Antipasto in Crispy Bite Size Salami Cups

When I saw this idea for an appetizer on 

the Columbus® Facebook page, I knew I

wanted to try it out.  Of course I tweaked it just a little.

A San Francisco tradition established in 1917

Columbus® products have been a favorite in my 

family for years and years. I particularly have fond

memories around holiday time when our dad would buy and 

bring home big sticks of salami from San Francisco on the train--

for gifts and snacking. 

(His job was in San Francisco and he commuted each weekday

 to and from our home on the SF Peninsula for dozens of years.

It was always treat to meet him at the train station at 5:25pm as he

stepped down from the train, neatly

dressed in suit and tie ~ briefcase in hand . . . 

 especially on the days when he had those big

paper-wrapped sticks of salami tucked under his arm! )

To make the 'cups' the pre-sliced Genoa Salame

works best because the diameter is larger than regular 

salame so it is easier to work with 

(the slices tend to shrink when baked.)

To bake, pre-heat oven to 375ºF. Tuck one slice

of salami into a small mold and press in.

I used these little Brioche molds but mini-muffin pans

work very well too. I found that sandwiching the

salami slice between two molds helps them hold their

shape while baking.

 If you have 2 identical muffin pans, put the

salami in the cups of one and carefully stack and press the 

second pan into the first, which will help keep the 

salami in place while baking.

Alternately, you can make small 'balls' out of aluminum foil and

place/press each of them down upon the salami slices in each mold ~

then bake. Personally I feel that is really wasteful, 

and would just skip this recipe and serve antipasto 

on a platter or plates instead.

Bake for 10 minutes or so. The salami will begin to

hold the shape of the mold as it begins to crisp in the

oven. It's best not to over-bake or the salami cups 

may shatter when it's time to fill them. 

(Hint: Place the molds or muffin pans on

a parchment or silicone lined rimmed baking sheet to catch

any drippings.)

When baked, remove from oven, allow to cool a moment,

it's helpful to turn molds or muffin pan upside down

to finish cooling. Before they are completely cool 

remove the 'top' mold or muffin pan.

You can make the "cups" a few hours up to one day

ahead, storing in air tight container.

Next, choose the fillings for the cups, 

just gather your favorites from

items found on the antipasto platter.

I chose:

 Black olives (brined), pitted and sliced in half

Pepperoncini, sliced

Roasted red pepper, sliced into small pieces

Marinated artichoke hearts, cut into small pieces

And some cheese goes really well in these cups.

I used the tiny, fresh 'perline' mozzarella ("pearls"),

but you can just cut other mozzarella into small

cubes. Or use another favorite cheese.

The cups themselves are rather salty and I think the

mozzarella is a good smooth contrast to the saltiness of

the other ingredients.

There are plenty of other options for fillings,

here are just a few:

Garbanzo beans (from the can, or home-cooked)

Sun dried tomato slivers

Pimento stuffed olives / other olives

Tiny cocktail onions

Small chunks of tuna or slivers of anchovy

Feta or Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

Scallions (thinly sliced)

Grape or Cherry tomatoes (sliced)

Fresh red or green bell pepper (slivered)

Marinated mushrooms (drained, and sliced if large)

Golden or brown raisins, (a few in each cup adds a nice contrast of flavors)

Bits of fresh parsley or basil leaves

Capers

Sliced tiny pickles

Slivers of red onion

Thin slices of carrot

Truly, whatever strikes your fancy.

~*~*~*~*~

How do you spell it?

Salami or Salame?

You be the judge ~ 

it seems there are varying thoughts here in the U.S.

One explanation from Wikipedia. (click)

photo credit: wikipedia

Antique Hungarian Salami Poster

Use your favorite brand of Salami in the recipe ~ I prefer the Genoa

type simply because of it's larger size; uncooked the kind I used

is about 3 1/4-inches in diameter, after being put in the mold

(plus shrinkage during baking) the cups are about 2 1/2-inch in

diameter measured from the widest points at the top of

the salami "cups".

If you make these, I hope you like them.

Thank you for stopping by, your comments make my day!

~Mari :)

(Full disclosure:  No recognition or reimbursement of any kind 

has been received from Columbus® products for featuring

their products in this post. I just happen to like their products.)

Grapefruit-Avocado Salad ~ Healthy & Clean Eating

Yes, in my hemisphere it's winter, but I still enjoy a healthy salad ~ no matter what the weather, and this one utilizes the fruits and vegetables available to us at this time of year.



The base is organic baby arugula, and the toppings are grapefruit supremes (segments without the membrane), sliced avocado ~ I like the rich buttery variety with the thick pebbly skins such as Haas.  


Then a sprinkling of thinly sliced radishes, sliced scallions and toasted slivered almonds, then a generous shower of freshly ground pepper. I used tri-color pepper blend this time ~ I like the confetti look it adds to the salad. And a good sprinkle of coarse sea salt and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to finish.




I usually always trim my own citrus supremes ~ but this time I used the already prepared kind, like these fresh, non-canned ones ~ found in the refrigerator case, usually in the produce department.  They are packed in very lightly sweetened grapefruit juice not too sweet at all, and so convenient.(This isn't a plug for this particular brand, just look for the kind that must be refrigerated to assure the best quality and taste.)




To bump up the protein you could certainly add some diced or shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, salmon, or other fish.  You could swap out the arugula with baby spinach leaves, and add or substitute orange segments for the grapefruit.
I love everything about this salad, clean tasting, healthy and flavorful.Low in fat, and the fat it does contain is the good-for-you kind.
If you try it I hope you like it too.
No formal recipe needed, just use what you like, in the amounts that are pleasing to you.  Enjoy!

Approximately 168 calories per serving, about 2 1/2 cups, loosely packed, each

Ranch Dip & Dressing ~ the HEALTHY way

I was pleased to see that a version of very low fat "Lighter Ranch Dip" appears in the current edition of "Everyday Food" magazine because I practically gag on the synthetic taste of the commercial low-fat Ranch Dressing.  I made the EF recipe, and although it is simple to make and healthy it seemed to be lacking flavor, and understandably so ~ that version is seasoned with only thyme leaves, garlic and salt and pepper. That's not ranch as we all know it!

It looked like Ranch Dip/Dressing, but I found the taste quite disappointing. So I played around with the recipe a bit and arrived at my own version which I think is infinitely more flavorful. It requires just a couple of additional ingredients, but those don't add any calories, just more flavor.

While the original recipe called for low-fat Greek-style yogurt, and whole fat mayonnaise ~ I used 0% fat Greek-style yogurt (Fage brand), and Best Foods/Hellman's low fat mayonnaise, further trimming the fat to less than 30 calories, and negligible fat per each serving size (2 slightly heaping tablespoons each.) Of course you could still use the low fat yogurt and whole fat mayo, and it would still be much lower in fat than traditional Ranch Dip.

The additional seasonings I added were minced chives (green stems of scallions/green onions, finely minced, could be substituted), onion powder, minced parsley, and dried dill weed. I also added a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional.) Just those few ingredients made a huge difference in the appeal of this dip. To change the dip into a dressing, simply thin with low or non-fat milk to achieve the consistency you like.

As suggested in the magazine other uses for the lighter dip are:

Sandwich spread, particularly chicken or turkey sandwiches

Substitute for mayonnaise in tuna or chicken salad

Condiment alongside chicken or fish

Dressing for pasta salad

And there is another delicious way I use this, which I'll share shortly in an upcoming post.

If you would like a printable copy of my version of lighter Ranch Dip/Dressing you'll find it on the Once Upon a Plate recipe site.

Thanks for coming by for a visit ~ I hope you have a delicious day!

Stuffed Zucchini Stacks

Something I devised when I had only one zucchini on hand and needed a side dish for two!

Served as a starter or side dish this recipe requires just a few ingredients, usually found in the pantry/fridge.

They can be made a day ahead and baked off when you are ready to serve them.

Vegetarian friendly as well!

I use the same technique as described in the Stuffed, Steamed Cucumber recipe I posted earlier.

You can make as many or as few of these as you like~ adjusting amounts according to the size of the zucchini and how many you want to serve.

Ingredients:

Zucchini

Olive or canola oil

the reserved, scooped interior of the zucchini (finely chopped)

finely chopped onion

minced garlic

almost equal amounts of fine, dry seasoned bread crumbs and grated fresh Parmesan (I like to add more cheese than bread crumbs)

herbs of your choice (fresh or dried), crumbled if dried and minced if fresh

minced parsley

squeeze of lemon, if you like.

salt/pepper to taste

Method:

Cut the zucchini crosswise into 3/4-inch to 1-inch size slices, using a melon-ball tool, scoop a portion of the interior out of each (not scooping all the way through), in order to form a cup shaped receptacle in each slice. Reserve the scooped-out portion and finely chop.

Place the zucchini, scooped-out side up in an oiled, micro-wave and oven-safe shallow baking dish, with 1 to 2 teaspoons water, cover loosely. Lightly salt & pepper the zucchini, and microwave (or steam) for about 1 minute until just barely tender. Allow to cool a few minutes before filling.

For the filling:

Heat oil in frying pan, saute reserved, chopped zucchini interior, minced onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Off heat stir in dry bread crumbs, grated parmesan, and herbs. Squeeze of lemon if using.

Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed.

Fill each zucchini piece with the stuffing, mounding filling slightly, drizzle with a little more oil if filling looks dry. Sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan cheese before baking.

May be prepared to this point up to one day ahead. (Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.)

When ready to bake, heat oven to 350-degrees (F)

Bake until heated through and tops are lightly browned. Garnish with a tiny sprig of fresh thyme or parsley if desired.

Easy and flavorful!

Flower Glazed Cheeses

For pure wow factor on the cheese plate, I don't think you can miss with Flower Glazed Cheeses. This method is a lovely way to dress up grocery store cheeses (I wouldn't recommend it for artisan cheeses.)

As long as you use untreated, organic, edible flowers and leaves (preferably home grown), it is all completely edible.

I learned how to do this many, many, (many!) years ago from a Sunset Magazine Appetizer Cookbook. You can use any cheese with a flat surface and an edible rind (or no rind at all.)

They are so much fun to do that I'm often disappointed I don't have MORE cheeses to decorate once I get started! The designs are, of course, limited only by your imagination.

Here are some suggestions for edible decorations~

Just remember to choose pesticide-free, well washed leaves or sprigs of herbs, and petals or small blossoms of flowers.

Greenery:

chives, dill, save, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, watercress, cilantro, and parsley.

A few Flower suggestions:

pansies, roses, primroses, geraniums, carnations, calendula, nasturtiums, violets, and strawberry blossoms.

To prepare for use:

After rinsing and blotting dry, store the leaves and flowers in plastic bags in the refrigerator until ready to garnish the cheese.

Flower Glazed Cheese

Adapted from Sunset Magazine's "Appetizer" cookbook, 1984

Everything you need to decorate and glaze several cheeses.

2 cups dry white wine (or regular-strength chicken broth)

Note: Wine will give a clearer, more sparkling aspic glaze than chicken broth.

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (Knox, for example)

Flat-surfaced cheese (any rind must be edible), chilled

Edible decorations; see list above

In a 2 to 3-quart pan, combine wine and gelatin; allow to stand for 5 minutes. Place over medium heat and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is clear.

Place pan in a larger container filled with ice cubes and water, stir liquid occasionally until it begins to thicken and look syrupy. If it becomes too firm, rheat to soften, then chill again until syrupy.

Place cold cheese on a wire rack in a shallow rimmed pan. Decide upon your pattern/decorations.

Spoon a coat of aspic over top and sides ofcheese; when slightly tacky (1 to 3 minutes), decorate as desired with the flowers, leaves and/or herbs. Refrigerate entire pan with rack and cheese, uncovered for about 15 minutes.

Spoon more aspic over top and sides of cheese to cover all. If desired add one or 2 more coats, refrigerating after each layer is added.

When cheese is completely covered with glaze, invert a bowl over cheese without touching surface until ready to serve. Can be prepared up to 36 hours ahead.

Any unused aspic (including the drippings in the pan) can be refrigerated, covered, for several days. To reuse; reheat to melt, then proceed as in the instructions, above.

Recipe yields enough to coat six 3 by 5-inch rectangles of cheese with 3 layers of aspic.

I used edible flowers that are blooming in my garden right now

For the Brie I chose purple violas.

Nasturtium blossom, leaves and a blade of chive

on the block of Oregon Cheddar

Yellow Violas on a small block of cream cheese.

If you make these, I hope they bring you and your family and friends much enjoyment!

The Artist's Fondue or Fondue in Baked Squash

I found this way of serving fondue a couple of years ago while looking through a food artist's portfolio ~

I've been making it ever since.

There were no instructions or recipe since it was just a collection of photos, but the procedure looked fairly straight forward so I just improvised...

And it has become one of my favorite ways of serving cheese fondue!

If you like these elements, I think you'll like it as well. Just bake the squash and fill the seed cavity with hot fondue, serve along with any items you would like to dip.

It's so simple to prepare, and attractive, too.

The Artist's Fondue

(Fondue in Baked Squash)

Adjust to serve as many as you would like

Preheat oven to 400-degrees (F)

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment and brush with olive or canola oil. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and any fibrous tissue from the seed area. Brush flesh of squash generously with oil; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper.

Place flesh side down (cut surface down) in prepared baking pan, place in oven and bake until just tender when pierced with a skewer. Time will vary depending upon size of the squash, anywhere from 20 minutes to 45. (Perhaps up to an hour if it's a very dense squash.)Check occasionally, if it begins to brown reduce oven temperature to 375 (F).

When squash is just tender turn it flesh side up and allow to bake for a few more minutes.

While squash is baking arrange serving platter with bread cubes, assorted vegetables, and/or meats suitable for dipping.

In the meantime prepare your favorite cheese fondue recipe and keep warm until squash is baked OR do what I do for this recipe ~ buy Swiss fondue in the pouch (it usually can be found in the Delicatessen or Cheese department of the market.) Just gently heat it up, and if you like add a little more kirsch or white wine if you like, garlic, nutmeg, etc. to make it your own. So easy!

Place the baked fondue on the platter, pour the fondue into the squash cavity, sprinkle with a shower of fresh minced herbs if desired and serve. Usually the well in the squash will only hold about 1 cup or so of fondue, so keep the remainder warm and refill as desired.

I place a small knife nearby to cut cubes of the squash for dipping as well. You could use the same technique with smaller squash and serve indivdually if desired.

It's so good, the sweetness of the squash is a perfect complement to the cheesy, slightly nutty flavored fondue. Everyone (who appreciates fondue and squash) seems to love this method.

If you try it, I hope you like it, too.

Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche in Tiny Potato Nests

Crispy potato nests with a petite dollop of creamy lemon-dill filling, then topped with a morsel of smoked fish make these little treasures perfect for passing at a small party.

My favorite way of serving them is accompanied with a flute of Champagne; the combination makes a proper elegant nibble for a special occasion or celebration.

The contrast between the warm, salty, crispy potato and the cold creamy filling is a fleeting pleasure to be enjoyed soon after being assembled.

To be at their best, they must be baked then filled at the last moment these are best reserved for a small gathering of just a few (or two.)

But they are worth it.

Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche in Tiny Potato Nests

Yields 24 filled nests (recipe is easily halved)

Ingredients:

1/2 to 3/4 pounds of potatoes, Russet or Yukon Gold, peeled

1 egg, lightly beaten

salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill (or heaping 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Pretty fresh green herb for garnish

Smoked salmon (or other smoked fish) for topping; as generously as you like.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F)

Position rack to center (if you have the option, a bit closer to the bottom of the oven than the top, as the delicate tops tend to brown more quickly than the base of the cups.)

Generously grease the mini-muffin cups, be thorough; it will save you aggravation later. Cooking spray does not work as well for this recipe.

Finely shred potatoes with a mandolin (these should be very finely shredded). In a medium bowl, stir together grated potato, egg, salt and pepper. Squeeze any excess liquid from shredded potatoes. Spoon mixture, evenly divided, into 24 well-greased mini muffin tins.

With a spoon or fork, push the grated potato up the sides to make a nest shape. Just try to distribute the shreds to resemble a basket. The charm is that they will all be different so don't fuss about perfection; just try to form a nest shape.

Drizzle a small amount (about ¼ teaspoon) melted butter into each nest.

Bake in preheated oven until golden and cooked through 15-20 minutes. If edges/tops begin browning too quickly, loosely cover top of muffin pan with foil. When done remove pan from oven and cool on rack. When cool, remove from muffin tins and place on serving dish.*

Make filling ~ while nests are baking (or can be made a couple of hours ahead):

In a small bowl, stir together crème fraîche (or thick sour cream), lemon rind and dill. If made ahead, cover and refrigerate. Give it another stir before filling nests.

Place a small spoonful in each slightly cooled "nest", dividing evenly.

Place a small piece of smoked fish on each one and garnish with a bit of fresh green; dill, chives, watercress, etc.

Serve immediately.

*Note: If you have difficulty removing potato nests from the mini-muffin tins, allow them to cool for a bit, then "encourage" them to release with a thin bamboo skewer (or tip of a knife.)