Basil cheese loaf

July 14, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 oz Roquefort cheese, at room temperature
1 cup spinach leaves, loosely packed, rinsed and dried
3/4 cup Italian parsley, loosely packed, washed and dried
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup slivered sun dried tomatoes, patted dry

Combine the cream cheese and Roquefort in a bowl and mix until smooth. Set aside.

Combine the spinach, parsley, basil and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle the oil through the feed tube; continue processing till smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the walnuts and parmesan and mix thoroughly.

Line a 5 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving extra wrap hanging over the sides.

Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture even;y over the bottom of the loaf pan. next, spread half the pesto mixture and arrange a layer of sun dried tomatoes on top.
Repeat with cheese, pesto and tomato layers.
Finish with the remaining 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

To serve, allow the loaf to come just to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Invert it onto a platter and provide a cheese slicing knife. Have a basket of wheat crackers or bread nearby.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Port and Stilton Pate

July 14, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

This is divine! Serves 4

2 oz butter
1 bunch green onions (scallions) finely chopped
2 fl oz port
1/2 lemon, zest only
4 oz Stilton cheese, crumbled
freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan and gently sweat the scallions until soft; add the port and simmer gently for 3 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
Transfer to a blender and process until the mixture has bound. Check the seasoning.
Divide between individual ramekins or put all in a nice bowl for at least 2 hours.
Serve with crackers or melba toast.
Enjoy!

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Fish · Whole30 compliant

Terrific rustic baked tomatoes

June 19, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda2 Comments

This is a recipe my good friend Anneke gave me and you can’t get better than this for a really tasty, rich but healthy starter.

Ingredients
Very ripe tomatoes (preferably vine tomatoes and lots of them) peeled and halved
lots of fresh basil
lots of garlic, thinly sliced
anchovies (unrinsed)
good extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

** Serve with good fresh ciabatta bread, sliced and lightly baked in the oven with garlic cloves rubbed into each slice while still hot.

Layer the bottom of a baking dish (one you would be happy to serve the dish in) with basil leaves, so that they cover the bottom of the dish, then lay thinly sliced garlic over that.

Season lightly and sprinkle olive oil over the basil and garlic.
Stack the peeled and halved tomatoes cut side down in the baking dish, cramming as many in as possible, even more than you think can fit and squash them down a little with your hand releasing some of the juices.

Put the unrinsed anchovy fillets in between the cracks in the tomatoes.

Sprinkle with a good amount of good olive oil, season with ground pepper but not too much salt due to the saltiness of the anchovies.

Cook in a preheated oven at 300 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 hours uncovered and serve at room temperature with the really good baked and garlic rubbed bread.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Nuts

Roquefort-Walnut Terrine with Apple Salad

June 19, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda

8 FIRST-COURSE SERVINGS

2 cups walnuts (about 7 ounces)

1 pound Roquefort cheese, at room temperature

1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

4 medium Granny Smith apples

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup pure olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Crusty bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool.

Line a 7-by-5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving 3 inches of overhang all around. In a large bowl, break up the Roquefort with a fork until slightly chunky.

Add the walnuts and crème fraîche and mix thoroughly. Scrape the mixture into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 teaspoons of lemon juice with the olive oil, mustard and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the apples and toss well.

Unmold the Roquefort terrine and discard the plastic wrap. Run a thin knife under hot water and wipe it off, then cut the terrine into 3/4-inch-thick slices, rinsing and drying the knife after each cut.

Arrange the slices on small plates and serve with the apple salad and bread.

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free

Ahi tuna and avocado tartare

June 14, 2011September 18, 2025 Belinda

This is sensational. It mingles fresh ahi tuna, avocado, cucumber and spice and will impress the most knowledgeable food critic.
The prep time is 10 minutes and it’s ready in about 30 minutes. Serve with small rice crackers.

3/4 lb sashimi grade ahi tuna, diced
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or less if you don’t want it too spicy)
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp sesame oil (I use toasted sesame oil)
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium soy sauce)

In a medium bowl, combine the tuna, cucumber, avocado, green onion, red pepper flakes and sesame seeds.
Pour in the lemon juice, sesame oil and soy sauce and stir carefully to blend so as not to mash the avocado. Place this bowl into a larger bowl that has been filled with ice. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes but no longer, the terrific freshness of the fish will be lost.
Once chilled, remove the bowl from the ice and invert onto a serving dish. Serve

To toast the sesame seeds,
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat, add sesame seeds and cook until toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Marinated goat cheese with ginger, basil, garlic and orange zest

June 8, 2011September 9, 2022 Belinda2 Comments

Here is a spectacular appetizer I have done countless times and always to a “wow” when people first try it. It’s simple but really raises the bar.

Serves 6 to 10.

Serve at room temperature with crackers or can be served in Belgium endive cups. Also great with crusty bread as the oil marinade is wonderful to mop up.

1 (12 oz approx) log soft goat cheese, or 3 smaller logs, chilled. (I bought regular plain supermarket goat cheese, 11oz log size)
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp whole peppercorns, preferably a mixture of white, pink and black
1 tsp whole allspice berries
2 cloves garlic, finely minced (I used the garlic crusher)
2 tbsp finely minced fresh ginger (I grated the ginger)
1/3 cup slivered fresh basil
1 full tsp grated orange zest
(crackers or Belgium endive)

Using a thin-bladed vegetable knife, cut the goat cheese into ½ inch slices. (Dip the blade into hot tap water after each cut or the slices with split)
Arrange the slices in a pretty, heat -resistant dish that you can serve.
In a small saucepan combine the olive oil, peppercorns and allspice berries.
In a small bowl combine the garlic, ginger, basil and orange zest.
Place the saucepan over medium high heat and cook until the peppercorns begin to pop, about 2-3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the garlic mixture. Stand back a bit as you do this as it really bubbles up!!
After 5 seconds of stirring, pour the hot olive oil mixture over the goat cheese evenly, covering all the slices with the mixture well.
Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, covered with plastic wrap.
(This recipe can be completed to this point up to 1 week before serving!)