Gruyère Cheese Straws

Tags

appetizers, bread, bread sticks, cheese, cheese straws, cocktail hour, food, foodie, Gruyère, holiday buffet, hors d'oeurve, hors d'oeuvres, recipe, snacks

These cheese straws are a great addition to a holiday buffet, whether it’s hors d’œuvres or a full meal. They take only a few minutes to prepare. Serve them standing up in a glass jar, tie a ribbon around the neck of the jar to match your decor. These are great treats adults and kids both like.

Cheese Straws

Ingredients:
2 c. flour, 2 c. grated Gruyère cheese, 3/4 cup softened butter, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, fresh ground sea salt, 1/2 c. water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat together butter, garlic powder and cayenne powder and cheese, set aside. In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Combine flour into cheese mixture and slowly add water. Stir until well mixed allow dough to rest for about 30 minutes. Pull dough into small balls and roll into a long log, twist both ends of dough to create a spiral pattern. Press cheese straws on baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

*Sprinkle with paprika, poppy seeds or sesame seeds before baking!

Dinner for Two

Have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! What are your holiday plans?

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Asparagus Gruyère Quiche

Tags

asparagus, brunch, dinner, food, gourmet, Gruyère, light fare, lighter fare, lunch, mini quiche, quiche, recipe, snack

I got new tart tins, the perfect size for making a personal sized quiche. I served this as a side to a dinner and I wanted this dish to be more mild than a typical quiche (so not to overpower the Gruyère), so I left out the onions or shallots that would normally be included. This also is great as a lighter option; pair it with my Harvest Salad for a perfect brunch menu or a lighter fare dinner.

Asparagus Gruyère Quiche

 

Ingredients:
Pie dough, asparagus spears, 2 c. shredded Gruyère cheese, 1 c. heavy cream, 6 eggs, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh ground sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven 350ºF. Roll dough out to 1/8″ and cut about 1/4″ larger than the top of the tart tin. Place dough circle into tin and press to the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 7 minutes or until dough starts to become a light golden color. Remove from oven and arrange three asparagus tips and three asparagus mid sections into crust. Top with grated Gruyère. Place tart tins on a baking tray. Whisk together eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Divide egg mixture and pour over asparagus. Bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

What is your favorite combination of ingredients for quiche?

Creamy Shrimp Scampi

Tags

chardonnay, dinner, food, garlic, Gruyère, heavy cream, lemon, parsley, pasta, recipe, shrimp, shrimp scampi

Today I was craving pasta with garlic… which often makes me think scampi. Hubster was watching the football game with friends and since he doesn’t like seafood I figured I could indulge myself. I decided to get a few shrimp at the grocery store while I was there picking up a few items. I used small shells in the dish instead of traditional linguini, the shells are just too fun with the seafood theme. Plus it’s quick and easy to make and only uses one pan (When making a smaller portion, I cook the pasta first and then use the pot in place of a frying pan)!

Creamy Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi Ingredients:
pasta, shrimp (deveined with tails still on), lemon juice, olive oil, butter, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, fresh chopped parsley, 1/2 c. chardonnay, 1/2 c. heavy cream, fresh crackled black pepper, fresh ground sea salt, fresh grated Gruyère

Shrimp Scampi Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse shrimp and season with salt & pepper. Heat frying pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Cook shrimp until they turn pink. Removed shrimp and set aside. Add garlic to pan for a minute.  Then add butter, lemon juice, wine and 1/2 of the fresh chopped parsley. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn heat to low and stir in cream. Add shrimp back into pan. Pour over pasta and top with fresh chopped freshly and grated Gruyère cheese. Serve hot & enjoy!

*Make shrimp scampi without the pasta, arrange on a plate with cocktail forks and serve as an appetizer!

What did you have for dinner tonight?

Artichoke Three Cheese Bake

Tags

artichoke, artichoke hearts, artichokes, bacon, carb free entree, dinner, entree, food, gourmet, Gruyère, Jarlsberg, low carb recipe, pecorino, pecorino romano, recipe, red-neck, romano, side dish

I had a similar dish as a side at a restaurant once. I asked for the recipe from the chef and was excited to try it. I got home and it was all wrong, nothing like the made at the restaurant. I know many chefs don’t give out their exact recipes, so I needed to recreate it on my one. During that process, I became happier with my end product then the one I remember from my dining experience.

When I prepare a meal and Hubster deems to gourmet, he’s a little reluctant to try it (even though he’s always pleased with the outcome). I decided to star tailoring my “gourmet” recipes to his palette a little, by (what I call) “Rednecking it up”. That’s just my teasing way of saying that I added (turkey) bacon for him. Hubster hates shrimp and never will eat it, until you wrap a piece of bacon around it. Potato soup is “alright”, until you sprinkle on the bacon. You get the picture. So here is my Redneck Artichoke Three Cheese Bake.

Artichoke Three Cheese Bake

Ingredients:
8 fresh artichoke hearts (quartered), 1 shallot minced, 1/2 c. heavy cream broth, 3 Tbs. olive oil, 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley, 6 large basil leaves, 1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese, 1/2 cup shredded Jarlsberg cheese , 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange artichoke hearts in a single layer on the bottom of a casserole dish. Spread shallots over artichokes. Add heavy cream to dish. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with parsley and basil. Cover evenly with the cheeses, ending with the Pecorino-Romano. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake until artichokes are tender and cheeses are melted, 15 minutes. Uncover, and bake until cheese is lightly golden and slightly crusty, about 25 minutes more. Remove from oven, and cool. Serve warm.