Asparagus Gruyere Tart

                                                                                                                                          

Thanks Martha Stewart!

Flour, for work surface

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded

1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

2.Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cake:

                                                                                                                                                     

•2/3 cup packed brown sugar

•1/3 cup butter, melted

•2 (20 ounce) cans sliced pineapple

•1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

•3 eggs

•1/3 cup vegetable oil

•12 maraschino cherries, halved

Directions

•In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter; mix well. Spoon into 24 greased muffin cups. Drain pineapple, reserving the juice. Trim pineapple to fit the muffin cups; place one ring in each cup.

•In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oils and 1-1/4 cups of the reserved pineapple juice; mix well. Spoon over pineapple, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Immediately invert onto wire racks to cool. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.

Melomakarona (Greek Christmas Cookie)

                                                                                                                           
My daughter had these cookies at our local Greek festival. She wanted me to find the recipe so we could  make them. I can not wait!!

•For the cookies:

•1 cup olive oil

•1 cup vegetable oil

•3/4 cup sugar

•Zest of one orange

•3/4 cup orange juice

•1/4 cup brandy

•2 tsp. baking powder

•1 tsp. baking soda

•Pinch of salt

•7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

•3/4 cup walnuts, ground coarsely

•Ground cinnamon for sprinkling

•For the syrup:

•1 cup honey

•1 cup sugar

•1 1/2 cups water

•1 cinnamon stick

•3-4 whole cloves

•1-2-inch piece lemon rind

•1 tsp. lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, using your fingers, combine the orange zest with the sugar – rubbing the grains as if you were playing with sand to release the orange oils into the sugar.

Using a mixer beat the oil with the orange sugar until well mixed. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the orange juice and brandy to mixer and mix well.

Slowly incorporate the flour cup by cup until the mixture forms dough that is not too loose but not quite firm either. It will be dense and wet but not sticky. Once the flour is incorporated fully stop mixing.

To roll cookies, pinch a portion of dough off about the size of a walnut. Shape in your palms into a smooth oblong shape, almost like a small egg. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Shape and roll cookies until the sheet is filled.

Press the tines of a large fork in a crosshatch pattern in the center of each cookie. This will flatten them slightly in the center. The cookies should resemble lightly flattened ovals when they go in the oven.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes until lightly browned. (The cookies will darken when submerged in syrup.)

While the cookies are baking, prepare the syrup.

In a saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves, and lemon rind. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon, cloves, and lemon rind and stir in lemon juice.

Place the ground walnuts in a shallow plate or bowl next to the stove top. When the cookies come out of the oven and while they are still very warm, carefully float the cookies in the syrup and allow the cookies to absorb syrup on both sides.

Using a fork or small spatula, remove the cookie from the syrup and place on a platter or plate. Press ground walnuts lightly into the tops of the cookies (syrup will help it adhere) and sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon.

Do not refrigerate Melomakarona as they will harden. Store room temperature in an airtight container.

4 Cheese Jalapeno Mac and Cheese

                                                                                                              



1/3 lb of pasta cooked al dente
1/3 c Gruyere, grated
1/2 c sharp cheddar, grated
1/3 c smoked Gouda, grated
1/3 c Fontina, grated
1&1/2 c half and half
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 T paprika
1 T salt
1 T pepper

2 T cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 c of cold water

Bring half and half to a simmer, add all of the cheese and the jalapeno. Stir constantly until cheese is melted. To thicken sauce, add the dissolved cornstarch and stir briskly. Pour over pasta and sprinkle with paprika. Bake 30 minutes. You can add a little extra cheese and some panko for a crunchy top.

Greek 3 Cheese Cauliflower

                                                                                                                                       

1 large head of cauliflower

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

1/2 cup smoked Gouda cheese, grated

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 eggs

Salt and pepper paprika

Directions

Wash and separate cauliflower into florets and cook in a large saucepan in boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and arrange in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 300°F. In a saucepan, melt butter; add flour and stir over high heat until browned slightly. Add milk and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add cheese; cook until cheese is melted. Slightly beat eggs in small bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup hot sauce into eggs. Whisk egg mixture gradually into the sauce. Salt and pepper to your taste. Pour over cauliflower and sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 15 minutes, until bubbly.