Easy Garlic Bread

Butter dense chewy bread. Sprinkle garlic powder or add pressed garlic to butter, top with Parmesan Cheese.

Toast under broiler until crispy brown, keep a close eye on it, browns fast!

Easy Smoked Turkey, Cheese and Mushroom Puff Pastry

When I hear the words puff pastry, I think of a Napoleon, a sweet dish, but this pastry puff is a savory dish and it is oh so easy. It is a perfect appetizer to make when you really want to impress your guests. The great thing is that you can use your imagination and add any ingredients you like. Today, I am using Smoked Turkey, Brie, Provolone, Mushrooms and Dijon Mustard. This is a wonderful recipe that I found  from," From Isabelle at Home".

Defrost the puffed pastry and then roll it out on a floured board. After rolling it out, place on parchment paper or a Silpat. Spread 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, then  place a layer of turkey, a layer of cheese and then top it off with mushrooms. Roll out the second sheet of  pastry dough.

Brush the beaten egg on the edges of the pastry dough.

Lay the second layer of pastry dough on top. Brush with the egg mixture. Cut the pastry to fit 10"x 12". Cut slits to allow steam to escape. In honor of it being the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I have made the ribbon symbol representing this with extra dough.

Voila!! After baking at 450 for 15- 20 minutes.

Let cool for about 5 minutes.

Resist cutting a huge piece while everyone is waiting like I did!

Transfer to a cutting board.

Make any design, ribbon,  stars, clouds...

Notice the Turkey, Cheese and Mushrooms melding together and the puff pastry is a perfect golden brown. Your eyes will roll up and your mouth will say, MMMMM.

Transfer to a serving platter.

Simple and delicious. Bon Appetite!

Ingredients

• 1 package ( 2 sheets) Frozen Puff Pastry, defrosted
• 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 pound Smoked Turkey
• 1/4 pound Brie and slice of Provolone
• 1/4 can Mushrooms,drained
• 1 egg beaten plus 1 tablespoon water, for the egg wash

 Method

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat on a large baking sheet.
3. Lay one sheet of puff pastry on a floured board and roll out to 10 x 12 inches. Place it on a prepared baking sheet and brush the center with mustard, leave a 1" border. Place a layer of turkey, then a layer of cheese and a layer of mushrooms.
4. Place the second sheet of puff pastry on the floured board and roll out to 10 by 12 inches. Place the second sheet on top of the filled pastry, lining up the edges. Cut the edges, press together. Brush the top with egg wash, cut slits on top.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for a couple minutes, serve warm. 

Serves 4
Recipe adapted from From Isabelle at Home and Ina Garten.

This recipe may be found at these amazing blogs:

This post has been featured at It's So Very Cheri www.itssoverycheri.com

Easy Pizza Puffs

These are super easy and super delicious. Next time I am making 2 dozen!

Stuff your Pizza Puffs with anything yummy! I used goat cheese, pesto, pepperoni, provolone, garlic, Parmesan, olive oil. Try any combos. Be creative.

I made 12- for 2 adults and 2 kids- not enough- 3 each. I asked everyone what their favorite stuffing/topping was, they wanted my favorite-PESTO! Note to self- make an additional 1 dozen Pesto Pizza Puffs!

Ingredients

Vegetable spray for muffin tin

Pizza Dough

 Toppings/Stuffing's:

Cheeses: Provolone/Mozzarella/Goat Cheese/Parmesan/Romano/Ricotta

Pesto-See Easy Basil Pesto recipe

Pepperoni/ Pizza Sauce

Calamata Olives

Caramelized Onions

Garlic

Artichoke Hearts

Chicken

Sausage

Anything that you can think of!

Method

1. Preheat oven to 475 F
2. Spray Muffin Tins
3. Stretch out pizza dough to make it as large as you can, pull off a golf ball size chunk, place in muffin tin, place ingredient in dough, pull dough over, top with topping choice.
4.  Bake for 10 minutes.
5.  Pop Pizza Puff out of muffin tin, serve hot.

This recipe has been shared at :

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Easy Mediterranean Tabbouleh

Easy Mediterranean Tabbouleh

Easy Tabbouleh- One of my summer college jobs was a waitress at a wonderful Middle Eastern Restaurant. I also helped prepare appetizers and entrees and dessert. One of my favorite's is the appetizer Tabbouleh.It is made with Bulgar wheat, tomatoes, cucumber and fresh mint. It can be a salad too, just add feta and Greek olives. Serve with pita or Naan bread, grilled. It is fresh, filling and packed with incredible flavor. This is great made ahead as a snack or a mini - meal that you can enjoy all weekend. The flavors keep getting better every day- if it lasts that long!

Fresh tomatoes, mint, garlic, cucumbers

Beautiful Bulgar- everything is beautiful- in it's own way!

Seed the cucumber, perfectly clean like a cucumber boat.. Another great idea, get another cucumber and use that to serve Tabbouleh in!

Looks seeded....

Chopped tomatoes

Fresh mint really adds a punch of flavor. Plus fresh garlic. No colds this Fall!

I love mint. Take a piece and chew on it. Put some in ice water, gets rid of depression....

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon. Love my antique fruit juicer that my brother in law gave me.

Tabbouleh

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bulgar
• 2 cups boiling water
• 5 garlic cloves peeled
• 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 medium tomatoes or 1 large tomato chopped
• 1 medium cucumber seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 Tablespoons mint chopped
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Method

1.  Place Bulgar in a large bowl. Stir in boiling water. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes or until water is absorbed.
2. . Meanwhile, place garlic on a double thickness of heavy duty foil. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Wrap foil around garlic, Bake at 425 F for 15-20 minutes. Cool for 10-15 minutes.
3. Drain Bulgar well, transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in tomatoes, cucumber, onion and mint. Squeeze softened garlic into a small bowl and mash. Whisk in lemon juice, salt, pepper and remaining oil.                                                                                                                                             . 
4.  Toss to Coat..                                                                                                      

5.Chill until serving.Makes 8-10 servings.

                                                      Adapted from Healthy Cooking

Grab some loves!

Easy Summer Caprese Bread

Summer in Maine! I really appreciate the warm days in Maine. I didn't appreciate it when I lived in L.A., everyday was a warm day. No sir, I didn't and I am sorry for that. But boy- oh - boy, let me tell you how beautiful it is here. It seems like everyone from the South is visiting for a reprieve from the hot sticky weather. Coastal Maine has cool sea breezes, low humidity, and my basil plants are bursting!
So I made Easy Caprese Bread. 

Ingredients:

• Baguette
• Buffalo Mozzarella
• Tomato
• Basil
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Grey Salt
• Provencal Spice 
• Cucumber

Directions:

1. Slice baguette into thin slices.
2. Slice mozzarella into thin slices.
3. Slice tomato into thin slices- I see a pattern here!
4. Place a slice of bread on platter, then a slice of tomato, then a slice of mozzarella. Top with a piece of basil. 
5. Crush garlic on top of Caprese Bread.
6. Drizzle Olive Oil. 
7. Combine grey salt and Provencal spices and crush with your fingers over the top. 
8. Repeat the process to make as many Caprese Bread as you like, one platter or two, depending on how many people you are serving.

Sliced up cucumber to dip into the oil, salt and spices.

                                               Grey Salt from Provence, France

Un-pickled Cucumber.

                                      .                                            .

                                                             Basil Pot.

Caprese Bread with a bottle of Cellardoor Winery's Chardonnay. Art Label by artist R. Kirk Moore.

Love the women's faces on the vase.

                                               A favorite Summer Flower. Black Eyed Susan's..

I have linked up with these fabulous blogs!: