Cooking at Home – Goat Cheese stuffed Figs with Crisp Prosciutto and Caramelize Brussels Sprouts

Cooking at Home – Goat Cheese stuffed Figs with Crisp Prosciutto and Caramelize Brussels Sprouts… Not together LOL

Cooking at Home – Goat Cheese stuffed Figs with Crisp Prosciutto

Inspired by a special treat from Lombardi’s Restaurant Everett Marina and then Head Chef Jeremy Taisey… Fresh fig with goat cheese, sea salt, balsamic vinegar and crispy Prosciutto!

Lombardi’s Everett Waterfront - Fresh fig with goat cheese, sea salt, balsamic vinegar and crispy Prosciutto

We have wanted to try making Chef Jeremy Taisey fig and goat cheese since the first time we had them.  We finally had our chance when we invited our family over for a med week dinner of Bucatini pasta with Avocado Basil Pesto and antipasto. Part of the antipasto would be goat cheese stuff figs.

Our challenge now was finding fresh figs. A week before the dinner our local store had two types of figs in. So I thought there would be no problem when it became time to buy. I was wrong… The day before our dinner there was none to be found. We visited all our local outlets, nothing. Luckily the morning of the dinner I needed to pick up a few things and there they were lovely black figs…

First step is to crisp the prosciutto.

Cooking at Home – Goat Cheese stuffed Figs with Crisp Prosciutto - Crisp the Prosciutto

Set aside to cool. We crumbled ours…

Cooking at Home – Goat Cheese stuffed Figs with Crisp Prosciutto - Crisp the Prosciutto

Cut the stems from the figs and cut in half.

Cooking at Home – Goat Cheese stuffed Figs with Crisp Prosciutto – fresh black figs

Arrange the fig halves on a plate.

Spoon the goat cheese on the fig halves (experiment by using flavored goat cheeses)

Cooking at Home – Goat Cheese stuffed Figs with Crisp Prosciutto – spoon the goat cheese on the figs

Cooking at Home – Goat Cheese stuffed Figs with Crisp Prosciutto – spoon the goat cheese on the figs

Arrange pieces of prosciutto on each fig half.

Cooking at Home – Goat Cheese stuffed Figs with Crisp Prosciutto – Arrange pieces of prosciutto on each fig half

Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with sea salt.

Cooking at Home – Goat Cheese stuffed Figs with Crisp Prosciutto

Enjoy…

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 Cooking at Home – Caramelize Brussels Sprouts

Cooking at Home – Caramelize Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

12 to 14 (for 4) Brussels sprouts

Chicken stock

1 chicken bouillon

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Butter

Salt and pepper
Optional ingredients: bacon, prosciutto, pancetta, garlic, red pepper flakes, etc.

Directions:

Prepare the brussels sprouts by removing unwanted leaves and stems. Cut brussels sprouts in half.

Place brussels sprouts, cut side down in a saucepan.

Add chicken bouillon and chicken stock to cover the bottom portion of the brussels sprouts.

Cooking at Home – Caramelize Brussels Sprouts - place brussels sprouts, cut side down, add chicken bouillon and chicken stock

Add salt and pepper and tablespoon of butter. Bring to a boil.

Cooking at Home – Caramelize Brussels Sprouts - reduce liquid

Reduce liquid until there are is no liquid left.

Cooking at Home – Caramelize Brussels Sprouts - deglaze and add optional ingredients

Deglaze with olive oil, tablespoon of butter and sauté until caramelized. (Cooks note: this is where you can add the optional ingredients such as; bacon, prosciutto, pancetta, garlic, red pepper flakes, etc.)

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and served.

Cooking at Home – Caramelize Brussels Sprouts

Enjoy!

zzzz

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables

We think the key to make authentic Italian grilled marinated vegetables for antipasti is to grill the vegetables first.

Thinly slice the vegetables. If you have great knife skill you are in luck. We use a peeler to slice the softer vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash, etc. We tried to use a peeler on eggplant, but the skin was to tuff.

We used white vinegar in our marinate but you can use any of your favorites such as, red wine vinegar champagne vinegar, etc.

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables – Slicing the vegetables

Slicing the vegetables can be done as we did by using a peeler or by using a knife, mandolin food slicer, an attachment to a food processor, etc.

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables – Slicing the vegetables

Eggplant skin and meat are too hard for the peeler.

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables – Staging saves you steps

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables – Grilling Vegetables

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables – Grilling Vegetables

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables – Grilled Yellow squash, Zucchini and Eggplant

Grilling peppers has a few more steps. We grilled the peppers in the same pan we use for the other vegetables using more care to give it a good char. We found that by putting a lid over the peppers helped to give them great char marks.

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables - Grilling the peppers

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables - Grilling the peppers

Once the peppers are grilled, placed the peppers in a covered container. This allows the peppers to sweat making it easier to remove the skin.

Let the red peppers sit for approximately 15 min.

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables

Carefully remove the skin. Remember the skin may be hot.

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables - Remove the skin

When peeled, cut the peppers and remove the seeds. Now, sliced the peppers.

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables - Remove the seeds

We prepare each vegetable in its own individual container. Our marinate recipe is for each individual vegetable.

The Marinated

Ingredients:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 cup vinegar (to taste)

1 clove garlic

Pinch red pepper flaks

Salt and pepper

Once stage, add the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, a pinch of pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables

The marinated vegetables can be served within two hours, but best in 12 or more hours.

We used our Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables as a family size antipasti…

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables - Antipasti

Cooking at Home - Italian Grilled Marinated Vegetables - Antipasti

zzz

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites and what to do with the left over Caprese pieces

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites and what to do with the left over Caprese pieces…

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites 

Caprese salad is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania, made of sliced fresh (buffalo) mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, seasoned with salt, and olive oil. In Italy, unlike most salads, it is usually served as an antipasto, not a side dish.

We decided rather than making a traditional solid we would make it more as a appetizer. We found that cherry tomatoes and small mozzarella balls work perfectly.

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites 

We laid that tomatoes out and cut the tops off.

Then, using a small spoon hollow out the tomatoes.

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites - cut the tops off and hollow out

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites - cut the tops off and hollow out

Cut the small mozzarella balls in half. Place a half in each of the hollowed out tomatoes.

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites - cut the small mozzarella balls in half

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites – place the mozzarella in each tomato

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites – place the mozzarella in each tomato

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes and mozzarella.

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites - drizzle extra virgin olive oil

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites – drizzle balsamic vinegar

Place a piece of basil leaf over each tomato and mozzarella bite.

Cooking at home - Caprese Bites – piece of basil leaf and sea salt 

Finish off by sprinkling sea salt.

Enjoy!

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Cooking at home - Caprese Omelette

What to do with leftover caprice see pieces? We found the solution. Why not make an omelette. After all, isn't that what omelettes are for? Using leftovers is good thing.

Staging your ingredients helps you from making mistakes and also saves time.

Cooking at home - Caprese Omelette - Stage your ingredients

We like the use a little milk in my omelettes.

Butter and a little olive oil works great in a hot pan. Cook the omelette until the egg liquid no longer jiggles. Then add the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves. Once the omelette is a little firm and the ingredients have cooked, fold the omelette in half. Add a little cheese topping of what ever grated cheese. You may have and finish cooking to the firmness you enjoy.

Cooking at home - Caprese Omelette - add the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves

Cooking at home - Caprese Omelette - fold the omelette in half

Cooking at home - Caprese Omelette - add a little cheese

Cooking at home - Caprese Omelette 

Enjoy!

zzz

Cooking at Home - Bucatini with Avocado Basil Pesto

Cooking at Home - Bucatini with Avocado Basil Pesto or Bucatini con Pesto di basilico Avocado...

Cooking at Home - Bucatini with Avocado Basil Pesto 

Bucatini with Avocado Basil Pesto is a great dish to us for picnics, pot lucks and large family gatherings or when you want to sit down to a nice summer meal. Avocado Basil Pesto pasta is served room temperature, no need to worry about keeping it warm…

We chose to use bucatini pasta because of the way it holds the sauce. You can use any of your favorites.

For those who do not know what bucatini pasta is: it’s a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the centre. The name comes from Italian: buco, meaning "hole", while bucato means "pierced".

Enjoy…

Avocado Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

1 to 2 avocado (depending on size)

2 lemons (to taste)

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Directions:

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Cooking at Home - Avocado Basil Pesto - Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor

Cooking at Home - Avocado Basil Pesto - Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor

Cooking at Home - Avocado Basil Pesto - Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor

Add the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.

Cooking at Home - Avocado Basil Pesto - add the oil

Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the avocados and place in a food processor process until smooth.

Cooking at Home - Avocado Basil Pesto - add avocado

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the juice of fresh lemon (to taste).

Cooking at Home - Avocado Basil Pesto - add the juice of fresh lemon

Mix in cheese and blend until smooth.

Cooking at Home - Avocado Basil Pesto - mix in cheese

Pour the pesto over the pasta and toss together. Add the cheese and pine nuts and toss together until coated, adding the pasta water, as needed, to loosen the sauce.

Cooking at Home - Avocado Basil Pesto - pesto over the pasta and toss together

Cooking at Home - Avocado Basil Pesto - Add the cheese and pine nuts

Enjoy!

Cooking at Home - Avocado Basil Pesto 

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Around the Area:

Lake Stevens Oktoberfest

Lake Stevens Oktoberfest is a new. The event brought fun for the entire family including a Beer Garden and a Wine Garden, Root Beer Garden, Food and vendor booths, music, kids’ activities and more.  

Lake Stevens Oktoberfest

Lake Stevens Oktoberfest – Supper Foot Long Corndog

Lake Stevens Oktoberfest

Lake Stevens Oktoberfest – In the Beer Tent – They had a Root beer Tent Too…

Lake Stevens Oktoberfest – In the Beer Tent – Setting up for music – There was German music and dancing down by the lake

Lake Stevens Oktoberfest 

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