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.)

No Trick ~ Healthy Treats!

Elise, over at Simply Recipes recently shared a Cinnamon-Sugar version of these baked sweet potato jack-o-lantern treats,  and I knew I wanted to try them right away.
They are fairly easy to do, but just a bit time consuming ~ 

First of all, try to find uniformly cylindrical shaped sweet potatoes that are of a good sized diameter.


Photo: Columbia University


Peel the potatoes and slice crossways into  1/4-inch thick slices. You can cut the pumpkin shapes out with a pumpkin cookie cutter, but my pumpkin cookie cutter was too large so I used an exact-o craft knife  (a very sharp paring knife would work, too.)



Next you can cut shapes out to represent eyes, nose and mouth*...  make the expressions spooky and scary if you dare. 
I wanted gentle faces to please the youngest among us. :D
*You can skip this step if you want to, because it is fiddly work ~ and definitely best left to adults to do.



Lay the pumpkin cut-outs on a parchment (or silicone-mat) lined baking sheet. Elise instructs to bake them (as is, no oil or butter) in a very hot oven for about 35 minutes until they are golden brown.

I did not want them to discolor much, so I brushed them lightly on both sides with melted butter*, baked, uncovered for approximately 5 to 10 minutes (until the bottom edges begin to bubble and become a little crisp.)   Then I loosely tented the pan with aluminum and baked  them in a 375ºF oven, for about 10 minutes until the sweet potato  cut-outs were tender, but still holding their shape.  Remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 5 minutes if you would like the texture  to be a bit firmer. The baking time will depend upon your oven, the moisture content and thickness of the sweet potatoes, so watch and adjust accordingly.
*(you can use your favorite oil if you prefer)





I would be perfectly happy serving them just like this ~ but maybe your young ones would like them a little sweeter. In Elise's version, she instructs to dip them into melted butter and then cinnamon sugar to coat.


 

  This version is  moist  and tender, easy for young ones to eat.  I simply sprinkled cinnamon sugar over and placed them on a rack and allowed them to set up a bit.  These are best served the day they are made.
If you want them drier and a little chewy, I suggest you bake them in a hot 425ºF oven for longer, until they take on some color and dry out a little, then dip them in melted butter and then cinnamon sugar, the way Elise suggested.

An 'almost' guilt free snack ~ I hope you enjoy !


Have a wonderful weekend, friends.
xo~mari

Cheesy "Pizza" Broccoli

I didn't want to serve the same ol' steamed, or stir-fried broccoli, then I remembered a recipe similar to this one, by Daphe Oz (Dr. Oz's daughter), from her lifestyle/cooking book "Relish"
Click image to learn more about the book. It's a perfect choice for college students, young singles and newlyweds. I'm none of those and I like it too. :)

Daphne's version is even more simple than the one I devised (no roasted tomatoes/garlic/red onions or mozzarella in her version)  but this one is a lot more flavorful, in my opinion.

By now, if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I love cooking intuitively ~ that is with a basic recipe in my head, and then letting the creative juices flow!  This is another one of those, and you can adjust it to suit your own taste.



Easy and flavorful, here's what you'll need for the basic recipe:
Cherry or Roma Tomatoes Salt, Freshly ground black pepper Olive oil (or oil of your choice)
Dried oregano leaves 1 or 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Red pepper flakes Half an onion, slivered Fresh Broccoli Spears Grated Mozzarella Cheese Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Optional: Lemon wedges Fresh oregano or basil leaves (Extras ~ see below)
Method:
Place rack in center of oven, preheat to 400ºF.
Wash and cut in half a couple of handfuls of cherry tomatoes, or as many as you want to make a single layer~  (you can use quartered Roma tomatoes or a similar variety;  tomatoes that are not too juicy work best in this recipe.) In a shallow baking dish toss them with some olive oil, sea salt and  a little freshly ground black pepper.
Place pan in oven and roast tomatoes for 10 to 12 minutes (make take longer, depending upon your oven and the baking dish you are using.) Scatter 1 or 2 sliced garlic cloves, half of a slivered onion (white, yellow, red/purple), a couple of generous pinches of dried oregano, and a couple of pinches of  red pepper flakes (optional), give a stir to coat with oil and continue roasting for 10 to 12 minutes ~ it's okay if some tomatoes begin to char.
While tomatoes are roasting, steam broccoli spears until just crisp tender. Remove tomato pan from oven, arrange broccoli over tomatoes, add a little s & p if desired,  sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese (as much or as little as you like),  sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and place back in oven, or under hot broiler until cheese is melted and begins to bubble.  Remove from oven allow to cool for a moment, sprinkle with a few  fresh oregano or basil leaves. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.



Add any of these optional ingredients if you like: (to be added during second half of roasting tomatoes, or upon serving, as garnish):
sliced or halved flavorful black olives roasted red pepper slivers or pieces marinated mushrooms sliced green onions (scallions) cured anchovy fillets marinated artichoke hearts cooked Italian sausage crumbles, torn prosciutto, etc.   ~ almost anything goes!




Colorful and tasty, it makes a fine main course or a great side dish for simply prepared meat, poultry or fish.
Gluten-Free and Vegetarian friendly, too.

Bon Appétit! And thank you for visiting today!

xo~mari

Rustic and Hearty Tuscan-style Soup

When damp, chilly weather arrives we crave warming soup at my house, and this one is right up there among the top favorites. I've shared this one before and I understand it's similar to, (or a copycat version of) Toscana soup as served at the Olive Garden restaurant. I can't vouch for that as I've never had it there.
Even though I enjoy soup at any time of year,  I only make this particular recipe when the temperatures are cool ~ it's very hearty and filling, almost like a stew.




As you can see, the ingredient list is simple; no exotic items and surprisingly, for such a flavorful outcome, you don't need to add extra seasoning except for some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
I always increase the amount of veggies in the recipe as I prefer this soup chunky, and we all know they are good for us. :)

 

You can have this on your table within about 30 minutes. It's wonderful eaten straight after cooking it, and as with most soups it is fabulous reheated the next day. When reheating I usually add more of the greens just to liven up the color a bit.



It won't win any prizes for beauty, but for what it lacks in visual appeal it more than compensates in satisfying flavor.  I hope you'll give this one a try, it has to be among my top favorite 5 soups --- maybe in the top 3.
You can get the printable copy of the recipe over on my recipe site.

I'm so happy you came by to visit, have a lovely day!
~ mari  

Minestrone ~ A Lighter Version

I saw this recipe on my friend Monique's beautiful blog La Table de Nana recently ~ it looked so good and full of fresh veggies that it made me want to make it right away.  
But we've had the hottest summer on modern record here, so I had to put it off for a few days.  Now that the overnight temperatures have begun to 'fall' (pun intended), the time was right.
I was so surprised when I opened the link to the recipe, because this is nearly identical to the vegetable soup I make ~ except I never use an exact recipe. So I was really happy to see the it with actual measurements to share with people who don't use my cooking method.




As Monique did,  I substituted chicken broth/stock for the vegetable stock ~ so if you want a vegetarian version, use the veggie stock.
This one always pleases, and it's got lots of gorgeous color so it's healthful and pleasing to the eye as well.
Since it's zucchini harvest time, I also swapped out the spinach (or other greens) for this version. If you want more protein, add some leftover cooked chicken, Italian Sausage, beef (ground or cubed) during the last few minutes to heat through, before serving.




These "Pesto Crisps"?
Meh, they were just okay.  The recipe sounded good as I ran my virtual tongue over it... all the ingredients you would find in pesto; fresh basil,  Parmesano Reggiano, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil ~  plus a little flour and aged white cheddar.  
Thumbs down at my house. Instead of eating them along side as you would crackers,  I ended up breaking them up and floating them in the bowls of soup ~ (not pictured...)
If you want something similar, I would recommend this version ~ similar, but a bit different and infinitely better. Tried, true recipe ~ everybody gobbles them up!

But the soup gets 5 stars!


Thank you for finding the recipe and sharing it Monique! And thanks to everyone for stopping by today.
Your comments make my day.  :-)

Bon Appétit!


 

The Novel Bakers ~ "Gathering in the Garden" ~ Part II

Hello and welcome to the Wednesday installment of The Novel Bakers  where we are featuring the book "Gathering the Garden" written and illustrated  by Shelly Snow and Elaine Husband.




Same old story at my house... 
The summer wildfires made it nearly impossible to capture  garden gathering outdoors this summer,  so I dredged up one from my archives.  
It is from a few years ago. 
Thanks for understanding!






Now, I normally wouldn't serve these three  items together . . . these are just ideas for items you might serve at a gathering in the garden.

First up are Tomato Melts:

Garlic Bread toasted, spread with mayonnaise, a layer of fresh basil, then thinly sliced ripe tomatoes, a generous sprinkling of bacon then a layer of sliced or grated cheese ~ placed on shallow pan and baked in a 450º(F) oven  until the cheese is nice and melty and the  slices are warmed through.
Click here for a printable copy of Tomato Melts.






Next up, Warm Yukon Gold Potato salad:




Though this recipe also calls for bacon, it seems to me that we had  plenty of bacon on the Tomato Cheese Melts, so I substituted sweet red onion to lighten it up a bit (and omitted the mayonnaise.)   I also added a couple of sprigs of fresh tarragon, optional. 






Back to the Tomato Melts ~

Instead of large slices of bread I sliced the bread into narrow diagonal pieces and made them into "boats"





 ~ the basil "sails" are an idea I copied from Mary's inspiring blog:
Home is Where the Boat is
Thank you Mary!! :)






I also made a few  ~



~ Quiche d'Olives and Basil Tomato Tarts ~
Click here for a printable copy of the Quiche d'Olives recipe.

Instead of one large pan of each, I made individual size portions.





I used tiny Nicoise olives in the olive quiche, and cherry/grape tomatoes cut in half for the  Basil Tomato Tarts.
Click here for Basil Tomato Tart.







Using smaller tomatoes and olives worked out perfectly for these small tart pans.

Thank you for stopping by today!


Please come on back on Friday for our "Gathering in the Garden" finale ~




Thank you for any comments you would like to leave ~ they absolutely MAKE my day!  :) :) :)


And please do check out the other Novel Bakers' blogs  to see their creative ideas as interpreted from 'Gathering in the Garden'  :

Home is Where the Boat is
Rattlebridge Farm
A Quiet Life Blog