Cheese Fatayer

Several months ago I was on the hunt for Aleppo pepper and nigella seeds so that I could make these fatayers that I found at Hajar's blog Moribyan. They didn't have either in several stores that I went. After finding Aleppo pepper in a grocery store not too far away, I was finally able to find the nigella seeds at a Middle Eastern market. Nigella seeds look like black sesame seeds. Aleppo pepper looks similar to crushed red pepper, but it's not spicy. 

The instructions are to make 12 delicious fatayers, but you can make them bigger or smaller if you'd like. 

Cheese Fatayer

Dough

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour, additional as needed
1/2 T. salt
1/2 T. instant yeast
1 c. lukewarm water
1/2 T. sugar
2 T. olive oil
2 T. plain yogurt
Milk or heavy cream (or beaten egg white), for brushing

Cheese Filling

3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
1 T. parsley, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. dried mint
1 t. Aleppo pepper
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. nigella seeds

Add the flour, salt, yeast, water, sugar, olive oil, and plain yogurt to a large mixing bowl. Mix using a hook attachment on a stand mixer or knead it by hand. Knead together for 2 to 3 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. It should be a bit sticky but not difficult to handle. If it is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until not sticky.

Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Cover it and let it rest in a warm place for an hour or until double in size.

While the dough rests, prepare the cheese filling. Combine mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, parsley, egg, onion powder, mint, Aleppo pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, and nigella seeds in a bowl. Set aside until assembly.

After an hour, preheat oven to 475°. Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal portions, pinching each piece into a tight ball. Stretch each piece out longways and then shape it into an oval/football shape.

Add a generous amount of cheese filling to the center and fold over the left and right sides while pinching the top and bottom to create a shape that looks like a boat.

Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the edges with milk, heavy cream, or egg white. Repeat with the rest.

Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown on the edges. 

Baked Potato Wedges

For at least a month, I was asking my children what they'd like me to make to take to Thanksgiving dinner at their grandma's house. I only got two requests, so we planned on those. On Monday the week of Thanksgiving, I went grocery shopping. On Tuesday night, one of my daughter's requested potato wedges and sent me this recipe from Dinner at the Zoo. 

I didn't want to go back to the store that close to Thanksgiving, so she's lucky I had most of the ingredients. I didn't have fresh parsley, so I used dried. I had parmigiano reggiano instead of parmesan, so that's what I used. I had run out of paprika, so I used Cajun seasoning. 

I baked them in spread out in one layer on a baking sheet and then put them on a serving platter (below). They turned out crispy on the outside and soft in the inside with a great flavor. I'm always happy to have another good potato recipe!  

Baked Potato Wedges

4 medium Russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into eighths
1/4 c. olive oil
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. smoked paprika OR Cajun seasoning
2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/3 c. finely grated parmesan cheese
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Place the potato wedges in the bowl. With hands, toss wedges in topping to coat the potatoes evenly with the seasoning.

Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and fork tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Blackberry Basil Ricotta Pizza

When I recently saw this recipe at The Stay at Home Chef, I wanted to make it. It was like nothing I have ever eaten before. It's easy, yet turns out looking elegant. 

Used basil from my plant and blackberries from the farmers market. Just make your favorite pizza dough or a refrigerated one. I had rolled mine out to a perfect circle, and then when I transferred it to the pizza stone, it stretched out of shape, leaving me with a rustic look, and that's okay. 

Have your ingredients all ready before you put the pizza crust on the hot pizza stone since it will immediately start to bake. I warmed my stone at 500°, but then lowered it to 400° since the crust was already browned on the bottom when I put it in the oven.

Blackberry Basil Ricotta Pizza

1 (14 to 16-inch) unbaked pizza crust
1 T. olive oil
1 (6-oz.) pkg. fresh blackberries, halved
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

1 c. ricotta cheese

10 large basil leaves, sliced into strips

Preheat a 14 to 16-inch pizza stone in an oven at 500°.

Carefully place pizza crust on hot pizza stone. Rub the olive oil over the pizza crust. Smash half of the blackberries and spread out over the crust.

Top oiled crust with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Scatter remaining blackberries over the pizza. Place spoonfuls of ricotta randomly over the pizza.

Bake on the pizza stone for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese starts to brown. Scatter basil leaves over the pizza during the last few minutes of baking. Remove from oven and slice into 8 large slices.

Vegetable Enchiladas

I got this filling recipe from my sister Tiffany years ago. I was searching my blog for the recipe and couldn't believe I hadn't shared it yet. Each enchilada is like a cornucopia of goodness and flavor. No meat needed here. Just use corn tortillas to make this a gluten-free recipe. 

Vegetable Enchiladas

2 t. olive oil
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 med. red peppers, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
2 (15 - 19-oz.) cans white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 jalapeño peppers, minced with seeds (optional)
1 c. loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped
6 (8-in) tortillas
15 oz. salsa 
1/3 c. shredded Monterey-Jack cheese
Lime wedges for garnish 

Preheat oven to 375°. In skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, onion and red pepper and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, blend half of the beans with broth until almost smooth. Transfer bean mixture to bowl; stir in remaining beans and set aside. 

To vegetables in skillet, add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in corn and jalapeño; cook 2 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to bowl with beans. Stir in cilantro. Spoon about 3/4 cup mixture along center of each tortilla and fold tortilla up. 

Spoon about 1/2 cup salsa onto bottom of 9x13-inch pan. Place enchiladas seam side down on top of salsa. Spoon remaining salsa over enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Mini Avocado and Hummus Quesadillas

These little quesadillas from Cookin' Canuck make a great snack, side dish or even dinner. This is what Elisa and I had for dinner tonight. They are easy to throw together and taste super good! I used street taco tortillas (which are small) instead of cutting the regular-sized tortillas. They're pretty cute and make this recipe even easier, although they aren't whole wheat. 

Mini Avocado and Hummus Quesadillas
4 whole wheat tortillas
¼ c. hummus
¼ t. ground cumin
1 T. minced cilantro
½ California avocado, cut into 12 slices
1 ½ oz. crumbled queso fresco
Using a 2½-inch circle cookie cutter (or a glass with a 3½-inch circumference and a small knife), cut 3 circles from each tortilla.
In a small bowl, stir together the hummus, cumin and cilantro.
 
Spread 1 teaspoon of the hummus mixture on each tortilla circle. Divide the avocado slices and queso fresco evenly between the quesadillas, arranging them on one half of the tortilla circles.
 
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Place several quesadillas in the pan and cook until the tortillas are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
 
Repeat with the remaining quesadillas. Serve.

Spinach and Garlic Potato Patties

I seem to have a bit of an obsession with potatoes and when I saw these at Diethood I had to make them. I made them tonight and devoured  several of them. They are similar to the Ecuadorian Llampingachos that I make, but slightly different. 

After processing the boiled potatoes in the food processor instead of by hand, I threw the other ingredients into the processor and quickly mixed it. In the photo, you can see that I used red onion. These are garlicky and I like the crisp outside.

In case you would like to try some of the other potato dishes I like, I have also made Mashed Potato Puffs and Mashed Potato, Cheese and Chive Waffles and posted the recipes.

Spinach and Garlic Potato Patties

1-lb. potatoes (about 4 medium-sized potatoes), boiled, peeled and quartered

¼ c. milk

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 bag (8 to 10 oz.) baby spinach

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 c. shredded parmesan cheese

2 T. lemon juice

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 c. panko crumbs

¼ c. olive oil, for frying (add more as needed)

Optional Toppings:

Yogurt

Sour Cream

Soy Sauce

Combine prepared potatoes and milk in a large mixing bowl; using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add spinach and garlic to skillet; season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for 2 more minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

Remove from heat and add spinach mixture to the potatoes. Stir in cheese and lemon juice. Add egg and panko/bread crumbs; stir until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Shape the mixture into patties. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Working in batches, fry each patty on both sides until golden brown; about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer potato patties to a paper towel–lined plate.

Serve with yogurt, sour cream or soy sauce, if desired.

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

This is a copycat recipe for a Cheesecake Factory dish which I've never had before so I can't compare it to the original, but this one from Food, Folks, and Fun is really good. I love all the layers of flavors. They're kinda like loaded nachos. Don't be scared away by the several different components because they're all easy and come together quickly. 

I personally won't make the Southwest sauce next time. I think it's great with just the sour cream, but that's a personal preference. To speed up the corn cakes mixing, after processing the corn, I just threw the butter and other ingredients in the next steps into the food processor and blended it in there, being careful not to process too much after adding the flour and masa harina. Then I mixed in the remaining corn by hand.

It made 4 corn cakes, but I only took a photo of 2 of them. Look at all those pretty colors!

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

For the Salsa Verde:

2 tomatillos, roughly chopped

1 (4-oz. can) diced green chilies, drained

1 green onion, sliced thin

2 T. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 ½ t. granulated sugar

¼ t. ground cumin

¼ t. salt

⅛ t. ground black pepper

For the Pico De Gallo:

1 large Roma tomato, diced

1 T. red onion, diced

1 T. fresh cilantro, minced

½ t. lime juice

Salt and ground pepper to taste

For Southwestern Sauce:

½ c. mayonnaise

1 t. white vinegar

1 t. water

½ t. granulated sugar

½ t. chili powder

¼ t. paprika

⅛ t. cayenne pepper

¼ t. onion powder

⅛ t. garlic powder

For the Corn Cakes:

1 ½ c. frozen sweet corn

½ c. butter, softened to room temperature

3 T. sugar

⅛ t. salt

½ c. corn masa harina flour

2 T. all-purpose flour

1½ T. olive oil

For Garnish:

Sour cream

Avocado, diced

Fresh cilantro, chopped

For the Salsa Verde:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until combined, but still a little chunky. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and chill at least 1 hour.

For the Pico De Gallo:

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and toss. Cover and chill at least 1 hour

For the Southwestern Sauce:

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix until well combined. Cover, and chill at least 1 hour.

For the Corn Cakes:

add 1 cup of the frozen corn in a food processor until it's coarsely pureed. In a medium bowl add the pureed corn, softened butter, sugar, and salt. Mix until combined.

Add masa harina and flour and mix until no flour streaks remain. Add the remaining ½ cup of frozen corn kernels, and mix until corn is evenly distributed.

Measure ½ cup portions of the mixture and use your hands to form them into 3-inch wide patties.

Add the olive oil to a large skillet and preheat over medium-low heat. Add the patties to the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown, another 5-8 minutes.

To assemble, add the Salsa Verde to platter and spread it evenly. Heat the platter in the microwave for 1 minute. Place the corn cakes on top of the warmed Salsa Verde, and evenly distribute the Pico De Gallo and Southwestern Sauce over the tops. Dollop with sour cream, and garnish with avocado and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Mashed Potato, Cheese & Chive Waffles

When I saw this recipe at Joy the Baker, it reminded me lot of Llampingachos, which I love, but made in a waffle iron. These are a bit easier since you don't have to shape them into patties with cheese in the middle. We had Oaxaca cheese, so I used that and I also used green onion instead of chives. Next time I'll cook them just a little longer for a crisper waffle. We loved them the day I made them and the next day, and I wished I had made more so we could keep eating them.

Mashed Potato, Cheese and Chive Waffles

4 T. unsalted butter
1/4 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 c. mashed potatoes
3 T. chopped chives
1/2 c. all­purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 c. grated cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-­low heat. As the butter melts it will begin to crackle and pop. Continue to cook the butter until the crackling subsides and the butter begins to brown a bit. The butter will smell nutty. Immediately transfer the browned butter into a medium bowl. Whisk in buttermilk and eggs until thoroughly combined. Add the mashed potatoes and 2 tablespoons chives and gently stir to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a spoon to mix until all of the flour is thoroughly combined. Try not to overmix the batter. Just stir it until the flour is combined.

Heat a waffle iron and grease if necessary.

Dollop batter (about 1/4 cup per waffle) into the waffle iron. Cook until golden on each side. The amount of time depends on your waffle iron. Remove waffles from the iron and place on a cooling rack to rest. The cooling rack will keep the waffles from getting soggy on the bottom as they cool.

Just before serving the waffles, turn oven to the broiler setting. Place waffles on a baking sheet and top with cheddar cheese. Place waffles under the broiler until cheese is melted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with remaining chives and serve warm.

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Salad

This is the second time I made this recipe from The Talking Kitchen and I love it. I only wish that I would have roasted the veggies longer so they'd have a nice char on them, but I was running behind and couldn't take as long this time. This is a great side dish or even a main dish for dinner or lunch. Lots of yummy vegetables plus a fresh lemony zing and the nutritional goodness of quinoa.

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Salad

Quinoa:

1 c. rinsed quinoa

2 c. chicken stock

1 t. extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 t. sea salt

Roasted Vegetables:

2 bell peppers, cubed

1 zucchini, cubed

1 squash, cubed

1 red onion, cubed

1 fennel bulb, cubed

4 garlic cloves, whole

1 T. Herbs de Provence

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 t. smoked salt

Dressing

1/2 lemon, juiced and zested

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Fresh herbs

Preheat the oven to 450º, or fire up the grill.

In a bowl, combine all the cubed veggies and toss with the Herbs de Provence, oil and salt. Place in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping half way through. (or grill the veggies to your liking)

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over low heat and add the garlic, saute for 1 minute, then add the rinsed quinoa and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat, let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.

In a serving bowl, combine cooked quinoa with roasted veggies. Add dressing, toss and serve. Can be served hot or cold. 

Zucchini Rice

I debated putting this recipe on my blog. Not because it's not really good. It is! It's just super simple so it seems like you don't really need a recipe. But since we liked it, I decided to post it since my blog is my cookbook. We eat a lot of rice and I get tired of plain rice so it was good to add some veggies for something different. The recipe from Chungah calls for black beans, but I didn't have any. I'm sure that would be a great addition.

Zucchini Rice

• 1 1/2 c. uncooked rice
• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 zucchini, shredded
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• In a large saucepan of 3 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
• 
  
• Remove from heat and stir in black beans, corn, zucchini, butter, lime juice and cilantro. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

Roasted Carrot Salad

I love roasted veggies. And I love these roasted carrots with fresh greens and the crunch from the almonds and the yummy dressing. It's all so good together. I found this at Your Homebased Mom.

Roasted Carrot Salad

10-12 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced. About 5 cups
1/2 c. slivered almonds
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t. honey
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. dried cranberries
2-4 c. arugula

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine carrots, almonds and garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. 

Spread in single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until carrots are tender, not mushy. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

Mix together honey and vinegar and drizzle over cooled carrots. Add in cranberries and more salt and pepper to taste.

Caprese Tarts

These tarts from Sweet Paul are so good! I chopped the tomatoes in half and didn't use 20, but I found myself wanting more tomatoes, so next time I'll add more. I loved these as a side dish with a dinner one night and then leftovers as a lunch alone the next day.
 

Caprese Tarts

1 large sheet puff pastry

1 fresh mozzarella, sliced
20 cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
2 T. olive oil
Fresh basil

Preheat oven to 375°.

Dust flour onto a countertop. Place puff pastry on flour and cut the pastry into 4 squares and roll it out to almost double size. Place each pastry on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
 
Place mozzarella and tomatoes on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Bake until golden, about 12-15 minutes.

Mashed Potato Puffs

Here's another great, creative potato recipe from Cinnamon-Spice and Everything Nice, this time using leftover mashed potatoes. I wish I would have doubled it because they were so good. I will cook them a little longer next time since they keep their shape better when they're browner and I like the crispy outside. I used green onion instead of chives, since that's what I had. 

 

Mashed Potato Puffs

2 eggs

1/3 c. sour cream

1 c. (heaping) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 

2 T. grated Parmesan

1 strip bacon, cooked and chopped 

2 T. chives, chopped 

Salt and black pepper, to taste

3 c. leftover mashed potatoes

Extra sour cream, bacon, and chives for topping

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease 8 - 9 of the wells of a cupcake pan.

 

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs then whisk in the sour cream. Mix in Cheddar, Parmesan, bacon and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add them to the bowl and mix well.

 

Spoon them into the pan filling the cups just to the top or a little below. Bake 25 - 35 minutes until they pull away from the sides of the cup and are golden brown all over.

 

Remove from oven and let them cool 5 minutes in pan. Turn them out onto a platter. Serve with sour cream and extra chives, bacon or cheese.

 

Reeni's Southwestern Potato Rounds

Oh, yummmmy! Seriously. I made these as a side dish, but they would be great for a party or just about whenever. The recipe is at Cinnamon-Spice and Everything Nice so go check out all her great recipes. I accidently bought mozzarella instead of cheddar so I used some of that and some of a Mexican blend I had. I also used fresh tomatoes and canned green chilies. I'm glad I have a little leftover because I'm having more today!

Reeni's Southwestern Potato Rounds

3 large Russett potatoes, sliced into 1/3-inch to 1/2-inch thich rounds

2 T. olive oil, divided

Salt and fresh black pepper

3 slices bacon

Topping:

2 T. diced onion

1 c. canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. corn

1/2 c. diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained

1/2 t. chili powder

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Green onions, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly grease 2 medium-sized baking sheets with olive oil and lay the potatoes out in a single layer. Brush the tops lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until fork-tender 25 - 30 minutes.

 

Line a small baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Lay out the bacon and bake about 10 minutes or until crispy. Remove to paper towels to drain and crumble when cooled.

 

Meanwhile add a tablespoon of olive oil to a frying pan set over medium-low heat. Add the onion, beans, corn, tomatoes and chili powder to the pan. Cook, stirring often about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool.

 

When the potatoes are fork tender remove from the oven and sprinkle the tops lightly with about half the cheese. Spoon the corn mixture over the tops. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of each one followed by a sprinkle of bacon.

 

Preheat the broiler with the oven rack in the center. Place the potatoes in oven until the cheese melts and gets a little toasty about 5 minutes, checking often.

 

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of green onions, if desired.