Avocado Cristo with Cherry Tomato Jam and Balsamic Reduction

So I absolutely loooovve to travel but unfortunately don't always have the money to do so. So, I travel vicariously through my family and friends absorbing everything I can about the sights, the people of other cultures and yes, yes, yes THE FOOD!! What time of day did they have it, how did they find the place, what was it, what was served with it, what was unusual and a surprise about the flavors and combinations, what did they drink with it, etc. etc. etc.? My favorites are the stories about the off-the-beaten-path places, the places the locals go. So, this morning I picked up two wonderful friends of ours from the airport from their trip to the interior of Mexico. I was so excited to hear about their trip and taking people and especially picking them up from the airport is one of my favorite things to do, call me crazy. It's just the hustle and bustle of the departing for the trip and the anticipation of their return and being there to welcome them home. And no matter where they have been, home is always the very best place travel to.

So these particular friends of mine are both very experienced travelers and extremely accomplished cooks and for a long time owned a restaurant that all the locals went to. We went not just for the food, but the great ambiance the place had. You could sit on the porch and have fresh cheese and fruit trays and your favorite glass of wine or beer. For us girls, it was a place you could go to by yourself and they always made you feel at home. Now that I hopefully have explained the warmth of this place sufficiently, let me also share there were some pretty wild late evenings. After the restaurant closed, after the other customers had left and it was just us, a bunch of really close friends getting a little crazy (air guitars) and having fun(I can sing just like Cher). Friends that were a fantastic collage of personalities and varied interest and views.

So back to the friends and the airport pickup. My goal with my cooking is to make my friends and family feel special and loved. The effort I go to is purely out of love for them and the love of cooking. This morning it was breakfast and fresh coffee. Breakfast was slices of sourdough bread dipped in an egg wash seasoned with s & p, cumin, a tiny bit of garlic(it is breakfast after all) and fresh cilantro. The bread is then laid in the bottom of a casserole dish, covered in fresh slices of avocado, shredded Monterrey jack cheese and topped again with the egg washed bread baked until it is lightly brown and crisp on top. It is served with a fresh tomato jam to the side and a balsamic reduction drizzled over the top. It is a feast for the eyes and deliciously rich. I must be a little sadistic cooking for people that can create circles around me in the kitchen, but I love it! I am not afraid and I am not intimidated, I probably should be. They loved it and I was happy with how it turned out and happy they are home again safely!

This afternoon I am going to a wedding cake cook off competition with my husband. I am really impressed with the whole baking thing. I am a lousy baker with the exception of two cakes I can bake and not screw them up. Twenty years with the same recipe helps too. My brain is just not wired right for baking. Baking is such a science to me. That whole exact measuring thing just cramps my style. Now I do have all the right gadgets, the Kitchen Aide Mixer and the prettiest heavy stainless steel measuring cups and spoons from William-Sonoma you've ever held in your hands, but it still doesn't help. I can ruin even a boxed Duncan Hines cake and my icing looks like a 5 year old did it. The baking is left for the gifted people like my sister. I know I make her crazy with the light on in the oven. I just want to watch the disaster as it occurs and seriously, does that little tiny light really change the temperature?? She seems to think so, just one more reason why I guess her baking is always perfect. Oh well, baking keeps me humble. So this afternoon, I will witness with utter amazement, the flutter of the really anal people, do what they do best. Maybe even I can learn something. Let's hope.


Avocado Cristo with Cherry Tomato Jam and Balsamic Reduction

Adapted from Follow That Food

Ingredients:
8 eggs, lightly beaten
4 ounces milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper
1 loaf sourdough bread cut in 1/2-inch slices
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
6 ounces Monterrey Jack


Plum Tomato Jam


1 pound cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 ounces sugar


Balsamic Reduction

6 ounces aged balsamic vinegar




Garnish
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, peeled and sliced






Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.


In a medium size bowl combine the eggs, milk, garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper, and lightly beat. Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture covering both sides. In a baking dish lightly coated with olive oil, place a layer of bread slices on the bottom. Arrange a layer of avocado slices in a fan design on top of the bread. Cover with a layer of Monterrey Jack. Place another layer of the dipped bread slices over the cheese and avocados. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until bread is nicely browned.


To make the tomato jam, saute the tomatoes and sugar in a pan until liquid reduces and becomes thick.


In a medium size pot, reduce the vinegar until slightly thickened.

To serve, remove the avocado cristo from baking dish and cut into wedges. Arrange wedges on each plate with the plum tomato jam and a drizzle of the balsamic reduction. Garnish plate with lime juice, chopped cilantro, and a slice of avocado.

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Parmesan Twists, No. 101 on the list of crazy ideas my sister and I come up with

We had a blast making these, well I did, Claire did all the hard work, I just helped out with the fun part. 

Bless her heart.  This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Fine Cooking.  Adapted why, because remember, I don't know how to leave a recipe alone.  Everyone loved these, I looked up and they were gone!  The recipe makes about 40 breadsticks which is the recipe that follows, we doubled it, and I am really glad we did!  The dough should be made the day before to have time to refrigerate overnight.  You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  They are a snap to bake-up.

Crazy Spicy Cheese Breadsticks aka Parmesan Twists

1 tsp active dry yeast

1 Cup plus 2 Tbls warm water (85 degrees)

1/4 tsp sugar

3-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

1/3 Cup Olive Oil, good quality

1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Grey Salt for garnishing before baking

1 Tbl paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne

3/4 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Make A Sponge:

In a medium bowl, mis the yeast, warm water, and sugar until dissolved.  Whisk in 1-1/3 Cups of the flour until the mixture is uniform and free of lumps.  Cover with plastic and let it sit in a warm place until bubbly and light and almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Make The Dough:

Whisk the oil and the seasonings into the sponge until well blended.  Pour the seasoned sponge into the bowl of your super amazing Cuisinart food processor with the dough blade (or an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook) and set to medium speed.  As the dough hook turns, gradually add 2 Cups of the flour.  Slowly add the Parmesan Cheese. Continue to add flour until the dough is only slightly sticky, but no longer wet.  When the dough behins to cling to the hook and pull away from the sides of the bowl, remove the dough from the bowl and knead by hand on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. 1 to 2 minutes.

Shape the dough into a ball and let it rise in an oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap, until about doubled in bulk, about 3 hours.  Once risen, punch down the dough and refrigerate it overnight or for up to 4 days.

Shape And Bake The Breadsticks:                Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before shaping it.  Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line several baking sheets with parchment.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a 12 X 20 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.  Using a pizza cutter (or a long thin, sharp knife), cut  the rectangle lenghtwise into 2 sections each about 6 inches wide.  Then cut each section into narrow strips about 1/2 inch wide.  Strech and twist each strip to almost twice it's original length and arrang the strips, HAVE FUN, 1/4 inch apart, on the baking sheets.  Spinkle liberally with Grey Salt to garnish.

Bake the beadsticks until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.  Check them periodically as some of them will be thinner than others and will bake faster.  They're done if they feel firm when pinched.  Let them cool completely before serving.  They will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

You will notice one stray one in the photo that we tested with black sesame seeds.  Decided against them, didn't think they would look so great when guests smiled in photos  ;-)

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Greek Stuffed Peppers with Orzo, Roasted Caponata and Baklava "Purses"

Since I admit to being the junkie I am, I sat and watched the Food Network most of the day(in the background, while I was working, Jess).  Just looking for inspiration, while I wound up watching my "kitchen porn" buddy Giada.  Giada, I mean this in the most complimentary way of course, but seriously, the cleavage Honey.  Anyway, I found her stuffed peppers and Caponata and the baklava.  I do not claim to be better than her by any means (but my cleavage is not bad for 45), I simply am not capable of following a recipe, and I know what I and my family like.  One of my other downfalls is I ALWAYS cook too much.  I will hightlight my changes so you can see what I've done and notes about changes I made.  So my sweet neighbors are having dinner delivered to them tonight.  Here's what's for Dinner Tonight, Sonya! 

Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers

1 (28 oz) can Fire Roasted Italian tomatoes, drained
2 Zucchini, grated
1/2 C Percorino Romano, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly gound black pepper
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp dried oregano
4 C chicken stock (I'm not a huge fan of broth)
1 1/2 C tri-colored orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 sweet bell peppers (red, yellow & orange)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Break up tomatoes in a large bowl.  Add zucchini, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and oregano.  Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes.  Orzo should only be partially cooked.  Using a fine mesh sieve, transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the rest of the ingredients.  Spray your baking dish with our buddy Pamela and transfer the warm chicken broth to the baking dish.

Slice the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs.  If necessary, cut a thin clice off the bottom so peppers will sit upright.

Fill the peppers with the orzo mixture and place side by side in baking dish.  Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for  45 minutes.  Remove the foil, sprinkle the tops of the peppers with the remaining cheese and continue baking for about 15 minutes until the cheese is golden.
Enjoy, serves 6.

Roasted Caponata

1 (14 oz) can diced Fire Roasted tomatoes with juice
2 Zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds
2 Summer Squash, cut into 1-inch rounds
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 large eggplant, cut in half lengthwise, and cut into1-inch, half moons
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 Youkon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Grey salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
4 to 6 slices sourdough bread, brushed with olive oil and toasted on grill

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pour canned tomatoes into 3 1/2 quart baking dish that has been sprayed with our buddy Pamela and spread to cover the bottom.  In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients except the bread.  Toss to coat.  Pour the vegetables over the canned tomatoes in an even layer.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake until the edges of the vegetables are golden, for about 30 to 40 minutes.
Serve alone as a side, or over toasted sourdough bread.  Served over bread, it can be a great vegetarian main course.  Enjoy, Serves 6 to 8.

Baklava "Purses"

1/2 C almonds, toasted
1/2 C walnuts, toasted
1/4 C chopped dried apricots
1/4 C plain bread crumbs
2 Tbls sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided
3 Tbls honey
12 sheets phyllo dough

Special equipment: 2 mini-muffin tins + I used a small tamper (my finger doesn't fit so well in that tiny tin)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the almonds, walnuts, apricots, bread crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves and salt in your awesome, probably Cuisinart Food Processor (I had to use my crappy one).  Run machine until the mixture is very finely chopped.  It smells amazing! Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, add 2 Tbls of the melted butter and all of the honey, stir to combine. 

On a dry work surface place 1 sheet of phyllo (keep the rest covered so it doesn't dry out).  Brush lightly with melted butter.  Cover the first sheet with the second, repeating the process until you have used 6 of the sheets.  Cut the stacked phyllo rectangle into 12 equal pieces (cut lengthwise into 3 pieces and widthwise into 4 pieces).
Gently press each piece into the mini-muffin tin cups. Press 1 Tbls of the nut mixture into each of the phyllo cups.  Gather ends and twist to make a purse.  Continue with the rest and begin with the second set for your second muffin tin.  Bake until the edges are golden for about 20 to 25 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, remove from tins and transfer to a serving plate.  Do not leave unattended or your husband will a mysterious tummy ache.  Makes 24 "purses"

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