GCC: Sun-Dried Tomato-Parmesan Crisps

This week's choice at the Gutsy Cook's Club was Sun-Dried Tomato-Parmesan Crisps from Lucinda Scala-Quinn's Mad Hungry Cravings cookbook...they sounded really yummy and Sam and I were really looking forward to having a taste.

Made with sun-dried tomato paste, some olive oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese, this is a rather simple, quick and easy dish  that could be served either as an appetizer or as a side to either soup, salad or any meal that suits your fancy.

The recipe calls for puffed pastry sheets, but when I saw the shells next to the sheets at the supermarket, I elected to go with them instead, and stuffed them with chopped baby portobello mushrooms, garlic and pignoli nuts along with the tomato paste.

Originally I had planned on serving it alongside grilled swordfish and salad.  However, when Sam came home from his typical hard day of work, I had just taken them out of the oven and let me tell you...there was no waiting for the fish and salad.

Instead, Sam poured us some wine and we enjoyed a couple as appetizers in our backyard.  The combination of sun-dried tomato, parmesan cheese, pignoli nuts and portobello was like having a puff pastry pizza.  Yum!! Although, I think next time I'll add a bit more parmesan and or brush some olive oil or butter to the puff pastry. 

I pretty much followed the format of the recipe, with the exception of prebaking the shells for about 15 minutes.  I then removed them from the oven, removed the "tops", stuffed with the ingredients and then baked for another 5-10 minutes.

As mentioned before, it's an easy dish and as long as you've got some puff pastry in the freezer...these can be jazzed up with any number of ingredients and prepared quickly, should you suddenly have someone stop by or as a tasty snack. 

Thanks and have a great day!

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins." Laurie Colwin, ‘Home Cooking’

Sun-Dried Tomato-Parmesan Crisps (or Shells)

by Lucinda Scala-Quinn

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste (or regular tomato paste)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• *3 cloves of garlic minced 
• *1/2 cup chopped baby portobello mushrooms
• *1/4 cup pignoli nuts, chopped
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 piece store-bought puff pastry, thawed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

* My additions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with oven rack in center position.

2. In a small bowl, combine sun-dried tomato paste and olive oil, garlic, mushrooms and pignoli nuts.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry to 12-inch square. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

4. Spread tomato paste mixture evenly over puff pastry with a rubber spatula. Top with cheese and black pepper. Using a pizza wheel, cut into quarters in one direction and sixths in the other to yield 24 pieces.

5. Bake 20 to 22 minutes until puffed and golden. Let cool to room temperature on cooling rack before serving....enjoy.

STS: Let Go

My nephew Spencer wrote a song titled "Let Go" that I feel is truly "Something to Share"...it's a song about love, it's soulful with a catchy beat to it...I love it already!

He's a fourteen year old singer/song writer/self-taught guitarist...he's got amazing potential and a great future ahead of him...Needless to say, we're really proud of him.

Please take a moment to listen and comment...Enjoy!

Thanks and have a great day!

GCC: Baked Chicken w/Honey-Whole Grain Mustard Glaze

Hello Guys and Dolls...guess who's back!?!

It's the Gutsy Cooks Club!!! Oh yeah, we're pretty pysched about this comeback!

Just like Monica's husband Tom, my husband Sam is SUPER excited because it means I will be cooking at least one meal a week ;-). 

Needless to say, I'm really enthusiastic to get back into trying new recipes and learning new techniques.  I tell you what, if you find yourself needing some inspiration in the kitchen, I suggest you join us at the Gutsy Cooks Club.  It's fun, challenging, and if you enjoy cooking and trying different types of food, you're going to love it.

So without further ado...this week's choice is Baked Chicken with Honey-Whole Grain Mustard Glaze, from the book "Mad Hungry", by Lucinda Scala Quinn.

A simple dish consisting of just a few ingredients, the most "exotic" ingredient being the whole grain mustard, I was all too happy to give it a try...and in typical SamCyn fashion, I changed it up a bit by making it with chicken breast, rosemary and adding salmon to the mix, thus making it a surf and turf.

We baked the salmon in a separate dish for a shorter period of time, to avoid having it overcooked and dry.  Unfortunately, the chicken was a bit dry, so next time I'll use chicken breasts with bone and skin.

Served up with some fingerling potatoes and asparagus, this recipe is a keeper...we enjoyed the contrast of the somewhat "rustic" flavors of the whole grain mustard with the sweetness of the honey in the glaze.  Although, Sam and I both agreed, it's much tastier with the salmon.

Thanks and have a great day!

“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove” - Bible Quote

Baked Chicken with Honey-Whole Grain Mustard Glaze

by Lucinda Scala Quinn

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup olive oil (maybe more)
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Some fresh herbs (if you have them)
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard (Calder also used maple mustard and a little Dijon)
• 1 or 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• A little salt and pepper

Directions

1. Marinate chicken in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and herbs, for at least 1 hour and up to a day in advance. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub big baking pan with olive oil or butter, place thighs skin side down.

2. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and turn skin side up. Bake for 10 more minutes. To make the glaze, add mustard, honey, and oil in a bowl in that order, whisk, add salt and pepper, whisk some more. Apply glaze with brush or spoon and broil for 5 minutes.

3. Take out and let rest for a second, and make sure you save all those delicious, lemony, chickeny juices that collected in the pan.

Try it, you won't be disappointed!