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.)

The Butcher's Pasta Sauce ~ From the Slow Cooker

There is no doubt that I love those quick pasta sauces that can be put together at a moments notice, especially in the warmer months when fresh produce is abundant.
However, when the temperatures drop I usually long for the deep flavors of a slow cooked sauce, the kind of sauce that can simmer on the stovetop for a couple of hours while the flavor develops. The kind mom and grandma used to make.
That's fine if you have a leisurely day to check on the sauce while it's cooking and give it a stir every so often,  adding more liquid if necessary.  
Sometimes we don't have that luxury of time --  that's what makes this recipe stand out; long simmered flavor without having to babysit it.



Slow Cookers ~ you may love them or not,  there is no doubt they are a convenience.  
In years past I could count on one hand the recipes I really loved  made in the slow cooker.   Too many times the food cooked in these units  tasted and looked like bad cafeteria food ~ left on the steam table for far too long  mushy, gray and not much in the way of flavor.

My slow cooker aversion took a turn around with the  introduction of the more modern slow cooker cookbooks, like this one from Michele Scicolone. 

Click image to learn more

"The Italian Slow Cooker"
Michele is a genius when it comes to what type of recipes really benefit from slow cooking. Instead of just dumping ingredients into the cooking vessel, sometimes a little prep takes place stovetop to get the recipes started. This one extra step makes all the difference in the world when it comes to a superior finished dish. So worth it!

I've had the book for a while ~I've shared  another favorite from book  a while back; "Spicy Tuscan-Style Sausage Ragu". Very, very good.)
The book covers everything from soups, sauces, risotto, polenta, grains, seafood, eggs, poultry, meats, veggies and beans, plus desserts. She offers special techniques that assure perfect results even with the most delicate ingredients like eggs, fish, and tender desserts.
The one I'm sharing today is The Butcher's Sauce, a recipe from Puglia. The unique thing about this recipe, and the reason for it's name ~ as Michele explains is that it is made of any kind of meat you happen to have, either fresh or in your freezer. (A good way to use up raw scraps of this and that such as a bit of raw ground beef, a pork chop, a sausage or a chicken breast.) Just chop the meat up in your food processor and proceed with the recipe. I have the basic recipe over on my recipe blog.

photo: Doris Italian Market
  Usually served with orecchiette, cavatelli or any chunky pasta.  I used perciatelli (pronounced: "pear-chuh-TELL-lee" as it is known in Naples.)  Almost everywhere else, the cut is refered to as bucatini. About twice as thick as spaghetti and hollow as you can see from the photo.

This one is a keeper, friends! And like most tomato based cooked sauces, it freezes very successfully ~ you can double batch easily if you have a very large slow cooker.





If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, you can find it over on my recipe blog HERE.
Please come see what's cooking for Foodie Friday!
Have a wonderful weekend!
~Mari xo

Those Fabulous Greek-Style Ribs

I've posted about these delicious ribs before  it one of my favorite recipes for baby back pork ribs. (I don't post pictures of them each time I make them because we do have them rather frequently.)  :0)

As I explained in my previous post about these succulent rib, I got the recipe from my friend Ann of Thibeault's Table --if you click the link you can get the recipe.



The method is quite simple ~ you make a rub of salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, olive oil and lemon zest, rub it into the baby back pork ribs and allow them to rest in the refrigerator. If I have planned ahead I do this the day before I am going to grill them, but if you only have a few hours, that will do.
Shortly before grilling, squeeze lemon juice over the ribs (don't do this part very far in advance or the acid in the lemon juice will alter the texture of the rib meat.)

Another thing that I always do to any ribs I am going to prepare is to remove the tough membrane from the bone side of the ribs. This allows the rub/marinade to penetrate the meat more throughly, and the membrane is not pleasant to eat anyway.


In this image I've already removed it ---  it can be stubborn, but if you begin at one edge and  get it started it usually will peel off in one sheet. (You can use a dry kitchen cloth or paper towel to assist in getting a good grip on the membrane.)


Then just grill as directed in the recipe~ you can also bake them in a 375º to 400º(F) oven. (I like them best when grilled, but in a pinch . . .)



This time I served them with a Greek-style pasta salad; Pasta, Feta cheese, Cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives,  orange bell pepper, roasted eggplant, cucumber, purple onion and parsley, tossed with a red wine vinegar vinaigrette. I can make a meal out of the salad alone (sometimes I add some grilled shrimp to the salad and serve it as a main course.)



I also made some Greek bread to go with the meal, very good. The kind that's usually served at the Greek Festivals I've attended. Soft, but not like 'bubble gum' bread. The sesame seeds are optional but I always make one loaf with, and one without. It's also good as sandwich bread and is marvelous toasted, too.   I'll share that recipe in the next few days.



The rub/marinade is also really good on prawns, fish and chicken, you only need to allow those to marinade for 20 minutes to an hour before adding the lemon juice.

Thanks for stopping by ~ Bon Appetit!
~~mari

Spiced Beef Turnovers with Avocado Creme Dip

I found this recipe on the Haas Avocado Board ~  they sounded so good,  and since I had all the ingredients on hand ~ I couldn't wait to try them. When I served them up, they received thumbs up all around the table.  
Yay!

You've probably surmised from the photos that the little turnovers  are made with wonton wrappers. They are filled with cooked,  slightly spicy ground beef (I added a little grated cheddar to the  beef mixture after it was browned and cooled.) 
After filling and sealing the wonton wrappers, they are fried in  about an inch of vegetable oil for just a couple of minutes,  flipping once.

                   
I'm not a fan of burning hot and spicy, and these were not. Next time though, I would either add a little more spicy seasoning  to the filling, or spice up the avocado dipping sauce a bit.
Honestly, I thought the combination was just a wee  bit bland . . .the avocado is blended with only sour cream,  a pinch of salt and lime juice. Either the filling or the dip needs more heat, imo.

But then again they disappeared within moments,  accompanied by lots of compliments and no complaints.
I'm thinking of experimenting with this method using ground chicken,  turkey or pork. Perhaps shrimp?  (I'm not so sure the other fillings  would have to be cooked first (thinking here about traditional  meat filled wontons) ...  If I do try them with another filling, I'll post about it with my results.  
Such a fun little appetizer!



If you would like a printable copy of the recipe you'll find it by clicking HERE.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today ~ 
I love to read your comments and/or suggestions!  xo~m

Aromatic Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Prepared a little differently this time.Use any raw, minced meat (or even veggies/grains if you prefer) for the stuffing.

If you know me, or have been following my blog for a while ~ you KNOW I am the kind of cook who loves to improvise, and quite often "wing-it" rather than follow a recipe exactly. 
This one is no exception.I had a pound of good organic ground lamb, and some colorful bell peppers. I wanted to season the lamb a bit differently than I usually do. I saw Nigella Lawson's Lamb Meatball Recipe (click)

and followed it almost exactly. Instead of the seminola, I used fresh bread crumbs, I also added some garam masala seasoning and a few flakes of dried hot chili pepper.





Rather than the traditional way of halving, or cutting tops from the peppers I sliced then into 3/4 to 1-inch "rings" and filled them with the lamb mixture, patted evenly then sprinkled lightly with more fresh crumbs.


I browned them very quickly in a little olive oil, stovetop ~ then transfered them to the oven to finish baking:









Hot from the oven I plated them atop a pool of warm Cumin-Yogurt Sauce.

To make the sauce; "Toast" the ground cumin in a small pan until it releases its fragrance, stir in a little whole milk Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of salt, stir until warmed through.

A shower of fresh mint chiffonade to finish the dish.

For a side I made cous cous, steeped in chicken broth with toasted pine nuts and plumped golden sultanas (raisins), with a squeeze of lemon.

If you don't care for lamb, I'm sure this would be delicious with other minced/ground raw meat (beef, pork, turkey, chicken), or a combination of cooked vegs/grain that you would like.

If you try this recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. :)

Leftovers are fabulous at room temperature, too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day ~ with the Darling Bakers!

Please come in to a sweet little Irish Cottage!

Welcome to the Darling Bakers St. Patrick's Day Celebration!

St. Patrick's Day has always been a fun celebration as far as I'm concerned

(I'm half Irish.)

Such a pretty kitchen window...

We're having a bit of a ~ feast !

A Saint Patrick's Day LUNCH and..

TWO seatings for Dinner this evening.

But first ~ a light lunch of soup, and a little dessert ~

Hot Cock~a~Leekie Soup to warm the soul

On a damp, chill day.

Darina Allen's Freshest Spring Salad ~

Loaded with so many fresh and healthful things~

Then some sweet fairy cakes with tea~

To tide us over until supper~

And some Sweets for the road ~

Perhaps a little hike through the forest ~

for leprechaun sitings?

You must be quick to spot these faerie folk!

Look! Evidence. :)

Can you see him?

A Ha!

Perhaps a Nap to sleep off the Guinness?!

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Feeling refreshed, it's time to eat again!

Supper ~ ~The First Seating:

More soup! This time every fresh green vegetable and herb available~

With crisp Shamrock pastry croutons.

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Look! Our friendly visitor~

Salad a la Mme. Monique ~

A stuffed Caprese. Fresh mozzarella in Vine ripened tomatoes

and an Herb Vinagrette.

~

The entree for the first seating ~

Beef Filet & Mushroom Skewers

with a deep, rich Mushroom & Guinness gravy finish.

For our second seating this evening ~

My Family's Favorite Shepherd's Pie ~

Organic Lamb and Veggies with Mashed Potato 'Wreath'

Comforting food on a damp, chilly evening...

With lots of other good things; carrots, tiny peas, pearl onions, celery...

with a mildly flavored base, seasoned with thyme

Buttery mashed potatoes, piped on so they develop a delicate light brown finish

I can never finish the entire little pot ~ but leftovers heat beautifully for the next day!

I don't know about you ~ but I'm STUFFED...

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

How about a bit of a hike before dessert?

Please come back later today for the sweets!