Category Archives: Appetizers

Schofferhofer Grapefruit Brie Apple Crisp

I know, I know. You’re thinking, “Beer, grapefruit, brie and grandma’s apple crisp? What the what?” Welcome to the delicious world of craft beers! This Schofferhofer Grapefruit Brie Apple Crisp will conjure up some of those wonderful grandma’s cooking memories, but it will also bring you into the new (ish) & exciting world of craft beer, and all the fabtastic foods you can create. Alone, this Schofferhofer Grapefruit hefeweizen is refreshing to the taste buds and nose, worthy of any spring fling or summer pool party. With some fresh fruit and brie, it becomes Oscar worthy. Because of the brie, this dish can be used as either an appetizer or dessert. I personally tried some for breakfast, and it was incredible. Because I run on the hedonistic side, I also tried equal parts of Schofferhofer Grapefruit and champagne. Move over mimosa, there’s a new sheriff in town! YUM!!! I hope that you get as much enjoyment out of this recipe as I have!

Ingredients

5 lbs Apples, peeled, cored & cut into wedges
12 oz brie, cut into very small cubes
1/2 cup Schofferhofer Grapefruit
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbs tapioca
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into very small cubes

Combine apples and next 6 ingredients. Pour into greased 9×12 baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients in food processor by pulsing and just until combined. Drop over apple mixture. Bake at 350 until topping is browned and filling is bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before serving. It’ll be VERY hot! Enjoy!

Brie, Prosciutto & Balsamic Caramelized Onions Flatbread

Brie, Prosciutto and Balsamic Caramelized Onion Flatbread

I was hungry. That’s how this happened. I was simply hungry. I looked in the fridge and noticed there was brie that was at the “need to be consumed or else” phase. I just happened to pick up pizza dough at the deli yesterday. I recalled there was prosciutto in the “spare” fridge on the back patio. The final piece was sweetness. How do I add sweetness without ruining the savory of the flatbread? Glancing around the kitchen and in the cupboards, I noticed red onions and balsamic vinegar. BOOM! The final piece fell into place. 20140306_150211

I’ll warn you: this flatbread borders on insanely good. The brie isn’t overwhelming. The onions aren’t overwhelming. It is over the top with flavors that work together like a symphony. Ridiculous, I say! Shhhh, don’t tell anyone how simple it is. Be prepared. It’ll knock your socks off. Feed people a salad first so they don’t eat it all!

Ingredients

1/2 prepared pizza dough (from the bakery or deli)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 lb Brie, rind removed and chopped
6 oz Prosciutto, coarsely chopped

Roll out or stretch pizza dough until very thin. Place on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil, and dust lightly with kosher salt. In sauté pan, heat butter and the 1 Tbs olive oil over medium heat, until butter is melted. Add onions and cook until they begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Be careful with adding the vinegar; the fumes can be powerful if you breathe them in. Combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, and reduce for about 10 minutes. Assemble the flatbread: layer brie pieces, then prosciutto (it should cover the flatbread almost entirely), and finally the caramelized onions. Bake in 400 degree over for 18 to 20 minutes.

Dogfish Head Theobroma Vinaigrette Salad

Print Spring is finally in the air! When I think of spring, I think of wild flowers blooming. And that they need rain. When I hear rain, I want to dance naked in it. Then I look in the mirror. The effects of winter are apparent. The need to shed the hibernation hips takes over! “Must eat salad”, rambles around in my head. Enter Dogfish Head Theobroma (which translates to “Food of the Gods”) to the vinaigrette rescue. From the Dogfish Head website: “This Ancient Ale is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras that revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions.” How cool is THAT? Dogfish Head Theobroma is brewed with cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, honey AND ancho chilies. It’s got a velvety chocolate feel at the start, and a touch of spice at the finish. Which makes it a perfect beer to create a lovely vinaigrette to top off a healthy salad. Say hello to chocolate and goodbye to those hibernation hips!

Vinaigrette Ingredients

1 cup Dogfish Head Theobroma
1/2 cup chocolate balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
“Caviar” from 1 vanilla bean
2 tsp grated shallots
1/2 cup chocolate balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup plain rice vinegar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer until it reduces by 1/2, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in remaining ingredients. Set aside.

Salad Ingredients

8 cups arugula
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts
8 oz crumbled goat cheese

In large bowl, toss ingredients. Pour Dogfish Head Theobroma Vinaigrette over the salad mixture and serve. #YUM

New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Lobster Ravioli

Ahhh, February. Visions of hearts, Cupid, chocolate, champagne and beer dance before your eyes. Wait! Beer? No, you aren’t seeing things. I DID say beer. No matter if you love, or despise, Valentine’s Day (I personally host a “Cupid is Stupid” party each year!), this vision of New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Lobster Ravioli with a New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Browned Butter Cream Sauce will create a love affair with your taste buds that will last a lifetime. New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer has hints of coriander and grains of paradise (great name for a spice around Valentine’s Day! It’s actually a ground pepper.) that go fabtastic with the luxurious lobster without over-powering the delicate flavor. Impress your heart’s desire, or make yourself happy, this recipe is right on target for this Valentine’s Day!

New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Lobster Ravioli

24 oz lobster tail meat, divided
3 bottles New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer
32 oz seafood stock
32 oz chicken stock

4 Tbs butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs finely chopped shallots
2 tsp chopped fresh chives
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
2 oz brandy
3 Tbs New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer
7 oz ricotta cheese
Salt
Pepper
Your favorite fresh pasta recipe or wonton wrappers to form ravioli
4 Tbs butter

In large stock pot, bring the 3 bottles of New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer and stocks to a boil. Add lobster tails. Allow to poach for about 10 minutes, until just cooked. Remove from stock (save stock); cool. Remove

Henriettibles Lobster Ravioli

meat from tail, chop lobster into small pieces. Place butter in large skillet. Add garlic & shallots; cook until soft. Add 20 oz of lobster , chives and parsley and sauté for 2 minutes. Add brandy and 3 Tbs New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer; reduce for several minutes. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Combine with ricotta, salt & pepper to taste. Place ½ tsp on each ravioli, fold and seal with egg wash. Boil reserved stock to poach the ravioli for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to drain. Heat remaining butter in skillet and sauté ravioli until lightly browned.

New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer Browned Butter Cream Sauce
4 Tbs butter
2 Tbs finely chopped shallots
4 oz of reserved lobster
4 Tbs New Belgium Brewing Snapshot Wheat Beer
3 oz tomato sauce
10 oz heavy cream

Melt butter in skillet. Add shallots. Sauté until soft. Add lobster. Sauté 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; reduce over med low heat for several minutes, until thickened. Serve with ravioli.

Southern Bologna Cake

Bologna Cake. I know; it sounds strange. Given that October 24th was National Bologna Day, I

Henriettibles Southern Bologna Cake

thought it was worth delving into. The first time you heard of it was probably while watching the flick, “Sweet Home Alabama”, and you thought to yourself, “They just made that up for the movie!” I assure you; like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, Bologna Cake does exist! It’s not the sweet treat that you think of when you hear “cake”. It’s a savory concoction, fabtastic on crusty bread or a cracker. I had seen images of the cake before, and set about creating my own version. You can see WHY it’s called “cake”. It resembles a torte. I have to admit, I’ve enjoyed forcing friends to try it. Their faces are priceless as they delightfully realize this stuff is yum! It really does taste wonderful, particularly if you use a good quality bologna. It’s a great conversation piece for any party, and easy enough to make and take to a party. I hope you enjoy and would love to hear your feedback!

Ingredients

10 slices good quality bologna
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 seeded cucumber, finely chopped
3 Tbs chives, chopped
3 Tbs grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs shallots, finely chopped

Beat together all ingredients, except bologna, until creamy. Place one slice of bologna of serving platter or plate. Cover with a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture (see photo). Place another slice of bologna on top. Cover with a thin layer of cream cheese, Repeat until all layers are used. With remaining cram cheese mixture, cover top and sides as you would frost a cake. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. When ready to serve, slice as you would a cake. I suggest thin slices for ease of eating. Be sure to use a sharp knife to slice so you the visual impact of the cake is not impaired!

ENJOY!

Henriettibles Mini Derby Down Hot Browns

I love the Kentucky and all the pageantry. I love roses. I love turkey. I love Hot Browns. Heck, I love brie (or any cheese!). Taking all this into account, this is the Henriettibles take on the Kentucky Derby tradition of Hot Browns. Rather than the traditional toasted white bread, opened faced sandwich with a cheddar cheese sauce, I’ve made it with toasted sourdough rounds with a brie sauce. Fabulous appetizer for any Derby party, or any party! Horseshoes and roses not included.

Ingredients
One 2 lb boneless turkey breast
3 Tbs grapeseed oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
4 Tbs unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
½ cup Brie
½ cup grated parmesan
Loaf sourdough bread
Roma or plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
¼ cup grated parmesan
10 slices bacon, crumble half
White pepper
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley

Drizzle turkey breast with oil. Liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven proof baking dish and roast uncovered at 325 until skin browns, about 60 to 70 minutes. Cool and cut into thin slices.

While turkey is cooling, melt butter in sauce pan on medium heat. Add flour. Heat for 5 minutes, whisking continuously. Add milk. Continue to heat and whisk until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the brie (either shredded or chopped into small pieces) and the ½ cup of parmesan.

Toast slices of bread. Using a small round cookie cutter, cut bread into circles. Place onto cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Cover each with a slice of tomato. Add pieces of bacon, then slice of turkey. Pour three tablespoons of cheese sauce over each round. Sprinkle the white pepper, salt and the ¼ cup of parmesan cheese evenly over rounds. Heat for about 5 minutes under broiler, until sauce begins to brown a little. Remove from oven and sprinkle each with the crumbled bacon and parsley. Enjoy!