Yummy in my tummy...

First of all I realized when I looked back on my post about the pig roast I didn't post the correct picture of the arrangement I made for the table.  I posted the picture of it with only a few flowers so I really hope those reading my blog didn't think it was the final arrangement!  If you did think so and thought it was nice well then the final one will blow you away :)

Ok now that I posted that I feel better about my flower arranging skills being out in the public.  On to the real subject matter: appetizers.  This week I hosted book club and wanted to try some new recipes so after Googling a bit I decided on three recipes: Mediterranean dip, pizza puffs, and maple brie pastries.  I followed the 'rules' for 2 of the recipes however the third I made on my own using what ingredients I could find.

Mediterranean Dip

This is a layered dip with roasted red hummus, sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, olives, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, tomatoes, and feta cheese.  I started with spreading the roasted red pepper hummus on the bottom of plate.  I used a plate similar to a pie dish however I believe the dip could be made in a 9 x 13 plate as I seemed to have excess ingredients.

Next I mixed the sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, pesto, garlic powder, and onion flakes.  The recipe calls for red onion as well but since this is such a strong flavor that some people don't like I did not include it. 

The recipe called for olive oil mayonnaise but I had light mayonnaise already and decided to use that instead - not sure if it made any difference as I enjoyed the dip.  After mixing all ingredients together it was time to add the next layer to the dip. 

I then added the olives, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, feta cheese, and oregano.  Again the recipe called for tomatoes as well but I forgot to buy those (oops) and left them out.  After thinking about it I am not sure the tomatoes really add anything to the dip.

I served the dip with tortilla chips, celery, and carrots - I think pita chips would be a great dipper too! 

Mediterranean Layered Dip

15 oz. roasted red pepper hummus

16 oz. sour cream

1/4 c. olive oil mayonnaise

1/4 c. red onion, chopped

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. onion powder

2 T. basil pesto

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

1/4 c. roasted red peppers, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/4 c. banana peppers, chopped (avoid seeds)

1/4 c. sliced black olives

Crumbled feta cheese

Dried oregano

Directions:
Spread hummus on a platter. Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, garlic powder, onion powder, pesto and mozzarella. Spread over hummus. Layer red peppers, tomato, banana peppers and olives. Sprinkle feta cheese and dried oregano on top.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Next I made pizza puffs which were very simple AND delicious.  It is a mixture of flour, egg, baking powder, cheese, and pepperoni sprinkled with Italian seasoning and baked in mini muffin tins.

Once they were baked I served them fresh out of the oven with marinara:

These were great as well.  Jeez I really toot my own horn but it really just means I can follow directions!



Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar and monterey jack)
1/3 cup pepperoni, chopped into small pieces
Italian seasoning

Marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Grease a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, milk, egg until batter is lump free. Stir in cheese and pepperoni bites Spoon batter into the prepared mini-muffin cups about 2/3 full. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top.
3. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Serve while warm with a side of marinara sauce for dipping.

Maple Brie Bites

And finally I made maple brie pastries - this is where I made my own recipe.  I originally saw a recipe for honey walnut and brie tartlettes.  I could not find phyllo shells anywhere, the funny thing is I had them in my freezer from 2008 and just threw them out - they were definitely past their time but I cannot recollect where I got them.  I purchased pastry dough from Trader Joe's which comes two sheets to the box.  After thawing out one sheet of pastry dough I cut squares and put one square of brie on each pastry square.

Next I came across maple walnut cheese topping in the gourmet cheese section of the grocery store and decided to add this on top of each square.

I then baked the bites and served them straight out of the oven.  I apologize that I don't have any pictures of the finished product but they were good.  I ate the leftovers for dinner last night - reheated the bites in the microwave and they were good to go.

Maple Brie Bites

1 sheet of pastry dough (thawed)

12 oz brie cheese (rind removed)

Maple walnut cheese topping (made by Summer Fresh)

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes - keep an eye on these as they can burn fast so I would start with 10 minutes in the oven.

I really hope you enjoyed these recipes and will be able to use them as well.  If I see you for the Superbowl next weekend there is a good chance you may get to try some of these recipes.  It is a snowy day in Boston so that leads me to think there is crafting in my near future.

Until next time...Stay Creative!