Goat Cheese Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

Yes, these vibrant and delicious wonders make the perfect appetizer. They are red pockets of yum. But fair warning, these are not entirely my recipe.  The Spanish are famous for stuffing piquillo peppers, and goat cheese is one of the most popular fillings. I made some alterations to the stuffing to create my own version plus added a little dressing to coat them.  

Courtesy of Specialtyproduce.com

What is a Piquillo you ask?  And that would be a good question because it looks just like a regular red pepper, and it is.  But these are a variety of chili peppers in the capsicum annuum family.  Although, this chili pepper is sweet and doesn't harbor any heat, much akin to a traditional red bell pepper.  They are grown in Northern Spain near the town of Lodosa, and have a real reason for being called piquillo.  Simple answer.  In Spanish it means "little beak" which is exactly what these look like due to their small size, making them ideal for stuffing.  If you used a traditional red bell pepper and stuffed it with goat cheese it would be quite the grotesque amount of filling. Unless you are a cheese monster in which case you would be in goat heaven.

(I use the Dantza brand whole piquillo peppers from Despaña.  The round can shown below was specifically designed by request of Despaña.  All of the peppers are selected for their size and packed by hand to ensure all peppers remain whole, as that is the key for a stuffing pepper. Some piquillos come in strips for other uses. )

Speaking of stuffing, because of their sweet and supple flavor they are compatible with so many stuffing options. You can create a stuffing out of anything you like really, but I like cheese. Whenever I have had a goat cheese stuffed piquillo in a restaurant I have found the straight up goat cheese to be a bit dense and just one flavor note. That is why I decided to create my own version combining goat cheese with whipped cream cheese, parsley and some lemon zest.  I also went another step and added a little dressing to pour over top.  I think it adds to the overall freshness of the dish as the acidity combines well with the peppers. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have some dressing to soak up with the piece of bread you serve alongside these.   Your guests can also place an entire pepper on the bread which aids in delivering this tasty bite directly into the mouth.  Which I highly recommend.

These aren't hard to make, just a few ingredients.  They can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to dress and serve. The only slightly slippery part of assembling these is filling them.

Goat cheese, whipped cream cheese, parsley, lemon, shallot, and of course, the star, piquillo peppers. I buy mine from Despaña.  

ingredients

yields approx. 25 peppers

16.6 oz can whole piquillo peppers        
10.5 oz goat cheese log           
8 oz. whipped cream cheese        
1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh parsley        
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest                  
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper  

 

Dressing
1/3 c Oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 full tbsp shallots, minced
splash of lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
Basil to garnish, optional

The mixture: goat cheese, whipped cream cheese, chopped parsley and lemon zest, salt.

To aid in the filling, I use a piping bag.  I use piping bags for a lot of things.  It just makes it easier, especially for this recipe since the filling is too dense to spoon in. Plus if you use a decorative tip, you can create a lovely little flourish at the top of the pepper. Isn't that special. Sometimes it's the little things that mark the difference, and it doesn't take any more effort than if you didn't use a decorative tip.

The easiest way to stuffing anything... a piping bag!!

instructions

• When using these or any roasted peppers often times there are seeds.  Try to remove as many as possible being as careful as possible since the peppers are delicate. 
• Using a hand mixer, whip the goat cheese, cream cheese together, then add the parsley and lemon zest. You can also add shallots to this mixture, as I have done in the past.
• Fill the piping with the cheese mixture and using a wide tip, begin filling each pepper.
• Place them on a decorative serving platter.  If serving immediately, then drizzle the dressing over top.  If you are making them ahead of time, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Then dress them before serving. These should be served at room temperature so remove them from the fridge 1/2 hour prior.

You can also stuff these with cod, or a mixture of tuna and piquillo blended together to create a mousse.  Those are a few traditional ones to get you going.  I leave it up to you and your imagination to create some more. Whatever you choose, cheese, cod, tuna, spinach, etc these make the most vibrant and tasty appetizer platter that works all year long.  There are a thousand ways to use these peppers, many of which don't require stuffing them at all. I will have more recipes in the future with these delicious tiny red babies, so keep on the look out.

I recently served a bountiful platter alongside my homemade flatbreads at an outdoor dinner party. In the end, not a one was left.. of either.

Post note:  In the set up picture you may notice that I included endive. That is because you can also use fill the endive leaves with the goat cheese mixture and then lay a piquillo pepper on top.  In the coming weeks, I will be posting Endless Endive, which showcases several ways to serve them.

Print Ready Recipe

Fabulous Flatbreads

Who doesn't love pizza? Who, I ask? What's better than that thin, crispy, yet somehow doughy flat wonder. My husband loves when I make pizza, but he also loves when I use pizza dough to make flatbreads. So in this post I am sharing how I take that perfect pizza dough and let it shine all on its own.  Yeah, you heard me right.  No fancy toppings needed here.  Just fire up the oven, hotter than hell and crisp that yeasty baby up.  This is one of the simplest ways to make a WOW at any party or in the hearts and stomachs of loved ones. I have a long list of stomachs who crave and howl for these.   And you will, too.

In the past, on occasion I have made my own dough.  And if you have the time, by all means knock yourself out and make it from scratch.   I will admit there is a certain marvel of watching flour, yeast and water bring on their magic.  But this is one of those moments when I shout out, "why reinvent the wheel?"  I say, let someone else do all the making and waiting, while I do the all the buying of their pizza dough. Find a good source for dough, then bring it home and still achieve something homemade. Now that is magic equal to yeast rising.

Resting, Growing, Waiting to be grilled to perfection.  Fresh oregano, chopped and ready to go.

I drizzle some oil on top of the dough, cover it with dish towels and let the dough rise a bit. (I try to leave it near the hot stove to help it along.) Once risen, move onto shaping.  Instead of rolling it out, I prefer to stretch it and let it make its own odd shapes.  I just feel this method makes it more rustic.  You can certainly rock the rolling pin if you are in need of perfectly formed breads.

I keep the next step simple.  It's all about the dough but I do like to enhance it slightly by sprinkling salt, pepper and depending on my mood, fresh or dried herbs or crushed garlic and followed by a drizzle of olive oil.   I use a pizza paddle sprinkled with cornmeal to deliver my Picasso shaped dough onto the stone.

I literally almost never make a perfect round circle. 

All the while the pizza stone has been readying itself in a piping hot 500 degree oven.  Once the doughs are ready for cooking I turn the oven to broil.   These bad boys cook in a heartbeat so don't you darn step away or it will go up in flames.  JuanCarlos likes his flatbreads super toasty... shall we say almost burnt, so I always make a few that way.  (And yes, maybe a few more than I would like, as I don't always heed my own warning about walking away from the oven.)

You can make these ahead of time, stack them up and cover with foil.  Then pop them back in a 250-300 degree oven for a few minutes to warm just before serving.  These flew out of the bread basket this past weekend.  (Truth be told, I didn't cut up all the ones I made to serve to our guests. I kept a few for JC to eat this week because he loves them so much. And I love him.  That's how to 2stir life with love.)

Stack 'em up because they are sure to disappear.  You might want more than one stack because after they are gone you will have wished you had.

The perfect bite.  Alone and unadulterated or used to scoop something up.

If you don't have a pizza stone, you can also achieve the similiar results using a cast iron pan.  I have even thrown these on the BBQ, but you need to make sure the grates are oiled or the dough will stick.  Give it a try.

Orzo Salad ala Greek

Fresh green salads are a no brainer for the summer.  They are refreshing, crisp and light, as a summer salad should be.  Yet sometimes you may want all of that in a salad but need a tad more substance.  This is when pasta takes its cue and comes to the rescue. (In my opinion, pasta answers any of my rescue calls. It's my lifesaver. Literally and figuratively!)  
This Orzo Pasta Salad with a nod to Greece, is an oldie but goodie.  As with some of my archive recipes, I made them a lot in the past but then just moved on.  Or so I thought.  Come to find out that both my sisters, Alyssa and Jill, have continued to make this particular recipe throughout the years.   Which gives me smiles.  What gives them smiles is when I have to call them so THEY can remind me how I originally told them to make it.  Who cares how we get our smiles, as long as we are smiling.

First, allow me to enumerate on the many great aspects of this dish.  

• First, it's easy, and that is a huge plus. Good food doesn't have to be complicated or a royal pain in the...
• Second, since it uses orzo, the pasta component isn't too heavy yet it satisfies superbly.  How perfectly is that!
• Third, it contains crunchy vegetables. This is two fold good because we all need our veggies and they provide another textural element.
• Fourth, it packs a ton of flavor.  

Geez, I could keep on keeping on, but do I really need to?   Trust me, it's good.  So let's get down to brass tacks and assemble this one up.  I say ala Greek because the ingredients are similar to a Greek Salad just no lettuce but instead a tooth bite of orzo.  

Ingredients

(Yields approx. 5 cups)

1 lb. box Orzo, cooked
1 c English cucumber, seeds removed, small dice
1/3-2/3 c Calamata olives, chopped
1.5 - 2 c red, orange, yellow pepper, small dice
1/4 c scallions, sliced
1/3 heaping c red onion, small dice
2/3 c fresh basil, chiffonade
2/3 - 3/4 c Feta cheese, crumbled

The line up

Alright, let me continue with the plusses on this salad. You can prep everything the day before if you wanted to. Just place the chopped vegetables in an airtight container.  You could even cook the orzo if you wanted to. Just add some oil to keep it from sticking together.  Heck, you can make the salad a day ahead of time. Just add the feta before serving.  I told you I could go on and on about the pros to this salad.  

Instructions

Cook the orzo according to the package.  I like mine, as with all my pastas, al dente.  While the orzo is cooking chop the vegetables and olives as suggested above.   Let the orzo cool a bit, then toss it together with vegetables and olives. 

Orzo, the perfect little pasta.  This time it's starring in a salad.  But try it in soups. Che buono!

When cutting up vegetables, I usually like to slice them up in different sizes to create varying textures and shapes. However, with this salad I would recommend cutting everything in relatively the same size.  It creates an balanced salad, a balanced bite as well as makes it easy to eat. 

This time the veggies are conforming to one size, but they don't mind.  

Once you have everything cut, combine with the orzo.  Then move onto mixing up the dressing.

Vibrant, fresh colors of summer.

Whisk up or mix up in a jar, and dress the salad up.

Dressing

2/3 c Olive oil
1/4 c Red Wine Vinegar
1 t dried oregano
2 heaping t salt
1/2 t crushed black pepper
2 t fresh lemon juice
Zest of lemon, optional

Whisk together and pour over the salad.  I do like to add the dressing when the orzo is slightly warm.  The pasta tends to absorb even more of the flavor.  Once combined, add most of feta cheese and chopped basil leaves.

Leave some so you can adorn the top of the salad with more feta and basil, and serve.  This salad is best at room temp.  But I have eaten it right out of the refrigerator. (Actually, standing in the refrig, spoon in hand and gobbling it right out of the container.)

Versatile and vibrant little summer pasta salad that goes with everything.  It's great for a midweek meal using any leftovers for lunch the next day. (That is if you have any leftovers).  Add a base of mixed greens and pile some pasta salad on top. And of course,  this dandy of a dish is simply divine for a summer BBQ crowd.  I even brought a batch into the staff at Despaña and it got all smiles all around.  Like I said, pasta to the rescue.

Printable Recipe Version

Tortilla - Tradtional Spanish Style

Oh so many years ago, I had the awesome experience of living in Spain.  Madrid, to be specific. And I loved every minute of it. Including the moment I arrived and ordered a Tortilla Tradicional.  

Tortilla, in Spain, is quite a different thing than that of Latin American countries.  In contrast to the flour or corn flat bread,  the Spanish tortilla is made with eggs, potatoes and onions, and is considered more of a cake or torta. Tortilla being the diminutive form, means little cake.  Hence this egg/potato combo is less omelette and more cake.  In Spain, it is simply known as Tortilla, but to distinguish it from a French omelette or from the South American flatbread, it is often called tortilla de patatas or tortilla española.

No matter what you call it, this 'cake' is a delight to eat either as a snack, which is how the Spaniards usually eat it, or for breakfast/brunch.  Heck, why not a slice for dinner with a vegetable or salad on the side.  (A true Spaniard would be appalled at that suggestion.  But I am here in the U.S., and we need our greens!)

I will admit that making this was new to me. Years ago I tried my hand at making a tortilla but it didn't quite turn out to the thick, dense omelette it should be. A few reasons for my failure as a true Spaniard.  I didn't have an equal amount of eggs to potatoes which is what creates both the thickness and density. Plus I didn't poach the potatoes first. I cooked it altogether in a frittata style.  Working at Despaña has taught me a ton, including how to make a proper Spanish Tortilla.  After asking Chef Jaume Guerra, and watching the cooks make countless tortillas, one after another, each looking exactly the same, I felt ready to attempt it again. Please, do not get me wrong, I'm still not an expert.  Mine did not look as stunningly perfect as theirs but I have more confidence that I have the right technique now.  With that, an ever-good student knows how important it is to teach after she has been schooled. So here is the proper way to make this famous, delicious, versatile Tortilla.  Best part, It requires very few ingredients.

Ingredients

 

6 eggs, beaten
6 potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
Oil, salt

 

 

Instructions

Slice the potatoes and onion thinly.  I use a mandolin.  You can use the single cutter side of a box grater, or simply cut thinly with a knife.  In a sauté pan add at least 2/3 cup of oil and slowly heat, and add the potatoes and onions. Beat the eggs and set aside.

Ready, set, poach.

Yes, it's a ton of oil.  but not all of it is absorbed so don't freak out.

The key in cooking the potatoes is to poach them in the oil not fry.  So low and slow is the goal.  Let them cook in a gentle manner until the potatoes break apart. Then drain them, reserving the oil.  (Since the oil was not heated to the boil point you can reserve it and use it to cook at a later time.)  

Slowly poaching away to a soft tenderness.

Let the potatoes cool slightly. You don't want to add them to eggs when they are too hot, but you do want them to be warm so that when you mix them with the eggs it creates almost a custard.  

Drain the potatoes, and reserve the oil.  It can be used again.

Mix with eggs while still warm, but NOT hot.

Put some of the oil back in the pan and add your egg/potato mixture.  Cook over low heat slowly. Let the mixture set a bit and then using a spatula start to form sides and keep the omelette moving.  Allow this to cook 3/4 of the way. Then once it is set with rounded edges, slide it out of the pan onto a plate and then place the pan on top of the plate and flip it over back into the pan to let that side cook.  

You can see that it's potatoes being held together lovingly by eggs.

Slide it onto a plate.

Then place the pan on top and flip it over.

Despaña makes a variety of tortillas.  Some have chorizo, others have cheese, or zucchini.  The traditional is made of just the ingredients listed above but you can add whatever floats your Spanish Armada.  With Mother's Day approaching, this could be a nice way to start the day and treat your 'reina' - aka Queen.

I made this for dish when my niece, Lauren who studied in Barcelona, came for a visit. She loved living in Spain too, and has a passion for Spanish food and culture.  So I thought it only fitting to make this classic tapas treat for her.  

It was the perfect offering for a late Saturday lunch along with a charcuterie and cheese platter. Slice the tortilla up by cutting a pie wedge, serve with a glass of red wine and some crusty bread.  Can you say OLE! Sure can. And now you, too, know how to make a proper Traditional Spanish Tortilla. Viva España!

Printable Recipe Version

Lunch with a Friend - Casual with Style

My dear friend, Donna, and I had been trying to make plans to get together for months. We had set a date to meet in the city for lunch, but alas those plans got axed.  Once we switched the day, it meant she was able to come up to my house for a 'ladies lunch'.  Does that make us sound old?  If so, then forget it.  We were just eating together.

It had been a while since we had last seen each other, so the idea was to enjoy each other's company and not have cooking occupy my time. The plan to keep it easy peasy was to create a menu where the majority of items could all be roasted in the oven and the rest could be made ahead of time.  Leaving me hands free for when she arrived.  I like starch (pasta, potatoes, rice not the kind used for ironing), and wanted to include that too. My immediate thought was polenta. However, after surveying the menu, a last minute swap out for rice felt like it paired better with the rest of the offerings, which also included a salad.  When it came to dessert, this needed to be super simple because I didn't have the time to bake.  Add to that, I wanted something that I could enjoy too. A traditionally baked item uses flour and eggs, well, no good for me. 

Sure sandwiches would have been even easier. Sure we could have eaten at the kitchen table.  But a little extra detail is much nicer. And so...

How hard is it to keep it casual but amp it a bit to feel special?  Simply throw down a runner the opposite way to create an more intimate area on a large table, add some placemats. Toss cloth napkins on the plate and put glasses on the table.  That always ups the ante, and really it doesn't take more effort than that.

So when you want to keep it chill yet with touch of style for no fuss lunch, here's a menu that can be pulled off without a hitch. The best part of this for me was that since it was pouring out and despise schlepping in the rain, I already had everything in the house, and didn't even need to shop!!  

Prep everything in their pans, season right before putting in the oven and have a glass of wine.

If you need some recipes guides for the below menu, the highlighted items link to previous blog posts that feature each one. Also at the very bottom, you will find printable recipe versions.  If you have any questions on how to pull this menu off, write a comment below or email me

Lunch Menu

• Roasted Salmon

• Roasted Broccoli, Red Onions & Fennel

• Paella Rice Risotto style with caramelized red, yellow onion and scallions (see below)

• Citrus Salad

• Fresh Fruit "Bark" (see below)

Simply roasted salmon nestled up against beautiful roasted vegetables all on one plate.

Paella rice risotto style with 3 kinds of onions (red, yellow and scallions)

For the Paella Rice Risotto style, first sauté a mixture of red, yellow onion and scallion until caramelized.  Set aside. In a medium sized pot, simply sauté some more onions in oil, salt and pepper then add the rice to toast it. Then add either hot water or hot stock (chicken or vegetable) a few ladles at a time until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue until the rice is tender then stir in the sautéd onion mixture. 

Another option, you can check out my Garlic Rice recipe.

You know this salad. This is the Citrus Salad Bowl, but in one big bowl not individually plated. This way we could go back for seconds.

The skinny on how the dessert portion was pulled together with just a few ingredients: Open the fridge. Check out what you have and use your imagination.  I found strawberries and blueberries, and tucked in the back a tiny bit of left over chocolate ganache* (previously used for some profiteroles I had made).  And just like that I had a dessert.  Fresh Fruit Bark.

* Ganache is chocolate melted down by adding warmed cream to create a glaze .  When I originally made mine I used much less cream since I wanted a thicker consistency for the profiteroles.  If I had a traditional ganache, it would have never worked for this dessert.  

Spread the chocolate onto parchment paper.

Instructions

I melted down the chocolate, spread it over parchment and jammed, I mean lovingly placed, the fruit into the chocolate. For texture, I sprinkled some crushed Marcona Almonds and popped it in the fridge to set and chill until time to serve. 

Arrange the fruit in a way that is appetizing to you.

Since this was made with a semi ganache, it had a softer consistency than traditional bark.  That didn't bother either one of us, and the fresh fruit route was the perfect choice since Donna prefers fresh versus dried fruit. Phew, good call on my part.  This literally was the truest form of 'something from nothing', pulling a dessert out of the hat from whatever I had handy.  We both agreed it was quite delicious.  Bigger bonus, it gave her a new way to use up all the gorgeous summer fruit she gets at her country house.  

Starting with the lovely Shinn Estates Rosé that Donna brought, we had a relaxing time, ate well, caught up on each other's lives and travels, enjoyed a surprise yummy dessert, and of course, finished the entire bottle of wine. It ended as a perfect Lunch with a Friend.  

Sprinkle chopped Marcona Almonds all over the top.

Salmon/Vegetable Printable Recipe
Paella Rice Risotto Style Printable Recipe
Garlic Rice Printable Recipe
Citrus Salad Bowl Printable Recipe
Fresh Fruit "Bark Printable Recipe