Prosciutto Wrapped Almond Butter & Chèvre Dates

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Prosciutto Wrapped Almond Butter & Chèvre Dates

Don’t get me wrong; my boyfriend and I have got plenty in common.

We also have a few fundamental differences.  Things I have a hard time getting past.  Things at the very core of who we are.  Things like he doesn’t like ants on a log.

Say what?!?  Who doesn’t like ants on a log?  Who is this man and what is this craziness?  I wouldn’t think twice about them as a cocktail party snack or lining up a whole forest of fallen logs and calling it dinner. Not my Matt, though.

I know.  We should seek counseling.

But in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I am reaching out.  I’ve created an hors d’oeuvre that screams classy (for Mr. Fancy Pants) but actually caters to my inner desire to feast on ants on a log.  They’re prosciutto wrapped almond butter & chèvre stuffed dates and they are totally addictive.  Matt’ll dig them because I’ve replaced the raw celery with prosciutto.  His much hated raisin-ants are now giant Medjool date-beetles.  And the peanut butter has been swapped for almond butter and chèvre because, well, peanut butter and prosciutto just felt wrong. [Read more…]

Rosemary & Aged Provolone Gougères

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GougèresGenerous, caring, and nurturing-that’s me.

There was a very big football game for us folks in the Midwest this Sunday (or so I hear) and I was nice enough to make Matt a basket of warm Gougères to munch with his beer while watching the game.

Dream girlfriend, I know.  Totally selfless.

Reality?  I just want something to eat with my Champagne when I get home from work on New Year’s Eve, so I whipped up a batch of Gougères.  Also, I detest watching football so I thought I’d cook up something blog-worthy so I could type the afternoon away instead of being forced to sit in front of the TV, pretending to care about the most painfully boring sport in existence.

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Sweet & Spicy Toasted Squash Seeds

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I try to take time to do a couple nice things for myself everyday.  Today I drank my coffee in bed, took a walk with my camera, and made myself a tasty treat that didn’t require any trips to the grocery store.

If you’re like me, you eat a lot of squash throughout the fall and winter.  And if you don’t, you’re missing out on wondrous squash soups, squash risotto, roasted squash hash, squash puree, stuffed squash, and…

…lots and lots of squash seeds.

But those are not garbage or even compost.  Those seeds are your favorite autumnal snack!  They’re the best thing to munch with beer, contribute a little crunch to a salad, or add a little pop to your perfectly pureed soup.

Super easy to make- just clean, soak, season, and toast.

 

 

 

I enjoyed some of my seeds under a clear blue sky with a glass of apple cider and a good book.  What are you going to do with yours?

 

Sweet & Spicy Toasted Squash Seeds
 
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These roasted squash seeds make a crunchy garnish for soups and salads and are a perfect nibble with drinks.
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Ingredients
  • 1 c. Squash Seeds (cleaned, soaked in salted water overnight, and rinsed)
  • 2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • ½ tsp. Cinnamon
  • ¼ - ½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 tsp. Rosemary, finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
  • 1 Tbsp. Dark Brown Sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°.
  2. Combine prepped squash seeds with oil, spices, rosemary, salt, and sugar; stir until seeds are evenly coated.
  3. Spread seeds evenly over baking sheets and bake until seeds are golden and toasty, about 25 minutes. Stir often and watch carefully as these can easily be burned.
  4. Allow to cool before serving or transferring to an airtight container.