions have turned a rich golden brown, without blackening, about 30 minutes. Remove and cool slightly. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature garnished with thyme sprigs.

Appetizers, Vegetables and Salads, Vegetarian

Spiced Carrot Croquettes with Yogurt-Sriracha Sauce

by Lynda Balslev23 Comments on Spiced Carrot Croquettes with Yogurt-Sriracha Sauce

If this recipe sounds vaguely familiar to you, then it might be because these croquettes have a similar method to my favorite Smoked Salmon Fish Cakes.  Say, what? – you may ask.  It’s true – this is a great example of a recipe that works. Over many renditions I finally arrived at a pan-fried cake/patty/croquette recipe which I love. It’s light, crispy and packed with the main ingredient. It’s a winner, and I’m sticking to it.

In this version, the star ingredient is carrot. Its sweetness is nicely balanced by the spice and heat of chile, coriander and cumin. Flecked with green onion and cilantro, the croquettes are light and airy with a satisfying bite. A coating of panko crumbs ensures a crisp exterior, begging for a dip in the sriracha laced yogurt sauce, which is a perfect cooling foil to the warm croquettes.

Spiced Carrot Croquettes with Yogurt Sriracha Sauce
Makes 16 – 1 1/2 inch croquettes

Carrot croquettes:
8 large carrots, peeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs, divided
2 green onions, ends trimmed, white and green parts minced
1 small red jalapeno or serrano chile pepper, stemmed and seeded, minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Greek-style whole milk yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Vegetable oil for frying

Yogurt-Sriracha Sauce:
1 cup Greek-style whole milk yogurt
1/2 tablespoon sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of salt, to taste

Steam carrots until very soft, 30-40 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mash. (There should be about 2 cups.)
Place 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl; set aside. Add 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, green onion, chile pepper, cilantro, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper to the carrots. Stir to combine, and then stir in the yogurt and lemon juice. Using a soup spoon, scoop out a spoonful of the carrots. Lightly form into a 1 1/2 inch patty. Gently roll in reserved breadcrumbs to coat. Place on a platter. Repeat with remaining carrots. (Croquettes may be prepared to this point up to 3 hours before cooking. Loosely cover with plastic and refrigerate.)
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add croquettes in batches. Fry until golden brown, turning once, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat with remaining carrots.
To make the sauce, whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Transfer croquettes to a serving plate. Serve with the yogurt sauce and lemon wedges. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Appetizers, Cookbooks, Crostini, Food Blog Events, France, Poultry

Homemade Duck Prosciutto and a Tartine

by Lynda Balslev18 Comments on Homemade Duck Prosciutto and a Tartine
Homemade Duck Prosciutto and a Tartine

For those of you not in the know, there is a fabulous food blog event taking place as we speak. I refer to Charcutepalooza: A Year in Meat, hosted by Cathy Barrow and Kim Foster. These two bloggers have come up with the inspirational idea to cure, smoke and salt their way through Michael Ruhlman’s bestselling cookbook Charcuterie along with the participating food blogging community. I am a huge fan of charcuterie as well as the precepts of using sustainable and humanely raised meat, so it was without hesitation that I joined in the Charcutepalooza party.

The first challenge of the year was to make homemade duck prosciutto. I have long wished to make my own prosciutto, and what better way to get my feet wet (or hands salty) than with duck breasts. The only difficult aspect of the preparation was waiting 7 days for them to cure. During this time I learned two valuable things: Duck prosciutto is extremely easy to make, and that patience is a virtue – at least when it comes to curing meat.

There are many ways to enjoy duck prosciutto, the simplest quite often the best. In this case I prepared a tartine, or a French open-face sandwich. The prosciutto is paired with melting reblochon cheese and layered over mixed greens. At once rustic and fresh, this recipe is a great way to kick off Charcutepalooza’s Year of Meat.

Duck Prosciutto and Reblochon Tartine

Reblochon is a soft cow milk cheese from the Savoie region of the French alps. It may be substituted with Saint Nectaire or Camembert. Try using a variety of greens and herbs. I used what I had on hand: flat leaf parsley, mizuna and radicchio.

Makes 4

2 slices of french country bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick, halved
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups mixed greens, such as lambs lettuce, frisée, green herbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 wedges Reblochon or Saint Nectaire cheese
4 sprigs rosemary
4 slices duck prosciutto

Preheat oven broiler. Lightly brush bread with olive oil. Arrange on baking tray and broil, turning once, until lightly golden. Remove from oven, but don’t turn off the heat.
Place greens in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper; toss.
Place wedges of cheese in a small baking pan. Top each wedge with a rosemary sprig. Broil until cheese begins to soften and bubble, 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven.
Arrange bread slices on a plate or platter. Top with greens. Place a cheese wedge on the greens. Lay a slice of prosciutto over the greens and cheese. Sprinkle with pepper and drizzle with a few drops of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Appetizers, Christmas, Denmark, Fish and Shellfish

Holiday Timeout: Shrimp and Dill Open-Face Sandwich

by Lynda Balslev11 Comments on Holiday Timeout: Shrimp and Dill Open-Face Sandwich
Holiday Timeout: Shrimp and Dill Open-Face Sandwich

Are you suffering from a food hangover? No worries. You’ve made it this far, cruising through Thanksgiving, holiday parties, and now Christmas. Just a few more days to go before the New Year, and then you can look forward to a diet respite. In the meantime, here is a quick fix: a Danish-inspired open-face sandwich. Clean, fresh and minimal, this is Danish design on a plate. It’s a perfect antidote to holiday excess, yet sufficiently decorative and pretty to look at during the festive season.

Not only is this open-face sandwich healthy and low in fat, it’s seasonally appropriate. The Danes are famous for smørrebrød, or open-face sandwiches. Eaten year round, smørrebrød makes a special appearance at the Danish holiday table, where they are an important first course in the culinary marathon otherwise known as the Christmas Lunch. Christmas Lunch is a bit of a misnomer, as it applies to multiple days preceding and following Christmas Day and may happen at lunch or dinner. Whenever it may fall, rest assured there will be numerous courses accompanied by beer and shnapps and no room for any more food that day.

Now, don’t be afraid. While the Danes view smørrebrød as one course of many, for our  sake, I present you with  a Shrimp and Dill Open-Face Sandwich as a light and refreshing dietary interlude. Enjoy this for lunch or as light dinner while you pace yourselves to the New Year. And if you must accompany it with a jigger of akavit, go ahead. After all, it’s the holidays.

Shrimp and Dill Open-Face Sandwich

Bay shrimp are a good substitution for the tiny fjord shrimp typically used for this recipe in Denmark.   Makes 2 smørrebrød.

2 slices french loaf bread, 1/2 inch thick
Lightly salted European-style butter
2 large Boston lettuce or romaine lettuce leaves
1/4 pound bay shrimp
4 tablespoons creme fraiche or Greek style whole milk yogurt
Dill sprigs
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges

Spread each bread slice with butter. Cover with a lettuce leaf. Arrange shrimp in rows on lettuce. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons yogurt over shrimp. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill sprigs and serve with a lemon wedge.

Appetizers, Christmas, Denmark, entertaining, Fish and Shellfish, holiday, Parties

Holiday Entertaining: Salmon Gravlax

by Lynda Balslev16 Comments on Holiday Entertaining: Salmon Gravlax
Holiday Entertaining: Salmon Gravlax

You say Christmas, and I say Gravlax. The holiday season is not complete without executing a recipe for home-cured salmon gravlax. Don’t be daunted. This is an entertainer’s dream. The salmon is easily prepared in advance and stowed in the refrigerator to cure for 2 days. All you need to do is unwrap and remove the spice cure, slice and serve. The results are the essence of Nordic cuisine: minimal and elegant. Fennel, dill and pepper fleck the meltingly soft salmon which tastes of the sea. How can you argue with that?

Gravlax (gravlaks in Danish and Norwegian or gravad lax in Swedish) literally means salmon in a grave or hole.  During the middle ages fisherman would salt salmon and let it ferment by burying it in a hole above high-tide line. Nowadays it’s not necessary to bury salmon in sand, but, rather in salt and sugar and banish it to the refrigerator.  The salmon will cure over several days, during which the salt and sugar will turn into liquid, creating a brine.

Salmon Gravlax

Serves a party.

Salt and sugar are necessary ingredients for curing, while fresh or dried herbs, peppercorns, citrus or spirits are frequently added to the brine for additional flavor. This recipe adds dill, fennel, peppercorns and akavit for flavor and spice. Choose a fish which is very fresh with a firm consistency. I use an Atlantic fish, such as Loch Duart Salmon.

One side of salmon, about 3 pounds (1.5 kg) with skin, pin bones removed
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
10 ounces (350 g) sea salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup fresh dill sprigs, chopped
1 cup fennel fronds, finely chopped
1/4 cup Akavit or vodka

Lightly toast the peppercorns and fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until aromatic, about 1 minute. Transfer to a mortar and finely ground to a powder. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the salt and sugars. Rub the fish all over with the spices mix.

Line a long baking pan or dish with plastic wrap.  Place half of the dill sprigs and half of the fennel fronds over the plastic wrap.  Arrange the salmon, skin-side down on the herbs.  Sprinkle the Akavit over the salmon. Top with the remaining dill and fennel. Cover with additional plastic wrap, sealing the fish.  Place a heavy pan or tray on the fish. Weigh down the pan with cans or bottles.  Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.

To serve, remove the fish from refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap. Pour off the collected juices and wipe off excess brine and dill.  Slice diagonally from one corner of the salmon towards the center of the fillet.

Fold a slice of gravlax on toasted brioche bread or white bread.  Squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon juice and smear a spoonful of Honey Dill Mustard on the fish.  Garnish with a dill sprig.

Honey Dill Mustard

1/4 cup honey mustard
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup chopped dill sprigs
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk the mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk in the oil to emulsify.  Stir in the dill, pepper and salt.