This is a very simple dish to serve as an appetizer or dessert.
Ingredients:
1 whole Brie ( I used a 19.6 oz. round)
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry thawed
1/2- 1 cup chopped toasted nuts (pecans or walnuts)
1/2- 1 cup jam/preserves of your choice (I used a chipotle raspberry)
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water.
1 sheet of parchment paper
Bread or crackers to serve with the Brie
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll thawed sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to approximately 12-14 inches square. Spread chopped nuts in circle in center of pastry.
Top the nuts with the jam/preserves.
Place brie circle centered on the jam.
At this stage you can use some of the pastry to cut out a decoration for the top.
Fold up the edges of the pastry to cover the brie completely.
Flip the Brie wrapped in pastry over.
Add decoration if you like.
Place the Brie on parchment lined baking sheet.
Brush the pastry with beaten egg mixture.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Note: I prefer to scrape off some of the rind especially from the top where the jam and nuts will rest. I like the idea of the jam permeating the brie easier in the baking process. Although I didn’t have red grapes when I prepared my Brie but it would be a very nice accompaniment.
Here are some very easy recipes using puff pastry that I buy from the freezer aisle at the grocery store. These puff pastries come in handy when you need a fast and easy dessert or appetizer or even a breakfast treat.
I got this first idea from the Pioneer Woman and since apples are always in abundance I decided to start with an easy apple puff pastry treat.
4 apples cored cut in half and sliced.
1 cup brown sugar
Dash of salt
Juice of half a lemon
1 sheet of puff pastry thawed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix brown sugar, salt and lemon juice together.
Prepare apples.
Gently mix in the apple slices with the brown sugar mixture.
Place sheet of puff pastry on parchment paper lined sheet pan.
Cut the pastry sheet in half
Arrange apple slices down the center of each sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden
Sprinkle the pecans over the apples on each half sheet of apple pastry.
For an extra treat drizzle with your favorite caramel sauce that has been heated.
Tomato, Tarragon & Cheese Puff
1 sheet puff pastry
2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced.
1-1/2 cups of your favorite cheese grated (I used Gruyere)
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/4 cup tarragon or basil leaves, roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place sheet of puff pastry on parchment lined sheet pan.
Use a fork to punch holes all across the surface.
Scatter the tomatoes over the pastry.
Salt and pepper the tomatoes.
Top with your cheese choice.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake until pastry is golden brown, approx. 20 minutes or longer.
Let stand 5 minutes and then top with the roughly chopped tarragon or basil.
Slice and serve immediately.
This could be a meal for two or an appetizer selection for a small group.
This weekend is a full one and I’ll be away from my computer for a good spell of time. I’ll catch up with y’all next week!
1. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Did your team win? What’s your favorite game day snack for whatever sport is happening?
We did watch the game and were so surprised at the blow-out. The Eagles played a great game. I’m glad the Chiefs finally got some good plays in. We really didn’t have a favorite team. For game day snacks I like Charcuterie with meats and cheeses and veggies with dips like artichoke and a baguette cut up in thin rounds and nuts and I could go on and on.
2. What’s your ‘superpower’?
Detective work is one of my super powers and along with that comes spotting danger. Those powers made me a real good Playground teacher.
Another super power, because I love to do it, is planning a trip.
3. Will you do anything special on Valentine’s Day? If so do share. Any thoughts on/about this particular holiday?
I’m thinking I’d like to do a chocolate fondue again.
Chocolate Hazelnut Fondue
1-1/2 cups half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 pounds bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped. (I used 2 bags of semisweet chocolate chips that I didn’t need to chop)
1/4 cup Frangelico liqueur (If you do not want to use this you can substitute 1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee)
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (as always you can omit the nuts if you’d prefer)
Method:
Place the half and half and heavy cream in a double boiler.
Heat the creams until they bubble.
Reduce the heat and gradually stir in the chocolate chips 1/2 cup at a time whisking while adding. When the chocolate is completely blended in, add the liqueur.
Keep warm and sprinkle with hazelnuts just before serving.
You can divide the chocolate into individual dipping bowls and serve with dipping fruit and other items or you can put the chocolate into a fondue pot at this time, too, to keep it warm.
Some dipping suggestions: cookies, biscotti, cubes of cake, dried apricots, pineapple, fresh berries, sliced pears, orange slices, and marshmallows.
This recipe easily served 8 people with leftovers. If you are serving a smaller group half the recipe.
I enjoy hosting a little Valentine dinner and decorating in pink, white and red for a change.
Share a favorite verse or quote relating to love.
1 John 4:7-12
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loves us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
4. Are you a fan of the rom-com genre? If so what’s one of your favorites?
Not a fan of this genre in movies or books. Give me a good murder mystery with a faithful loving relationship in the plot line and I’ll be happy.
If you’re not a movie go-er then what about a book you love that features a great love story?
Going back to murder mysteries the relationship between Gamache and Reine-Marie in the Inspector Gamache series of murder mysteries is a great love story. Their relationship is loving, faithful and an everyday kind of relationship, not far fetched but inspirational.
How about a favorite love song?
This song about God’s love in sending Christ to save us is a current favorite.
On a more earthly note, from my high school days, I’ll go with Cherish by the Association. There were so many popular love songs in the 60’s.
I love good music sung by talented singers. Even if they sing something that isn’t necessarily classified a ‘love song’, it brings out the love in me. Andrea Bocelli can be singing anything and it sets a amazing mood. Nat King Cole is another singer who’s voice is ‘music to my ears’. Music is very key in my personal history. God has used it in powerful ways in my life.
5. Let’s get creative…write an acrostic using the word L-O-V-E.
Living in love
On the cusp of heaven
Visualizing with hope
Eternity
6. Insert your own random thought here.
My favorite Valentine’s! Photo from Valentine’s Day 2024.
This easy to make flatbread appetizer would be a nice addition to your Christmas or New Year’s Eve festivities. I found this recipe in a grocery store flyer.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon chopped leeks
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
salt to taste
2 flatbreads (14.1 ounces)
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided
For topping: freshly chopped arugula, pomegranate arils, and honey
Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix cranberries, maple syrup, leeks, thyme and salt in an 8 inch square baking dish.
Roast, stirring every so often, until the mixture begins to caramelize, about 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir until cranberries are broken down and the mixture is thick.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Divide the cranberry mixture and spread evenly over the flatbreads.
Top each with goat cheese and pecans.
Bake directly on oven rack for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is warmed and the flatbread is crispy.
Remove from oven.
Garnish each with freshly chopped arugula, pomegranate arils and a drizzle of honey.
Cut into small wedges or strips and serve.
Refrigerate any leftovers.
Serves: 8 generously as an appetizer
I used the Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads for this recipe. They come 2 in a package.
These roll-ups would be a good dish for game day or an appetizer for any party. Choose the level of spice in your wing sauce to adjust the heat. I saw this recipe in my grocery store flyer.
Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 packet (1 ounce) ranch dressing seasoning mix
1/2 cup wing sauce like Frank’s Wing Sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded roasted chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican mix cheese
1 cup chopped green onions
6 – 10 inch flour tortillas
Ranch dressing for dipping
Method:
In large bowl mix together the cream cheese and ranch dressing until well-combined.
Mix in the wing sauce.
Use a rubber spatula to stir in the chicken, cheese and green onions.
Spread mixture evenly across each tortilla.
Roll and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Slice and serve with a bowl of ranch dressing for dipping.
Refrigerate any leftovers.
Yield: Up to 60 roll-ups
Divide recipe in half for a smaller group.
Confession: When I made this recipe I forgot to add the cheese. Oops! We had very hot wing sauce on hand and the roll-ups were very spicy. I’d recommend medium or mild to please a larger crowd.
This is a simple appetizer with a pretty presentation. I used mini Phyllo cups that come frozen in the freezer aisle of the grocery store. The sky is the limit on what filling combination you could use. We had these at Easter so the Asparagus was my go to choice with added ingredients that I thought would go well together.
Ingredients:
2 Packages of Mini Phyllo Pastry Shells (30 total)
15 stalks of Asparagus, washed and chopped into small pieces.
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Shallot, chopped
1/2 cup diced Pancetta (you can substitute bacon)
1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock
1 Tablespoon White wine vinegar or Sherry Vinegar
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Added Optional Ingredients:
2 egg whites from 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped. Discard the yolk.
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice
Method:
Defrost the Phyllo Shells in refrigerator overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat and cook the asparagus for 2 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.
In the same saucepan, cook the chopped shallot for 2 minutes.
Now add the Pancetta to the pan and cook for 1 minute. (If you choose to use bacon instead precook it before this step and add it to the mix when you add the egg whites.)
De-glaze the pan with white wine and reduce by half. (Shallots and Pancetta stay in pan for this step)
Add the white wine vinegar and reduce by half again.
Pour over the Asparagus.
Add the chopped egg white solids to the Asparagus bowl.
Mix gently and season with salt and pepper.
If you want to add the grated cheese do it now and mix gently.
Place thawed Phyllo shells on a cookie sheet that is large enough for the 30 shells.
Fill each cup full with the Asparagus mixture.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Just long enough to warm all ingredients through.
Set out on pretty plate and watch them disappear!
We enjoyed these at an Easter Celebration a few years back but these or a variation of these would be good for an afternoon tea or before any meal. Whatever is fresh and available can be adapted to these cups. I’m thinking of trying a sweet custard bite using these shells.
1. Speaking of endings….at your wit’s end, at loose ends, a dead end, burn the candle at both ends, all’s well that end’s well, or no end in sight…which ‘end’ phrase might best be applied to your life lately? Explain.
I’m going with…no end in sight. Miles to go before we move. So many obstacles to work around. One of those obstacles is finding the best moving company option for our stuff. We were disappointed to find that no Pod companies deliver to the zip code we are moving to. We are now thinking seriously of getting rid of a lot more stuff instead of paying to have it moved. We are in “getting the house ready to sell” mode.
2. What was a must have accessory when you were growing up? Did you own one? If so tell us what you remember about it.
I don’t know how my brain brought this one up to the forefront. In junior high I had to have the latest fad/trend going around in southern California, suspenders. I nagged my mother relentlessly to be able to buy them. My family never had extra money and I’m sure this request seemed ridiculous to my parents. For me it was a “need to have”.
3. Something that made you smile yesterday?
The sun, the sun! The sun broke through and the rain stopped long enough for me to finish pruning the pear tree! Woohoo! And then I spotted my sweet Lenten Rose blooming!
4. January 30th is National Croissant Day. Do you like croissants? Sweet or savory? We’re having chicken salad for lunch…would you rather have yours served on a croissant, a wrap, a bagel, bread, or a roll of some sort?
Yes and yes, sweet and savory. We just had my “not your mamas chicken salad” on croissants last week. And we also had that filling on Belgium Endive as an appetizer for Josh’s birthday dinner.
5. Sum up your January in fifteen words or less.
From the first to the last we enjoyed celebrations of birth and marriage with thanks.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Besides birthdays, rain was a constant theme for the month of January. It was so nice to have a spell without that blessing from the sky on Tuesday. I want to remember to stay up and gaze on that Blue moon tonight.
Our little Addy is walking like a champ and next week I’ll have fresh photos to share of her because I get to fly to California with her parents and her to spend a few days with my extended family. This Baba is excited to see her face to face after more then a month. She’ll be meeting her only great grandfather who is alive, my dear old Pop while we are there, too.
Linking up with Joyce From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge. She asks the questions and we answer them. Thank you for reading my answers.
Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.
F is for Farmers Market where we shopped this last Saturday.
The Farmers Market in Old Town Camarillo, California
Fis for fruit. We have fields of strawberries in our town and strawberry stands where we can buy them all during the week freshfrom the fields when they are in season.
Fis for flowers the more unusual andflamboyant
and some more fragrantflowers
We bought purple cauliflower, artichokes, brussel sprouts, and limes. (Nothing starting with F) but all very fresh and flavorful. The artichokes were wonderful. My husband likes to have his with mayonnaise and I love mine with Ranch Dressing. Yum! I made a cauliflower soup that was blended with onion and garlic. (strange to eat purple soup). It was very good.
This is a strawberry field near my home. This made me want to sing “Strawberry Fields Forever”
This is a strawberry stand in my town that sells fresh berries from the adjoining field. So luscious, sweet and juicy!
For more ABC Wednesday photos go visit Mrs. Nesbitt all the way in the UK!
Mexican Train Dominoes ~ We have had many a roaring game around the kitchen table with this great game in Seattle, Orange County, and Dallas Texas. Fun times with friends and cousins and aunts and uncles.
Soup
Name something in which you don’t believe.
I have never believed in Santa Claus. There were years I wished there was a Santa Claus. We do incorporate a fun version of Santa in our festivities and always say that Santa filled the stockings wink wink…
Salad
If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?
I would choose Ina Garten from Barefoot Contessa to be my boss. Then maybe I could learn some great cooking skills from her and maybe even be at a meal she prepares for her employees…
Main Course
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?
That it’s not a good idea to get all worked up at your kids sporting events. I wish I could take back some of the things I said and some of the things I made a fool of myself over…
Dessert
Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.
Oh it would be a room with bookcases filled with good books, overstuffed chairs with ottomans to sit in and a wonderful fireplace or gas stove with the stereo softly playing my favorite cd’s.
Appetizer
What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?
I really enjoy several rides at Disneyland. My favorites are Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Carribean…
Soup
How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?
I generally try to ease the situation, change the subject. If I can leave the room I will. It depends on what kind of uncomfortable it is. If it too uncomfortable I would flee the situation…
Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?
Oh probably a 5 and that depends on whether the discussion is heated or just an exchange of thoughts…
I do not like mean debates.
Main Course
Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?
No I did not, never have, and I won’t be getting one this year. Maybe next year….
Dessert
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?
I watch Survivor, Amazing Race, Bones, Numbers and Project Runway so ….5 hours. Oops then there’s Seahawks football and any Soccer game that’s televised at the right time so add 5 more hours. Up to 10 hours!
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 