Baked Brie with Dried Cherries & Giveaway

Did you know that I wrote a cookbook and it was published? Well, I did! It's called Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of Mediterranean Inspired Family Meals and was released December 2012. I love this early compilation of my original, family favorite recipes and the book has received many positive comments. There are over 180 easy to prepare recipes inside and all are definitely worth trying!

You can read more about the book and how to order under the eStore tab, but since this is the week before Thanksgiving and I am so GRATEFUL to each and every one of you that have helped make CEK a success, I'll be sharing a recipe and giving away a signed copy of my cookbook each day this week!

Pumpkin & Brie Mini Quiche

It's only 29 days until my favorite holiday...Thanksgiving! I know. It's not even Halloween yet, but if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a huge planner. I love Thanksgiving. The smell of turkey roasting in the oven. The parade Thanksgiving morning. The pumpkin...usually my only excuse to eat pumpkin pie during the year since no one really likes it except for my oldest daughter and I!

Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Such is the case with these Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes. I first experimented with these about 2 weeks ago because I had a small piece of Brie, a handful of spinach and some ripe tomatoes that needed to be used up. The recipe was AMAZING and the family devoured them. However, sometimes my photo skills aren't quite what I'd like them to be and this is the photo I wound up with. I made them too late in the day and the natural lighting was gone as it started raining. And, they just didn't look appetizing. I tried. I really did.

So being a food blogger, what did I do? 

I made the ultimate sacrifice and made them again of course. Just for you. 

Oh who am I kidding...I was happy to make them again! 

This time, my preteen had her friend over for dinner so I had her as an extra taste tester as well. She started out with half because she wasn't sure she would like them, but then quickly returned for the other half. That speaks volumes in my book! I told you...AMAZING!

The first time I made this recipe I used Roma tomatoes, which are my preference. However, they didn't have hearty ones this time around at my local market, so I used a standard, round garden tomato. I also had to purchase more Brie, so I'll have to use that up in a new recipe next. Any suggestions or requests?


Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes
Prep Time:  15 minutes                     Yield: 4
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes                Serving: 1 each
Total Time:  30-35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Fresh Garden Tomatoes
• 1 c. Mushrooms, small dice
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Scallion, chopped
• 1 c. Packed Baby Spinach, washed, stems removed and torn into smaller pieces
• 1/2 c.+/- Italian Breadcrumbs
• 2 oz. Brie Cheese, small dice
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Place your tomatoes on a flat surface, slicing a thin slice off of the bottom if necessary so it sits flat; then take a sharp knife and cut a circle in the top of the tomato. Remove the inside and even out the inside of the tomato shell. 
3. Chop the tomato pulp and place in a bowl; then add the mushrooms, garlic, scallions, spinach, breadcrumbs and cheese. Mix well. (You may need to adjust your breadcrumbs if the mixture is too dry/moist, it depends on how much tomato pulp/juice each tomato yields). 
4. Stuff the tomato mixture into the tomato shells and place in an oven safe baking dish. 
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the breading is lightly brown. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 164, Carbs 16.8g, Fat 8.6g, Protein 6.3g, Fiber 2.2g, Sugar 1.3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes Shopping List

Shared on Thursday's Treasures 8/8/13

Flank Steak Stuffed with Brie & Zucchini (Family Favorites) and How to Cook the Perfect Steak This Father's Day

Ah yes...Beef is more than likely going to be "What's for Dinner" this coming Father's Day. According to the most recent Consumer Grilling Study, three out of four Americans say that the one meat they grill the most often is beef (69%); while chicken came in second (25%) and pork came in third (6%). I would tend to agree as it seems like we eat beef more often in the warmer, grilling months ourselves.

I don't know about you, but I'm a visual person. Show me and I can do it or figure it out. Tell me and you lost me. So I found this chart below to determine how long to cook your steaks as a guide, but try not to poke too many holes in the meat while cooking as the juices will flow out and cause your steak to dry out.  Cooking times do vary according to the cut of meat as well so for a more specific list, including the different cuts of beef and minutes to cook per side, click on the link to see this really helpful chart from Beef It's What's For Dinner.

As far as Father's Day plans, I'm not quite sure what we're going to do yet. Saturday is my rescheduled Book Signing from 1pm-3pm; then we're heading to a combined graduation party for my nephew(high school) and niece(college) where I'm bringing that Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad with Kalamata Olives, Capers and Sun Dried Tomatoes, and with the hubby traveling so much lately between his father's surgery, vacation and business trips, I think he'd prefer just hanging home for the day to recoup.

I'm thinking that I may make this family's favorites recipe for Flank Steak Stuffed with Brie & Zucchini from my cookbook. I can't believe I haven't made this recipe since I originally created it in August 2011 and it was one of our favorites...always on the quest to find new and exciting new recipes I guess! For this dish, I sauteed some zucchini with fresh rosemary, garlic and mushrooms. Then I added some slices of Brie, wrapped it up, sliced it individually and grilled it. I have to say it was AMAZING; however, you have to grill these on a higher temperature so that all of the cheese doesn't run out before the meat is done cooking.

Flank Steak Stuffed with Brie & Zucchini

Prep Time:  30 minutes                               Yield: 6

Cook Time:  Personal Preference                 Serving: 1 piece

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. Flank Steak
• 1 1/2 c. Zucchini, cut in half then sliced
• 1 c. Mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4oz. Brie, white rind removed and sliced
• Kitchen String

Directions

1. Using a meat tenderizer, pound flank steak until it is rectangular in shape and even thickness. 
2. In a pan, heat oil and sauté the zucchini, mushrooms, garlic and rosemary until the vegetables get soft.  
3. Evenly spread the zucchini mixture on top of the steak, leaving a 1/2" border around all sides; then add the cheese. 
4. Roll up the flank steak lengthwise and tie with six pieces of kitchen string; spacing them out evenly to where you will slice them. 
5. Using a sharp knife, cut the rolled steak into six individual pieces. Season with salt and pepper just prior to grilling. 
6.  and grill until desired doneness.  

Nutrition Facts

Calories 260, Carbs 1.8g, Fat 13g, Protein 32g, Fiber .5g, Sugar .7g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Looking or other Beef Grilling Ideas? How about some of these reader favorites!

Ginger Soy Marinated Strip Steaks

Vanilla Fig Balsamic Marinated London Broil

Mediterranean Stuffed Flank Steak

Enjoy and Have a Happy Father's Day! 

Brie & Raspberry Jam Panini

I had a small piece of Brie cheese leftover and didn't want it to go to waste so I decided to make myself a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. I was busy running around this particular day (what else is new!) and wanted something that I could take with me, but it also had to be quick and easy. Not only was this easy, (yes, only 3 ingredients!) it was delicious! I do make a baked Brie covered with Crescent Roll dough and put the preserves on top once it comes out of the oven and it had the same taste...YUM! I adjusted the recipe below to make for four people. 

Brie & Raspberry Jam Panini
4 Ciabatta Rolls, cut in half
12 oz. Brie, sliced
1/4 c. Raspberry Jam or Preserves
Cooking Spray

Add 3oz of cheese to the bottom of the bread, then spread 1 tbsp. of the preserves on the top of the bread. Place the top of the bread on sandwich. Heat up your panini grill pan, spray with cooking spray and place one sandwich. Hold down the top so that you melt the cheese and get light grill marks on the bread. Repeat for each sandwich. Serves 4. 

Enjoy! 

Shared at Everyday Mom's Meals Church Supper 7/1/12
Shared at Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen Manic Monday 7/2/12

Blueberry & Pistachio Brie en Croute

Brie is a pale yellow, creamy cheese with a white rind. For best flavor, it is best to buy it uncut in round wheels. I've said this before, but I don't like to eat the white rind as it has an earthy taste to it and also makes it harder to peel off when baking a brie like this one, so I opt to gently scrape it off. 

The white brie rind is mold formed from penicillium candidum or penicillium camemberti and is harmless, unless you are very allergic to mold. A brie's rind should feel firm and silky, not hard and crusty. Brie bought or sold in the U.S, including imported brie, is made with pasteurized milk and does not have quite the same taste as brie made the traditional way in France, thus it has a milder flavor. The rind protects brie from the air and delays drying and loss of flavor. If you remove the rind, you should eat the creamy center within a day or so.



I just love brie and my sister in-law usually leaves it whole and tops it with a delicious blueberry spread she found at a local market. I didn't want to drive 1/2 hour away to get some and I had some blueberries and a handful of pistachios and thought it might be nice baked instead. This brie was delicious and made a wonderful, flavorful appetizer. Simply serve it with crackers or fresh fruit.

Blueberry & Pistachio Brie en Croute
1 19oz. Brie
1/3 c. Pistachios, shelled
1 pt. Organic Blueberries (you can use regular or frozen, this is just what I happened to have)
1 tbsp. Honey
1 pkg. Crescent Roll Dough

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a mini chopper or a knife, finely chop your pistachio nuts. Add the nuts, blueberries and honey together in a bowl and mix well.  Using a small knife, scrape off the white coating on all sides of the Brie. Add the blueberry mixture to the top of the Brie. Open the crescent roll dough and using a rolling pin, roll it out so that it will cover the entire Brie. (It's ok if you have to piece it together). Cover Brie with the dough and place on a baking sheet with the seam side down. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers. Serves 10-12.

Enjoy!

Bunco Apple Theme Party: Sausage, Apple & Sage Stuffed Bread, Brie en Croute with Apples, Cinnamon & Pecans and a Red Apple Sangria

First, let me start off by saying I thought I would never in a MILLION years ever belong to a Bunco group, let alone love it. I knew people over the years that played and they would occasionally ask me to fill in but I never managed to actually attend one of these games. Earlier this year, a bunch of my friends decided to start our own group. I originally only committed to being a substitute player for when someone couldn't make it but was moved to a regular player a couple of months ago after someone dropped out. I figured what the hay since it was only once per month and we all take turns hosting the game at our house. What is Bunco you ask? Officially speaking and the way we interpret the game is #2 below:

bun·co also bun·ko (bung' ko)

n. pl. bun·cos, also bun·kos
1. A swindle in which an unsuspecting person is cheated; a confidence game.
2. A parlor game played in teams with three dice.
3. A winning throw in the above game; three of a kind of a specified number.

[Probably alteration of Spanish banca, card game, from Italian banca, bank, of Germanic origin.].

In simple terms, it's a night where 12 women get together, leaving their significant others, children and troubles behind, and have a fun night out with food, drink and TONS of laughter and oh yeah, roll some dice. (What happens at Bunco, stays at Bunco is our favorite motto!). Click here if you would like the complete rules of the game..though there are variations depending on your specific group. So what does all of this have to do with a food blog you ask? It was my turn to host this past Friday night. Yes, I get September. What the heck do you do in September as a theme? I couldn't get April like my friend Jenn where we all wore bunny ears or Donna where we had a Mardi Gras theme. I started thinking and all I came up with was Football and Back to School themes. Though I do love football, I'm not an avid watcher (except for the teams my daughters cheer for that is) nor did I feel like hosting a tailgating party with chili and beer. So, I opted for an Apple theme (get it, back to school, apples for the teacher, apple picking..whatever, it worked for me...lol). Anyway, I started thinking of different food and drinks that I could make using apples and came up with Sausage, Apple and Sage Stuffed Bread, Brie en Croute with Apples, Cinnamon and Pecans and a Red Apple Sangria. Luckily for me, they were a hit and we all had a great night!

This bread was so easy to put together, in fact, I par cooked it the morning of, then just wrapped it in foil to finish it off right before my guests arrived. The sweetness of the apples mixed with the sausage was a unique and tasty twist on an old favorite. 

Sausage, Apple and Sage Stuffed Bread

1 lb. Pizza Dough

4 Links Cheese and Parsley Sausage, casings removed

2 Paula Red or Macintosh Apples, peeled and cored

6 Fresh Sage Leaves, finely chopped

1 Cup Shredded Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese

1 Tbsp. Canola Oil

In a large frying pan, add the sausage. Break it down to small pieces while browning until it is completely cooked; approximately 8-10  minutes. While the sausage is browning, slice the apples into 8 wedges, then slice into 1/4" small pieces. Add the apples and sage to the sausage and simmer 2-3 minutes until the apples start to get soft. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about ¼” thick. Add the sausage mixture to cover entire dough area leaving ¼” border around all sides. Top with shredded cheese. Gently roll from left to right, sealing the ends by pinching the dough together. Place seam side down on lightly greased baking sheet. Brush top of loaf with the oil and bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve hot. Serves 12. 

For the next appetizer, I used the same theory as my Baked Brie with Dried Cherries but this time I topped the cheese with apples, cinnamon and pecans. I even threw in some Agave syrup to help bind it together to make a paste. This was incredible if I don't say so myself but how can you go wrong with apples and cinnamon?! Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of this one. I wasn't paying attention(my guests started to arrive and I was busy greeting them at the front door) and the cheese cooked a little longer than I had wanted and it started oozing out of the side. One minute fine, the next a slight mess. Didn't matter though and no one seemed to care. My husband was just glad there was some left for him to try after he got home (did I mention when hosting you also kick your family out of the house to fend for themselves for the night? =) ).

Brie en Croute with Apples, Cinnamon & Pecans

1- 19oz. Brie

1 Macintosh Apple, cored, peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick slices

1/3 Cup Pecans

1 tsp. Butter

2 Tbsp. Agave Syrup

1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1 Pkg. Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place whole pecans on a baking sheet and bake approximately 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven, cool and finely chop. While pecans are in the oven, heat a small sauté pan over low heat and melt the butter. Add apples and cinnamon and cook approximately 3-5 minutes until apples start to soften. Add the pecans and Agave syrup and mix well; forming a paste. Using a small knife, scrape off the white coating on all sides of the Brie. Add the apple mixture to the top of the Brie. Open the crescent roll dough and using a rolling pin, roll it out so that it will cover the entire Brie. (It's ok if you have to piece it together). Cover Brie with the dough and place on a baking sheet Cover Brie with the dough and place on a baking sheet with the seam side down. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers. Serves 10-12. 

Now, last but certainly not least, was the Red Apple Sangria. Since most of my friends are red wine drinkers, this was a no brainer. Sangria has become our favorite summertime drink and now with the cooler weather approaching, it will be back to regular wine (no other reason for me other than Sangria makes the perfect cool drink on a hot summer day). The regular Sangria I make is citrus based so this time, I altered the juices, added a little fizz at the end and it was also a hit. Now remember, I was making this for 12 people so feel free to cut this recipe in half. 

Red Apple Sangria

2 Bottles Dry Red Wine (I used Ocasa Malbec)

2 Cups Red Apple Schnapps

2 Cups Apple Juice

2 Cups Pineapple Juice

1 Cup Cranberry Juice

7 Up or Sprite

1 Apple

1 Peach

1 Pear

In a large pitcher, add the first 5 ingredients and mix well. Peel, core and slice the fruit into 1/4" thick slices and add to the wine mixture. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours for better flavor. Pour Sangria into a glass filled with ice about 3/4 of the way full. Add a splash of soda right before drinking to each glass. Serves 10-12. 

Enjoy!