How about a little Bundt pan history?

In 1950 Nordic Ware invented the Bundt® Pan; a ring shaped pan with fluted sides.   The pan sold somewhat slowly until the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest winner used the little-known Bundt® Pan for her Tunnel of Fudge cake recipe. This prompted a mad rush for the pans, causing them to surpass the tin Jell-O mold to become the most-sold pan in the United States. Since their introduction, more than 50 million Bundt pans have been sold by Nordic Ware.

Oh, and by the way, National Bundt Pan Day is November 15th.  And do you remember the scene in the 2002 movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, when the mother of the groom-to-be comes to the home of the mother of the bride-to-be and presents to you a Bundt cake? Still makes me smile, HERE IS A LINK to a grainy video from You Tube.

This super moist yogurt cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. So simple to put together and pop in the oven… seriously delish.

FYI: I used a decorative sunflower Bundt pan in place of the traditional Bundt that has the tube in the center, so it took about 20 minutes longer to cook than this recipe states.

Fresh Blueberry Yogurt Cake

2  1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
8 ounces plain Greek yogurt
12 ounces fresh blueberries
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease and flour a Bundt pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir the vanilla extract and only 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.

Mix in half in the flour mixture, then the yogurt, then the remaining half of the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.

Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Serves 12

Bonus photo:  It takes a lot to dig to the back of the “baking” cupboard to get to my collection of Bundt pans!

Yesterday I did my dip picks for the Super Bowl, today we have the real contenders. I failed to mention on yesterday’s post that light cream cheese may be used in each and every one of the four dips, with virtually no taste difference. Please just don’t use the non-fat disgusting cardboard thing they call cream cheese. That stuff should be illegal! There are a plethora of lovely non-fat dairy products, but non-fat cream cheese is not one of them.

Thinly sliced and lightly toasted French bread, baguette, or sourdough work perfect for both dips.  For the pizza dip, the bread simulates a pizza crust and for the clam dip, it reminds me of enjoying clam chowder in a sourdough bowl on Pier 39 in beautiful San Fran. Which coincidentally, is where I am headed later today to visit my sweet Marissa – for a food and shopping filled weekend!

Happy Super Bowl Weekend!

New England Patriots Clam Chowder Dip

4 slices bacon, diced
5 green onions, thinly sliced
8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
2 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams, drained
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a medium skillet, fry the diced bacon until crisp, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but about 1 teaspoon of the bacon dripping and cook the green onions in the same skillet of medium heat for about 1 minute.

Add the bacon and the hot green onions to the cream cheese and using a fork, combine well.

Stir in the drained clams, Worcestershire, Sriracha and garlic salt. Taste and add more of any of the seasonings, if needed for your taste.

Serve with toasted French bread slices, or serve in a hollowed out sourdough bread round (as you would clam chowder) and cube the bread pieces you take out of the round and use as the “dippers”.

May be made up to one day ahead, bring to room temperature before serving.

———————-

NY Giants’ Pepperoni Pizza Dip

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
1/3 cup pizza sauce
1 1/2 ounces pepperoni slices (about 15 slices), halved or quartered
2 green onions, thinly sliced.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a fork to combine cream cheese with the Italian seasoning and garlic salt.

Spread cream cheese in 9-inch glass pie plate.

Top with 1 cup of the Mozzarella. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over cheese, then sprinkle with the remaining cup of Mozzarella on top of sauce.

Arrange pepperoni on top and sprinkle with green onions.

Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot with toasted thin slices of French bread or bagel crisps.

*Please note: I ran out of  green onions just before I made this dip, so I topped mine with some leftover caramelized onions I had in my fridge. And as much as I love caramelized onions… green onions would have been better.

… is kinda like red and green, which makes this very pretty appetizer or brunch pizza perfect for Christmas.

Naan can be found on the bread aisle at most grocery stores, at Trader Joe’s, or at Costco. And smoked mozzarella with other specialty cheeses. But if you can’t find the mozzarella, substitute smoked Gouda.

Smoked Salmon Pizza

4 Naan bread rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 lemon, zested and divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh minced dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon capers; rinsed, drained, and spread on a paper towel to dry
1/4 cup small dill sprigs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the Naan on a baking sheet and brush the rounds with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle each with salt and place in the oven for 10 minutes, until the bread is just slightly crisp.

In a mixing bowl combine the remaining olive oil,  cream cheese, garlic, half the lemon zest, lemon juice, minced dill, and the black pepper; mix well.

Spoon one-quarter of the cream cheese mixture evenly over each of the Naan rounds.  Sprinkle the smoked mozzarella over each round. Arrange salmon and red onion on top.

Return to oven and bake 5 minutes or until edges of the crust are crisp and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest, then top with capers and dill sprigs.

Slice each round into 4 wedges.

Makes 16 slices

What do you get when you mix together a little cheddar, flour, and butter and then bake it? Tasty melt-in-your-mouth morsels of heavenly goodness, that’s what!

Cheddar Cheese Button Crackers

1  1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons kosher  or sea salt, for sprinkling

Place 1 cup of the cheese in a food processor, then the flour, next the butter pieces, then the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese along with the salt and cayenne. Pulse until the ingredients  look like fine crumbs.  Add the milk and pulse until the dough almost comes together.

Remove from the food processor and knead until the dough is soft and well mixed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface roll out the dough to a 1/8 inch thickness. Use 1-inch round or other small cookie cutter to cut out, re-roll and cut out scraps. You can use any small cookie cutter, in any shape you would like to cut out the crackers, but I especially love to cut them out into little buttons. If you have a set of round cutters, use the smallest two; the 1-inch and the 3/4-inch diameter cutters. Use the 1-inch to cut out the rounds and the 3/4- inch for just pressing slightly into the dough for button-like detailing.

Place cut dough on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet about 1/2-inch apart. Using a tooth pick to make 4 small holes in the center of the dough to finish off your button design. Sprinkle lightly with kosher or sea salt.

Bake crackers approximately 25 minutes or until lightly browned around edges and crackers are firm to the touch.

Remove crackers to wire rack to  cool.

Makes about 60 buttons

If you’re anything like me, when you think of margaritas, you think of a warm summer day. Last week I was introduced to a cold-weather margarita that will knock your socks off! Chef Jeff Smedstad was the visiting chef teaching at Barbara Fenzl’s Les Gourmettes Cooking School last Monday night and everyone in the class swooned when he served this luxurious (de lujo) concoction.

Chef Smedstad is the chef/owner of Elote Cafe in Sedona. Dave and I dined at Elote the first night we were up in Sedona, last month. I failed to mention it before, because back then, it was all about my sprained ankle. And that’s a shame because it was one of the best meals we’ve had in a very long time.  For a fantastic rundown (with drop-dead gorgeous pictures) on Elote go to my friend, Gwen Walter’s blog and check out her professional and spot-on review.

While you’re reading the review and drooling over the photos, enjoy this somehow “warming” cold margarita. Chef Smedstad calls for Añejo tequila. Añejo, or “aged” tequila sits in oak barrels for at least one year and up to two years, eleven months, and thirty days. On the next day (3 years), it would be called Extra Añejo. Although the Añejo or Extra Añejo really make this drink shine (see Chef’s notes at the bottom of the recipe) you may use Blanco (white) tequila or Reposado (rested) tequila, just be sure to use a high quality tequila and not anything along the lines of the dreaded José Cuervo!

Elote’s De Lujo Margarita

Base Mix
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
5 cups water
Margarita
Ice
Añejo tequila
Grand Marnier

Base Mix: Briskly whisk until sugar is completely dissolved.

Margarita: In a 14-ounce glass with a salted rim (if desired) and filled with ice cubes, pour a full-shot of Añejo tequila. Then almost fill with the base mix and top off with a half-shot of Grand Marnier.

Drink and Enjoy!

Chef Smedstad’s Notes:  “Why brown sugar, vanilla, and lemon… brown sugar and lemon are soft and rich. The name lugo means luxury and the vanilla mirrors the oak notes in both the Añejo tequilla as well as the Grand Marnier.

I’ve mentioned before how much I enjoy True Food Kitchen. In fact I celebrated with two different birthday lunches there, the first with my dad and the second with my good friend, Karen (who was one of my bridesmaids, all those years ago).  When Dad and I were there, the two women at the table across from us were enjoying this huge bowl of vegetables. It is True Food’s gorgeous crudités bowl with tzatziki and black olive dips. The next week, when Karen and I went, I had to order it so that I could check it out more closely and recreate it at home. I think this is one of the prettiest ways to serve crudités that I’ve ever seen! That is True Food’s bowl above… and mine is below.

Crudités Garden Bowl with Caesar Dip and Tapenade

Green and yellow green beans
Snow peas
Long baby broccoli stems
Thin asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off
Ice
Cherry or teardrop tomatoes
Long and thin carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise if needed
Persian cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise
Red and white Belgium endive, separated into spears
Caesar Dip (1/2 recipe)
1 small jar black olive tapenade spread

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with a lot of ice and just enough cold water to cover the ice.

Drop in the green beans into the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute, then lift out with a slotted spoon and drop immediately into a large bowl of ice water. Once the beans are completely chilled, lift out of the ice water and place on paper towels to drain. Next, blanch the snow peas in the same manner. Now, the broccoli and finally the asparagus in the same way.

Keeping the four vegetables separate, roll up in damp paper towels, wrap each roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate to crisp the vegetables, for a least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, fill a large serving bowl one third of the way full with ice. Sprinkle with ice with a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes.

Now start “planting” your garden. Poke the various vegetables into the ice, finishing with the endive spears. Sprinkle with more cherry tomatoes.

Place the tapenade in a food processor and thin with 2 tablespoons water. Use the pulse button to smooth just a bit. Place the Caesar dip and the tapenade in two separate bowls and serve alongside your beautiful vegetable crudités garden. Enjoy!

Last night was the first time I’ve cooked any sort of food for Dave and myself… in… let’s see… 11 days. Unbelievable! I think that is the longest stretch of “no-cook” time for me since back in 2008 when we were traveling through France and Italy with the kids. But, I’m back and the recipes will again be flowing, thanks for hanging in there with me through the trip to Sedona, the foot injury, and birthdays. :-D

On Wednesday, my dad took me to True Food Kitchen at Scottsdale Quarter for my birthday lunch. I usually order the light and luscious Edamame Dumplings, or their delicious Herb Hummus, or the fabulous Wild Ahi Sliders… but this time I decided to try the Mediterranean Chopped Salad. Good choice! Actually, I’ve never had anything I didn’t enjoy from the menu. The photo at the top is the True Food salad – taken with my new iPhone 4s, which I LOVE!  Once I got home, I just had to recreate it for Dave.  He, of course, loved it… and you will too.

True Food uses red quinoa in their salad, I had the white on hand (you can also find black quinoa), otherwise, this salad tasted exactly like the one you’d be served at the restaurant. They also offer the salad with the addition of grilled chicken or salmon, obviously you can too.

True Food Kitchen’s Mediterranean Chopped Salad Knock-off

2 cups cold water
1 cup uncooked quinoa

Lemon-Oregano Vinaigrette
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 of an English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 large handfuls green beans, trimmed and steamed
2 cups cherry or teardrop tomatoes
3/4 cup Marcona almonds
3 cups arugula or spinach leaves
1 cup crumbled feta or queso cotijta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa and stir, simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside for 15 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and spread out on a plate to cool to room temperature.

While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, make the vinaigrette. Place the garlic, lemon zest, juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and blend well.  While continually whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, until dressing is emulsified.

In a large salad bowl, toss together the cucumber, olives, green beans, tomatoes, almonds, and arugula. Add the cooled quinoa, cheese, and vinaigrette.  Toss until all ingredients are coated with the vinaigrette, taste for seasoning, and serve.

Serves 4

I was searching for something sweet and quick to put together today for not only this post but to bring along to a lunch date I have this afternoon. I’m meeting up with my kids’ 1st grade teacher and her daughter and two granddaughters. We’ve stayed in touch all these years later, thanks in part to Facebook and this blog. Mrs. Tunheim (Ginger, to me) was both Marissa and Connor’s favorite teacher. In fact, Connor had her three times; 1st grade, 3rd grade, and during high school he went back and was a teacher’s aide in her class for a semester… yup we all love Mrs. T! Her beautiful daughter, Kim, assisted me one summer of cooking classes back when she was a single college girl.  Kim is now married with two adorable little girls of her own, so I’m bringing along these sweets to share with them.

I also want to take this opportunity to extend exuberant, hearty, and heartfelt congratulations to my friend and colleague, Gwen Walters and her wonderful Pen & Fork, for winning Best Food Blog 2011 award given by Phoenix New Times!  Yay Gwen!!!  You can always check out Pen & Fork by just clicking on the link over there on the right side of this very page… it is AWESOME!

Finally, some of you probably LOVE to bake…. and you probably know that I really don’t… so you might be feeling hungry for more sweet recipes.  If so, the blog where I snagged this recipe from (BakerGirl) looks luscious and is probably right up your alley.  So, because I’m such a thoughtful person,  I’ve added a link to it over there on the blogroll too, so you can get your sweet-tooth on whenever you feel the urge. I had to alter the recipe to fit the items I had on hand – for instance; I mixed cinnamon and chocolate graham crackers since I did not have any regular in my pantry. I also only had regular sized marshmallows, so I just cut them into 6 pieces each to make them “mini”. Oh yeah, and I only had a couple “giant” Hershey bars in my freezer, so I used one of those instead of the 4 regular bars and just cut it into smaller pieces.  Let this be an example to you… you can always make it work if you have to!

S’mores Cracker Candy

recipe adapted from Bakergirl

16 sheets of graham crackers
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 cups mini marshmallows
4 Hershey bars (1.55-ounce), broken into pieces
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang over the ends; spray foil with cooking spray. Line graham crackers on the foil, cutting any as needed to cover the pan completely.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes together and is smooth and the mixture comes just to a boil (about 4-6 minutes). Remove from heat and pour evenly over crackers, spreading with an off-set spatula. Bake 6 to 7 minutes, or until bubbly.

Remove pan from oven and immediately sprinkle mini marshmallows, chocolate bar pieces, and chocolate chips over the crackers.

Return pan to oven for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to soften and puff up.

Cool completely. Carefully lift out the foil and place on a cutting board. Cut into squares and enjoy!

 Makes 1 to 28 servings, depending on if you want to share or not!

One of my favorite treats of all time, in the history of treats, in the entire world… Rice Krispies Treats! During pregnancy (always a good excuse!) I would eat and clean up the evidence of an entire 8×8-inch pan full before anyone even knew they had been made. This occurred while I was carrying Connor and while Marissa was at preschool. Pitiful, I know, but what the hormones want, the hormones deserve to get!

This upscale version hits a high note with the vanilla bean and the browning of the butter – pure genius! And no, I did not eat the whole pan this time… hey, if I did, I wouldn’t be able to post the recipe here – now would I?

Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Rice Krispies Treats

Inspired by Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe via ZoeBakes.com

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering baking dish
1 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1o  to 10.5-ounce bag marshmallows
5  1/4 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Butter an 8×8-inch baking dish, set aside.

In a small saucepan cook the butter over low heat, until the butter is a deep caramel colored and smells toasty.

Strain the butter into a larger saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and with the back of the paring knife, scrap out the seeds and add to the saucepan. Add the salt and marshmallows and cook over very low heat until the marshmallows are completely melted.

Stir in the cereal until it is completely coated with the vanilla marshmallow mixture.

Butter your hands and a rubber spatula and press the mixture firmly into the buttered dish.

Let it cool if you are able to keep away from them, and then cut and share.

Makes 9 large or 12 medium squares

Go AZ CARDS!

Watch out, these Asian-French-inspired fries are addicting! You can thank me, but please don’t blame me if you end up making them and then craving them again within hours of devouring the plateful! They were an amazing side to the duck I shared with you yesterday. (Un)fortunately, I was so busy taking photos of the duck that I forgot to take any of the potatoes while in progress… so I had to make them again today, darn it! If YOU make them, please leave a comment afterward and let me know how much you love them  what you think. (Oh, obviously the Chinese five-spice and Sriracha is what makes them Asian inspired… it’s the mayo -instead of ketchup- that makes them oh so Frenchy.) And, yes, the Sriracha mayo is just as delicious and versatile as the chipotle mayo… good on just about any and every thing!

Baked Five-Spice Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Mayo

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices, then cut the slices into 1/4-wide inch strips
1  1/2 teaspoons melted duck fat or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup prepared mayonnaise
2 -3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl toss sweet potatoes with duck fat or olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with five-spice powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn with a spatula. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

While potatoes cook, make the Sriracha mayo.  In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and the Sriracha sauce until completely blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove fries from oven and transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle lightly with salt and serve hot with the Sriracha mayo on the side for dipping.

Serves 4

Inspiration for this recipe came to me after enjoying a white chocolate and limoncello cupcake while visiting my daughter in San Francisco. Limoncello and white chocolate are a match made in heaven. You may use store-bought limoncello or make your own with THIS RECIPE.

I brought these sweeties to a neighborhood luncheon last week to test them out, and since they were a hit, I will be making them tomorrow, along with this puff pastry appetizer, on Channel 3-  Your Life A to Z.          I hope you can tune in at 10:00 AM Tuesday morning.

Oh, and please note, there are only six ingredients – seriously, these are “easy-breezy”!

White Chocolate and Limoncello Cookies

1 cup heavy whipping cream
14-ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup sugar
2 sheets (1 package) puff pastry
1  1/2 tablespoons cold limoncello liqueur
1 teaspoon additional lemon zest

In a 4-cup glass measuring cup or a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the cream to the point just before it boils, between 2 and 3 minutes, depending on your microwave.  Add the white chocolate to the hot cream and let stand for 4 or 5 minutes before whisking the mixture to blend completely.

Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before using.

Combine the zest of 1 lemon with 3/4 cup of sugar.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.

Sprinkle a work surface with 3 tablespoons of the lemon sugar and place one sheet of puff pastry on top.  Sprinkle the top of the puff pastry with another 3 tablespoons lemon sugar and roll out just enough to even out the seams in the dough and to press in the sugar mixture into both sides of the puff pastry dough.  Use a 2  1/2-inch round cookie cutter and cut out rounds.

Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheets.  Repeat with remaining puff pastry sheet and remaining lemon sugar mixture. You should end up with about 30 rounds. Prick the rounds all over with a fork and place in the oven to bake for approximately 15-18 minutes or until they are lightly browned on top.

Set aside to cool.

Remove the white chocolate cream from the refrigerator and transfer to the bowl of standing mixer.  Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture until it becomes stiff.  Mix in the 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest and the limoncello, combine well.

Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a swirl onto the top of each cookie round.

Top the cookies with white chocolate shavings.  Chill until you are ready to serve.

Makes about 30 cookies

To make chocolate shavings you will need a block of white chocolate.  Heat a block of chocolate in the microwave on low for just a few seconds.  Run a vegetable peeler along the softened chocolate to create shavings.

It’s been exactly one year to the day since I wrote about what I now refer to as “the big fancy Fry’s”.  On that post, I also told you all about Kobe beef, which Fry’s had on sale during their grand opening last year. And with that beef, I made some pretty terrific meatloaf. Today I am taking another stab at both the Kobe beef and the meatloaf with a new, but not necessarily improved, version. I say that because I really love both recipes. This time around, I’m using half Kobe (or regular ground beef is perfectly fine) and half ground turkey.  And instead of the Pomegranate-Chipotle Tomato Sauce, which took some time, I’m using a ready made product that makes this meatloaf “easy-breezy” and will make a great addition to your pantry.

The product I’m talking about is Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce. It can be found at all Asian stores and most grocery stores in the Asian aisle.  This chili sauce is not too sour, just sweet enough, and has a somewhat gelatinous texture. Don’t worry, I’m not advising you to run out and purchase a bottle just for my meatloaf recipe.

Once you’ve dipped a chilled shrimp into Mae Ploy, you’ll never buy cocktail sauce again for your shrimp cocktails.  And crab cakes get an thrilling boost when dipped in it. Same thing goes for coconut-breaded shrimp.

This sauce is the perfect accomplice for crunchy wontons or egg rolls and it is a marriage made in heaven partnered with crab rangoons!  Don’t get me started… how about Teriyaki hot wings or  jalapeno poppers, or even as the new “secret” ingredient in your next batch of barbecue pork or cocktail meatballs… the list goes on and on…  Go pick up a bottle – start with the meatloaf and then be sure and share with us what other uses you’ve come up with!

Turkey and Beef Meatloaf with Sweet Chili Sauce Ketchup

1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound lean ground turkey
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup ketchup, divided
3/4 cup Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce, divided
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the beef and turkey in a large bowl with the eggs. Stir in 1/2 cup of the ketchup and 1/2 cup of the sweet chili sauce along with the remaining ingredients.

Pack the mixture into a loaf pan. Use your finger or the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the meatloaf, as shown. This helps the meat cook evenly, through and through.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

While the meatloaf is in the oven, blend the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Remove loaf pan from oven and carefully pour off any excess grease. Spread the ketchup mixture over the loaf and continue baking for 15 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8

These quick and easy appetizers may be shaped however you like; as tartlets, purses, or turnovers. The recipe below describes how to make into tartlets. For purses, completely enclose the filling and brush the entire outside surface (except the bottom) with egg-wash. For turnovers, chop the apples and nuts into smaller pieces and fold into triangles, crimp the edges with a fork and brush all over with egg-wash. Personally, I prefer the tartlets for two reasons; you can see exactly what is inside and there is a higher filling to pastry ratio when the filling is not fully enclosed. It gives you more bang for your buck. Any version of these may be used to top a salad, but once again, I think the tartlets are the best option for that application as well.

I also prefer to use Trader Joe’s puff pastry for this recipe. The sheets are in a perfect square, without any folds. Pepperidge Farm is the other easy-to-find choice and will also work. The end product will be shaped slightly different, as their pasty comes folded in thirds and is a rectangular shape. It is also thinner, so no need to roll out, but you will need to thaw according to package directions before unfolding.

Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Tartlets

2 cups peeled, cored, chopped Granny Smith apples (2 or 3 small)
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
Freshly ground black pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry 
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water to make an egg wash

Combine apples, walnuts, Gorgonzola, and honey in a small bowl.

Season with pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Working with one frozen puff pastry sheet at a time, cut into 9 even squares. 

Allow to thaw for about 2 minutes before using a rolling pin to roll out slightly in both directions, just to thin the pastry a little. Transfer the squares to a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Place a tablespoon of the apple mixture in the center of each square. Bring up and pinch the edges to create little free-form tartlets.

Use a pastry brush to paint the outside portions of the pastry with a thin egg-wash glaze.

Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the second puff pastry sheet with the remaining filling.

Place in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until puffed up and lightly browned. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serve either warm or at room temperature. Can be made and baked several hours in advance.

Makes 18