Pumpkin Pecan Baked Brie

You don't need to wait for company to enjoy 

this appetizer treat.  It was the perfect

  little delicious snack to have with our 

Sunday afternoon tea.
This recipe adapts easily to different
flavors and is very similar to
my other baked brie recipe. 

Pumpkin Pecan Baked Brie
1 can crescent rolls
1 8oz round brie cheese
¼ C pumpkin butter
¼ C pecans, plus additional for decorating
1 egg
1 T water

Roll out the dough and press the seams together

place the pecans in the center of the dough, top

with pumpkin butter. Place the cheese on top of

 the pumpkin butter and pecans. Wrap the dough 

around the cheese, pinch seams to seal. Whisk 

egg with water and brush over the top. Place 

seam side down on a baking sheet, brush the top 

with the egg wash and decorate with additional

pecans and cut scraps from the excess dough. 

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until golden.

Enjoy!

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Between Naps On The Porch

Basil Pesto

Fresh pesto is bursting with herby garlicky bold 

flavors. Whenever my basil plant starts to get

 "leggy" I give it a good trim. It encourages the

 plant to get thicker, and it will make a 

great pesto. 

Strip the leaves from the stems.  Wash them

 in cold water in the bowl of a salad spinner. 

Rinse several times if needed until the water

 is clear. Then spin the leaves dry. 

I don't follow an exact recipe, just toss it all 

in the food processor and give it a good whirl, 

but I'll give you the recipe below to get you 

started. You can add more or less of anything 

to get it to your liking. You can also use almost

 any nuts: pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews or
 even sunflower seeds. Toast them in a
toaster oven for a flavor boost. You can 

even leave out the nuts. If I'm making a small batch and I'm
out of nuts, I'll leave those out. 

Add the nut, garlic, basil and cheese, to the bowl
of a food processor. Process until chopped.
With the machine running, slowly add the
 olive oil until it reaches your desired
consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Add a spritz of lemon juice and a pinch
of red pepper flakes, if desired. 

Pulse a few times to blend.
Total processing time will be

about 1-2 minutes. 

Store in a lidded jar adding a light film of olive oil

 on top of the pesto. So many ways to use it: with 

grilled shrimp, salmon, in a sandwich, as a dip with

 warm crusty bread, in pasta, topping for an omelet, 

grilled chicken, and more.

You'll want to make it all summer long. 

Basil Pesto

2-3 C tightly packed basil leaves

2 L cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 C nuts, toasted 
(pine nuts, almonds, walnuts
cashews, sunflower seeds)

about 1/2 C olive oil

1/2 C parmesan cheese

1/2 t salt ~ 1/4 t pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
spritz of lemon juice

Wash the basil leaves in cold water

and dry in a salad spinner. Add the nuts, basil
cheese and garlic to a food processor; process until

chopped. With the machine running add the oil and run

until pureed. Season to taste with salt, pepper,
red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. 

Run again to belnd until desired consistency. 

Enjoy!

Link: How to easily propagate basil.

Links:  Between Naps On The Porch,

Coastal Charm, Dwellings,
Savvy Southern Style, Facebook,

Oh My Creative, A Stroll Thru Life

Parmesan Salad Dressing, plus 12 Recipes That Use Buttermilk

I make this delicious dressing whenever I have

buttermilk in the fridge leftover from one of

my recipes that uses buttermilk.

Toss with your favorite salad ingredients, or 

just romaine lettuce and croutons. This dressing

 has a creamy Caesar Salad dressing taste.

 It's also a good dip for crudites.

 It's a good way to use up that buttermilk you 

bought to make any of my recipes.
 Here are all the links.
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes,

Cinnamon Quick Bread,
Classic Buttermilk Pie
Cilantro Ranch Dressing (for Southwest Salad)
Buttermilk Dressing (for BLT Wedge Salad)
Puffins (Mini Pancake Muffins)
Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake
Chocolate Skillet Cake
Real Irish Soda Bread
Sweet Soda Bread
Pumpkin Maple Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Pancakes
Now, back to the Parmesan dressing.

 I minced garlic and used chives from my garden.

 Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese last.

 Good for dipping too!

It will last in the fridge for quite some time.

 Put the rest in a jar, or better yet, use  

two small jars and give one to a friend. 

Parmesan Dressing

1 C mayonnaise

1/3 C buttermilk

1-1/2 T lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T chives, minced

1 t honey

1/2 t Kosher salt

1/2 t pepper

Whisk this all together then stir in

1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Mix well.

                    Enjoy!

Links: Facebook, Between Naps On The Porch,
Rattlebridge Farm

Favorite Deviled Eggs

 Everybody loves deviled eggs. 

 Add eggs to a large pot and cover with water. 

Add 2T vinegar. The vinegar helps with the

 peeling later. Bring to a boil, cover, and take 

off heat. let sit for 15 - 18 minutes.

Drain off hot water and fill the pot

with cold water. Peel when the eggs are cool 

enough to handle. 

Cut in half lengthwise, Remove the yolks to

a food processor. If you don't have one, put in

a bowl and use a whisk to blend the yolk mixture.

 Add the yolk mixture to a plastic baggie. 

Use a jar or glass to hold the baggie upright.

 Snip one corner of the baggie and use it like a 

pastry bag to fill the egg whites.

 If you used a food processor, the yolk mixture 

will be very smooth and creamy.

Refrigerate until serving time, then garnish

with a sprig of chive or a sprinkle of paprika

Deviled Eggs

1 dozen L or XL eggs

2 T white vinegar

----------------

1 C mayonnaise

1 T yellow mustard

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

paprika for sprinkling

Place the eggs in a large pot and cover with water.

Add the vinegar, it helps when you peel them. 

Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and turn off

 the heat. Let sit for 15-18  minutes. Drain water

 and fill the pot with cold water.

 Peel when cool enough to handle.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Slice each in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and

 put in a food processor. Add mayo, mustard, salt 

and pepper to the yolks. Blend until smooth. 

Scoop the yolk mixture into a plastic baggy. 

Snip off a bit of the corner of the baggie. 

Use the baggie like a pastry bag to pipe

 the yolk mixture into the egg whites. 

Sprinkle with paprika. Chill until serving. 

  

Enjoy! 

Links: Between Naps On The Porch

Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Basil

This bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and basil

couldn't be easier. It's a favorite that's always 

on the menu when we visit the kids in Atlanta. 

Telaryn doesn't follow a recipe and after 

you've made if once you won't need to either.

Bruschetta (pronounced brusketta), 

is a classic Italian appetizer. It's a simple
 mixture of chopped fresh tomatoes,

fresh basil leaves, salt, pepper, garlic,
 and olive oil. That's it! Use as many
tomatoes as you like; season them with salt
and pepper; add some minced garlic and enough
chopped basil leaves to give it color and flavor.
Drizzle it all with olive oil until it is well coated.

It's mixed up earlier in the day so that the flavors

have time to marinade, about 8 hours. That makes

it a nice make-ahead dish. It will last in the 

refrigerator a few days. Don't know for sure 

because it usually doesn't last that long with us.

Slice a baguette and brush one side with olive oil.

Toast oil-side down on a baking sheet for about 5

minutes in a 450º oven. Serve olive oil side up

topped with tomato-basil mixture.

You can garnish it with a small basil leaf

 or a dollop of pesto.

My measurements here are a starting point.
It's also good on fish; Tilapia and Salmon.

 Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Basil

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

4 T basil leaves, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

2-3 T olive oil

Combine and refrigerate, covered for 8 hours.

Serve atop toasted baguettes.

Enjoy!

Links:  How to Propagate Basil,
 Between Naps On The Porch

Baked Brie en Croute

Baked brie is always a hit at parties.

En croute translates to "in a crust".

The easiest and most delicious way to serve it

is this classic Crescent-Wrapped Baked Brie.

This one is topped with fruit preserves and
chopped pecans. I used strawberry, but you can
also use raspberry, apricot or try it with my
Spiced Cranberry Chutney.

One half of the crescent roll square is the bottom
The other half on top. Brush with a beaten egg.

 Add the cutouts and brush again, then bake.
I used an ovenproof Longaberger platter.

Serve with sliced apples or pears.

 Baked Brie en Croute

1 can (8-oz) crescent rolls

1 round (8-oz) brie cheese

Fruit preserves-(raspberry, strawberry,

 apricot, orange marmelade, or chutney)

chopped pecans or slivered almonds

1 egg, beaten

crackers and apple slices for serving.

Heat oven to 350F. Unroll crescent dough;

 separate crosswise into 2 sections.

Pat dough and firmly press perforations to seal,

forming 2 squares. Place one square on ungreased

 cookie sheet. Place cheese in center of dough. 

With a small cookie or canape'cutter, 

cut 1 shape from each corner of each square. 

Set cutouts aside. Spread the top of the brie

 with fruit preserves and sprinkle with the nuts. 

Place the remaining square on top. Gently stretch

 and press dough evenly around the cheese;

fold bottom edges over the top; press to

 seal completely. Brush with the beaten egg. 

Top with cutouts; brush with additional egg.

Bake 20-24 minutes or until golden brown. 

Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm. 

Surround plate with optional apple slices, 

pear slices, grapes and crackers.

Enjoy!

Links: Between Naps On The Porch,
Jam Hands

Spinach Balls

Sorting through my appetizer recipe file I came 

upon this old recipe I hadn't made in decades 

 many years. So, I decided to make it for our ladies 

card group last night.

It's March and I wanted something green !

Finger food, easy to nibble on, great with a glass of

 wine or tea, and can be made ahead.

That's all I needed to bring it out again.

 Ingredients include; Stove Top mix, 

frozen spinach, eggs, onion ,butter, 

Parmesan, and seasonings.

 Cook the spinach and drain.

 Chop an onion.

 Melt the butter in a large bowl in the microwave 

for 1 minute. Whisk the eggs in a smaller bowl.

 I used the empty egg bowl to press out all the 

extra moisture from the spinach. Works great.

 Combine everything.

 TIP: If you've emptied out the container of 

shredded cheese, toss the container in the 

recycle bin but keep the cap and 

toss it in the dishwasher. Why, later.

 Once the mixture is well combined,

 Put a lid on it!  Refrigerate 2 hours or longer. 

That makes it easier to handle.

 Measure out about 1-1/2" balls. 

Then roll in your hands to shape.

Freeze them on a cookie sheet, or you can bake

 them right away at 350 for about 25-30 minutes

 until slightly golden and it smells good in your kitchen.

This makes a lot of balls, so I always freeze some 

and then toss them into a  Ziploc bag. 

Thaw and bake for 30 minutes

 whenever you want a little snack. 

I've also baked them the last 30 minutes

 with a roast chicken to serve as a side,

 little spinach stuffing balls.

Now, for the caps; they fit on most mason jars.
These are Classico sauce jars filled with; cheese,
breadcrumbs and mini chocolate chips.
 Easy to store and shake out.

Spinach Balls

2 boxed frozen chopped spinach

1 box Stove Top stuffing mix-chicken flavor
 (stuffing and seasoning packet)

4 eggs

1 onion, finely chopped

 1-1/2 sticks butter, melted

1 C grated Parmesan cheese

1 t thyme

1 t garlic powder

1 t pepper

1 t salt

Microwave the spinach in a covered container

 for 8 minutes, stirring once.

 Drain well in mesh colander.

(Use the small bowl to press out extra moisture)

Microwave the butter in a large bowl for 1 minute.

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. 

Combine all ingredients in the large bowl. 

Cover and refrigerate for two hours.

Shape into 1-/1/2" balls. Freeze some on a tray, 

then store in a plastic bag until ready to bake.

 Bake the remaining balls @375 for 20 min.

Bake frozen balls for 30 minutes. 

Enjoy!