Appetizer
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Dessert
Cherry Tomatoes stuffed with Feta, Green Onions, & Bacon.
Ingredients
Steps
Slice about 1/4 inch off the top of each tomato. Using the small end of a melon baller, carefully some of the inside of each tomato, removing the seeds but leaving at least 1/4 inch of the wall of the tomato intact. Lightly sprinkle with insides of the tomatoes with salt and place cut side down on a paper towel to drain for 30 minutes.
While the tomatoes are draining, in a small bowl mix together the mayo, half of the green onions, bacon, feta, and pepper.
Once drained, fill each tomato with a spoonful of the filling and sprinkle the remaining green onions over top. Transfer to a serving platter and chill, covered in plastic wrap until ready to serve.
The tomatoes can be made up to 4 hours ahead of time and kept covered in the fridge.
Tips from the Chef…
Whenever I make this recipe I always double it as the tomatoes tend to be scooped up and eaten the second I put out the platter.
If you don’t have a melon baller it is very easy to gently cut around the inside of the tomato and then scoop out the insides with a small spoon. I used an espresso spoon because it fit nicely in the tomato. There is no need to be really fussy with this process, as the insides will be stuffed and covered up anyways.
2 things that I found worked well when making this recipe was to cook the bacon, chop it up into smaller chunks, and then chop it really fine in a food processor. I did the same thing with the feta, and then mixed them all together in a big bowl.
The first time I made this I followed the amount of ingredients exactly but found that the taste of the mayo over powered the taste of everything else. The next time I made it I kept the mayo the same but added quite a bit more bacon and feta. I preferred to have the feta as the main flavor instead of the mayo and it worked out quite well. I would suggest that once you mix all the ingredients, taste it and see which flavour dominates and which flavours you would like to add more of. It’s very easy to alter this recipe to fit your palate.
Enjoy!
…other wise know as Creamy Pesto & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta. Green, White & Red!
Ingredients
This will make enough sauce for 2 people. You can double it as you need to.
Give yourself about 10 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking time.
Steps
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add pasta cooking it to the way you like it. (I always go for al dente!)
Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent and tender. Stir in garlic and butter and saute until garlic is soft, about one minute.
Dissolve flour into the milk then had to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for 4 minutes. Make sure to stir constantly so that the sauce thickens.
Add the cheese and stir until melted. Next add the pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the sauce it heated through out.
If your pasta is not quite ready yet you can leave the sauce at a lower heat, making sure to stir
Tips from the Chef…
I randomly had bits of all the ingredients needed for this recipe in my fridge and it worked out perfect to use up all the leftovers.
I had a jar of pesto sauce that I bought for an appetizer because I didn’t have time to make it from scratch. The pesto was very strong in taste and very oily, but by adding it to a cream sauce it brought the taste down to a more mild level and the extra oil in it helped to coat the pasta perfectly. If I were to do this again however, I would most likely make the pesto from scratch so that I had more control of the flavours.
As far as pasta choices go, I made this using Fusilli, though you could use any type of pasta really. Linguine would be a classic option. The only thing to watch for is the cooking time of your pasta. Depending on the thickness you may have to start the cooking process before you start the sauce. Its just a matter of figuring out the timing. Remember the sauce can sit at a low heat once it is done if your pasta is not quite ready yet.
If you would like to add more substance to the pasta you can add some pre cooked chicken into the sauce to warm up, or you could add some fresh shrimp to cook in with the sauce.
When I sat down to eat this it tasted like I had ordered it at a restaurant, absolutely amazing! Next time I might add some cream cheese to it to make it a million time more rich and creamy. YUM!
Enjoy!
Hahaha…it looks a bit funny but it TASTES amazing!
5 slices of bacon (I always add WAY more)
1 medium red onion – diced (I usually only add half an onion)
3 cloves of garlic – minced
1/2 cup of milk
8 ounces of cream cheese
10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach
8 ounce can of water chestnuts – chopped (I usually don’t add this)
3 dashes hot sauce
1 cup grated Parmaesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
serve on baguette slices or crackers
…
Preheat over to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the majority of the fat, let bacon cool slightly and chop up. This step can be done ahead of time so all you would have to do is add the pre cooked pre chopped bacon to the pot to warm up. Still at medium heat add the garlic and onion cooking until brown – 5 to 8 minutes.
In the same pot add the milk to the cooked onions and warm at medium heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted. Add thawed and drained spinach, water chestnuts, hot sauce, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese – stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and make sure all the cheese is melted and everything is combined well. At this point you can taste it to see of its missing anything. Maybe some more hot sauce or a pinch of paprika if you want it more spicy.
Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2 quart shallow baking dish that is lightly greased. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.
You can make this recipes one day ahead of time just making sure its covered and kept in the fridge. If you do this just add another 5 minutes to the baking time.
Tips from the Chef…
At the stage in which you add the bulk of the ingredients feel free to try something new. Sometimes I add a bunch of spices to taste like Garlic Plus, or Italiano. Club House has some great One Step Spice Blends. Or if you don’t like spinach try adding a bunch of chopped red peppers. If you love cheese try doing half cream cheese half goat cheese for a different flavor. The possibilities really are endless.
Another option would be to bake the dip in a hollowed out loaf of sourdough bread, using the insides to scoop out the dip. I have yet to try this but it sounds super delish!
Hope you guys enjoy!
