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Category: Appetizers

Fritto Misto

Fritto Misto

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Yield: 6 to 8 as appetizer

Adapted from: ATK

Fritto misto is a traditional Italian antipasto. This version, typical of the peninsula’s coastal cuisine, stars a mélange of seafood and vegetables. We tossed shrimp, cod, and squid in flour to absorb their surface moisture, which in turn helped the batter cling. For the vegetables, we used low-moisture broccoli rabe and fennel, which fried up golden brown and retained their crispiness since they didn’t leach much moisture after cooking. Replacing some of the water in a traditional fritto misto batter with olive oil created a coating with a lacier, finer texture. After frying the components in separate batches from lowest to highest moisture content, we held them in a 200°F oven to keep the fritto misto warm. Cook: 90 Chilling: 45

Calabrian aioli:

  • 1cup mayonnaise
  • 2TBS minced fresh parsley
  • 1TBS grated lemon zest plus 3 TBS juice
  • 1TBS jarred crushed Calabrian chilis
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 1tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼tsp cayenne pepper

Batter:

  • 1½cups AP flour
  • ½cup cornstarch
  • 2¼tsp kosher salt
  • 2tsp baking powder
  • 1tsp paprika
  • ¼tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1⅔cups water
  • ½cup extra-virgin olive oil

Fritto misto:

  • 8oz large shrimp (26 to 30 per lb), peeled and deveined, tails left on
  • 8oz skinless cod fillets (½ inch thick), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into ½-inch strips
  • 8oz squid, bodies sliced crosswise ¾ inch thick, extra-long tentacles trimmed to match length of shorter ones
  • 8oz sea scallops, (optional)
  • ½tsp kosher salt
  • ¾cup AP flour
  • 2quarts vegetable oil for frying
  • 12oz broccoli rabe, trimmed (8 pieces)
  • 1large fennel bulb, fronds minced, stalks discarded, bulb halved lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick
  • 1lemon, halved lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick (optional), plus lemon wedges for serving
  • 20large basil leaves (optional)


For the Calabrian aioli:

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Season with salt to taste and refrigerate until needed.

For the batter:

Whisk flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, paprika, and cayenne together in large bowl. Add water and oil and whisk until smooth (batter will be thin). Cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or up to 1 hour.

For the fritto misto:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200°F. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Set wire racks in 2 more rimmed baking sheets and line one with triple layer of paper towels.

Pat seafood dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Place flour in medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Gently shake off excess flour and place shrimp in single layer on unlined rack. Repeat with remaining seafood. Refrigerate until needed.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat to 350°F. Remove batter from refrigerator. Holding half of broccoli rabe by stems, dip into batter. Shake gently to let any excess batter drip back in bowl, then carefully add to oil 1 piece at a time. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping pieces halfway through cooking. Using tongs or spider skimmer, transfer broccoli rabe to paper towel–lined rack and season lightly with salt. Return oil to 350°F and repeat with remaining broccoli rabe. While second batch cooks, transfer first batch to prepared rack in oven.

Return oil to 350°F. Transfer fennel to batter, tossing gently to coat. Using tongs, remove fennel 1 piece at a time, allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl, add to oil. Cook until golden brown for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping pieces halfway through cooking. Transfer fennel to paper towel–lined rack and season lightly with salt. Transfer to prepared rack in oven.

Return oil to 350°F. Transfer shrimp to batter, tossing gently to coat. Remove shrimp 1 piece at a time, allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl, add to oil. Cook, stirring gently as needed to prevent sticking, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to paper towel–lined rack and season lightly with salt. Transfer to oven with broccoli rabe and fennel. Repeat coating, frying, and resting remaining seafood (cook cod, then scallops, then calamari) in same manner, returning oil to 350°F between batches and replacing paper towels as necessary.

Transfer lemon slices, if using, to batter, toss gently to coat. Remove slices 1 piece at a time, allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl, add to oil. Cook, stirring gently as needed to prevent sticking, until golden brown, for about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towel–lined rack. Remove Dutch oven from heat. Arrange fried seafood and vegetables on large platter. Add basil leaves, if using, to still-hot oil and cook until crispy, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to paper towel–lined rack.

Garnish fritto misto with fried basil, if using, fried lemon slices, if using, and fennel fronds. Serve, passing aioli and lemon wedges separately.

Pinwheel Sandwiches

Pinwheel Sandwiches

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Yield: 40

Delish

Pinwheel sandwiches are here with their totally retro swirls, ready to be packed into lunchboxes, piled onto game day spreads, or just eaten as an afternoon snack. They’re easy to assemble, look great on a platter, and are ideal for a party. To make them, you’ll layer flour tortillas with ranch-flavored mayonnaise, sliced cheese, deli meats, and lettuce.
Prep: 25

  • ¾cup mayonnaise
  • 2TBS ranch seasoning
  • 8(10″) flour tortillas
  • 8oz sliced American or cheddar cheese
  • 1lb deli-sliced baked ham
  • 1lb deli-sliced turkey breast
  • 16butter lettuce leaves

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and ranch seasoning.

On a clean surface, lay tortillas flat. Spread each tortilla with 1 TBS mayonnaise mixture. Place 2 to 3 slices cheese on bottom two-thirds of each tortilla. Top cheese with ham and turkey. Top meat with 2 to 3 lettuce leaves and tightly roll up.

To serve right away, slice into 1″ rounds and arrange on a platter. To make ahead, place seam side down on a baking sheet and refrigerate up to 6 hours. Slice when ready to serve.

Whipped Goat Cheese Spread

Whipped Goat Cheese Spread

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Yield: 8

https://julieblanner.com/goat-cheese-spread/#wprm-recipe-container-42857

Whipped goat cheese, blended with honey, herbs and black pepper makes it the easiest last-minute crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Cook: 5

  • 8oz goat cheese room temperature
  • 1TBS honey
  • 1tsp rosemary chopped
  • ⅛tsp black pepper thick flakes preferred

Whip goat cheese:

By hand:

In a small bowl, using a spoon, add goat cheese and whip by hand until silky smooth.

Mixer:

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat goat cheese on low, gradually increase speed to 3 until smooth. *I recommend doubling the recipe for workable volume.

Food processor or blender:

Add goat cheese and pulse until smooth.

Transfer goat cheese to a small bowl, shallow dish or jar. Drizzle honey around the exterior of the bowl and spiral in. Sprinkle rosemary and fresh cracked pepper and serve.

Cheesy Artichoke Tartlets

Cheesy Artichoke Tartlets

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Yield: 32 pieces
Source lost

Circa 2008:  Remember those mini-muffin tins you bought for the Chipotle Shrimp Wonton recipe?  This is another use for it.

  • 32(3 ¼ x 3 ¼-inch) won ton wrappers
  • ¼lb (1 cup) Alpine Lace Deli Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 1(8-oz) package nonfat cream cheese
  • 1TBS Dijon-style mustard
  • ¼-½tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • ¼cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1(14-oz) can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped


Heat oven to 350°F.

Spray 32 mini muffin pan cups with no stick cooking spray.

Gently press 1 won ton wrapper into each muffin cup, allowing ends to extend above cups. Spray edges of wrappers with more cooking spray. Set aside.

Make cheese filling:

Combine cheese, cream cheese, cayenne pepper and mustard in medium bowl; mix well.

Stir in red bell pepper and artichoke hearts.

Spoon about 1 tablespoonful cheese mixture into each cup.

Bake:

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until cheese mixture is set and edges of wrappers are lightly browned. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve warm.

Cheesy Asparagus Tart

Cheesy Asparagus Tart

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Yield: 4 – 6 servings
http://12tomatoes.com/rc-elegant-asparagus-tart/

March 2016: I found this posted on Facebook and it looked wonderful. It’s fairly simple to make and tastes great.

  • 1(17.3 oz) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 1½lb asparagus, bottom 3-4 inches peeled.
  • 3cups assorted cheese, grated (2½ cups Swiss, ½ cup parmesan)
  • 2TBS honey Dijon mustard
  • 1TBS extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1-2tsp balsamic vinegar, optional
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • Hollandaise sauce, garnish


Preheat oven to 400º F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Take both sheets of thawed puff pastry and place them on lined baking sheet, overlapping them by 1 inch and pressing the seam gently to seal.

Use a paring knife to score a rectangle border 1 inch from the edge of pastry, then take a fork and pierce the dough all around the inside of the rectangle. (This allows steam to be released so the center of your tart doesn’t puff up, while the outside edges do.)

Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown and lightly puffed up.

Remove from oven and let cool 2-3 minutes, then brush honey Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar onto the center of puff pastry. Evenly sprinkle assorted cheeses over the center of tart.

Take your asparagus and trim the ends so they fit into the center rectangle of tart. Lay asparagus out in a single layer, alternating the direction of the tips with each row, then brush with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Return baking sheet to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and edges are puffed up, and asparagus is tender.

Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes, then drizzle with hollandaise sauce, slice.