Super Bowl Super Nachos
January 27, 2009
SUPER BOWL SUPER NACHOS
The toppings and cheese used here are just suggestions. Use these ideas as a springboard for your own creations. If you have leftover bean spread, serve it warm as a dip with chips.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 24 giant nachos)
For the chips:
¼ cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing pans
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
For the nachos:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans refried beans
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot sauce, or more, to taste (optional)
¼ cup chopped cilantro (optional)
2 cups (one 8-ounce bag) shredded cheese such as Monterey Jack or fiesta blend
Your choice of toppings such as: canned whole green chilies and roasted red peppers, (sliced into strips) halved olives, chopped scallions, pickled peppers, halved grape tomatoes, green pepper strips, frozen corn kernels (thawed) and chopped cilantro
DIRECTIONS
Make the chips:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven.
2. Brush two large baking pans with oil. Whisk ¼ cup of oil with the spices and salt. Brush one side of 4 tortillas with the oil and spice mixture. Stack tortillas and cut the stack in half with a sharp knife. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Place the tortilla halves, dry side down, in a single layer on the baking sheets.
3. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, for 12 to 14 minutes or until the chips are golden and crisp. Season with additional salt, if desired, and let cool completely in the pans. Repeat with remaining tortillas. (The chips can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in a tightly covered tin.)
Make the nachos:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the chopped onions in the olive oil until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic, cumin and cayenne and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add the refried beans, salt, hot sauce and cilantro (if using) and stir until well mixed and heated through. Let cool. (The refried bean mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated.)
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread a giant chip with about 2 generous tablespoons of refried bean mixture. Top with cheese and desired toppings, and place on a large non-stick baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chips. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Using a metal spatula, transfer the nachos to a platter and serve.
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
January 21, 2009
We spent all day yesterday celebrating Barack Obama. Today seemed like sort of a let-down… until we discovered that January 21st is “Squirrel Appreciation Day;” reason enough for the folks at Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets to put down the glue guns again and have a little impromptu cookie party. (Yep. Any excuse will do.) Here’s our tried and true recipe for killer chocolate chip cookies. Whip up a batch and have a little party for yourself. Do it for the squirrels.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans and Coconut
These cookies will keep in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days, but around here they only have a life span of about 2 hours. No airtight container required.
(Makes about 46 cookies)
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
½ cup sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. At low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture until blended. Stir in chips, coconut and pecans.
3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on large ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown. Let cookies stand on sheets two minutes, then transfer to wire rack to let cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
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Inauguration Celebration Bite-Size Quiches
January 14, 2009
It’s a new day! Be sure to raise a glass on January 20th to toast the inauguration of our new president. Here, compliments of Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets, is an easy-to-make appetizer that’s perfect for your inauguration celebration. (And yes, I’m still trying to use up all that smoked cheddar!)
Inauguration Celebration Bite-Size Quiches
(Makes 24)
The technique for the “crusts” for these two-bite quiches is adapted from a recipe I saw in Everyday Food magazine. They are very simple to make and pretty much foolproof. You’ll need a 2-inch round biscuit cutter (make sure it is 2-inch) and a mini muffin pan. Substitute white sandwich bread for whole wheat, if you wish.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter, melted
12 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup shredded smoked cheddar
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons black olives, chopped
2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, chopped
2 scallions, sliced, for garnish (optional)
Salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 24-cup mini muffin pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Set aside.
- Stack two slices of bread on a work surface and, using a rolling pen, flatten to a 1/8-inch thickness.With a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut two rounds from stack; separate to yield 4 bread rounds. Repeat with remaining bread to make 24.
- Fit rounds into prepared muffin cups, gently pushing down in the center and being careful not to tear. Brush bread with remaining butter. Bake until brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan to room temperature. Leave oven on.
- While the crusts cool, stir together the egg, smoked cheddar, heavy cream, black olives, roasted red peppers and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper. Carefully spoon 1 teaspoon of the egg mixture into each bread cup. Bake until filling is set; 13 to 15 minutes. Top with sliced scallions, if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Smoked Cheddar Quesadillas with Warm Maple-Apple Compote
January 8, 2009
Sometimes in the gift basket business I tend to overstock items that I love. Such is the case with Grafton Village Maple-Smoked Cheddar. When an item reaches its expiration date, I can’t sell it… even though it still tastes great. That means I have to eat it myself. Yea! This recipe evolved when I found that my cheddar had reached its expiration date and the sack of apples I had bought to make a pie (and didn’t) were getting a bit old. Pair these hearty nibbles with a nice Cabernet Sauvignon at your next get-together. Your guests will love you for it.
SMOKED CHEDDAR QUESADILLAS WITH WARM MAPLE-APPLE COMPOTE
Long name. Short prep time. Substitute pecans for the walnuts, if you wish. Almost any apple will work for this. I prefer Granny Smith or Gala. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve more.
For the Compote:
Peel and core 4 apples and slice into thin wedges. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large sauté pan. Add the apples, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, ½ teaspoon cinnamon (or more, to taste), juice of ½ lemon and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 30 to 40 minutes, or until apples are very soft and liquid is slightly thickened. Serve warm with Smoked Cheddar Quesadillas.
For the Quesadillas:
Sprinkle one side of an 8-inch flour tortilla with 1/3 cup shredded smoked cheddar; top with 2 tablespoons chopped, toasted walnuts. Fold tortilla over filling. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook quesadilla over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side or until cheese melts. Remove quesadilla to a cutting board and slice into wedges. Makes 2 servings. Serve with Warm Maple-Apple Compote.
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS!
