Blog / Recipes

Tag Archives: appetizer

Pizza Bread Wreath

Posted on

Pizza bread in the shape of a wreath, with a red bow at the bottom.

Pizza bread in the shape of a wreath, with a red bow at the bottom.

Pizza Bread Wreath

A soft, pull-apart bread that makes the perfect appetizer for the holidays or any get together! So fast and easy - this crowd-pleasing recipe only uses 5 ingredients and bakes for 15 minutes!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Appetizer
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tube (340 g) Pillsbury Country Biscuits dough
  • 1 Tbsp garlic olive oil (Plus a tiny extra amount to grease the pan.)
  • 10-15 slices pepperoni (I prefer a less salty bread, so used 10 slices of pepperoni.)
  • 2 cups shredded / grated cheese (You could use any combination of your favourite cheese. I used pre-packaged "Italiano" cheese which is a combination of mozzarella, asiago, provolone and parmesan.)
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
    Ingredients used to make pizza bread wreath: a tube of Pillsbury Country Biscuits, a bowl of shredded cheese, a small bowl of oil, a small bowl with seasoning, and a small bowl with pepperoni slices
  • Use a pastry brush to grease a Bundt pan with a small amount of garlic olive oil.
  • Open the tube of Country Biscuits dough. There will be 10 preformed biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces.
  • In a medium sized bowl, toss the biscuit pieces with the garlic olive oil.
  • Cut each slice of pepperoni into 4 pieces. In a large bowl, mix together cheese, pepperoni pieces and Italian seasoning.
  • Add the biscuit pieces into the cheese mixture. Mix well so that the biscuit pieces are well coated.
  • Place biscuit pieces and cheese mixture into a Bundt pan. (For a more defined wreath shape, arrange the biscuit pieces in circles around the pan.) Press down gently.
    Raw pizza bread mixture in a Bundt pan
  • Brush any remaining garlic olive oil (or any excess oil on the pastry brush) over the top of the biscuits.
  • Bake on middle rack for 15-17 minutes or until golden. (I baked it in my toaster oven.)
    PIzza bread cooked in a Bundt pan
  • Allow to cool slightly, then invert Bundt pan to release pizza bread onto a serving plate. Invert the pizza bread again so that the right side faces up.
  • Serve warm with pizza sauce or other dipping sauce or a drizzle of hot honey!
Keyword appetizer, pizza bread, pull-apart pizza bread

Beet Hummus

Posted on

 

Beet Hummus

Beet Hummus

A vibrant and tasty hummus that pairs perfectly with pita and fresh veggies!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Appetizer
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small-medium sized beet, cooked Beet may be roasted, boiled or pre-cooked– see instructions below*
  • 1 can 15-ounce can chickpeas
  • 2 Tbsp tahini
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Dice the cooked beet. (Note: Beets will temporarily stainyour hands and cutting board. Wear food-safe gloves if you wish.)
  • Rinse and drain chickpeas. (You may keep the chickpea water, called aqua faba, and use it as an egg white substitute in baking!) Discard anyloose skins.
  • Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend untilsmooth. If hummus is too thick, blend in a little more olive oil.  
  • Serve with pita bread and your favourite raw veggies.

Notes

*You may boil or roast beets, or use packaged, pre-cooked beets found in the produce section at the grocery. Roasting beets accentuates their natural sweet flavour. I suggest making a batch of roasted beets and use the extras in salads like my Quinoa Salad with Beets, Oranges and Arugula.
To roast beets: Preheat oven to 400F. Cut off beet leaves and use for a soup or stir fry. Cut stems leaving about ½ inch of stem attached to the beet (this helps to prevent the beet from “bleeding” during cooking). Wash beets and wrap each one in aluminum foil. Place on an oven safe baking sheet and roast for about 1 hour or until fork tender. Allow beets to completely cool and easily rub off the skins with your fingers. (Beets will stain your hands and cutting board temporarily. You can wear food-safe gloves when touching / peeling the cooked beets.)
To boil beets: Cut off beet leaves and use for a soup or stir fry. Cut stems leaving about ½ inch of stem attached to the beet (this helps to prevent the beet from “bleeding” during cooking). Place beets in a pot of cold water, ensuring that beets are fully covered. Boil beets until fork tender (about 20 minutes for small beets, up to 40 minutes for larger beets).  
Keyword appetizer, Beet hummus, Dip, Hummus

Pomodori Gratinati (Crunchy Tomatoes)

Posted on

tomatoes cruncy recipe Florence

On my recent trip to Italy, Chef Stefania Borgioli taught me how to make this delicious dish! A great recipe for your garden tomatoes!

Ingredients
10 ripe tomatoes ( Sammarzano or Roma type)
1 garlic clove
Parsley
Basil
3 handfuls of bread crumbs
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese to taste
Salt

Directions
1. Cut tomatoes in half; gently remove the seeds, and salt them a little.
2. In a blender put all of the other ingredients to make a “panure” (breadcrumb mixture).
3. Put the tomatoes in a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Stuff the tomatoes with the panure.
4. Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes or until golden on top.
5. Enjoy hot or at room temperature. Perfect also to dress pasta.

Recipe printed with permission from Chef Stefania, Toscana in Bocca, Florence, Italy.

Recipe – Prosciutto-wrapped Mango Bites

Posted on

Prosciutto wrapped mango bitesI found this fantastic appetizer recipe at myrecipes.com. Just 5 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make. The taste is out of this world! Definitely a keeper!

Ingredients
1 ripe mango, peeled
1 ½ cups loosely packed arugula
1 package fresh basil
4 very thin slices of prosciutto or ham
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Preparation
1. Cut mango into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices (about 16 slices in total). Place 1 mango slice on top of 3 arugula leaves and 1 to 2 basil leaves.
2. Cut each prosciutto slice lengthwise into 4 strips. Wrap center of each mango bundle with 1 prosciutto strip. Arrange on a serving platter, and sprinkle with pepper.

To make ahead, prepare recipe as directed. Cover with damp cloth and chill 30 minutes.

Options: You can substitute slices of honeydew, cantaloupe, apple or pear for the mango. If using apple or pear slices, dip them in lemon or lime juice first to prevent them from browning.

Love to learn? Love to eat?

Sign up for my free nutrition news, tips, trends, recipes and fascinating food facts!