Prosciutto Palmiers

It's holiday time and time for some yummy, and easy to make hors d'oeuvres. My Prosciutto Palmiers are so easy to make, and you can get the kids to help you. Even your little ones can brush the tomato paste on the puff pastry. You will be the talk of the town with recipe! You can also make this a dessert palmier or a great after school snack by brushing melted butter on the puff pastry, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, cut and bake. Enjoy! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prosciutto Palmiers Yield: approximately 40 pieces Ingredients: 2 sheets refrigerated puff pastry 2 tablespoons tomato paste 24 slices of prosciutto* 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated Preparation: 1. Lay out the puff pastry sheets and brush each with a thin layer of tomato paste. 2. Lay six slices of prosciutto on top of each puff pastry sheet. 3. Sprinkle the prosciutto with some of the basil and cheese. 4. Lay six more slices of prosciutto on top of the first layer of prosciutto. 5. Sprinkle with remaining basil and cheese. 6. Roll the long sides in so they meet toward the center. (Looks like two spiral wheels next to each other.) 7. Slice 1/4-inch thick (If pastry is too soft, put in freezer for 30 minutes and they will be easier to slice.). 8. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets at 400°F until golden brown, about 10 minutes. 9. Serve warm. *You can use one layer of prosciutto (only 12 slices). You can use other thinly sliced cold cuts, for example, honey ham. Note: These can be made a head of time. Wrap each rolled pastry in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Freeze. As needed, slice frozen, and bake. Tricia’s Main Event triciasmainevent@gmail.com http://precociouspatti.blogspot.com/

Que Pasa? Mexican Cooking Class

Yesterday I had a Mexican cooking class with my 4th-8th grade girls at Girls Inc. I am teaching cooking around the world. We made salsa, guacamole, nachos using my taco salad meat recipe, and my version of baked churros. I have very little funding for my cooking classes, so I always look through my freezers for ideas. For the churros, I found pie dough. So I thawed the dough. The girls rolled out the dough on a greased pan, then brushed melted butter on top of the dough. We made cinnamon sugar by adding some cinnamon to sugar and mixed well. Then they sprinkled the sugar over the buttered pie crust. We baked in a preheated oven at 350 degrees about 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Simple, and not too sweet. Better than a deep-fried donut. See Salsa and Guacomole recipes below. So fresh and tasty. Even kids who say they don't like tomatoes or avocados like these recipes. Enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tomato Salsa 8 Servings Tools: Cutting board Knife Measuring spoons Dry measuring cups Disposable gloves Small bowl Spoon Ingredients: 1 pound Roma tomatoes, small dice 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 ½ teaspoons seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper 1 cup red onion (1 medium), diced small 3 tablespoons lime juice 2 teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1) Mix all ingredients together and marinate for 20 to 30 minutes. 2) Refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 week. Dicing Terms and sizes: - Very small dice 1/8”x 1/8” x 1/8” - Small dice ¼”x ¼” x ¼” - Medium dice ½” x ½” x ½” - Large dice ¾” x ¾” x ¾” ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guacamole with Baked Tortilla Chips 8 Servings Tools: Cutting board Knife Cookie sheet Juicer Measuring spoons Measuring cups Large spoon Potato masher or fork Small bowl Disposable gloves Ingredients: 8 8-inch corn tortillas 2 very ripe Hass avocados 1/3 cup red onion (1/2 small), small diced 1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper (1 small), small diced ¼ cup Roma tomatoes (1/2 small), small diced 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 teaspoons lime juice ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1) For the tortilla chips, preheat the oven to 350°F. 2) Cut tortillas into triangles. 3) Spread on a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. 4) Halve, pit, and scoop the avocados. 5) Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the avocados in a small bowl. 6) Mix in the onions, jalapeno, tomatoes, and cilantro. 7) Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Avocado information: Hass avocado is one of the most popular and has a pebbly textured skin and is almost black. Ripe avocados yield to gentle palm pressure, but firm, unripe avocados are what are usually found in the market. Select those that are unblemished and heavy for their size. To speed the ripening process, place several avocados in a paper bag and set aside at room temperature for 2 to 4 days. Ripe avocados can be stored in the refrigerator several days.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

This pumpkin pie cupcake recipe is a nice alternative for those who do not like pumpkin pie. My girls at Girls Inc. love making the cupcakes and they enjoy eating them too! I like to use mini cupcake papers this way you have a one-bite snack or a small cupcake for the younger children. A great recipe for your holiday brunch too! Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes Makes 18 cupcakes Ingredients: 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 ¼ cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ½ cup vegetable oil 2 lightly beaten eggs ½ cup 1/2 & 1/2 1 cup canned pumpkin Preheat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cups in a muffin pan or grease the muffin pan. Procedure: 1) In a medium bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice. 2) In a large bowl, beat the oil, eggs, and 1/2 & 1/2. 3) Stir in the pumpkin. 4) Add the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and mix well until smooth. 5) Spoon into muffin cups. 6) Bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. 7) Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Submitted by Girls Incorporated of Sarasota County Resident Chef Ms. Tricia. www.girlsincsrq.org

Mom's Apple Pie

I moved to Sarasota in April 2005 from Atlanta, Georgia and upstate New York. There is one thing I miss about both places, driving to the mountains and going to the fall apple festivals. I would bring home a bunch of fresh apples and make my apple pie, baked apples, and apple sauce. I have been delighting my family and friends with my Apple Pie recipe for many years, and I wanted to share it with you. Right after I moved to Sarasota, my son called me for this recipe. Not only did I share my warm and cozy pie recipe with him, I got a very special mom warm and cozy feeling. Enjoy! Mom's Apple Pie Pastry for two-crust 9inch pie, use your favorite recipe, or a store-bought refrigerator pie dough. 6-8 large apples (tart green, such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces 1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 2) Combine apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Toss well to coat. 3) Turn mixture into pie crust. 4) Dot apples with butter. 5) Cover with top crust and fold top crust under bottom crust edge. Crimp** around the edge to seal crusts together. 6) Make slits in the top crust for steam to escape. 7) Place pie on a baking sheet, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. If edges start to get too brown, cover edges with aluminum foil. 8) Let pie set at least one hour before slicing to allow filling time to set. *You can use less cinnamon and nutmeg if you like. **Crimp - To pinch or press two pastry edges together, thereby sealing the dough while forming a decorative edge with fingers (forefinger and thumb), fork or other utensil. Source: Food Lover's Companion, Barron's, Herbst. For information about apple types: www.bestapples.com. Submitted by: Ms. Tricia, Resident Chef Girls Incorporated of Sarasota County; http://precociouspatti.blogspot.com

Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup

 

 

I have made this soup for the past five years for the All Faiths Food Bank Bowls of Hope annual fund raiser, representing Girls Inc. of Sarasota County. The first year I made it, everyone loved it! They ask me to make it every year. When I make it at work, the whole building has a beautiful, tasty aroma. It's perfect for the cold wheather. Add an Italian salad and garlic bread and it's a cozy, hearty meal. It's the kind of soup you can make a day or two ahead of time.

I used to use this recipe for my knife skills classes because there is mincing, dicing, chopping, and chiffonade.

Enjoy!

 

Courtesy of: Tricia's Main Event, triciasmainevent@gmail.com

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Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup

 

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage, sweet or hot

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups celery, chopped in large pieces

1 pound zucchini, sliced

2 green peppers, chopped

2 cans (28 oz.) whole tomatoes

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

parmesan cheese

fresh basil, chiffonade

 Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. 

Remove sausage from casings, chop up and brown in the oil.

Take sausage out of pot and set aside.

Drain excess fat leaving about one teaspoon in pot. 

Add onions and sauté a few minutes, then add garlic and cook together just to release the flavors one minute.

Add celery, cook for three minutes.

Add zucchini and peppers, sauté until barely tender. 

Add tomatoes (with liquid), water, salt, oregano and basil. 

Season with freshly ground pepper to taste. 

Add additional water if you like more broth.

Simmer for one to two hours.

Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and garnish with chiffonade of basil. 

 

Serve with salad and garlic bread for a hearty supper.

 Servings: 8

 Notes:

-You can use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.

-You can use 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled basil instead of fresh.

 

-Use ground turkey or vegetarian sauage if you do not use pork.

Shepherd's Pie

One of my girl's Mother asked me today how I make my salads because her daughter loves my salads and will not eat salad at home. She does love her veges though. I hear this from a lot from the families. It warms my heart that my girls love my food. Today was Shepherd's Pie. Of course, I will never take place of a family home cook meal, but I love to feed my girls. I offered to give the Mom my recipe for taco salad and Shepherd's pie. My son did not like everything I made and would always like other neighbors cooking, that's the way kids are. Now, my son calls me for family recipes, and he loves to cook. I supply him with lots of cooking equipment and tools. What a great pleasure for me and him too! Happy cooking! 

Shepherd’s Pie

Yield: Makes 6-8 servings

 Ingredients:

 Meat mixture:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds ground beef or ground lamb or ground turkey
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
1 package French onion soup mix
1 can (10 ¾ oz.) cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup
1 can (14 oz.) beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Mashed potatoes:

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup milk
Salt to taste

 2 cups canned corn or frozen peas

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Optional:  Fresh chopped parsley to sprinkle on top of pie before serving

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil, and then add the meat and garlic. Cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Drain the fat. Add the soup mix, mushroom soup, and beef broth. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens.
3. Pour the mixture into a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
4. Bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain.
5. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk, and salt.
6. Sprinkle the corn (or peas) over the top of the beef mixture.
7. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the beef and corn and cover completely. Crosshatch the top of the potatoes with a fork.
8. Bake until heated through and slightly golden about 25-30 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and sprinkle top of potatoes with cheese.
10. Place back in oven and cook until cheese is melted.

Options:

-          Combine the corn (or peas) into the meat mixture instead of layering them.
-          Use already prepared store-bought mashed potatoes or boxed mashed potatoes.
-          Can be prepared the night before, and refrigerated. Bake covered with aluminum foil for about one hour or until heated through. Take foil off and bake another 10 minutes to brown the top, then sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese is melted.
-          For additional taste and color, add shredded carrots to the raw meat and cook with the meat.

 Submitted by:  Chef Tricia Dickerson, Resident Chef at Girls Incorporated of Sarasota County, Florida, and owner of Tricia’s Main Event, Personal Chef, Caterer, Culinary Consultant and Instructor, Food Stylist, Event Planner.

Bruschetta

One of my first TV appearances a couple of years ago for Girls TV, Girls Inc. of Sarasota, FL. Check it out:  youtube.com/GirlsIncSarasota. I am making bruschetta. Enjoy!

Tomato Bruschetta

Yield: 25 pieces

 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced

½ teaspoon coarsely ground salt

4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for bread

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1 baguette, cut in 1/2-inch-thick slice

3 cloves garlic, cut in half

      

Directions:

1.   Using a chef’s knife on a cutting board, mix the garlic and salt to make a paste.

2.   In a bowl, mix garlic paste, tomatoes, basil, parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside, at room temperature, two to three hours.

3.   Heat oven to 350°F.

4.   Brush each baguette slice with olive oil.

5.   Toast bread on a baking sheet, about 10 minutes, until golden and slightly crunchy.

6.   Rub cut side of garlic on top of each slice.

7.   Top with tomato mixture.

 

Optional:  Sprinkle top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Source: Tricia's Main Event, triciasmainevent@gmail.com