Foodie Friday -- Phyllo Triangles with Sausage and Mustard

This recipe is from a Bon Appetit magazine. I know because I hand wrote the recipe, which means I found it in a Bon Appetit magazine in the 1980’s and I copied it when I had some down time while working the night shift at the hospital!

For years, this recipe was a staple Thanksgiving appetizer recipe--and it might well be one again!--until family wanted a little variety in their apps. It’s been many, many years since I’ve made this recipe, but there are a few things you should know.

·         Make these ahead. They freeze really well for up to 3 months
·         Phyllo dough is a pain in the hoo-hah to use, but well worth the effort
·         Most phyllo dough recommends using a damp towel to keep dough sheet moist enough to work with. I DON’T. Damp towels tend to make the dough gummy and then the edges become glued together.
·         The dough dries out amazingly quickly, so cover with plastic wrap BEFORE placing a damp towel over it.
·         Have everything ready to go AND WORK QUICKLY
·         Instead of melting the butter and painting the individual layers of dough--use butter flavored cooking spray. If you want a more intense butteryness, then drizzle some melted butter over the dough prior to making triangles.
·         There will be buttery grease EVERYWHERE, find slave labor to help clean up mess. Jus’ sayin’.

Phyllo Triangles with Sausage and Mustard

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 c. heavy cream (whipping cream)
¼ c. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. nutmeg

10 Phyllo pastry sheets (thawed according to directions on package)

1 c. butter, melted (Butter flavored cooking spray)

Cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink and fat is rendered, breaking up clumps, for about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing to extract as much moisture as possible. Drain on paper towels. Wipe out skillet. Return sausage to skillet. Stir in cream, mustard and nutmeg. Simmer, stirring frequently, until sausage absorbs cream and the mixture mounds on spoon, about 15 minutes. Cool.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface, (keeping remaining dough covered in plastic wrap). Spray with butter cooking spray. Place another sheet on top of the first and spray. Cut five strips across the short side of the dough. Place a heaping teaspoon of sausage mixture at the bottom of one strip. Fold corner of phyllo over sausage and spray lightly with butter spray. Continue folding down length of strip, creating triangle. Seal end with butter. Repeat with remaining strips. Continue making triangles with remaining phyllo and sausage mixture.

--The triangles can be frozen at this point. Place on baking sheet and freeze them prior to placing in freezer bags for storage.

For FRESHLY prepared triangles: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two baking sheets, arrange triangles spacing 1-inch apart. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or warm.

For FROZEN triangles: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange unthawed triangles on buttered baking sheets and bake until golden and crisp, 40-50 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or warm.

Enjoy! Later, Peeps!

Foodie Friday -- Warm Spinach-Parmesan Dip

I hate to confess this, but I might be sporadically posting my Foodie Fridays throughout the summer. There are a couple of reasons for this:

• With my kiddo swimming virtually every night at 6:30 (6:00 if she moves up to blue team) until 7:30, I won't be experimenting with food. I'll be seasoning a piece of chicken/hamburger/pork chop and tossing it on the grill with a salad on the side. Quick and Easy.
• I tend to grill more in the summer. And no, I don't have any secret marinades that I use. There are so many seasoning products available there simply isn't the need to make your own!
• And with the convenience of buying certain prepackaged products, why make them?
• I'm running out of recipes for the summer months. Oh, this doesn't mean that I don't have thousands of recipes in my files, but I haven't tested many of them or my family simply isn't interested in eating them. Who wants to eat a casserole when it's a sweltering 95+ degrees outside?

If I come across a wonderful new foodie site, product or recipe, I'll share it on Fridays, but it might not be a regular feature.

Any ideas or food suggestions are welcome.

This next recipe came from a Bon Appetite magazine. This time I managed to put the year on it--2005. I remember making for Thanksgiving. It was good and garlicy. Too garlicy for some family members, but I like garlic.

Warm Spinach--Parmesan Dip

2 Tbls. butter
2 Tbls. olive oil
1 3/4 cup chopped onion
6 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls. flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 10-oz. pkg ready-to-use spinach leaves, coarse chopped
1 cup (packed) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Baguette slices, toasted (pita wedges or pita chips work well, too)

Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Add flour, stir two minutes. Gradually whisk in stock and cream, bring to boil, whisking constantly. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, cheese, sour cream and cayenne (spinach will wilt). Season with salt and pepper. Transfer dip to serving bowl. Serve warm with toasted baguette slices.

Can be made ahead. Microwave or heat in oven until warm.

FOODIE FRIDAY--Salsa

This last weekend we had family over for swimming, food and fun. We enjoy entertaining . . . outside. The common areas inside our house aren’t huge and when you throw 16 bodies (a couple of them are little peanuts) and one large dog, it gets downright crowded. Oh, 16 bodies are only a small percentage of our family as I’m the youngest of nine children and my hubster is youngest of three. So add the children, grandchildren and even one great-grandkidlet into the mix well, it’s a decent sized group.

As this was our first pool party of the season, I went with the usual. Hot dogs and burgers on the grill (if you use frozen burgers—I do—heavily season both sides with a season salt {Lawry’s or Morton’s}. Trust me.). Prepare the toppings early (tomato and onion slices, lettuce and pickles) and put in sealed plastic ware containers. Just pop the tops and serve. Have all the condiments ready to toss outside while burgers are on grill.  

Here are two quickie salsa recipes I prepare as appetizers. Everything is to taste. If you like more garlic, add more. If you want more heat, don’t remove jalapeno seeds, or add a hotter pepper. I’ve also used serrano and habanero peppers—it depends on your guests.  You’ll notice the similarity between the two. Make them as similar or as different as you like. Experiment with mangos. Have fun.

Tomato Salsa

4-6 cloves of garlic

2 Jalapenos
1 Tbls Kosher salt (less harsh and ‘salty’)
6 Green onions
5 Roma tomatoes
Cilantro
Juice from one lime

Peel garlic cloves, chop in half and throw into food processor. Cut off ends of jalapenos, slice down length to remove seeds and veins (leave in seeds if you want HOT salsa). Pulse processor a few times and add salt, process. If you can’t find kosher salt, use only 1 tsp. of table salt and add more only if needed. Clean onions, remove outer skin and cut off roots. Coarsely chop into 2-in. lengths. Cut tomatoes in quarters and remove seeds, toss into processor, and pulse until mixed and coarsely chopped. Add lime juice and small handful of cilantro. Pulse until desired texture. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Refrigerate to meld flavors. Serve with corn chips like Tostitos.

 Green Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillos have a citrusy, tart taste, which provides a refreshing salsa.

4-6 garlic cloves

2 jalapenos
1 Tbls Kosher salt
6 Green onions
5 med-large tomatillos (light green firm flesh with a dry husk)
Cilantro
Juice from one lime

Peel garlic cloves, chop in half and throw into food processor. Cut off ends of jalapenos, slice down length to remove seeds and veins (leave in seeds if you want HOT salsa). Pulse processor a few times and add salt, process. If you can’t find kosher salt, use only 1 tsp. of table salt and add more only if needed. Clean onions, remove outer skin and cut off roots. Coarsely chop into 2-in. lengths. Peel husks from tomatillos and rinse fruit. Quarter tomatillos and toss in processor, pulse until mixed. Add lime juice and small handful of cilantro. Pulse until desired texture. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Refrigerate to meld flavors. Serve with corn chips like Tostitos.

Enjoy and have a great summer!

Yesterday, I had a nice, long lunch with writer MarilynPappano and her hubby, Bob. We talked about everything, writing and non-writing, but when we were leaving I mentioned that I needed help deciding what type of recipe to post. Marilyn said, “Appetizer.” So that’s what’s up for today!

This recipe has been changed from the original. (no surprise there!) It’s a wonderful hot appetizer for gatherings. Yes, my friends, this is another one of my infamous Thanksgiving recipes. I know my family will recognize it.

Spicy Cheese Rounds

½ cup flour

1Tbls chopped parsley

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. salt

Large pinch cayenne pepper

1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese

¼ cup butter

Mix first 6 ingredients together, put aside. Combine cheese with butter. Using hands, thoroughly work seasoned flour into cheese mixture until stiff dough forms. Chill 15 minutes. Break off a bit of dough and roll into ball about 1-1 ½ diameter. Continue until all dough is used. Freeze on flat surface. Can store rounds up to 6 weeks in freezer bags.  Bake at 400 degrees F until rounds just begin to brown, about 20 minutes.

FOODIE FRIDAY--Almond Ham Roll-ups (Appetizer)

I’ve had this recipe for years, over 30 years, and I believe I have made this recipe (or forced my nieces or nephew to make them!) virtually every single Thanksgiving.  Okay, I might have skipped one or two along the way, but these are awesome bite-sized pieces of party food.  Easy to make ahead and cut when ready to serve. I’ve also stream-lined the process after many years of making them. And if you don’t know me very well, let’s just say that my goal in life is to be as efficient as possible, not for the sake of efficiency, but so I can goof-off . . . though I never told my bosses that. Trust me.

Almond Ham Roll-ups

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese (Philadelphia brand), softened

2 Tbls. mayonnaise

1 tsp. instant minced onion

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp dry mustard

¼ tsp. paprika

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce (I really don’t measure this—just shake in the heat)

1 Tbls. finely chopped toasted almonds (toast blanched/slivered almonds in pan, then run them through a small food processor or coffee grinder before measuring)

1 12 oz. pkg thinly sliced boiled ham (rectangular, @ 3 inches x 6 inches)

Combine all ingredients except ham, stirring until blended. Place ham slices with edges touching on paper towels, pat dry with more towels. Spread mixture on ham slices until covered. Roll up in jellyroll fashion, starting at short end.  –at this time, ham rolls can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. Cut each roll into ¾ inch slices.

Makes 5 dozen

Heels Down! Query Up!

I learned how to ride a horse when I was in my early twenties. Dawn, my trainer at the time, tried her darnedest to teach me the concept of 'heels down' ('Eyes up' is the rest of the phrase, but I don't want to go into the excruciating detail of how long it took me to learn that one! Let's just say that I ate a LOT of dirt before I got it). But I never really understood what she was talking about. Yeah, try teaching an old dog new tricks. Fast forward to a new trainer at our facility, Carol. Carol said the exact same words, but in a different way, plus she forced my heel down and adjusted my leg.


Holy Moly! I got it!


A side note: When riding English (and I think Western, too, but don't quote me on it) the ball of your foot sits on the stirrup, BUT to draw your leg around the girth of the horse you must lengthen your leg. To do that end, you drop your heel, which stretches and lengthens all the muscles from your calves through your hips.


Now, I will never have the beautiful equitation leg that Jody has--she's built differently. I have short round muscles on short stubby legs, and she has long lean muscles on relatively normal length legs. Short and round will never be as pretty as long and lean on a horse. I got over it a long, long time ago--NOT!


--If you want to practice this technique simply place the ball of your foot on the edge of a stair and then slowly drop your weight in your heels. To get the full effect, bend at your hips and knees slightly. Then post rhythmically for an hour and see how sore you can get. And silly doctors don't think horseback riding is aerobic! They need to get ON a horse and post for fifteen minutes, then they'll change their tune!! Ha!


Back on topic, sort of: I bet your were wondering how I was going to segue from horses to writing, right? There is reason to my segue madness, trust me . . .


How did I finally, trust me, we are talking a couple of YEARS here, figure out how to drop my heels. Carol told me the same thing Dawn did, but--here it comes--in a different way.


How does this relate to queries?


Queries are a necessary evil that writers must face. We have to garner the interest of an agent to gain entrance through the hallowed doors of most publishing houses. Thus, we must query.

And over the years I have queried various stories. I've learned some secrets, (no, there isn't a special handshake--*snort* I WISH!) and insight about this process, but it wasn't until I read a blog entry of Jennifer Jackson, an agent for The Donald Maass Agency, that it finally made sense. She didn't compare it to horses, but instead to food, my other love in life.

Queries are the appetizer in the agent meal. They should whet the palate and excite the agent. The synopsis is the bones of the meal--bare and straight forward--showing the ability to the writer to tell a good story and round out a plot.
And the five pages that many agents want, balance it all out with details that hint at the writer's style and hook of the story.

The query also provides the agent with valuable subtext in ". . . the way a writer perceives their own work. Their attitude about both writing and publishing (often separate considerations). It can show their attention to detail and their level of professionalism. It can reveal whether the writer has done their research . . ."


Though queries are a necessary evil, writers would do well to learn from each and every one she writes because her query might turn a NO form rejection letter into a MAYBE partial request.

So, next time you write a query, think about it as the Onion Blossom at Outback Steakhouse. Fried with a hint of heat in the coating, a tender onion on the inside and the dipping sauce to end all dipping sauces. MMM, fried food. . .

Write On!