"Buffalo"-style Cauliflower Bites

Superbowl 2015 has recently passed. There are a few quint-essential recipes that are associated with watching the game, Buffalo chicken wings included. I love the pungent flavour of the Buffalo dressing, spiked with vinegar, but have always wanted to try a vegetarian option. After searching a bit, I found this recipe of the Cauliflower Buffalo Bites on by the SaucySoutherner.

I simplified the preparation: so this recipe of the "Buffalo"-style Cauliflower Bites is easy and fast. You can have this guilt-free and light recipe ready in under 30 minutes, including the prep time!

• 1 head cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tbsp hot chili sauce / Sriracha / Frank's Hot sauce , etc
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups Panko crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Prepare a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
2. Separate the cauliflower head into bite-sized florets. Place the florets in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, add the melted butter, hot sauce, white vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower and mix well so the florets are covered with sauce evenly. 
5. Pour the crumbs over the cauliflower and mix well. Most of the crumbs will adhere to the florets.
6. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden brown.
7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.

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Prosciutto Rolls with Mixed Greens

I absolutely love good dry-cured ham, any type - prosciutto, Serrano, Bayonne, Iberian jambon, etc. I think I could live off of it alone! So I'm always on a lookout for recipes that bring out the smokiness of these wonderful ham and add an unusual flavour.

This prosciutto-wrapped greens recipe is a great alternative to the traditional asparagus-prosciutto or a proscuitto-melon duos. The crunch of the greens and a hint of honey, add a bit complexity to the taste. This appetizer is easy and quick to put together and has a beautiful presentation.

Makes 12 rolls 

• 12 prosciutto slices, sliced thinly
• 1 cup mixed spring greens, packed

Dressing

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

1. Combine the dressing ingredients, mix well.
2. Place the greens in a mixing bowl, pour the dressing over it and mix gently to coat.
3. Place about 1 tbsp of greens on a slice of prosciutto, roll up.

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Turkish Zucchini and Walnut Dip. Cerkez Kabak

After the recent trip to Turkey, I have been so taken with the wonders of the Turkish cuisine - it is so diverse and plentiful! The flavours and variety of meze dishes were so amazing that I really wanted to keep a few recipes from this country. This dip comes from Binnur Turkish Cookbook (http://turkishcookbook.com/) and it super easy to make (especially if you are using a processor to grate zucchini. 

• 2 medium sized zucchini, finely grated
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 fresh green onions, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup walnuts, crumbled
• 1 slice of bread, crumbled (French or Italian style)
• 1 garlic clove, smashed with salt
  
  Red Pepper Sauce:
  
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red pepper (paprika)
  • 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

1. Saute the zucchini with 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan until all the water evaporates. Let it cool down. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss. Place on a service plate. 
3. To make the sauce, heat up the olive oil in a small pan, add the red pepper in it and turn the heat off. Don't burn the pepper! Pour all over the zucchini and serve with toasted French baton bread or toasted pide slices.

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Baba Ganoush. Roasted Eggplant Spread

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin,
• 1 teaspoon red chili paste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• parsley

1. Preheat a traditional oven or a grill up to 400C. Half the eggplant length-wise, sprinkle with olive oil and put in a baking dish or a grill rack with the cut side down.
2. Roast for 30 minutes till the skin gets charred. I love the taste of roasted garlic so I put 3 garlic cloves in a foil and let it roast for 10-15 minutes as well.
4. Cool the eggplant and garlic. Peel the skin off the eggplant.
5. Put the eggplant, roasted garlic, tahini, lemon juice in a food processor and mix well until creamy.
6. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add salt, spices, 1 clove raw minced garlic. I'm a fan of spicy foods so I add a teaspoon of asian red chili paste. Mix well, sprinkle with parsley, put in a fridge to cool off and flavours develop.
7. Serve with pita bread or on the side of a main dish.

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Smoked Salmon Carpaccio

•  250 smoked salmon 
• 2 thinly sliced scallions
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon capers

1. Cube tomatoes into small pieces, take off seeds. Finely slice the scallions.

2. In a small bowl mix the juice of 1/2 lemon (2 T), 3-4 T olive oil, some lemon zest, and chopped scallions. Arrange the pieces of salmon on a plate, top with the mix from the bowl.

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Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Servings: 4
Time: 30 min.

• 2 avocados, diced
• 300g shrimp, cooked, diced
• 1/2 stalk celery, diced

Dressing:

• 2 Tablespoon(s) mayonnaise
• 2 Teaspoon(s) hot sauce
• 1 Tablespoon(s) lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon(s) fresh chopped parsley
• 1 Tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 2 Clove(s) pressed garlic
• 1 Teaspoon(s) white vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon(s) mustard 

1. Combine the ingredients for the dressing. Mix well. 
2. Dice the shrimp, celery, and avocado. Pour the dressing and mix gently. 
3. Scoop into prepared avocado shells. 

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Garlic-Basil Tomatoes with Mozzarella

• 4 tomatoes, medium, cut into 1/4" slices
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped or 1 tsp dried basil leaves
•  1/8 tsp salt
• 3 drops red pepper hot sauce
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 8oz /  250g fresh sliced mozzarella slices (feta cheese might be a good option)

1. Place tomatoes in glass or plastic dish. 
2. Shake remaining ingredients except cheese and salad greens in tightly covered container. Pour over tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours to blend flavors, turning occasionally.
3. Layer cheese alternately with tomatoes on salad greens.

Photo Credit: BettyCrocker website

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Marinated Bocconcini

• 1/2 pint bocconcini (about 20 balls)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Zest of 1 lemon, peeled into long strips
• 4 small sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

In a medium bowl, combine bocconcini, oil, lemon zest, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, and salt. Let stand at room temperature, at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

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Marinated Bocconcini

• 1/2 pint bocconcini (about 20 balls) 
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• zest of 1 lemon, peeled into long strips 
• 4 small sprigs fresh rosemary 
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes 
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 

In a medium bowl, combine bocconcini, oil, lemon zest, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, and salt. Let stand at room temperature, at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally

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Roasted Peppers, Eggplant and Feta Terrine

This beautiful terrine takes some time to put together and then some more, but the result is absolutely stunning in its presentation and taste!


Serving: 12
Time: 10+ hours
Difficulty level: medium

• 2 eggplants, sliced length-wise, 0.5 cm thick
• 1 yellow bell pepper, quartered and seeded
• 1 red  bell pepper, quartered and seeded
• 300g feta cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• bay leaf
• 1 juiced lemon 
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• salt pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 190C / 375F.
2. In a bowl mix vegetable oil, garlic, bay leaf, lemon juice, salt, pepper & eggplant quarters. Mix gently.
3. Arrange vegetables in a layer on a greased baking sheet. Bake till tender, 20-30min.
4. Once cooled, remove the skin from the peppers.
5. Spread the bottom of a shallow bowl with plastic wrap so that the wrap hangs over the edges of the bowl. 
6. Arrange the eggplants spreading from the centre so that half of each slice hangs over the bowl and each slice goes over the following slice by 1cm.

Filling:

1. Place a slice of red and yellow pepper at the bottom centre of the bowl.
2. Layer the cheese and pepper slices.
3. Fold over the plastic wrap so the veggie slices lay over each other. Pierce the wrap in a couple of places. Place a water-filled pan on top of the bowl and place a dish under the bowl.
4. Refrigerate for at least 10 hours.  

Original recipe Edimdoma.ru

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Russian-style Vegetable Relish (Caviar). Икра Oвощная.

The popularity of this appetizer in Russia cannot be understated. I remember growing as a kid in Russia, tons of jars in stores lined the stores' shelves, moms and aunts making it in the fall by dozens of jars. Very likely, this recipe came to Russia from the Balkans or Mediterranean countries as very similar recipes exist in Bulgarian,  Serbian (Ajvar), and Turkish (Kyopolou) cuisines. In Russian it is called "caviar" and I thought it was an ironic reference to its ingredients - they were cheap and easy to come by or maybe, the texture of the dish that somewhat similar to caviar's.

Every family will have their own recipe and there are a dozens of recipes. In spite of this, the dish is so forgiving that you really can't spoil it by tweaking ingredients.

It can be served as a side dish, spread, appetizer, or on its own for a light snack.

Output: 1 liter

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 4 medium zucchinis
• 2 red bell pepper
• 1 eggplant
• 4 carrots
• 2 tomatoes
• 6 garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns black pepper
• 1/2 cup dill and herbs to taste parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon salt

Dice or slice all veggies thinly. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven and saute all veggies for about 30 min till veggies are soft and and liquids evaporate. Stir frequently. At the end add the herbs, salt, pepper and let cool. Put in a food processor and pulse till desired consistency. Refrigerate. 

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Avocado and Shrimp Salad

Servings: 4
Makes in: 30 minutes
Level: easy

Great as appetizer or an pretty salad

• 2 avocados, diced
• 300g shrimp, cooked, diced 
• 1/2 celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoons parsley, fresh chopped 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard

Combine all but the first 3 ingredients, mix well. Dice the shimp, celery, and avocado. Pour the dressing and mix gently. Scoop into prepared avocado shells. 

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Easy Tuna Pate

•  4 (90g each) cans of tuna, water/ oil drained
• 1 egg
• 3 egg whites
• 50g cream
• 150g tomato puree, canned or ketchup
• salt, pepper to taste
• thyme, basil to taste

1. Mix tuna in a food processor till smooth. Add cream, salt, pepper, tomatoes, and one egg. Beat again.
2. Beat egg whites till it turns foamy. Fold in the tuna mix. 
3. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in a microwave for 5 min. 
4. Cool, turn upside down, serve with/without sauce.

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Masha's Pickled Cabbage

A friend of mine, Masha, introduced me to this recipe a long time. This is a great vegetable dish that can be a appetizer or a side dish. The trick to the presentation is to julienne all vegetables or cut them pretty.

• 1 large to medium cabbage
• 2 large or 3 medium carrots, to taste carrot
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Liter water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup sunflower seed oil
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 3/4 cup white vinegar 

1. Break cabbage leaves into large pieces, cut carrots, add garlic, mix.

2. In a pot dissolve sugar, oil, salt in one 1 liter of cold water . Bring to a boil, add vinegar.

3. Pour the water over cabbage. Put weight on vegetables, marinate in room temperature for 2-3 days. Once ready place in an appropriate container, store in a fridge. 

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Layered Teriyaki Shrimp Dip

• 340g pkg cooked peeled baby shrimp, fresh or frozen
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 250 g block cream cheese, cut into cubes    
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream 
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) teriyaki sauce
• 2 tsp (10 mL) hot chili-garlic sauce 
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh coriander 
• pinches of salt

1. If shrimp are frozen, thaw according to package directions, then pat dry with paper towel. In a food processor, whirl cream cheese with sour cream until smooth. Then whirl in teriyaki sauce, chili-garlic sauce and 2 tbsp (30 mL) coriander. Taste and add salt, if you wish.
2. Spoon a little of the cheese into bottom of a pretty glass serving bowl that holds at least 3 cups (750 mL). Sprinkle with a third of celery and remaining coriander, then top with a third of shrimp. 
3. Repeat layering 2 more times, finishing with shrimp. 
4. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight. Great with rice crackers. 

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Lettuce Wraps with Feta Cheese and Bell Peppers

Photo Credit: Gastronom.ru

• 1/2 bell peppers red, green, yellow, diced
• 200g cream cheese
• 200g feta cheese
• 100g, black pitted, sliced olives
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 head iceberg lettuce

1. Mix feta cheese and cream cheese in a processor until smooth paste. Add the cubed peppers, olives, and mix well.
2. Individual wraps:
   Gently remove lettuce leaves, wash, and dry. Carefully spoon the stuffing in each leaf and wrap gently. Wrap tightly in a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a min of 2 hours. 
   Stuffed lettuce:
   Cut the lettuce head in half. Place with the cut side down. Carefully lift each leaf and spoon the stuffing.

Adapted from Gastronom.ru.

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Bacon-wrapped Water Chestnuts

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

• 1 pound bacon
• 2 cans water chestnuts, 8 oz each
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chili sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cut each strip of bacon in half. Wrap one strip around one water chestnut. Secure with a wooden toothpick. Place in shallow baking dish.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes. 
4. While the wraps are baking, in a small mixing bowl combine brown sugar and chili sauce to make barbecue sauce. 
5. After the wraps have finished baking, transfer them (removing them from the grease) to a second shallow baking dish. Pour the sauce over the wraps. 
6. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 15 additional minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Serve hot out of dish with toothpicks

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Goat Cheese Torta

Photo Credit: PC.ca

This recipe makes a spectacular presentation. The flavors blend exceptionally well.

Serves: 12 
Ready in: 30 minutes 
Easy

• 3 tablespoons roasted almonds, slivered / chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 300g soft unripened goat milk cheese

1. Line 2 to 2-1/2 cup (500 to 625 mL) bowl with plastic wrap. Sprinkle almonds to cover bottom of bowl. 
2. In frying pan, cook vinegar, maple syrup and onions over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until onions are softened and most of liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat.
3. Cut goat cheese crosswise into 1⁄2-inch (1 cm) thick slices. Arrange half of goat cheese on top of almonds. Top with all of onion mixture. Arrange remaining goat cheese on top of onions. Cover with plastic wrap. Gently press down on torta to compact layers. Remove plastic wrap from top of torta, turn out onto a serving platter. Serve with crackers. 

Original recipe from PC.ca

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Tuna Carpaccio

• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons capers 
• 200g tuna, thinly sliced

Whisk, pour over thinly sliced tuna. Let come to room temperature for 30 min. 

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Seafood Crostini

• 200g imitation crab or cooked chopped shrimp
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon or tabasco red chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• salt, pepper to taste

Mix the ingredients. Spoon on bread or crostini. 

Original recipe Chatelaine.ca

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