The Traveling Epicurean

Crostinis, Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese-Caper Spread

February 21, 2016February 20, 2014 by Michel

Crostinis, Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese-Caper Spread

This appetizer is tastes fresh, smokey, moist, and creamy with a hint of tart from the capers that compliments the fish. It’s not just for holidays but really for any time and it’s such an easy thing to make. Smoking salmon definitely involves time and work so leave it up to the professionals this round and buy it at your favorite small town market or a fish store where they make it in house! All you have to do is make the crostinis, and the spread consisting of cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat if you prefer) chopped capers and red onions. Smoked Salmon is a hardy fish with intense flavor and a filling appetizer while at the same time making for a lovely presentation. You can mix it up with other hor d’ oeuvres like Mediterranean Layered Dip, baked asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, zucchini torta or fresh mozzarella, pesto and roasted tomatoes on crostinis and don’t forget a little spicy crunch with some roasted chick peas.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Smoked salmon
4 oz. cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese (has 1/3 less fat) -(end results taste the same)-Philadelphia brand
3 Tbsp coarsely chopped capers if large, if very small no need to chop
2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 Tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 bunch chopped chives for garnish
Crostinis recipe

Directions:

Combine the cream cheese, capers, red onion and lemon juice just lightly.
You don’t want to completely mash the spread…you want to see the capers and onions.
Spread 1 Tbsp of this mixture onto each crostini.
Gently break apart smoked salmon layers with your hands in decent size chunks.
Top each crostini with a piece of smoked salmon, plate and sprinkle with chopped chives….yum!

Chocolate-Avocado Mousse Recipe

May 5, 2016February 19, 2014 by Michel

Chocolate-Avocado Mousse

You will be amazed how this fruit can be transformed into a creamy, chocolatey mousse! Yes, an avocado is actually a fruit from an avocado tree. I read through so many recipes that it took a bit to figure out which chef inspired me here but I finally got it done. Some recipes have you grinding chia seeds to thicken the mousse but the avocado is already thick and creamy so I find that step unnecessary. Others have honey or a man-made “all natural” sweetener added in but I think the agave nectar is the best option.

This recipe is from Giada De Laurentis’ team except I change it up by adding a little more chocolate and by using Perugina “milk“ chocolate bars (Italian) or Ghirdelli milk chocolate chips instead of the Ghiradelli semi sweet chips. This mousse is pretty rich so using the creamy milk chocolate bars lightens it up a bit and another reason being I wanted to get my two children to eat the mousse …they love the milk chocolate. Yes, that would be the kids who don’t eat anything green. I told you I would get them to eat something green sooner or later. I just left out the part that one of their favorite desserts, chocolate mousse, was made with avocado’s when serving it up to them…needless to say they LOVED it! They will thank me some day.

Make sure to watch my YouTube cooking show that goes with this recipe and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE on my YouTube channel so that you can receive my latest cooking show releases!

Ingredients:

4 VERY RIPE-California avocado’s (SOFT not TOO MUSHY because they get brown inside)
7 oz. Perugina milk chocolate bars chopped up ( 2- 3.5 oz bars)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey)
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup almond milk
2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 Tsp fine salt
fresh raspberries and whipped cream for garnish-optional
Fresh mint

Directions:

Chop up all the avocado’s and put them into the food processor.
In a small bowl melt the chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate bar in the microwave for 30 seconds x3 stirring at each interval…..WATCH so as not to BURN the chocolate (everyone’s microwave is a little different).
Add the melted chocolate, and the next 5 ingredients to the food processor and purée for 30 seconds, stop to scrape the sides, then purée for 1-2 minutes, stop to scrape the sides and purée for 10-20 seconds more.
Scoop out the avocado mousse into your favorite glasses or bowls.
The mousse will be slightly warm from the food processor so put the glasses or bowls into the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill before serving.
Garnish with whipped cream and raspberries…Yum!

TIP: There is an easy way to get the pit out of a avocado which I have displayed in the pictures above. After running the knife around the flesh of the avocado against the edges of the inside pit… put the knife down and twist the avocado halves and pull apart. Then stick the knife into the pit and do the same thing holding on to the knife with one hand and carefully twist the avocado pit and it will pop right out. Then knock the pit off onto the board away from your hands. This can be a little tricky the first time so I would advise that this would be for an adult to try. Finally, Insert a large spoon and scoop the avocado along the edge of the avocado skin to remove avocado flesh.

TIP: VERY IMPORTANT….it is wise to remove this end stem off the avocado because it would taste extremely bitter if it were to accidentally get into the mousse.

Baked Asparagus wrapped in Proscuitto

October 25, 2020February 18, 2014 by Michel

Baked Asparagus wrapped in Proscuitto

I first had these delicious little bundles at my sister-in-law Anita’s seventeen years ago. She is an amazing chef is always cooking up a storm. These Proscuitto wrapped Asparagus are one of my favorite appetizers and can be a topping to a salad or a pretty side vegetable to lunch or dinner. What’s great about this appetizer is it can totally be made ahead of time (the day before preferably) placed on a cookie tray and into the frig until you need to put them in the oven. The asparagus is blanched before they are wrapped with Proscuitto and shocked into an ice bath to stop the cooking and to keep that vibrant green color. When buying the prosciutto you want to make sure it’s Proscuitto di Parma because it’s the best and has the most delicate flavor. There are other tasty Proscuitto’s but they are not as tender as the Parma and may get too salty or waxy after baking. The slices of the Proscuitto will vary in size and usually large enough where you can cut a piece right down the middle vertically and get 2 out if it . You can add in other hors d’ oeurves if you are having a party like baked coconut shrimp, zucchini torta, roasted chick peas, or smoked salmon on crostinis with cream cheese-caper spread.

Ingredients:

20 large asparagus (the bigger the better)
1/4 lb Proscuitto di Parma sliced thinly
4 oz cream cheese room temp (Philadelphia)
1 Tbsp grated vidalia onion (yellow or white is fine too)
1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400º.
Hold the asparagus with your fingers in the middle and on the end and bend.
The asparagus will break where it’s supposed to.
Line them up and cut evenly across the bottom so they are all at a consistent length.
Put them into a pan of water with 1 Tsp salt and bring to a simmer approx 5 min only (DO NOT OVER COOK). Drain and put into a ice bath.
Dry the asparagus with paper towels.
At this point you can pop them into a zip lock and into the frig until you are ready for them.
Mix together in a small bowl the room temperature cream cheese, grated onion, Parmesan and lemon juice just til combined
Take a piece of Prosciutto and smear 1 Tbsp of the cream cheese mixture down the length of it.
Place the asparagus on a bit of a diagonal (see photo) and roll up.
Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes.
Use a spatula to remove from pan and be sure to flip them over when you plate them to see the lovely caramelization on the under side.
Drizzle a little olive oil, a fresh squeeze of lemon and some shaves of Parmesan on top for a little extra!

TIPS: Using a micoplane grater or rasp to grate the onion is a wonderful culinary tool which actually started out back in the day as a wood planer for woodworkers!

Tips: Shocking the asparagus or any vegetable for the matter into a ice bath will stop the cooking and keep the vibrant green color.

Clam Puffs

March 23, 2014February 17, 2014 by Michel

Clam Puffs

These Clam Puffs are a take on a Traders Vic’s recipe yet different. I remember having these at my mother-in-law Louise’s many years ago and thinking how elegant they looked ……and scrumptious they were (and still are). What an uncomplicated appetizer to make. You can whip up the mixture in a matter of minutes and cut out little bread rounds a day or two before keeping them in a Ziploc baggie. Then when you are ready butter the bottoms and place on a cookie tray and top the rounds right before baking with the clam mixture, which only takes 5 minutes. You can use cookie cut outs for making the bread rounds or as I have shown you here it’s really easy to use a glass if you prefer a certain size.

Ingredients:

1 can minced clams-DRAINED
24 bread rounds from a loaf of Wonder bread-8 pieces of white bread
4 oz. cream cheese room temp. (either reg. or 1/3 less fat – Philadephia)
1/4 cup mayo (Hellman’s)
3 Tbsp grated Parmesean cheese
1 Tbsp grated vidalia onion with microplaner (yellow or white is good too)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 stick melted butter
fresh chives finely chopped

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375º.
Cut out 1 3/4″ bread rounds.
You should get 3 per slice.
Add the remaining ingredients in the list to a small bowl and mix together.
Melt the butter for the bottoms of the bread rounds and begin to dunk the bottoms in only…this helps to get a delicate and tasty crust on the bottom of the rounds once you bake them.
Place all the buttered rounds onto the cookie tray and begin to top with 1 Tbsp of mixture per round.
Put into the oven for approx. 12 min.
LIGHTLY GOLDEN ONLY keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Plate and top with chopped chives.

Fresh Mozzarella, Pesto, and Roasted Tomato on Crostinis

September 29, 2016February 14, 2014 by Michel

Fresh Mozzarella, Pesto, and Roasted Tomato on Crostinis

This crostini with fresh mozzarella, pesto and roasted tomato appetizer is absolutely delicious and is totally a make ahead dish! The Crostinis you can make a week before, they’ll taste no different if you made them that day and the pesto you can make a day or two before. As for the fresh mozzarella you can either buy the fresh balls if you have a nice cheese shop near by or you can even get the mozzarella logs that are packaged in water to keep fresh and soft and are even pre-sliced! I like to buy my roasted tomato’s from Foxglove & Madison Cheese Shop. It’s not difficult to roast your own tomatoes but it is time consuming and the roasted tomato’s available at the cheese shop are packed with intense flavor, a gorgeous deep red color and all the work is done for you. They also have fresh and creamy mozzarella balls there as well. If it’s not possible to find or roast your own tomatoes improvise and put a 1/8″ slice of a sweet cherry or grape tomato on top of the pesto. The pesto has so much flavor the freshness of the sliced cherry or grape tomato will balance out nicely with it. It’s all good ….just enjoy!

Ingredients:

20 crostinis (see Crostini recipe)
1 pesto recipe (see Pesto recipe)
2 logs of mozzarella sliced 1/4″ sliced
1 container roasted tomatoes (can use a 1/8″ slice of a fresh cherry or grape tomato to improvise if with out the roasted)

Directions:

Cut the roasted tomato pieces in half.
It’s packed with a lot of rich flavor and 1/2 of a piece is perfect on top of the pesto.
Place a slice of mozzarella onto the crostini then add a dallop of fresh pesto on top of that and place a piece of the roasted tomato on the pesto, plate and serve……Mangia!

TIP: You can make the pesto texture thicker so it stands up nice and plump on the crositni by adding a little more parmesean

Pesto

November 11, 2022February 13, 2014 by Michel

Pesto

Now there’s making pesto by means of mortar and pestle…..I admit I have spent many a day making it this way, but there’s another way which I will show you here that saves you time and energy which we all seem to run low on by the end of the day. If it’s the weekend and you have some time on your hands then be my guest and knock yourself out with the mortar and pestle. It is truly is a lovely way to make this paste, and useful in so many other ways like grinding spices for instance not to mention being therapeutic. Back to reality, being able to use my food processor to make pesto really is a wonderful thing! The pesto tastes the same and you still put all the love into it using good ingredients. You can play with this recipe also when it comes to amounts like adding a little more Parmesan if it’s too thin or drizzling in a tad more olive oil if it’s too thick. Making pesto is a very forgiving process…. just trust yourself and be sure to taste as you go along to see if you need to add a sprinkle more of salt and or pepper.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. 3.0-3.5 ounces of fresh basil leaves
1/2-3/4 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan
1 lg. garlic clove put thru garlic press
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
dash of Tabasco

Directions:

Remove basil leaves from stems and place them into the food processor with the grated garlic, s & p
Begin to pulse while drizzling in all of the olive oil thru the top opening of the food processor
Once you finish adding the oil you may need to stop and scrape the sides with a spatula
Add in the parmesan and pulse once more (this is where you can add a little siracha)
The pesto is ready to use
If you want to save the pesto put it into a plastic container, drizzle about 1 tbsp. of olive oil right on top. Then lay a piece of Saran wrap right on top of the new layer of olive oil so there isn’t any air touching (This will keep the basil from oxidizing and turning brown)
At this point you can either keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or put it into the freezer
When you are ready to use the frozen pesto take it out the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator
Now that you have this delicous pesto you can easily make the Crostinis with Fresh Mozzarella, Pesto and Roasted Tomato appetizer.

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Crostinis

March 12, 2020February 12, 2014 by Michel

Crostinis

Crostinis are an essential part of my entertaining. They can be used in so many appetizers with an unlimited number of toppings, with dips and spreads. They only take a matter of minutes to make and stay well for days on the counter in a zip lock and even longer in the freezer. That convenience of being able to make them ahead of time leaving you with one less thing to do and allowing you more time to enjoy yourself with family and friends goes with out saying!

Ingredients:

1 baguette sliced into 1/4″ pieces (you get approx 22 pieces in a baguette)
cookie tray

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400º.
Take all the slices and place onto a cookie….no need to coat cookie sheet with anything.
Bake for 12 minutes until golden around the edges.
No need to flip.
Let them cool completely and then you can store them in a zip lock baggie.
For a delicious crostini appetizers try my Pesto recipe or the Crostinis with Fresh Mozzarella, Pesto and Roasted Tomato recipe!

Baked Coconut Shrimp

March 4, 2015February 10, 2014 by Michel

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Who needs to go thru all the trouble of deep frying when homemade coconut shrimp can taste this gourmet and be BAKED. You don’t get that heavy fried taste …… it’s lighter, fresher and so flavorful with the crispy caramelized coconut. This Baked Coconut Shrimp recipe is from Bobby Deen with some minor altercations from me. I wanted to add a little more flavor and more volume so I made the addition of sweetened coconut, Italian seasoned bread crumbs and Siracha instead of Tabasco. I really like to have a hot pepper jelly to go with coconut shrimp this particular one made from Beth’s-Farm-Kitchen called “Mighty Hot Pepper Jelly”. Their web site is www.bethsfarmkitchen.com and you can pick up the jelly and the shrimp locally at a favorite fish market of mine Star Fish Market in Guilford, CT. This homemade gourmet baked coconut shrimp recipe is such a quick and easy recipe and you’ll just love the results. There isn’t any fussing or flipping over of the shrimp during the baking either because the bottom side does get the caramelization. Also your hot pepper jelly will of course be in that thick jelly form and you’ll want to put the jelly into a bowl and heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds to smooth out the consistency so it makes for a nice dipping sauce (it should be room temperature when serving). After heating the jelly briefly give it little whisk and that should do the trick!

Ingredients:

1 lb. med/lg shrimp ( peeled and deveined with tails off too!)
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
2 lg egg whites whisked til lightly frothy
a dash of Siracha or Tabasco in the EGG WHITES (Siracha is hot chili sauce found on shelf at store where tabasco is sold)
S&P
Pam canola oil spray

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400º.
Spray cookie tray with canola oil.
Place all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with a fork.
Add a dash of Siracha or Tabasco to the frothy egg whites-Optional. Add and coat raw shrimp with whisked egg whites.
Then dredge shrimp into the dry coconut mixture and place onto the cookie sheet in rows approx. 1″ from each other.
VERY IMPORTANT: spray a coating of Pam canola oil over all the coated shrimp and place into the oven.
Bake for 12 minutes. (No need to flip shrimp).
Using a spatula remove shrimp from cookie tray and place onto a serving platter flipping them over now to show the caramelized side and serve with your favorite hot pepper jelly.
Don’t forget to warm the jelly briefly and whisk it to get that nice smooth consistency serving it room temperature with the shrimp.

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

November 18, 2016February 7, 2014 by Michel

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

These bacon wrapped water chestnuts are sweet and savory. You have that slightly smokey and salty flavor from the bacon, a sweet candy-like carmelization from the brown sugar, a little kick from the dry mustard and a lovely crunch from the water chestnut. All those amazing flavors packaged up in one little morsel!

Nut or vegetable? Well I will tell you – a water chestnut is actually an equatic vegetable grown in marshes. Didn’t you always want to know that? This water chestnut recipe came about from a Trader Vic’s recipe called Rumaki . Except this original recipe was done with chicken livers and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon with a wet marinade. Now don’t get scared away . Even though I do love chicken livers sautéed with lots of chopped garlic and a crusty baguette this recipe is made without the liver or wet marinade for that matter.

It is some what comical too because your guests will think they are bacon wrapped scallops at first glance. These homemade gourmet little morsels are a must try for the holidays. Your guest’s will love them. In fact, you better grab one before the tray goes out because it’s coming back empty!

If you are on an appetizer roll you ought to try my Crab Cakes with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing, or Baked Spinach & Feta Spankopita Triangles with Metaxa Mojito’s are to die for, Homemade Salmon Gravlax are one of my all time favorites and so easy to make with fresh dill sprigs and vodka or eau de vie! My “Steakhouse” Cream Spinach is a huge crowd pleaser. For dessert, a Best Blueberry Pie with My 5 Minute Pie Crust always calls out to me! ENJOY! 🙂

Ingredients:

2 cans whole water chestnuts ( Geisha – approx 18 per can)
1 lb. Boar’s Head bacon (sliced into 3″ strips)
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp Colemans dry mustard – (if you like it less spicy only use 1 tbsp)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375º
Whisk brown sugar and dry mustard together in a medium size bowl
Slice up the bacon into 3″ pieces
Wrap each water chestnut on the bacon strip and roll-up,
Then roll it around in the brown sugar mixture, you will need to press down a little to help the mixture adhere
Place the appetizer’s seem side down on a cookie sheet
You can use a silicone baking mat or Silpat to bake the bacon wrapped water chestnuts on, DO NOT USE FOIL because it will be stuck to the waterchestnut!
Bake for approx. 15 minutes
Do not flip them over
The bottoms will be more caramelized then the tops so flip them over when you plate them to see the carmelization
Be sure to let them cool a pinch before eating because the chestnuts get pretty hot along with the sugar
These are a great party item because you can prep a day ahead, BUT DO NOT DREDGE them into the brown sugar mixture until right before you put them into the oven or they will get watery
Just wrap chestnuts in bacon, place onto a cookie tray and pop them into the frig until you are ready for them

Best Mango-Avocado Salsa Ever

February 27, 2014February 6, 2014 by Michel

Best Mango-Avocado Salsa Ever

This truly is the most amazing salsa ever! In fact I found salsa difficult to photograph so I took many pictures of the finished salsa worried that you won’t be able to tell how delicious it is just by looking at the pictures. Gotta love those sweet and hot flavors together and just knowing that it is all so good for you makes it even better, if that’s possible. I make this for friends when they come over it’s the first thing gone. There really is nothing like refreshing mango-avocado salsa in the hot summer months but why should we have to wait until then when we can enjoy ripe mangoes in the winter too! When I go to the market to buy mangoes this time of year they are usually not quite ripe enough to eat right away. It’s one of those things where you need to plan a few days ahead so you have time to leave them on your counter to fully ripen. It’s definitely worth the 2-3 day wait for the mango to soften slightly and the juicy flesh to turn a deep golden color and taste as sweet as honey. Be sure not to let them get too soft….better to be slightly soft then mushy because that lovely golden flesh starts to turn brown.

Ingredients:

2 lg mangoes chopped 1/4″ cubed
1 avocado chopped 1/4″ cubed
2 med/lg size tomato’s or 5 small tomato’s chopped 1/4″ cubed
1/2 vidalia onion (or yellow) FINELY chopped
1 FINELY chopped jalapeno
juice from 1 lime
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
a dash of Siracha (optional)
S & P

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
We really love to eats this salsa with blue chips.
I have also served this salsa up on the tips of endive leaves, and or with a cooked shrimp on top of that ….yum!
I must warn you this salsa is highly addictive……consume at your own risk! LOL