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Monday, January 31, 2011

Day 31 - Crispy Cheese Twists


I made these once for Dominic & he devoured them! These are easy & yummy. For a sweet version use cinnamon & sugar.

Crispy Cheese Twists

Servings: 12

"Take advantage of frozen puff pastry to make these seasoned Parmesan cheese twists. They make a fabulous and easy appetizer for your next party!"

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff

pastry, thawed

1 egg white

Directions:

1.

Combine parmesan cheese, pepper and garlic powder. Unfold pastry sheets onto cutting board. Brush lightly with egg white; sprinkle each sheet with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Lightly press into pastry, turn over; repeat. Cut each sheet into 12 (1-inch) strips; twist.

2.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown

allrecipes.com

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Day 30 - Strawberry Bruschetta


What a lovely, indulgent breakfast idea!

Strawberry Bruschetta

Provided by EatingWell.com

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Level: Easy

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Astoundingly good for minimal effort, this makes an indulgent weekend breakfast or anyday dessert. A judicious smear of mascarpone (half the fat of butter) is part of the luxury, but even lighter low-fat cream cheese will work as well. The real secret is warming the berries just enough to make the flavor bloom and transform their juices into a rosy syrup.

Ingredients:

  • 4 thick slices whole-wheat bread
  • 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 3 cups sliced or diced hulled strawberries
  • 4 tablespoons mascarpone, (Italian cream cheese)

Preparation:

  1. Toast bread in a toaster.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts and the mixture begins to bubble, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add strawberries and stir until juices begin to exude and the berries are heated through, 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
Spread 1 tablespoon mascarpone on each piece of toast. Top with the warm berries

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Day 29 - Parmesan Spinach Balls


Here's another appetizer! The good news is that they can be made ahead of time & frozen before baking.

Parmesan Spinach Balls

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 30 Minutes

Servings: 10

"Little breaded balls of spinach and Parmesan cheese are baked in the oven until golden brown!"

Ingredients:

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped

spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups Italian-style seasoned bread

crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup butter, melted

4 small green onion, finely chopped

4 eggs, lightly beaten

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.

In a medium bowl, mix the frozen chopped spinach, Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, butter, green onion, eggs, salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into 1 inch balls.

3.

Arrange the balls in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Serve these warm with a good quality mustard or marinara sauce for dipping