Recipes of the week

We had our annual Christmas party this past weekend. I tried a few new appetizer recipes.

First was a Baked Clam Dip. I'm not sure where I got it - and I just put it in a baking dish instead of a sourdough loaf.

2 cans chopped clams, undrained
1 large round loaf sourdough
2 cups cream cheese, softened
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs finely chopped onion
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Drain the clams and reserve 2 tbs of liquid.
Cut the top from the bread loaf and set aside.
Hollow out the bread, leaving a 1" thick shell. Set aside.
Coat a baking sheet with non stick spray.
Cut removed bread into cubes and bake at 350 for 10 minutes on sprayed sheet.
Place cheese, lemon juice, onion, Worcestershire and clam juice in blender. Process until smooth.
Stir in clams and pour mixture into hollowed bread, cover with top and wrap in foil.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Place on serving plate. Serve with crackers and toasted bread crumbs.

It got good reviews, though T told me later he prefers the way I usually make clam dip. I'm not saving it.

Next were Marsala Mushroom Pinwheels. This is one I followed a recipe loosely but made my own. What I did:

Filling:
1 lb sliced mushrooms
2 medium onions, chopped
1 stick butter (too much - halve)
Sprinkle of dried sage
Sprinkle of Herbes de Provence
Salt & Pepper
1 1/2 cups Marsala wine

Pastry:
Thawed puff pastry sheets (I used Pepperidge Farms but have seen recipes for making your own)

Saute mushrooms and onions in butter until soft. Add herbs and simmer about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until reduced. Chop mixture with blender (I used my small handy chopper).
Spread mixture onto puff pastry. Roll into log and cut into 1/2" slices.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.

These also got good reviews. T said he thought they were ok but was not thrilled with them. I liked them so I'm keeping this one.



Last but not least are Pizzettes with Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese and Prosciutto. They were really easy to make, even though they look like they could be complicated. The onions were time consuming but very worth it. I substituted smoked mozzarella for the goat cheese because I had some on hand.

It got rave reviews and is most definitely a keeper.

That's all for today.

Enjoy your kitchens!