Sometimes we like to eat bites. Not full meals, but rather a series of appetizers in place of a single dish. “Morsels” as Taylor likes to call them. These crispy and tart little toasts are just that, morsels. You’ve got to like olives though - as the tapenade definitely tastes like olives. Strong olives. Though, that could partially be amplified by the fact that I *forgot* to add the olive oil, all 1/4 cup of it, at the end. I guess my mind started thinking about goat cheese and I was a goner…

Mmm… goat cheese…

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese and Olive Tapenade

Makes 1 heaping cup (we made half the recipe and it was more than enough for appetizer sized servings for 3-4 people). Recipe from Wolfgang Puck.

Ingredients
1 cup Niçoise olives, pitted
1 cup small green French olives (Picholine), pitted
1/4 cup Oven-Dried Tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon capers
1 garlic clove
1 anchovy fillet
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 baguette, sliced on a bias into 1/3″ thick slices
4 oz. goat cheese, room temperature

Directions
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil. Using the pulse button, process until coarsely chopped and well blended. Continue to process, slowly adding the olive oil. Refrigerate in a covered container. Use as needed. Will keep up to 1 week, refrigerated, in a covered container.

Brush bread slices with olive oil, and broil for 1-2 minutes until golden. Spread with goat cheese, and top with a dollop of tapenade.

Remind me to get a post-it pad for Taylor’s brain.

This is another example of a recipe that just kind of came out, loosely based on our Better-Than-Takeout Sesame Tofu, which I had originally planned to make, but Taylor decided he didn’t really like (or rather, remember) and wanted to try try something different. Right, ok dear, it’s all you.

“Sauteé some garlic and green onion (whatever was leftover from the pancakes) in some canola oil. Then add soy sauce (no idea how much, probably 1/4 cup at least), maybe 1/4 cup water, ummmm, ok not that much, just some water, some brown sugar, maybe 3 tablespoons (honestly I don’t know), a little bit of rice wine vinegar, a couple teaspoons maybe, um… at the end I thickened it with a little bit of a cornstarch/water mixture… and then added some Chili Sambal (rooster) sauce.

“What else went in there? I used all the original ingredients from the original recipe, except brown instead of white sugar. Soy, sugar, water… what else did I add in there? Wait. Let me go look in the pantry. Oh, sesame oil, a glog or two. (sound of bottles clinking). That’s about it I think. Probably why it wasn’t very good.”

Actually it was pretty good, at least I thought so. Sorry that the above two paragraphs is the best ‘recipe’ you’re going to get. Thanks Taylor! :)

I didn’t see a thing he did, as I was making a mess on the other side of the kitchen. Flour and oil everywhere, but pretty darn tasty and worth the cleanup. And for as few ingredients as go into them, they come out tasting delicious.

A great step-by-step recipe with photos for these delicious pancakes can be found over at Use Real Butter.

Tell me one thing though - what is missing from this meal? Oh yes. Something green on the plate. Whoops. Easy to forget that part sometimes. I should have taken the photo ON a green plate, then it wouldn’t be as obvious.

Perciatelli. A kind of pasta I never even knew existed. It’s almost like if macaroni and spaghetti had a kid…. it’d be perciatelli. A hallow, thick spaghetti, basically. We were about to substitute spaghetti, but one last look in the pasta aisle and I found it! Really! At our often times scarce when it comes to gourmet/specialty/ethnic foods grocery store! I know… I almost couldn’t believe it either.

This recipe, however, didn’t quite live up to the excitement of finding the fancy pasta. It had a good flavor, but felt lacking. I can’t even pinpoint what about it was off or how we could improve upon it. Maybe it was because we ran out of Parmesan. Or maybe the dill really makes the dish (the original recipe calls for dill breadcrumbs - but both Taylor and I have a strong hatred of dill. Ok, hatred might be too harsh a word… but we both really don’t like it. So we used thyme instead.)

The name of the recipe is deceiving. I don’t know if Taylor maybe forgot to add the red pepper flakes (doubtful - he’s too diligent) but “spicy” is the last word I’d use to describe it. Even if you’re not a fan of spice, double, ok ok triple the red pepper flakes.

I don’t know. Sometimes I don’t even feel like posting recipes that I don’t simply rave about. But it’s a pretty picture, and maybe you all can learn from something. Learn what NOT to do? I don’t know. This made a lot too - more than our usual dinner for two plus lunch the next day serving size, and we couldn’t eat it again.

Oh well. Win some, lose some, right?

I’ll share it anyway. Just in case someone here really likes anchovies.

Pasta with Spicy Anchovy Sauce and Thyme Bread Crumbs

Makes 6 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

Ingredients
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups fresh bread crumbs (preferably from a baguette)
1/4 cup chopped dill or thyme
1 pound red onions, thinly sliced (3 cups)
1 (2-ounce) can flat anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
1 pound bucatini or perciatelli pasta (long tubular strands)
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

Directions
Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook bread crumbs, stirring constantly, until deep golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer bread crumbs to a bowl and toss with dill and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.

Wipe out skillet, then cook onions with 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 1/2 cup oil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until very soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Add anchovies and cook, mashing anchovies into onions, until dissolved.

Meanwhile, cook bucatini in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 5 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta.

Stir red-pepper flakes and reserved water into anchovy sauce, then add pasta and toss to combine. Add about half of bread crumbs and toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with remaining bread crumbs.

Another recipe discovered while ogling the images over at tastespotting…

If only potato pancakes didn’t take so long to cook, I’d make them every week. Every day even! But seeing as the act of cooking dozens of hockey-puck size pats of potatoes takes upwards of an hour and a half, we’ll save these for the rare occasions when we make the conscious decision to stand in the kitchen for that long.

That said, these were well worth the extra effort. They are a ‘twist’ on the typical latke - with leek instead of onion, and a sweet and sour compote that becomes beautifully pink.

Potato Leek Pancakes with Red Onion-Apple Compote

Makes about 15 pancakes. Recipe from Marcias Kitchen.

Ingredients
Compote:
1 large Granny Smith apple
1 small red onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
splash of brandy

Pancakes:
3 large Idaho (russet) potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and shredded
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, trimmed, cleaned, and sliced very thin
1 egg
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2- 3/4 fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions
To make compote:
Slice the onions as thin as you can, Core, but don’t peel the apple. Chop it into a small dice- about 1/4 inch.

Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan. When it starts to bubble add the onions. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes until limp. Add the apples, liquids, and sugar. Continue to cook for a couple minutes until the apples start to caramelize a bit. Will keep for several days in the fridge.

To make pancakes:
Put the shredded potatoes into an (old) dish towel. Wrap and squeeze all the water out of the potatoes. Combine in a large bowl with everything but the oil and butter. Mix very well.

Heat a griddle or sauté pan over med high heat and add enough oil and butter to coat the pan.

Working in batches, place small portions, about 2 tablespoons of the potato mix onto the hot griddle. Flatten the pancake with the back of a spatula. Repeat. Add more butter/oil as needed. Cook until bottom is golden, then flip.

To serve, add a little finishing salt and a grinding of pepper- then place a small dollop of the red onion-apple compote on each pancake.

I’m the plan ahead type when it comes to groceries. I like to buy a week’s worth of food at a time, knowing exactly what we’ll be cooking each night of the week.

And doing this every single week, I’ve learned a few things.

Namely, make the list when you’re hungry. And go shopping when you’re not.

It makes the final bill much more tolerable.

I found this recipe in one of my rushed and hunger-crazed list making sessions, which are easier if I’m browsing a site like tastespotting.com with my stomach growling. It’s like eating with your eyes. I can easily find a week’s worth of new and unique recipes there in 15 minutes. Then I wipe the drool off of my chin, slam a granola bar, and head off to the store.

Poached Pear, Pecan, and Goat Cheese Salad

Makes 3-4 servings. Adapted from Laylita’s Recipes.

Ingredients
Poached Pears:
3 firm pears (we used Bosc)
3 cups white wine
¾ cup of sugar
1 cinnamon stick
4 strips orange peel

Herbed Goat Cheese:
6oz goat cheese, room temperature
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme or basil

Vinaigrette:
4 tablespoons white wine, sherry, or pear vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium sized shallots, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Candied Pecans:
1 cup whole, shelled pecans
1 teaspoon water
1 egg white
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup granulated sugar

About 6 cups of mixed greens

Directions
Heat the wine, sugar, cinnamon and orange peel in a large saucepan, stir occasionally. Meanwhile, peel the pears, cut them in half and core them; add them to the wine mix once it boils. Cook until the pears are tender but still slightly firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

With a fork, thoroughly combine goat cheese, garlic, and herbs. You can also use a food processor if you’d like.

To prepare the vinaigrette combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until emulsified.

To make candied pecans, pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees F. Separate one large egg. Add the egg white to one teaspoon of cold water to form an egg wash. Toss the pecans in the egg wash. Combine sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix this with the pecans. Distribute the pecans in one layer on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Let them cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring every so often. Remove pecans from oven and let cool.

To serve, toss the salad greens with the vinaigrette and arrange on a plate. Place each ½ pear on top of the salad greens or slice and arrange on top of the mixed greens. Top with crumbled herb goat cheese and cooled pecans. Serve immediately.