Foodie Friday: GRUYERE, MUSHROOM, & CARAMELIZED ONION BITES

These are little bites of heaven. Being me, of course I want to add bacon to them, but they really don't need it.


GRUYERE, MUSHROOM, & CARAMELIZED ONION BITES
Author: Little Spice Jar
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 55 mins
Serves: approximately 30-34 bites

Caramelized onion bites with sautéed crimini mushrooms, balsamic caramelized onions, and applewood smoked gruyere cheese. Thee perfect little appetizers! They're made with puff pastry and take no time at all to whip up! These are the perfect appetizers to serve your guests this holiday season.

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
5-6 ounces crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces grated gruyere cheese (I used applewood smoked gruyere)
1 package (1 pound) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten

INSTRUCTIONS
In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil along with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes until tender. Remove and set aside in a medium bowl.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter along with the 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add the dried thyme and sugar and continue to cook for 25 minutes on medium low heat. Make sure to stir the mixture every 5 minutes or so. If the onions are caramelizing too fast, turn down the heat a little more. Add the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan, allow the onions to soak it all in. Turn off heat. Add the onions to the mushroom mixture. Season with the garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste, stir to combine. Allow to cool to room temperature. Mixture can be kept in an air-tight container and refrigerated for up to 48 hours at this point. Allow to come to room temperature before proceeding. Add the gruyere cheese and mix well.
Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the puff pastry into 2-inch squares and place them on a lined baking sheet. Make sure the puff pastry is cold before proceeding. If not, allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before proceeding. Using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg on the squares. Place a tablespoon of caramelized onion mixture in the center. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway in between until crisp and golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

MARZIA'S NOTES
Make sure the puff pastry is cold when it goes into the oven. If at any point it becomes soft, allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes or until it firms up again. Do not open the oven door during the first 10 minutes of baking time. Frequently opening the oven may cause the puff pastry to not 'puff up'.

Swiss cheese or mozzarella cheese may be used to replace the gruyere. I really like the smoky flavor of applewood smoked gruyere with these bites.

If you've prepared the caramelized onion mixture ahead of time, you can zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds to bring it back to room temperature quickly.

Foodie Friday- VERY SPECIAL PORK AND FENNEL SAUSAGE ROLLS

In all honesty, I haven't tried these yet, but I plan too, and soon! Mom was appalled when she found out I'd eaten (and enjoyed!) a sausage roll that I'd bought from a vendor on the London Underground on our trip many moons ago. I'm going to have her try one of these babies when I make them, and maybe then she'll understand why I was curious enough to try them!

VERY SPECIAL PORK AND FENNEL SAUSAGE ROLLS



PREP TIME
20 mins
COOK TIME
25 mins
TOTAL TIME
45 mins

"The secret is the bacon..." It really takes this sausage roll to another level! Also, sautéing the onion and celery before mixing into the filling makes it sweet and more moist than the usual. The addition of fennel adds an extra burst of flavour - pork and fennel are great mates - and using panko instead of normal breadcrumbs also contributes to making the filling of this sausage roll so moist.

Serves: 20
INGREDIENTS
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tbsp olive oil
1 lb / 500g pork mince (NOT lean)
4 rashers streaky (fatty) bacon, or 2 rashers middle bacon
1 tbsp whole fennel seeds, toasted
Black pepper
2 heaped tsp flaked sea salt
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
2½ sheets puff pastry, cut into half each (so you have five 30cm / 12" x 15cm / 6" rectangles)
Extra egg for egg wash

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 390F/200C.
Sautee onion, celery, garlic over medium heat until soft and sweet. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
Chop the bacon very finely, so it is a similar grain to the mince. You need the pieces to be small enough to blend in with the pork mince when it cooks.
Combine onion mixture, mince, bacon, fennel seeds, salt and pepper (lots - 10 turns), and use hands to mix well.
Mix in the panko bread crumbs, then mix in the whole egg.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (preferable, but not critical step).
Lay out a rectangle of pastry, long edge closest to you. Get ⅕ th of the filling and shape into a long log shape down the middle of the pastry. Ensure the meat is tight and compact, without gaps.
Roll up the log and use some egg wash to seal.
Brush with egg wash (optional), then cut the log into four equal lengths, or just two if you want full size sausage rolls.
Repeat with the remainder of the pastry and mince so you have 20 rolls.
Place on a baking tray (you will need 2) lightly sprayed with oil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Leave to cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTES
1. Panko - you can substitute for normal breadcrumbs, but as it is finer and therefore denser, reduce the quantity to ½ cup otherwise the filling won't be as moist.

Foodie Friday- Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Straws

Well, sign me up for a batch of these!

Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Straws

prep time: 20 MINUTES cook time: 40 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR yields: 26-30 Cheesy Bacon Twists

Ingredients

1 package frozen puff pastry,
1 egg, beaten
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded (or a mix of your favorite cheeses)
26-30 pieces thin cut bacon (or 18 pieces of thin cut bacon sliced in half lengthwise)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced (may sub sage or thyme)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.Open one sheet of puff pastry on a cutting board. Brush the surface lightly with some of the beaten egg. Sprinkle with your desired amount of cayenne pepper (I did 1 teaspoon per sheet of puff pastry). Sprinkle surface with 1/2 cup of cheese to evenly cover entire surface. Dust a rolling pin lightly with flour and then roll the rolling pin over the cheese to gently press the cheese into the puff pastry.Cut the puff pastry into long 1/2-inch-wide strips and then take each strip, fold in half and pinch the ends together. Now gently twist each strip several times.Take a piece of bacon and wrap it around the twisted pastry and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry and bacon until everything has been used.Add the brown sugar, rosemary, salt and pepper to a shallow bowl or pie plate and toss well. Now carefully take each bacon wrapped pastry one at a time and dip it through the brown sugar mixture, using your hands to coat all over the twist. Place each twist back on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining twists.Bake the twist for 30 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. My bacon took 50 minutes to cook, but it was on the thicker side. I would start checking them at around 30 minutes and then every 5 to 10 minutes after that to make sure they are not burning. Once the bacon is cooked remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes. Then use a spatula to carefully lift the twists off the baking sheet. Serve!

Foodie Friday: Reuben Egg Rolls

These are remarkably similar to a dish Mom had me try at one of her favorite, although now sadly defunct, restaurants when she still worked in downtown Wilmnington. Total calorie bombs, these aren't for the faint of appetite!

Ingredients

2 Cups Cooked Corned Beef, chopped
1 Cup Cooked cabbage, chopped
1/2 Cup fresh sauerkraut
4 slices swiss cheese, diced
1/2 Cup Thousand Island Dressing
1 egg, beaten
2 Cups canola oil
Egg roll wrappers

Directions

In a medium bowl combine corned beef, cabbage, sauerkraut and swiss cheese. Mix lightly until combined.

Heat your oil to about 350 degrees. While oil is heating, make the egg rolls.

Lay one wrapper with the points facing you like a diamond. Brush with egg wash. Add another wrapper directly on top and brush again with egg wash. Place 3-4 tablespoons of the corned beef mixture on the wrapper closest to you. You can also add about 1 tsp. of the Thousand Island Dressing before closing up the egg rolls.

Fold both sides over toward the middle and push down filling towards you. Begin to roll from the bottom to form egg roll. The egg wash will seal the egg roll.

This should make about 8 egg rolls. Let egg rolls set for about ten minutes, covered with a damp paper towel. Carefully add about 4 egg rolls into the hot oil and fry for about 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. Serve with grainy mustard or Thousand Island dressing.


**my notes**
I loathe Thousand Island dressing, so I'd either eat them plain or with a good mustard.

Foodie Friday- Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I first tried these at a Mongolian style grill restaurant. They're surprisingly yummy! You can use lean ground pork or ground /chicken/turkey instead of the chicken cubes, but I don't recommend beef in this dish.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce or chili garlic sauce
1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 head bibb or butter lettuce, separated into leaves
1 small bunch green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS

In a medium wok or skillet set over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. Add the chicken, and cook until browned on all sides; transfer to a plate. Add the vegetable oil to the same skillet, and cook the garlic and mushrooms until tender.

Meanwhile, add the other tablespoon of sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, rice wine vinegar, and sriracha to a mason jar, and shake to mix.

Add the chicken back to the pan with mushrooms and garlic. Add the water chestnuts, pour sauce over the dish, and toss to coat; cook until just heated through.

Serve with leaves of butter lettuce and green onions. (I prefer Romaine or spinach leaves)

Theoretically serves 6. (This makes me snicker every time)

Foodie Friday- Parmesan Fricos

I love these things. They go nicely with a warm bowl of soup and/or a salad. Plus they look like something you've spent hours on, but a really easy, so they impress guests. This version, found here, is perfect.

Parmesan Fricos


INGREDIENTS

1 8-ounce piece Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon herbes de Provence, optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a half sheet pan with a silpat.
Using the largest holes on a box grater, coarsely shred the cheese. Stir together the cheese, flour, pepper, and herbes de Provence in a large mixing bowl. Arrange tablespoons of cheese four inches apart on the silpat, stirring the cheese mixture in the bowl between tablespoons to keep the flour evenly distributed. Flatten each mound slightly with your fingertips to form a three-inch round.
Bake the fricos until golden, about 10-12 minutes. Cool two minutes on the half sheet pan, then carefully transfer each crisp (they are very delicate) with a thin spatula to a rack to cool completely.

If you really want to impress people, make them into cups by draping them over upside down custard cups/ramekins/muffin tins after the 2 minute cooling period. You may have to push them into shape a little with your fingers.