Party Dip Stuffed Mini Peppers

A few weeks back, my daughter Ava and I were trying to figure out what we wanted to have for dinner. Instead of making a full meal, she suggested we have ourselves a fun picky food dinner made up of different party dips. It was a rainy Saturday and we had no plans for the night, so we went ahead with this fun idea. Two of the dishes that Ava requested were Buffalo chicken dip and spinach artichoke dip, served with toasted bread. While this did sound fun and appetizing, I was in the mood for just a bit more. Something just a step beyond party dips. What I decided to do was use these dips as a stuffing with mini peppers. Not only did this combination kick the party meal up a few notches, it also became a fun way to actually serve the party dips.

With New Year’s Eve literally just a few days away, what better time to share this idea with you. It really is not so much of a recipe, but rather an idea, a concept and a fun presentation. While we went with Buffalo chicken and spinach artichoke, I could see a bunch of party dips working well with this presentation. Anything from smoked salmon and clam dip, to French onion, hummus and crab dip would make an excellent pairing with a pepper. I’m even thinking Italian hoagie dip would be pretty amazing….although I’m not sure I would serve those warm. The crunch of a fresh stuffed pepper may be the better choice there.

The dip recipes that I used were found online, and believe me there are a ton of them out there for you to follow. If you are not into making a dip of your own, use a container of store bought dip. Again, this is more about presentation and not so much about making it from scratch. The suggestions that I can offer are to use mini peppers, sliced in half and seeds removed. Use about a tablespoon of your dip, making sure to not overstuff. Bake in a 400 degree pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes. And there ya go.

I encourage you to take this idea and run with it. Make it your own, and it will become the hit of the appetizer table. Or just have it for dinner like we did…either way, you will enjoy!

Quick and Easy Sunday Crab Gravy

This is a quick and condensed version of the Sunday summer Italian-American staple. While I am using 16 ounces of pure canned crab meat in place of of actual crabs, I guarantee you that this dish does not lack flavor, aroma and the overall deliciousness of the real deal.

The trick to doing this condensed version correctly is to use the proper type of canned crab meat. You want to get the full 16 ounce size can of pure crab meat that is sold in the seafood section of the grocery store. The smaller cans of crab meat found near the canned tuna are packed with water, so you are not really getting much for your money with those. You will find a choice of crab meat (special, claw, lump), the lump crab meat being the most expensive. I use the special crab meat and find that it works very well. The lump crab meat, of course, is the tastiest. But there are a lot of flavors going on in this dish, and I feel that the cost of the lump crab is a bit much for what you are using it for in this recipe.

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 16-ounce can crab meat
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh basil
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano, or 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
Pinch sea salt, to taste

Add the olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, stir until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds to one minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, stir. Add the full sprig of basil, then add the crab meat and stir. Add the Old Bay seasoning, salt and oregano, stir. Cover with lid, let simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes, spiring occasionally.

Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water. Add the pasta of your choice, cook according to directions to al dente stage.

Remove the basil and adjust the taste of the gravy to your liking. Remove the cooked pasta from the pot and place in a large bowl, reserving the pasta water. Top the pasta with the crab gravy. You can add a bit of the reserved pasta water to thin out the gravy if you prefer. Plate it and enjoy!

Breaded Zucchini

This past weekend my daughters and I were invited to a wedding celebration for our cousin Anthony and his beautiful new bride, Amanda. Anthony and Amanda were actually married back in December in a breathtaking outdoor ceremony out on the west coast. So this was a celebration for family and friends who live here on the east coast. Of course, the biggest highlight of the day was honoring the new bride and groom while also spending time and celebrating with our amazing family. Being the foodie enthusiast that I am, I was taking note of the many dishes that were served to us. Luckily, this trait has also carried on to my daughters. We weren’t very far into the appetizer course when both Jules and Ava asked if we could try making the crispy and delicious breaded zucchini that we all just finished scarfing up. Which brings us to today’s post!

Breaded zucchini is a tasty and nutritious dish that is very simple to make. Just a few basic ingredients are all you really need: zucchini, breadcrumbs, eggs for egg batter and some seasoning. My breadcrumb of choice for this dish is Panko. Unlike traditional breadcrumbs, Panko is a bit more flaky and airy, which gives more of a crispy texture to the breaded food. Panko also holds up well when fried, however I prefer to bake as often as I can as opposed to frying, and this dish bakes up very well!

Before we get into the recipe, I thought I would share some of my tips and tricks when using Panko. I like to add grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano to the breadcrumbs for a nice, nutty flavor. For every cup of Panko, I add 1/4 cup of grated cheese. I also like to add additional seasonings. Italian seasoning and garlic powder are always perfect seasonings of choice. For this dish, I decided to use Everything Bagel Seasoning. It has a nice combination of onion, garlic and sea salt flavoring, along with the texture of poppy and sesame seeds. If you don’t have Everything Bagel Seasoning on hand, a mixture of Italian seasoning, garlic and/or onion powder, or your favorite seasoning of choice will work just fine.

When breading with a Panko mixture, I find that it works best to use the mixture in small batches as opposed to dipping the battered food into one big bowl of the breadcrumb mixture. Because Panko is more crispy and airy than traditional breadcrumbs, I find that they can become soggy and mushy when combined with too much of the wet batter. Think rice crispies after they have been sitting in a bowl of milk for a while. What I like to do is mix up the breadcrumbs and seasonings in one bowl, then add it to another bowl in portions. Just enough to use what you need, adding more as you need it. This will help prevent the breadcrumbs from turning into a pile of mush that will not stick to the battered food. Patting the food dry with a paper towel before battering and adding breadcrumbs is also a good idea to help make the breadcrumbs stick and stay crunchy.

BREADED ZUCCHINI

Makes about 24 pieces

3 small zucchini, sliced length-wise about 1/4 inch thick. You can keep the skin on or peel it ahead time. Keeping the skin intact will give a bit more firmness to the slices. You can also slice the zucchini into round chip shapes if you prefer.
salt for seasoning
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons Everything Bagel Seasoning (or your choice of seasonings, such as Italian seasoning, garlic or onion powder)
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the Panko, grated cheese and seasonings in a bowl. Add the breadcrumb mixture in small batches into another bowl, which you will use for applying the breadcrumbs.

Pat the sliced zucchini dry to remove any excess moistrure. Lightly season the sliced zucchini with salt on both sides.

Dip the sliced zucchini into the egg batter one slice at a time, making sure that the zucchini slice is fully coated. Toss the battered zucchini into the small-batch bowl of breadcrumb mixture, lightly pressing the breadcrumbs to make sure they stick. Place the breaded zucchini onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Continue this process, adding breadcrumbs to the small batch bowl as needed, until all zucchini slices are breaded.

Bake until the breadcrumbs turn a golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve on its own, or with a dipping sauce such as marinara or ranch.

CONGRATULATIONS ANTHONY AND AMANDA!

Flatbread Fridays

Friday night pizza is a well known go-to dinner for many. Whether it’s home made pizza or ordered from your favorite neighborhood pizza shop, it is an easy and fun way to help celebrate the end of a long week. To help mix up this routine a bit, my daughters and I have started making flatbread pizzas once or twice a month. It’s a special day that we have named Flatbread Friday. 

Flatbread Friday is not so much about a recipe, but rather being fun and creative with whatever topping we decide to use for that day. To help keep it interesting, we often come up with themed Flatbread Fridays, often revolving around a specific ingredient. Some of our favorite themes have been Chicken Flatbreads (buffalo chicken, barbecued chicken, chicken with feta and spinach) and South Philly Flatbreads (cheesesteak, crab gravy with shaved parmesan, meatball parm, and pulled pork with broccoli rabe, provolone and roasted red peppers). We always make sure to include a traditional flatbread with mozzarella and sauce, and a white flatbread with extra garlic! Our favorite is the prosciutto and arugula flatbread. Nothing better than oven crisp prosciutto!

First comes the Flatbread

Instead of sharing a specific recipe, I thought it would be best to share some tips and tricks on how to make your own flatbread pizza. First, you need the actual flatbread. There are no specific rules or regulations for this. You can buy a variety of flatbread shells in the grocery store, usually in the bakery section. The shells could be rectangular or round, whichever you prefer. Even a Naan flatbread will work if you prefer. My personal choice is Brooklyn Bred Thin Pizza Crust. You can get two large shells or four small in a pack. Again, the key is to have fun. 

Pick your Toppings

The second tip is to go light on your toppings. Flatbreads are thinner than a traditional pizza crust, so there is a good chance of the flatbread folding or breaking if you go too heavy on the toppings. When adding a sauce, such as traditional pizza sauce, buffalo sauce or barbecue sauce, just a light coating will do the trick. The same goes for your toppings. Whether they are chicken, vegetables or meats, thin lightly chopped or shredded pieces work well. Try to avoid big chunks. 

Start the Oven

Preheat your oven to a nice, hot temperature. I prefer 425 degrees, which will cook your flatbreads in about 7-10 minutes. The best part of this is that you can make a variety, whether it is for a family of three or a party of twelve.  Get a variety going. Put out a bunch of toppings and let your family and friends make their own flatbread, Then slice them up and enjoy!

Flatbread Suggestions

Traditional – lightly brushed sauce, topped with shredded mozzarella and oregano

White – lightly brushed olive oil, topped with shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan cheese and garlic powder. You can also add pieces of prosciutto. Top with some arugula after the flatbread is cooked.

Pizzazz – thin slices of American or cooper sharp cheese, topped with hot banana pepper rings and thin sliced Roma tomatoes

Cheesesteak – cooked thinly shredded pieces of rib eye steak, mixed or topped with shredded provolone and caramelized onions

Porchetta – cooked thinly shredded pieces of Italian style pulled pork on top of sliced provolone. Topped with bits of broccoli rabe and roasted red peppers. 

Buffalo Chicken – cooked chopped pieces of chicken breast, either mixed with or placed on top of a thin layer of Buffalo sauce (home made or store bought), topped with bits of bleu cheese.

You can also check out this post in the Winter 2022 edition of RowHome Magazine!