Tomato and Mozzerlla Tart with Prosciutto

Serves 6 to 8.

Thawing the frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight will help prevent cracking while unfolding it. Be sure to use a low-moisture supermarket mozzarella sold in block form, not fresh water-packed mozzarella. If you prefer to do some advanced preparation, the tart shell can be prebaked through step 1, cooled to room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, and kept at room temperature for up to two days before being topped and baked with the mozzarella and tomatoes.

Ingredients
unbleached all-purpose flour for work surface
1 box frozen puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm, 1.1 pound), thawed in box in refigerator overnight
1 large egg , beaten
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
1 pound plum tomatoes (about 3 to 4 medium), cored and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
table salt
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper
8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese , shredded (2 cups)
2 ounces prosciutto , thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Dust work surface with flour and unfold both pieces puff pastry onto work surface. Following the steps* below, form 1 large sheet with border, using beaten egg as directed. Sprinkle Parmesan evenly over shell; using fork, uniformly and thoroughly poke holes in shell. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; continue to bake until golden brown and crisp, 13 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer to wire rack; increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

2. While shell bakes, place tomato slices in single layer on double layer paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Place second double layer paper towels on top of tomatoes and press firmly to dry tomatoes. Combine garlic, olive oil, and pinch each salt and pepper in small bowl; set aside.


3. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over warm (or cool, if made ahead) baked shell. Arrange prosciutto in single layer on top of mozzarella. Shingle tomato slices widthwise on top of prosciutto (about 4 slices per row); brush tomatoes with garlic oil. Bake until shell is deep golden brown and cheese is melted, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes, sprinkle with basil, slide onto cutting board or serving platter, cut into pieces, and serve.

*Steps for Puff Pastry
1. Brush egg along one edge of one sheet of puff pastry. Overlap with second sheet of dough by 1 inch and press to seal pieces together.

2. With rolling pin, smooth out seam. Dough should measure about 18 by 9 inches. Use pizza wheel or knife to trim edges straight.

3. With pizza wheel or knife, cut 1-inch strip from long side of dough. Cut another 1-inch strip from same side.

4. Cut 1-inch strip from short side of dough. Cut another 1-inch strip from same side. Transfer pieces of dough to parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with egg.

5. Gently press long strips of dough onto each long edge of dough and brush with egg. Gently press short strips of dough onto each short edge and brush with egg.

6. With pizza wheel or knife, trim excess dough from corners.

Shrimp Ceviche

1 pound cooked and peeled shrimp, but into 1/2 inch pieces or smaller
1 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 medium white onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1-2 jalapenos or 2-3 serranos, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup chopped pitted green manzanillo olives
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
Salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 large or 2 small ripe avocados, peeled pitted and diced
Tostadas or tortilla chips

Put chopped shrimp into a bowl with the lime juice and marinate for about 4 hours. Then drain off the lime juice. (You can make this with fish and cook it in the lime juice).

In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, green chiles, cilantro, olives and optional olive oil. Stir in the shrimp, then taste and season with salt, usually about 2/4 teaspoon, and the sugar. Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Serve with tostadas and tortilla chips.

Frittata Bites

Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 12-ounce bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
8 ounces mild Italian sausages, casings removed, sausage broken into 1-inch pieces
8 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced tomato
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 41/2 ounces)
Fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add Swiss chard and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain. Finely chop chard, then place in kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Set chard aside.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to skillet and sauté until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add sausage and sauté until brown and cooked through, breaking up with fork, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Whisk eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Add chard, tomato's and cooled sausage mixture, then feta; stir to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.

Bake frittata until set in center, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer baking dish to rack and cool frittata 15 to 20 minutes. Place platter atop dish with frittata. Using oven mitts, hold baking dish and platter firmly together and invert frittata onto platter; place another platter atop frittata and invert again so that frittata is right side up. Cut frittata into 20 pieces. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Place frittata pieces on rimmed baking sheet. Cover and chill. Rewarm in 325°F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Transfer frittata pieces to platter. Garnish each piece with parsley; serve warm or at room temperature.

Cinnamon Dusted Churro's

Ingredients
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
6 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)

Preparation

Whisk eggs, egg yolk, 6 tablespoons sugar, orange juice, orange peel, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes, then stir in flour. Mix 1 cup sugar and 2 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon in medium bowl.

Pour enough oil into heavy large saucepan to reach depth of 1 inch. Attach deep-fry thermometer to side of pan and heat oil to 355°F to 360°F over medium-high heat. Spoon batter into pastry bag fitted with 3/8-inch (medium) star tip. Working in batches, pipe several 3- to 4-inch-long ribbons of batter into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning occasionally and adjusting heat to maintain temperature, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Working in batches, add warm churros to bowl of cinnamon sugar and toss to coat.

Fragrant Indian Butter Chicken

2 T. Butter
1 Cup chopped onion
2 t. minced garlic
1 T. grated fresh ginger root
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. ground turmeric
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 Can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, un-drained
2 T. tomato pasted
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 whole cooked rotisserie chicken, skin removed and cut into chunks or several breast of chicken cooked.
1/3 C. half-and-half
1/4 C. Sour cream(I have substituted plain yogurt instead of the sour cream, it was equally as good, if not better than the sour cream, I just forgot that I did that until now. I made it with sour cream last night)
1 T. minced fresh cilantro
Cooked Rice (optional)

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 5 min. Add ginger root, chili powder, turmeric and cinnamon; cook and stir 1 min. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

2 Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 min; stirring occasionally. In another bowl mix half-and-half and sour cream and some of the hot tomato mixture. Slowly add it to the rest of the tomato mixture. Add the chicken; simmer uncovered for 5 more min. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro. Serve over rice if desired.

yield: 4-6 servings

Island Pork Salad

The pork is the same as Amy Engar's. Here is the recipe for the salad.

Salad Dressing:
3 T Lime Juice
1 T OJ
1 tsp Curry powder toasted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Olive Oil

Romaine Lettuce
Napa Cabbage
Blackberries
Mango
Strawberries
Kiwi
Blueberries
Really whatever colors look and taste good!!

Island Pork Tenderloin

For Pork:
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins
2 tablespoons olive oil
meat thermometer

For Glaze:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Tabasco

Prepare pork: Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven at 350 F. Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Coat pork with spice rub. Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until just beginning to smoke. Brown pork, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes total. Remove from heat; leave pork in skillet.

Make the glaze and roast the pork: Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco in a small bowl. Pat the mixture onto tops of tenderloins. Roast until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 150-155 F, about 20 minutes. Let pork stand covered for ten minutes. (The recipe actually says to roast until 140 F and then cover 10 minutes until it raises 10-15 degrees, but somehow that never works for me and I don't want to make anyone sick, but maybe it will work for you).

Cut pork at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on platter. Pour any juices from skillet over pork.

Nectarine Muffin

1½ c. flour

¾ c. white sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

⅓ c. oil

1 egg

2 large very ripe nectarine, pitted and diced

¼ to ⅓ c. milk or buttermilk

1 T. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line 12 muffin cups with paper muffin liners.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.  Mix well.  Add vanilla, oil, and egg; mix until ingredients are just moistened then fold in the diced nectarines (if desired, nectarines can be made into a chunky puree). Finally, stir in milk (depending on the juiciness of the nectarines, amount of milk may need to be adjusted to give a good batter consistency).  Do not over mix.  Fill each muffin cup with muffin batter. Sprinkle a little brown sugar on the top of each uncooked muffin.  Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. Check muffins regularly after 15 minutes of baking. Serve warm or cool.  May also be served with Cinnamon Cream (1 c. whipped cream, 1 T. sugar, ½ tsp. vanilla, ½ tsp. cinnamon.)  Shauna Sabey

Dreemskerry Scones

2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

1 pinch salt

1 T. baking powder

½ C. margarine, shortening or butter

2 eggs

½ C. buttermilk or part cream

½ C. cranberries, blueberries or candied ginger and lemon rind (opt.)  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut in the shortening into the dry ingredients just the way you would do to make piecrust…(use a pastry cutter or your fingers.)  Beat the eggs then add milk.  Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a good dose of love and humor.  (Additional flour may be added if dough is too sticky.)  Pat out onto a well-floured board and form a square about 1½ inches thick.  Cut into scone sized squares and place on a greased and floured cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Blow a kiss into the oven for absent loved ones.  Think nice thoughts for 12 minutes and then you’re ready to enjoy!  If you want to make the scones a little more fancy, you can use cookie cutters to cut them out before baking (i.e. hearts or stars).  Serve with Lemon Curd and Devonshire Cream.

Lemon Curd

4 eggs

2 C. sugar

⅛ tsp. salt

¼ C. butter

½ C. fresh lemon juice 

2 T. grated lemon zest

Beat together eggs, sugar and salt.  Stir in butter, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Cook in double boiler until thick, about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.  Cool to room temperature; store in refrigerator.  Curd is thicker when cold.  Makes about 1½ cups.  

Devonshire Cream

½ C. heavy whipping cream (or 8 oz. softened cream cheese)

¼ C. powdered sugar

¼ C. sour cream

Using a chilled bowl, beat the ½ cup heavy whipping cream until medium-stiff peaks form.  Add the sugar in the last few minutes of beating.  (If using cream cheese, just mix in sugar.)  Fold in sour cream and blend.  Makes 1½ cups.  This is a lovely substitute for English clotted cream.   -Shauna Sabey-

Pesto Panini

French bread
butter
pesto
tomato
fresh mozzerella

Heat a large skillet or panini press. Slice french bread and butter each piece on one side. Spread pesto on other side (inside) and add one layer of tomato slices and mozzerella slices, top with another bread slice with pesto. Grill like a grilled cheese. I don’t have a panini press so I just use a flat plate or pan to smash the sandwich while cooking.


Pesto
makes 2 cups

2 c. fresh basil leaves
3 Tbsp pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c. Romano cheese, grated
2/3 c olive oil

Put all ingredients into food processor and blend till smooth, or consistency you like. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to use. Good on pasta, fresh tomatoes, accompanying chicken, and with bread. Best served at room temp, heating to much can make it bitter. You can freeze it for the winter in small jars or in ice cub form and then transfer to freezer bag.