Tapenade →

Sometimes referred to as french "Provençal caviar", it doesn't get any better than tapenade spread on a toasted baguette slice served with a glass of wine, and it's a lot cheaper than a round-trip ticket to Paris! If you love olives, experiment with the measurements of the recipe, or the kind of olives you use. Make it your own family recipe like they do in France. Bon appetit!

Yield: about 1 cup of spread

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups pitted Kalamata or other black olives

• 2-3 Tbs. olive oil

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

• 1 tablespoon drained, rinsed capers

• 2 garlic cloves

• 2 canned, oil-packed anchovy fillets, or a tsp. of anchovy paste (Note: anchovy paste is saltier than oil-packed canned fillets, hence if you use anchovy paste your tapenade will be on the salty side.)

• 2-3 Tbs. parsley rinsed

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/4+ teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

• Baguette slices, crackers, or vegetables for serving

Preparation:

1. Place the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, drained capers, garlic, anchovies, thyme, parsley, and black pepper in a food processor and process until finely minced. (see *Note)

2. Add the pitted olives and process until all the ingredients are finely chopped, to the consistency you like, but not completely pureed.

3. Serve the olive spread on toasted baguette slices, crackers, or with fresh crudités.

*Note: if you mince the garlic, capers, thyme, parsley, and anchovies before adding to the olives in the food processor, you will have better control over the consistency of the tapenade.

Thanksgiving Turkey Liver Pâté →

I prefer not to use the turkey liver when I’m making my gravy stock with onions, celery, herbs and the rest of the giblets, wing-tips, and neck from the bird. This easy recipe is a delicious use of the liver and makes for a nice appetizer served with crackers or toast points before the big meal.

Thanksgiving Turkey Liver Paté with Cranberry-Pomegranate Relish

Yield: 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

• 1 small turkey liver

• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter

• 1/2 shallot

• 2 Tbs. brandy or cognac

• 2 small cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme stripped; leaves chopped (substitute with ¼ tsp. dried thyme)

• 1 hard-boiled egg

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 Tbs. olive oil (or more as needed)

Garnish: 1 Tbs. parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions:

1. Rinse the raw liver and pat dry. Slice the liver into uniform pieces so they cook evenly.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the onions, sautéing over medium-high heat until they begin to brown.

3. Add the liver, garlic, and thyme and saute about 3 minutes; don’t burn the garlic. The liver will not take long to cook, and should still be slightly pink on the inside.

4. Add the cognac or brandy and flambé. (There will be flames, so stand back.) Reduce until the liquid has almost evaporated.

5. In a food processor or blender, combine the liver, onions, and garlic mixture, hard-boiled egg, salt, and pepper.

6. Coarsely blend the pâté and then begin adding the olive oil in small amounts while blending. Every now and then, pause and use a spatula to push any pâté along the sides back down towards the blade.

7. The finished pâté should be smooth with an even texture. If it is still chunky and too thick, continue adding a little bit of olive oil.

8. Transfer the pâté to a serving bowl. Serve with toast points or crackers.

9. Store the pâté in a covered container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Adapted from: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Chilld

and, http://www.emmafrisch.com/2013/11/dont-throw-it-away-make-turkey-liver-pate.html

Potato Chips Drizzled with Honey →

A popular snack in Spain…crunchy, sweet and salty. Betcha can’t eat one!

Place the chips in a small bowl and drizzle with 1 or 2 teaspoons of honey to taste.

Potato Chips Drizzled with Honey

Rosemary Roasted Marcona Almonds →

Flowering Almond Trees, Ronda, Spain

serves 16

Ingredients

• 2 cups blanched Marcona almonds (or other blanched almond)

• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

• a pinch of smokey Spanish pimentón (optional)

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or 50/50 rosemary and fresh thyme)

• sea salt

Considered the “Queen of Almonds” and ubiquitous to tapas bars in Spain, Spanish Marcona almonds are shorter, rounder and sweeter than common almonds sold in the United States. They are also pricey, but a treat for a special occasion. Before you commit to the cost of using Marconas, you might want to try this recipe with regular unsalted, skinless, blanched almonds. If you’re in a rush and only have access to roasted, salted almonds, omit the salt in the recipe and reduce the roasting time to 5-10 minutes in a 300-degree oven. If you want to “kick it up a notch”, add a couple of pinches of cayenne or chili pepper. Store leftover roasted almonds in an airtight container in the fridge; reheat in a 300-degree oven for 5 minutes before re-serving.
Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Mince the herb(s) and mix with the spices and grated lemon zest

2. In a large bowl, drizzle the almonds with the olive oil and mix to coat the almonds; add the spices, lemon zest, and rosemary mixture and toss to coat evenly

3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spread out a single layer of Marcona almonds.

4. Roast almonds 10-15 minutes stirring every 5 minutes until they start to turn a slightly darker brown color. Be careful not to burn during the last 5 minutes, the almonds should be light brown not scorched.

5. Remove from the oven and toss generously with coarsely ground or flaky sea salt. Serve warm.

   Adapted from: https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/toasted-rosemary-marcona-almonds
   

Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Duck Sauce →

Yield: as many as you want up to 36
Ingredients

16-ounce package of bacon (regular thickness, not thick cut), cut into thirds
8-ounce package of pitted dates
Peach jam

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil.

• Cut each date in half lengthwise and spread a 1/2 teaspoon of peach preserve on each half.

• In a skillet, cook the bacon on both sides for about 2 minutes each side. You want it partially cooked, but still flexible so you can wrap it around the dates.

• Wrap a piece of bacon around a date. Make sure the bacon seam is placed facing down on the cookie sheet. Press firmly on the bacon-wrapped date, so it is less likely to unravel. Repeat until all of the dates are wrapped in bacon.

• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the bacon is crisp, but not burned. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Duck Sauce:
Makes about 1/4 cup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Rice Wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1 tablespoon peach jam
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8-1/4 teaspoon hot sauce like Cholula brand. (optional and to taste)
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Serve with Bacon-Wrapped Dates, sliced veggies, or egg-rolls, etc.

Guacamole and Black Beans Cup →

Individual Guacamole and Black Beans Cups...avocado, lime, tomato, black beans, minced habanero pepper. Use the empty avocado skin for the individual cups and don't worry about double-dipping.
For Mexicans, guacamole recipes are kind of like spaghetti sauce recipes for Italians, everyone has a family recipe that they prefer. Easy to make and delicious, the basic ingredients for an authentic guac are:

1. Avocado
2. Fresh lime juice
3. Salt
4. finely minced white onion (optional)
5. chopped cilantro
6. minced fresh Serrano or Jalapeno pepper (optional: sub bottled Jalapeños)

I happen to love the simple mix of avocado and lime juice with a little salt to bring out the flavors, garnished with chopped cilantro and finely minced orange Cubanelle pepper, or seeded, diced tomato to add color and texture. Serve with crunchy corn chips.

Guacamole

serves 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

• 4 medium ripe Hass avocados, halved and pitted (see *Note)

• 3 tablespoons lime juice or more to taste

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped Cubanelle pepper

  Optional:

• ½ small white onion minced

• minced Serrano or Jalapeno to taste (start with 2 teaspoons and add more if you want more heat)

• 1/2 diced, seeded tomato

Directions:

1. Use a spoon to scoop out the avocado into a bowl.
2. Mash the avocado with a fork.
3. Add the lime juice and salt and mix (see *Note)
4. Sample on a corn chip and adjust lime or salt to taste.
5. Mix in the cilantro
5. Garnish with minced Cubanelle.
6. Serve with corn chips.

* Note: if you are adding onion and or Serrano pepper or tomato, add with the lime juice and salt and mix well
* Note: you can tell an avocado is ripe if you press on the fat end of the avocado and it is just slightly soft.

The following website has a good recipe for guac. Check it out, compare it to mine, and develop your own family recipe for guacamole and impress your friends. Buen provecho!
https://cookieandkate.com/best-guacamole-recipe/