Creamy Baked Brie and Fig Jam Puff Pastry Bites

 

 At this time of year leading up to Christmas, a predinner canape or starter which partners beautifully with a cold glass of bubbly, is just what we need. The silly season is underway. These bites can be prepared and cooked in the cool of the morning and stored in the refrigerator, and then just reheated and crisped up for 5 minutes in a hot oven before the party. In the Northern Hemisphere, avoiding the heat at this time of year isn't a consideration is it? Cook these just before the party and watch them disappear before your eyes. I can't buy reasonably priced figs so I buy my fig jam, a little indulgence, but well worth it. We have a fig tree growing, but when it decides to produce some figs, I doubt there will be enough for jam, we will be eating them fresh. I've made a few batches of these puff pastry bites, and each time the shapes are slightly inconsistent when cooked, which is the nature of puff pastry, but that doesn't matter. They do such a disappearing act, that nobody notices anyway. Who doesn't love puff pastry with a delicious filling?

I first saw this recipe on Sammie@the Annoyed Thyroid's blog, and after a few little changes, they have been a favourite of mine to bake ever since.

Makes 24

Ingredients:

2 sheets butter puff pastry, defrosted

24 teaspoons fig jam

200 g brie, chopped into 2 cm pieces with rind left on

Method:

Preheat oven to 190 deg. C

Grease two, 12 hole mini muffin trays, the easiest way is with spray on olive oil

Cut each pastry sheet into 12 rectangles. 

Then very carefully, using two fingers (second and third) gently press the pastry rectangles into the muffin holes. Be careful your nails don't pierce the pastry, it is quite soft.The pastry needs to cover the sides of the muffin hole.

Then prick the base a few times with a fork, so that the pastry doesn't puff up when it cooks. We want the sides to puff up, but not the base.

 Bake for 12 minutes in your hot oven.

Carefully take the hot muffin trays from the oven, and lightly press down the base of the pastry. It will have  risen slightly.

Start filling the pastries with the cheese bits. Press the cheese down lightly into the centre to fill the recess. Top with enough of a teaspoon of fig jam, so that the jam is encased in the pastry, not running over the edge.

Place the trays back in the oven, and bake for another 5 minutes, still at 190 deg. C., until the pastry is golden, and the cheese has melted. They will look and taste delicious.

Carefully remove the pastries from the muffin tins with a knife, and place on a nice serving plate, or allow to cool and store covered in the refrigerator.

 Cook's Tip:

• These little beauties will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days, however they never last in our home for that long. They can be kept in the refrigerator, and then you are always ready for impromptu get togethers with family and friends, with minimal effort.
• I recommend you buy the best puff pastry you can, preferably made with butter.
• Serve with finely chopped chives sprinkled over the plate, for a little extra colour and subtle flavour.

In this lead up to Christmas there can be a lot of hustle and bustle and pressure to get everything done in time. I'm staying away from the shops as much as possible, mask wearing is now mandatory here again, which is a wake up call that Covid is back in our community. So I think throughout all of this, it is important to be kind to ourselves, and to our family and friends, and to think simply. 

This will be my last post until after Christmas. Thank you to my friends who regularly read my blog, and inspire me with your comments,  it is always a pleasure to hear from you and to read your posts as well. I hope you all enjoy a festive and meaningful Christmas, with those you love, and that the New Year will bring health, happiness and good news. 

Warmest wishes,

Pauline

Parsley Hummus, Gloriously Green and Delicious.

 Our Parsley is growing very well in the raised garden at the moment, however once the humidity and then the rain arrives, it will probably die off as it has in previous years. So I am "making hay whilst the sun shines", or parsley hummus whilst the parsley thrives. 

Classic Chickpea Hummus from Scratch

Hummus is a wholesome snack made from cooked chickpeas, mashed up and mixed with lemon juice, tahini, olive oil and some cumin. Because of the density of the protein rich chickpeas I make hummus in small batches as it mashes up a lot better. I cook up a whole packet of chickpeas after soaking them overnight in a large bowl filled with water. Bring a large saucepan of water containing the chickpeas to the boil, then simmer them until they are tender, for about an hour,  or until a couple of shells are just starting to separate from the chickpea. Drain and reserve the water they were boiled in.

Measure out 2 cups of cooked chickpeas, and make a batch of hummus, freezing it in a small container.  Keep making batches until the all the chickpeas are used up. It will also keep for a week in a sealed container in the frig. I always reserve some cooked chickpeas and keep them in the refrigerator to have in salads or to use in frittatas, tagines, stews, Indian curries and soups. I try to keep a few batches in my freezer on reserve, as then I always have a quick and nutritious dip on hand.



Ingredients:

2 cups well-cooked chickpeas, plus liquid they are cooked in (7 tablespoons of liquid should be enough) (reserve a few cooked chickpeas for garnish)
4 tsp. tahini
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of 1 lemon or around 4 tablespoons
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Sweet paprika for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Put the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice and half the chickpea cooking liquid in the blender and begin to blend it. When the chickpeas are broken down, add the olive oil in a steady stream down the chute and then add the rest of the chickpea liquid until you have a good consistency.

Add a little salt and freshly ground pepper and taste it to see if it is to your liking. Sometimes I add a little extra lemon juice for extra flavour.

Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with paprika and chopped parsley.

Hummus is always delicious when served with a cheese platter and nibblies. I often take it with crackers when we visit friends to enjoy with a drink and when they realise it is homemade from scratch they are generally very appreciative, and it tastes really good. In fact it seems to improve in flavour after it sits in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

If you are a bit time poor, hummus made from canned chickpeas will still taste good. It is good nutritious food.

Best wishes

Pauline

Caponata, a Sicilian Eggplant Stew

 I've tried a few different Caponata recipes, because I love the sweet, sour and tangy flavours typical of this Mediterranean vegetable stew. It's also a handy dish to make at home when I have extra eggplants and herbs. In this version, my favourite so far, the sultanas add a piquant sweetness to the earthiness of the eggplant without adding too much sugar, which combined with the vinegar gives this dish the moreish factor. It can be eaten hot, warm or cold.

Coconut and Lime Ceviche as a starter or canape, from the kitchen of Pinetrees Lodge on Lord Howe Island

Coconut and Lime Ceviche

Greetings from Food and Wine week on Lord Howe Island. Ceviche is typically made from very fresh raw fish which is "cooked" or cured in citrus juices such as lime or lemon. With other ingredients added such as fresh herbs and spices, it is a delicious, light and zingy starter for any meal. We used a very fresh fillet of Kingfish, about 500g, trimmed and cut into 1 cm cubes. The fillet needs to be at least 1 cm thick. However any firm white-fleshed fish could be used. With this recipe, the actual cooking of the fish is the easy part, as the acidulant in the lime juice  “cooks the raw fish”.

Go green with Broccoli Bites, a very healthy sugar free snack for Adults and Children

Go straight to the recipe here:

Broccoli Bites

Broccoli Bites served with  tomato chutney

I am going green with Broccoli. What I love about these mini broccoli scones or mini fritters, however they fall onto the baking tray, is that they are only the size of a couple of mouthfuls. These little babies are small enough to enjoy a mouthful or two and if I want more, I just eat a few of them. Mind you they look larger in my photograph than they actually are. I don't look at them the same way as I do at savoury or sweet muffins in the coffee shops and think that I can't eat all of that. Purchased muffins are getting bigger and bigger, needing to be shared or just encouraging waste.  These ones also hold their shape without needing to be cooked in mini muffin pans. I really think they are meant to be Broccoli Balls, however I was in a hurry when I made these and took the photo, so they became mini fritters or mini pancakes. They still taste great. You can place your own stamp on them.

Retirees long lunch at the Dip Inn

A great time was had by all when 17 retirees, former work colleagues of Mr. HRK, enjoyed a long lunch at our place, The Dip Inn :), yesterday. The dips or starters of mainly Mediterranean origin, set the tone for the banquet to follow. Centre stage above are Pumpkin Hummus, Beetroot Hummus, Baba Ganoush and Basil Pesto.

Thanks to Paul, the following are the recipes for his Pumpkin and Beetroot Hummus:

Pumpkin Hummus

1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tin chick peas drained and shelled (rub chick peas between fingers in water to gently remove shells)
1/2 butternut pumpkin, roasted
Mix all in a food processor until smooth.

Beetroot hummus

Substitute pumpkin with a tin of drained beetroot. Use cooked fresh beetroot if inspired. How easy is that. I'm looking forward to the next long lunch already!!

Dear Reader, Do you enjoy having long lunches at your place and find them relaxing?

Warm wishes,

Pauline  

How to Make the Easiest Baba Ganoush Eggplant Dip



Purple Lebanese Eggplants in my tropical garden, perfect for making Baba Ganouj or Moussaka

 Everyone likes Baba Ganoush. Baba Ganouj (spelled this way as this is how it is pronounced) can be eaten as a dip, a starter, a salad, or a vegetable side depending on its consistency. With its earthy, smoky, garlicky, and nutty flavour, it is best eaten with Lebanese bread. However, dry biscuits or chopped vegetables also taste great with it.