Rudy's

It is nearly impossible to find an affordable meal in Santa Barbara. Unless you have the hookup. Fortunately, I have the hookup. I know some of the locals. They just so happen to be my parents.

Unlike my mother and father, I cannot go for more than a few hours without eating. My mom can go from breakfast at 9am to dinner at 6pm without eating. If I ate breakfast at 9am I would most definitely be hungry by 11am. So this weekend, during my Santa Barbara visit to see the parents, there were a few moments of pleading to find food, any food, fast!

Fortunately, there is a fantastic Mexican hole-in-the-wall joint called Rudy's in both Santa Barbara and in the "city" of Buellton where my parents live (about 40 minutes north of the city in wine country).

Our first visit to Rudy's was on Sunday when I proclaimed that I could not possibly wait another minute without eating or I was going to die from starvation. Since we were taking a stroll by the water (they have a great art fair on Sunday down by the beach) our closest option food would be on State Street.

I wouldn't have ever gone to Rudy's myself because I can be a bit of a wimp when it comes to trying places that don't look pristine and, well, at least a little gourmetish. However, it came recommended by my parents and I was starved so I gave it a go. While there is no menu on the wall, I took one of the tiny two laminated menus by the register and was pleased to find plenty of viable options. Since I'm not a big fan of rice and beans I was more than happy to order an à la carte taco and a side of chips. My parents ordered a sweet pineapple tamale and a chicken tamale with mole sauce. Normally I'm not a big fan of tamales because they taste too "corny" to me but these were very good. The mole sauce wasn't my favorite but the chicken was so tender and the masa was mild and moist. None of use had tried a sweet tamale before and were pleasantly surprised. It was also moist and tasted like a sweet corn cake (with pineapple).

My taco was fantastic and cheap. Only about $2. It was extremely crispy without being greasy, had shredded beef that was quite flavorful, and plenty of shredded lettuce and cheese. They also have a great salsa bar which is great for someone like me who LOVES spicy food.

Since I was so impressed with our first visit to Rudy's I begged my mom to take me to the one in Buellton on Tuesday. It was a lot bigger and much cleaner than the one in the city and even had a few more options on the menu that looked great. I had already had my mind on their taquitos which I had seen on the counter at the city location. We ordered one chicken and one beef taquito plate for about $3 each. This is a great deal because not only does each plate come with 2 filling taquitos but it also has a handful of chips, lots of guacamole, and a small salad.


The taquitos were delicious. I can't get over how not-greasy their chips and tacos are. I'm so bummed that we don't have a Rudy's in San Diego. To be honest with you, I haven't seen any Mexican restaurants in my area that look good (within 10 minutes of my house). I would love to hear about your favorite Mexican restaurants in San Diego, even if they are far from Vista.

It may be time to make some homemade tortillas again. After my second batch I promised myself I'd wait a while because I eat them WAY too fast. Each batch makes about 20-25 and they're gone within 2-3 days. Can you blame me?

Rudy's Mexican Restaurant
811 State St # E
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 564-8677

Rudy's Mexican Restaurant
234 E Highway 246
Buellton, CA
(805) 686-5268

Pseudo Panini Press

Well, I'm off to Santa Barbara for a long weekend so I won't be posting until mid-next week. Hopefully I'll have some good eats to share with you.

Before I go..I have to share my new find with you. The other week I found a cast iron grill press that fits perfectly in a round pan for frying bacon or smushing a sandwich into a panini.

The press didn't work quite as well as I had hoped but I only spent $7 for it at Marshalls and I think it will prove to be versatile. Here is a turkey panini sandwich (turkey, avacado, Bavarian swiss cheese, roasted garlic, and sweet honey mustard) that I made yesterday with the grill press:

Have a great weekend!

Vietnamese Garden Rolls

These are a favorite of mine but I usually don't have the patience to make them. Not that they take all that long; I just love shrimp and tend to want to eat them right away.

Vietnamese Garden Rolls

You'll need:

Spring Roll Wrappers (you might have to get these in an Asian market)
Lettuce
Thin Vermicelli Rice Noodles (in Asian section of grocery store)
Avacado
Large Cooked Shrimp (tails removed) or tofu cut into rectangles
Shredded carrot
Julienned Cucumber
Bean sprouts
Julienned Red Bell Pepper

Note: All of these vegetables are optional. Tonight I only had avacado and lettuce so that's all I used. The rolls taste much better with additional veggies like carrots and cucumbers.

1.) Soak spring roll wrappers, one or two at a time, in a bowl of cold water. Soak until the wrappers are completely soft. Lightly dry wrapper on a paper towel to soak up extra water.

2.) Soak the noodles in a bowl of hot (but not quite boiling) water for about 3 minutes, until soft.

3.) Place one wrapper down on a plate or cutting board. Place a butterflied shrimp in the center of the wrapper. Top the shrimp with a slice of avacado, a few of each of the vegetables, rice vermicelli noodles, and a small leaf of lettuce.

4.) Fold the top and bottom of the wrapper over the filling. Then fold one side of the wrapper over the filling and roll up towards the opposite side.

5.) Serve with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce or peanut sauce.

Note: the recipe I used this time for Nuoc Cham is not the best one I've ever had. Nigella Lawson actually has a great recipe for it but I can't find it right now. If anyone has it please let me know (I think it's from Nigella Bites). I'd love to get a copy.

Chocolate Mousse

What do you make when you have a few egg yolks and lots of heavy cream in the fridge? Chocolate Mousse!

I've been craving chocolate mousse all week and it just so happens that I had all of the ingredients available. The recipe I used was from the big Gourmet cookbook. This recipe takes a bit more work than the average chocolate mousse because it cooks the eggs (there are a lot of dirty dishes everywhere when you're done).

My husband was thrilled to come home from work to a big bowl of chocolate mousse. I had to remind him to save some for later.

The picture I took of the mousse is prior to being refrigerated for 6 hours. I almost prefer the lighter mousse to the thick dense mousse you get after it's chilled.

French Almond Macaroons

Yesterday I finally made French Almond Macaroons from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook (and website) after staring at the recipe for the last few weeks. I LOVE love LOVE almond macaroons and only discovered the French kind over the past few years.

I did my best to follow the recipe exactly and not rush through the process. So, basically, I did everything right according to the recipe but they didn't really turn out. The macaroons stuck to the Silpat and were way too fragile. They were still delicious and I ate them all (don't worry, I gave a couple to my husband) already. The recipe says it makes 30 but I think it only made about 20.

Here's where I think Martha (or whoever actually wrote the recipe) went wrong:

1.) The baking time was a little too short (or the temperature too low). My second batch of macaroons were in for more than 25 minutes and turned out perfect but the first batch that was in for about 25 minutes did not.

2.) It says to whip the egg whites to medium-soft peaks but I think medium-hard peaks would have turned out better.

3.) This may be because of complaint # 2 above, but the batter spread too far outside of the 2-inch circles I had marked out.

Next time I make these they should turn out much better and I will take the time to sandwich them with the Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

Dry Fry Long Beans with Pork

If you read my blog you know I love my long beans. I pretty much eat them once a week. The other day I was inspired to change the way I cook my long beans when I read Barbara's post about dry frying on her blog, Tiger and Strawberries.

It wasn't until last night when I was reading one of my Chinese cookbooks that I decided to try the dry fry techinique, also called gan bian. The cookbook I used uses more oil than Barbara did when frying her beans.

According to my cookbook you should heat up about an inch of canola oil in your wok until it reaches 375 degrees (this is for 1 lb. of green beans). Fry beans, sitrring occasionally, until the beans are wrinkled and blistered. It took me about 6 minutes to achieve this effect with the long beans.

I then removed the long beans from the wok and let them drain on a paper bag. I poured out all but 1-2 T. of the oil and cooked a 1/4 lb. of ground pork in the wok until the pork was brown (about 3 minutes). Then I added the beans back to the wok and poured in the sauce (1 T. soy, 1 T. dry sherry, 2 T. chicken broth, 1 t. sugar). The beans were cooked until they absorbed the sauce and my meal was done.

This is an extremely satisfying dish and while it's not all that healthy I'm going to have a hard time not cooking my long beans this way from now on. Next time I make this dish I will try using less oil and see if it cooks the same way.

While it's not the prettiest dish, it's versatile and delicious. You can omit the pork, add dried shrimp and Sichuan preserved turnip or green onions. Normally I stir fry my steamed long beans with ginger and garlic but these dry fried beans don't need the garlic and ginger. They are extremely flavorful with just the small amount of sauce.

I am so excited about this dish and highly recommend it. You can use green beans if you have trouble finding long beans in your area. The cooking time will most likely be cut in half with green beans.

St. Patrick's Day Bonanza: A Quick Irish Supper

Supper is such a funny word. It makes me think of my grandparents. We always said dinner in my family but whenever we went up to New York to visit the relatives it was always referred to as supper. I always wondered if there was a difference between the two words. It seems there is a difference and you can read about it here.

Today was another rainy day (a month ago I was complaining how San Diego never gets rain and this month we've had mostly rain) and also St. Patrick's Day so a hearty and homey meal was in order. Since I'm not much of a "hearty" eater (I don't like stews, soups, and popular American meals like meatloaf) I made my own simple version of a filling Irish supper.

I marinated some wild salmon with a teaspoon each of dijion mustard and honey; a few tablespoons of lemon juice; some olive oil; 1 small clove of garlic, minced; fresh ground black pepper, salt, dried tarragon, and dried dill. Then I popped two baking potatoes in the oven since they always seem to take a while to bake.

Right before I grilled the salmon I turned the potatoes into Twice Baked Potatoes with Celtic Cheddar. You've probably made twice baked potatoes before but I'll quickly explain how to make them in case you haven't.

Twice Baked Potatoes: Cut baking potato in half. Scoop out insides and mush together with milk until creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garlic or garlic powder is optional (I used a dash). Mix in shredded cheese and put potato mixture back into potato skins. Sprinkle more shredded cheese on top and place on a cookie sheet or pan. Bake until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Repeat with each baking potato.

The Celtic Cheddar had such a great flavor and worked perfectly in the twice baked potatoes.



Since it's St. Paddy's day and I didn't wear green all day, I decided to add a little green to the plate and stir fry some broccoli with lemon juice, toasted almonds, and snap peas.

Maybe next year I'll make corned beef or beef stew. This year I went Irish lite.

St. Patrick's Day Bonanza: Shamrock Cookies

My St. Patrick's Day Bonanza continues with Shamrock Cookies. I've had this recipe since I was a kid but I don't think I've ever made or eaten these cookies before. So I thought tonight would be the perfect time to try them out.

These little Irish gems are the tastiest sugar cookies I've had in a long time. Perfect for the little (or big) leprechaun in your life.


Shamrock Cookies

Makes 32 cookies.

1. In a mixer, beat butter on medium speed until softened. Add sugar and salt and beat until fluffy.

2. Add the egg, vanilla, and food coloring. Beat well.

3. With mixer on low speed gradually add flour and beat well.

4. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each part into a 1 inch thick log (about 8 inches long). Roll each log in green colored sugar. Wrap rolls in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or as long as 1 week.

5. Turn oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap rolls. Slice crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices.

6. To shape each shamrock, place 3 slices of dough, sides touching, on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cut a stem from a fourth slice and attach to the shamrock (save the rest of this slice for cutting other shamrock stems). With three fingers, gently push the slices together so each leaflet curves in slightly.

7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes (mine took 12-14 minutes) or until edges are light brown.

St. Patrick's Day Bonanza: Irish Brown Bread

You know that saying that "man cannot live by bread alone"? I disagree. This woman can live on bread. Especially freshly baked bread.

Tonight I made Irish Brown Bread in honor of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. I assumed it was the same as Boston Brown Bread but now I realize it's not Boston Brown Bread without molasses (that seems to be the key ingredient). So that will be another loaf for another day. Tonight we celebrate the Irish.

A Slice of Irish Brown Bread with Celtic Cheddar Cheese

My Messy Lemon Curd Berry Tart

My favorite dessert is any kind of berry tart. The best filling I've ever had in a fruit tart is meyer lemon curd. The subtle tartness of the meyer lemon melds perfectly with the buttery pastry dough and sweet berries.

The main dessert served at my dinner party the other night was a Strawberry Tart with Meyer Lemon Curd. I used a recipe from The Fannie Farmer Baking Book for the tart crust and the lemon curd recipe from my big fat Gourmet cookbook. Since I was in a hurry I made the glaze in a rush and it came out a bit lumpy (3/4 cup of strawberry jam mixed with 1 T. lemon juice and then boiled to a glaze consistency).

Despite the rush, the result was delicious. I could have worked harder on presentation but I think spending time with my guests is more important and they arrived earlier than I had expected so I had to finish the tart quickly. The best part about this dessert is that the ingredients can be made a day or two ahead of time and then assembled on the event day.

Tart dough: Mix 1 cup flour with 1/4 tsp. salt. Rub in 8 T. chilled butter. Mix in 1 T. water (or more) until the dough is soft but not sticky. Form into a small disc, wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before using. Pat into tart pan and prick with fork. Bake in 425 degree oven for 12 minutes, or until golden. Before filling, brush tart with glaze (see above).

Meyer Lemon Curd:

1 T. plus 2 tsp. finely grated meyer lemon zest
1 cup fresh meyer lemon juice
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
pinch of salt
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Whisk together first 4 ingredients in heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, for 10 minutes, or until curd thickens and starts to show a few bubbles.

Immediately strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Discard solids. Cool to room temperature, stir occasionally, then store in an airtight container. Cool in the fridge until cold. The curd will keep stored for 1 week in the fridge.

Assemble Tart: Scoop about half of the curd into the prepared tart crust (already glazed) and let settle. You don't want to over-fill the tart (like I did) because it will make a BIG mess. Then place berries (I used halved strawberries) on top in concentric circles. If you'd like you can then glaze the top of the tart with the remaining glaze. Serves about 6 people.

Note: I have to apologize for the presentation quality of this tart. I overfilled the tart crust and quickly placed the strawberries on top, not even worrying about how it looked. Now I'm a bit embarassed and wish I had a better picture. If only you could have tasted it!

The 2 slices leftover didn't last for very long. I ate them immediately when I woke up. You can see how messy this tart was from the cake stand. Ahh. C'est La Vie.

Midnight Snack: Greek Nachos

Thanks to my husband I am now on a complete night-time schedule. I wake up in the late afternoon and go to bed a little bit before morning. It's not a good schedule for the body but I would never see my husband if I weren't on this schedule. I'm promising myself that I will start a day-time schedule again in a month or two. Hopefully he'll be switched to day crew by June.

So I haven't been eating well on this new schedule. Breakfast is around 1pm. Lunch around 8 or 9pm and then a snack around midnight (or later). Most of these "meals" are really snacks.

Tonight I needed something substantial around midnight but was too lazy to make a meal. I saw the tortilla chips on the counter and knew that I had cheese in the fridge but I didn't want regular ol' cheddar nachos. So I mixed it up.

This is what I came up with....

Greek Nachos

Tortilla Chips (pita chips would probably work great too)
English cucumber, diced
Cherry red or golden tomatoes, diced and seeded
Pepperoncini, sliced
Olives, diced (optional)
Roasted Red Pepper, diced (optional)
Shredded Mozzerella
Crumbled Feta (Trader Joe's Mediterannean feta)
Fresh ground black pepper
Dried Oregano
Crushed Red pepper flakes, to taste

It was just a late-night idea/craving but it actually ended up tasting great!

Chocolate Ice Cream

I've been dying to make ice cream ever since my mom gave me her ice cream maker. Homemade ice cream seemed like a great dessert for my dinner party the other week so I quickly whipped up a batch of ice cream. The only problem was that the ice cream maker wasn't in as much of a hurry as I was. I think the custard I made was too thick because the ice cream maker kept getting overheated and shutting off. So a 20-minute recipe ended up taking at least an hour.

The Chocolate Ice Cream recipe I used was from epicurious but I made several changes. Instead of using mexican chocolate I had to use dark chocolate chips (it was all I had). The recipe also didn't call for any sugar and my mom and I thought that sounded pretty disgusting (it didn't taste good either) so I added about a 1/2 cup sugar.

When I initially poured the custard into the machine I was worried I had made it too thick but the ice cream tasted incredible when done. This is more of a chocolate custard ice cream recipe and is extremely rich but perfect for guests. I also made some strawberry sauce to go with it and cut some of the richness.

Ocean Thai Cuisine

A month or two before I moved to North County, San Diego my friend took me to a hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant in Oceanside. This quaint Thai restaurant, called Ocean Thai Cuisine, is tucked away in a tiny strip mall next to a convienence store and Latino market. I never would have found this gem without my friend's help.

Since that first visit I have been back at least 7 times. My husband and I love the prices (you can easily eat a great meal for under $10 a person) and, so far, we think it's the best Thai restaurant in town. 2 weekends ago I took my mom there and yesterday I took my husband for his birthday dinner. We decided on Ocean Thai because we've both been sick for the last five days and I've always found Thai food to be very comforting when I'm sick or cold (or sad). After both visits we had enough food for another meal. I adore Thai leftovers.

You'll be happy to know that I did remember to take pictures during both recent visits. The first visit I decided to use my new cell phone camera to see if it could do the job but I was highly disappointed with the quality. The second time I used my digital camera but not the flash (since the flash would definitely attract attention) so the pictures came out fairly dark. I also took pictures of some of the leftovers which isn't as attractive as the plated dishes but these are much easier to see.

If you read my blog regularly then you know that I LOVE Tom Yum Koong (tom yum with shrimp). I've tried making it myself and while it was good, it wasn't great (partly because 99 Ranch Market NEVER has any kaffir lime leaves when I go). Ocean Thai makes a GREAT Tom Yum. It's fragrant and just spicy enough (I ask for everything medium spicy so that my husband can eat it too). Their other soups are comforting as well. The Hot and Sour soup looks similar to the Chinese version but tastes sweeter with a thinner broth. Usually I don't like Hot and Sour soup but this one was delicious.


When you go to Ocean Thai Cuisine, order the Sampler Platter (for 2 or 4). Unless you're crazy and don't like spring rolls, you'll love this plate. The platter for 2 consists of 2 shrimp rolls, 4 mini spring rolls, 2 large spring rolls (slightly different than the previous spring rolls) and 2 shrimp purses. Everything is fried but nothing is greasy. Their dishes are always garnished with cute carrot flowers and their sauces are always tasty.

Speaking of sauces, their Chicken Satay has the BEST cucumber chutney (something similar is served with the Angel Wings as well). The sauces for the Cucumber salad, sampler platter, and peanut sauce for the satay are equally complimentary to their dishes.

Their Larb Gai (chicken Larb) is a great appetizer or leftover. It's not too spicy and not too acidic. My mom and I ended up eating the cucumber salad and Larb Gai for lunch the next day.

During both of my recent visits we tried the Angel Wings appetizer. We had never ordered these before because it says the 2 wings are around $8 which seems really pricey to me. That is until they brought the wings to the table. 2 wings is an understatement. These suckers are huge (the photo below doesn't do them justice). I honestly have no idea how they get these wings to expand so much. After they are deboned they are stuffed with glass noodles and shrimp and then fried. The wings were extremely filling and crisp without being greasy.

When I was eating at Ocean Thai with my mom the other week I noticed that they had made a few changes. They had tableclothes, cute folded napkins, and a new fish tank. I have to admit, my husband and I were sad to see our big fish friend go. He was old and snappy (literally, he snapped at you while you were eating) so it was probably his time to go. I can't help but wonder if he ended up as someone's dinner. Instead of the big old fish they have an updated fish tank with smaller fish. They also have Thai sculptures and jewelry on shelves (I believe they are available for purchase) and carved woodwork on the walls.


I've always found their customer service to be prompt and friendly. The other day I asked a woman there where they bought their Kaffir Lime leaves. She was extremely nice and offered to give me some if I just stop by the next time I need some. I'm a little shy when it comes to situations like that so I decided to go to 99 Ranch Market to see if they had any (she said they come in big bags). Unfortunately I couldn't find them anywhere. For some reason they don't sell kaffir lime leaves on the days I visit. The nice woman also offered to give me directions to a nursery that might sell the entire plant. I was disappointed when I went back last night and she wasn't there. I wanted to let her know that I hadn't found the kaffir lime leaves (maybe she would offer me some?).

Now that I've eaten my leftovers from last night I'm planning my next order at Ocean Thai Cuisine.

Ocean Thai Cuisine
3846 Mission Ave #A3
Oceanside, CA 92054
(760) 967-9901

Sally Lunn Bread

I used to make Sally Lunn bread all of the time growing up but somehow forgot about it since I've been in CA. So I just got the family recipe from my mom and made it today. In the past I always baked it in a loaf pan but today I followed the directions and baked it in a brownie pan. I think I prefer it in a loaf pan.

This bread is slightly sweet and is perfect for breakfast (with jam) or dinner (with butter).

SALLY LUNN BREAD

2 c. flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites, beat until stiff, not dry
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sift and measure the flour. Add the baking powder, sugar and salt and sift again.

3. Beat the egg yolks and add the milk. Combine the egg mixture with the dry ingredients. Stir lightly just to blend the two mixtures. Add the melted butter.

4. Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and fold them into the batter. (The egg whites should be beaten and ready or the baking powder starts to work before you get the whites incorporated).

5. Bake in a buttered 8 in square pan for 30 min. Cut into 2 inch squares and serve piping hot.

Knockout Pizza

I am finally feeling more comfortable living here in North County, San Diego because I have a NY Pizzeria to satisfy my NY pizza cravings.

Knockout Pizzeria is located in Carlsbad and according to google it has several more locations (Oceanside, San Marcos). My husband and I first tried Knockout after a walk on the beach. They offer a deal where you get 2 slices of pizza (the first time we had tomato basil and pepperoni) with a drink for $5. Not a bad deal but it's more like a snack than a meal. My husband and I laughed pretty hard when we read that one pizza is supposed to feed 3-4 people. We easily go through one pizza ourselves and are always disappointed when there are no leftovers. A pizza is 16" and goes for around $16-18. The crust is really thin so we're able to eat a lot more pizza than we could normally.

We've ordered 2 pizzas since that first visit. Both times we got the tomato basil pizza because it was so satisfying. They make this pizza with garlic and olive oil instead of tomato sauce and have plenty of chopped basil on top of the pizza with thin slices of tomato.

If you've never had NY pizza and live out here; try it! There's nothing like it. I find it addictive. While I love other pizza places like Oggis and Leucadia pizza (my favorite is still my own pizza), I grew up on NY pizza and can't live without it. Thank goodness for Knockout Pizzeria.

(The guy who started Knockout Pizzeria used to work at Bronx Pizza in San Diego on Washington St.).



Knockout Pizzeria
2959 Carlsbad Blvd.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760/434-4468

Note: They only do free delivery if you live within 4 miles.

Cashew and Basil Tartlets

When I was planning the menu for my dinner party this past Monday I knew I needed to have a mixture of recipes that I were from my repetoire and a few recipes I had never tried before. Usually you aren't supposed to try new recipes when having guests over but I couldn't just serve bread and cheese for an appetizer (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with that..good cheese and bread is heavenly) because my guests had been listening to me go on and on about how much I love to cook. So I felt that I needed to impress. That's when I turned to my Finger Food cookbook from The Australian Women's Weekly.

I had already made some olive tarts (puff pastry, feta, and olives) and had leftover puff pastry dough so I decided to make Cashew and Basil Tartlets. The recipe called for fresh basil which I had just used up the night before for homemade pesto so I decided that the pesto would work fine in its place. The result was quite tasty. My only complaint is that they're called Cashew and Basil Tarts. You can't taste the cashews at all.



Cashew and Basil Tartlets
c. 1998, The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbooks

3 sheets ready rolled shortcrust pastry
paprika

FILLING:
1 oz. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
4 oz. packet cream cheese
1 oz. butter, extra
1/4 cup roasted cashew nuts
2 T. chopped fresh basil
1 egg yolk
1/4 c. cream (or milk)
1/4 c. grated fresh parmesean cheese

Cut 2 inch rounds from pastry, press into lightly greased (or non stick) mini muffin pans, prick well with fork. Bake in moderately hot oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned, remove from pan to wire rack.

Filling: Heat butter in pan, add onion, cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Blend or process remaining ingredients until smooth, stir in onion mixture.

Just before serving, spoon filling into mini tartlets and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkly lightly with paprika just before serving.

Makes about 60.

Note: Pastry tartlets and filling can be prepared a day ahead.

French Potato Salad and My Favorite Stuffing

Finally, I have recipes to post! Last week was extremely busy for me with out of town guests and my mom visiting. My husband came home from a mini-deployment last night and we had a great dinner party. I wanted to make dishes that could be prepared ahead of time and I think I was 80% successful. Dinner still required a lot of work.

One of the side dishes I made is my favorite potato salad. This is perfect for picnics, summer meals or even parties. There seems to be a typo in this recipe. In the dressing they use 3 T. of white wine but I believe they mean white wine vinegar (I use the latter and it really adds flavor). Also, sometimes I add more white wine than the recipe calls for when boiling the potatoes.

Another side dish for last night's meal was my all-time favorite stuffing that I couldn't possibly reserve for only Thanksgiving so I usually serve it whenever I make my garlic chicken dish.

Wild Rice, Apple, and Dried-Cranberry Stuffing

Notes:

1.) To make this dish easier buy Trader Joe's already cooked wild rice. You put it in boiling water for 5 minutes and it's done! This package of wild rice will be enough for this recipe and leave you with an extra cup of rice (which is great when mixed with basmati rice and toasted almonds).

2.) You don't need to use homemade chicken stock in this stuffing (unless you happen to already have some in your fridge). Store bought chicken stock works just fine.

3.) When shopping for the ingredients you'll need about 2 apples, 5 stalks of celery, a loaf of french bread (the 99cents loaf at your local grocery store works great) and 2 small onions.

4.) As mentioned in the recipe, you can make this entire dish a day ahead (which I did). Just make sure you don't drizzle the melted butter and chicken stock on the stuffing until right before you put it in the oven.

More recipes to come from last night's dinner party....