Category: Finger Food

Smoked Mussel, Bacon and Brie Tarts

Do you remember that song from Sesame Street, “One of these things is not like the other things; one of these things does not belong?”  I think that many people may feel that song was made for these Smoked Mussel, Bacon and Brie tarts.     Smoked Mussels and Bacon sounds like a delicious version of Devils on Horseback.  Bacon and Brie?  You betcha!  Smoked Mussels and Bacon and Brie?  Hmmm…But, trust me on this one.  They are amazing!  Such yummy tasty little bites!

Smoked Mussel, Bacon and Brie Tarts

Mmmmm…melty cheese….bacon…how could these not be good?  And the smoky mussels combined with the smoked bacon is a perfect combo!

The recipe I used called for a can of smoked mussels.  You could use these but I used some gorgeous chilli smoked mussels from my fishmonger which, IMHO, took these tarts to next level!   The smoked mussels were actually the inspiration for me making these tarts.  As soon as I saw them I knew I had to make something with them!  And thankfully, the tarts did not disappoint.  The chilli on the mussels added a lovely kick to the tarts.  If you can’t find fresh smoked mussels, by all means, use tinned.  And feel to add a few chilli flakes if the mood takes you!

Smoked Mussel Tarts 3

I was thinking as I write it what a funny word monger is.  There are not that many mongers about.  Fish, cheese, gossip, iron and war were the only ones I could think of.  Which is almost as odd a combination as mussels, bacon and brie!

Smoked Mussel Tarts 4

Google also says there are scaremongers, fleshmongers, pearmongers and whoremongers among others.  Who knew there was a specialised name for a pear seller?

Anyway, I digress.  The other major thing I changed from the original recipe is the pastry.  The OG recipe called for filo pastry.  I’m not a fan of filo pastry for something like this.  I think this sort of quiche type pastry needs a more solid shortcrust which is what I used.

Smoked Mussel Tarts 6

 

You can find a link to the original recipe here.  They really are delicious and a breeze to make. Even the fussiest eater in the world thought they were more-ish and believe me, those endorsements don’t come too often!

Smoked Mussel Tarts 9

So why not flex your mussels and start bacon these tarts!!!!  They’ll brie amazing!

Have a wonderful week!

 

 

Rebel With A Cause – Smoked Trout Empanadas

Have you ever read a recipe where the ingredients seem right….but the execution just seems horribly wrong?

Smoked Trout Empandas8
Smoked Trout Empandas8

The other day I was looking for something in…you know THAT room?  Otherwise known as the room where we dumped all the crap we didn’t have a specific home for when we first moved in.  Nearly a year later?  It’s all still there.  Thank the Lord for whoever invented doors.  It makes it so much easier to metaphorically close the door and walk away from the room when you can literally close the door and walk away from the room.

I didn’t find what I was looking for in the room, because most things that go in there don’t come out.  What I did find was a manilla folder full of old recipe clippings which included one for something called for Trout and Mascarpone Triangles.

Before we get to the point does anyone else have problems spelling mascarpone?  For some reason in my mind it’s marscapone. I also can’t say the word “Preliminary” – that one just ends up a hot mess of r’s and l’s where they shouldn’t be.

But anyway, immediately in my head, (yeah the same one that can’t spell ma-scar-pone or pronounce pre-lim-in-ary) I had a vision of what these would be.  They would look like exactly like these:

Smoked Trout EmpanadasHmm…except….maybe a little more triangular.

So, I was bitterly disappointed when I actually read the recipe and found it was nothing like that.

Trout & Mascarpone TrianglesIn fact, that whole recipe annoyed the hell out of me.  In most cooking circles when you call something an X & Y triangle it’s pretty much a given that the X and Y are IN the triangle. Take these delicious looking cheese and spinach triangles from taste.com.au.    Spinach and Cheese both EXACTLY where they should be i.e. inside the pastry triangle.

 

That is what I wanted from my trout and mascarpone triangles! Golden puff pastry filled with chunks of gorgeous pink smoked trout, creamy mascarpone, fresh herbs, a touch of chilli….that was what my mind told me a Trout and Mascarpone Triangle could, and should, be.

At best the original recipe is for trout and mascarpone ON triangles.  And who the hell wants that?  No one that’s who.  I’m calling shenanigans on that recipe.

In some circles they say, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.  In my circle I say if you think their recipe is a crock, make it like you think it should have been.  And while we’re in the spirit of rebellion –  the fancy pants Italian cheese I can’t be bothered writing the name of (because I would only have to re-write it to spell it correctly) can go fuck itself too. I’m using good old Philadelphia Cream Cheese.  Which I forgot to take a photo of.  The rest of the stuff is here:

Smoked Trout Empanadas3
Smoked Trout Empanadas3

I used a smoked trout, you could sub in smoked salmon if you prefer or cook a fillet of fish as per the original recipe.  Or even used canned salmon or tuna to make these.  Up to you.  And I had an empanada maker thing but you could make triangles as per the original recipe.  Or embrace the spririt of doing it your way and make them any shape you want!

If you are going to use an empanada maker, here’s how you do it from an expert,Connie Veneracion.  Shame I didn’t read this until after I had made mine and hence some of mine were a little…shall we call them rustic?     😉

How To Use An Empanada Maker

 

Smoked Trout Empanadas7
Smoked Trout Empanadas7

And here is the revised, and in my not so humble opinion, vastly improved recipe!

Enjoy!

Print

Smoked Trout Empanadas

Ingredients

Scale
  • 400 smoked trout or cooked fish of choice
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 100g cream cheese, chopped into a small cubes
  • 1 canned chipotle chilli and approx 1 tbsp of the adobo sauce it came in
  • 1 tbsp dill
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • 2 sheets ready rolled puff pastry
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • poppy seeds and chilli flakes to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. If using a smoked trout, remove the skin and flake the flesh from the bones. Place this in a bowl with the cream cheese, red onion, lemon juice, chilli, dill and parsley. Mix lightly to combine.
  2. Preheat your oven to 200C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  3. Cut four circles out of each of your pastry sheets, using your empanada maker or tracing around a small plate or cup.
  4. Place 1 tbsp of the trout mixture in the middle of each circle then fold the pastry over to seal in the filling.
  5. Crimp the edges to seal.
  6. Place on the baking tray and brush with the beaten egg.
  7. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds and chilli flakes if using.
  8. Cook for 15 minutes or until puffed up and golden.

Lesson of the week – if you don’t like it, change it.

Have a fabulous week and fight the power!

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RFFMT – Welcome to Book Club

I joined a book club!

I think it’s kind of weird that it’s taken me this long – I love to read and I love to talk about books I have read.  However, this is a rather special club catering to those of fairly specific tastes.  Don’t worry, I am not about to get all 50 shades of weird on you;  it is a food lovers book club where, instead of novels, we discuss cookbooks.

I am a cook book junkie.   Here is part of my collection.  .

BookshelfThere is also another shelf in a different room that has most of the retro food books. Then there are the hundreds of magazines…..and regular trips to the local library.

So, given this problem predilection when I read in their weekly newsletter that my local book store was starting a food lovers book group, I did a little dance of joy.  No, not quite like this…well…maybe a little.

 The First Rule of Book Club

Each meeting will have a theme.  The first theme was Winter warmers. Members have a choice of three books that they could purchase related to that theme. The books were really well chosen by the owners in terms of both variety, audience and price point.

Whoo, hoo….new cookbook fix guaranteed.  And to those annoying people who ask “Don’t you have enough cookbooks?” (you know who you are) you can genuinely say.  “I had to buy it, it was for book club”.

I chose Slow by Valli Little which was actually the cheapest option but I love her work in Delicious Magazine and I knew there would be plenty in here I could, and would, make outside of the group.  I was not disappointed on this count – it jam packed with great ideas for everyday cooking.  And, incidentally, this book was rated the best on value and practicality as well as being visually alluring.

Second Rule of Book Club

You  must cook from the book you have chosen.

This is utter genius.  So, not only do you get your cookbook fix but you also have none of that guilt of buying a book and never actually making anything from it.

I made the Autumn Rosti from Valli’s book, my slightly adapted version of the recipe below.

#100happydays Off to Tasty Reads book club with some delicious smoked salmon rosti

 Third Rule of Book Club

You must have evidence of cooking from the book.

This could be in photographic form or, as I and some of the others chose to do, you could bring evidence of your cooking to the meeting for the group to sample.

Best.  Idea. Ever.

I took along my rosti.  We also had an amazing Chicken Liver and Porcini Pate, a killer Carrot and Lentil Soup, a super tasty Lamb and Apricot Tagine with couscous and we ended the evening with a delicious Carrot Cake.  The following pictures of the soup and the tagine are from Valli’s book.  I did not take pictures of the food on the night because “Hey,  I’ve just met you and this seems crazy but I’m going to take photos of your food  and put them on the internet”  is no song I want to be singing. However, in both instances, as with my rosti, the actual product looked a lot like the picture.

Valli Little's Lamb & Apricot Tagine
Valli Little’s Lamb & Apricot Tagine

Working within the theme allows you to step out of your normal comfort zone and try something new and or different.  And tasting other people’s goodies can also expand your horizons.  I generally do not like cooked carrots and one of the worst soups I have ever eaten was full of bits of grated carrot.  So I did not look twice at the Carrot and Lentil Soup recipe in Valli”s book. Not interested.  Not even remotely.  In fact, I could not turn the page fast enough.

Luckily for me, someone else did give it a second look.

Valli Little's Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup from Slow
Valli Little’s Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup from Slow

DISH OF THE NIGHT.  Who knew carrot soup could taste so good.  How good?  I’m making it as we speak. Damn it was good! Make it.  Make it now!  (Recipe below). You will not be disappointed.  And even if you are? Firstly what is wrong with you?  And second, get over it.  By my reckoning this costs about $2.50 to make. At around 40 cents a serve even if you hate it, which I’m pretty sure you won’t, you’ve lost less than the cost of a cup of coffee.

 Fourth Rule of Book Club

You must talk about your book.

This has to be the fourth pleasure of cooking – the buying, the preparing, the eating and finally, the talking.  You got to speak about what you did and didn’t like about the book and learned about the good and bad of the books you didn’t buy as well. It’s really interesting to see what people do and don’t like.  For instance, this was one of the other books we could choose from:

Salt Grill.

Let me tell you, this cover was controversial.  People had opinions.  I had opinions.  I didn’t know I had opinions but it turned out I did.  I quite like it but other people thought the dirty spoon was kind of gross.

The other great thing was that you got to share war stories.  You know how sometimes you make something and despite following the recipe to the minutest degree it just doesn’t work?  And you automatically assume it was something you did wrong?  Well two people from the club made the exact same recipe and had the exact same problem with it.     Coincidence?  I think not.

It was awesome.  I can’t wait for the next one, where the theme is Middle Eastern.  I have chosen Persiana as my book and it looks amazing!!!!

Persiana

Stay tuned!

Have a great week!

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[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:7]

Valli Little's Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s See How Far We’ve Come – Cheesy Meaty Goodness On a Stick – 1970’s vs 2010’s

My favorite thing to eat is finger food.  And it doesn’t have to be fancy – I’m just as happy with a mini-quiche or a party pie as with a teeny Peking duck pancake or a tempura prawn on a stick with wasabi mayo.

If I was ever going to open a restaurant, all it would serve would be tiny bites.  And champagne.  Cocktails of course.  But the entire menu would be finger food.  It would be a cocktail party restaurant.  Anyone wishing to fund this establishment…you know where to find me.

Finger food has been on my mind recently as I have been drooling over the contents of Lydia France’s Party Bites which is like setting a child loose in a sweet shop – I want that one!  And that one!  And I REALLY want that one!

I was also not the only one who thought this book was looked delicious.  Oscar’s been suffering from a little bit of separation anxiety since I have gone back to work and I came home one day to find the book, which I had left on the couch was not exactly how I had left it….

No so much dog eared....
No so much dog eared….

I then had to go fess up to the library – the upside of which, after exchange of some financial compensation, the book, albeit slightly chewed now belongs to me!

There is a recipe in Party Bites which is a modern take on the old retro favourite of a cube of cheese on a stick with a bit of something.  This is often to be had with pineapple in the fabulously kitschy Cheese and Pineapple Hedgehog:

 

Then there is the equally retro but less whimsical Aussie Staple of kabana and cheese….

Kabana and Cheese
Kabana And Cheese

No Australian barbeque of the 1970’s or 80’s would have been complete without a tray of this.  Often,  the kabana and cheese was topped with  chunk of pineapple, a gaudily coloured cocktail onion or, if you were really classy, a stuffed olive.

The idea is actually sound.  Who doesn’t love a meaty cheesy snack?  And if topped with something sweet or sour or salty…well, so much the better.  We here at Retro Food For Modern Times are not subscribers to the minimalist maxim that less is more.  We believe that more is more.  With a cherry on top!

The main problems with kabana and cheese is that kabana is kind of gross and although this combination might be tasty, it is drop dead boring. So, how do you give the ubiquitous kabana and cheese a modern twist whilst still retaining some of the kookiness of the cheese and pineapple hedgehog?  Hello Lydia France’s Spanish Men…or should that be Hola los hombres españoles!

Here’s Lydia’s Version:

Spanish Men - Lydia France
Spanish Men – Lydia France

And here are mine…my Spanish men look a little drunk and definitely more chunkier.  I think my Spanish men may have been hitting the Rioja a little too hard….

Spanish Men - olives, quince paste, serrano ham and manchego cheese
My Spanish Men

Spanish Men Recipe

For all their wonkiness, I loved them.  These were sooooo good!  Serrano ham, where have you been all my life?  If you weren’t so damn expensive I would be feasting on you non-stop.

The salty olive, the sweet quince paste, the meaty deliciousness of the serrano and the creaminess of the cheese combine to create a little piece of heaven on a stick!

Spanish Men I love you!

Mario Casas

And you’re not bad either Mario Casas…

I’m going to be spending my week checking out Spanish cinema.  Enjoy your week whatever you do!

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The Australian Vegetable Cookbook (1972) – The Redemption

After harping on about the awful recipes contained in this book last time, it was only fair to showcase some of the better recipes.  Three of them will be included here (I actually made 4 however this week is all about being positive so we won’t mention the Asparagus Italienne.  Ever.)

I chose the Stuffed Celery Curls as my first course.  This was jam-packed with flavours I love – celery, walnuts, chives, cream cheese and Tabasco so there was everything to like.  I chose not to add the red food colouring.  I’m hyperactive enough without it and I could see no earthly reason why it should be there.  I think the “au naturel” version looks much prettier anyway!

Ingredients

Sadly, my celery did not curl as per the picture in the book.   I read the recipe as saying you needed 15 pieces of celery 5 cm long.  Which is what I did.  In retrospect, I think it may mean an unnamed number of pieces of celery 15 cm long by 5 cm wide.  Although that doesn’t seem quite right either – 5cm seems too wide.  If you really want your celery to curl, here’s how.

It didn’t really matter though because whilst mine did not look as fun, they tasted amazing!  We had these as our starter however they could just as easily be a lunch box snack or as finger food.  Blue cheese would be an amazing variation.

Original

Mine – with obligatory knife but no curls 

Next up, for our main dish I made a Farmhouse Potato Bake.  This dish contains potatoes, Hungarian sausage (I used salami), sour cream and paprika so I guess is Eastern European in tone.  It was damn good wherever it came from.  If you weren’t fond of salami you could make this with ham, bacon, or left over roast beef or chicken or for a spot of luxury some smoked salmon.  As you will see from the picture, I subbed in basil for the oregano.  I think it is one of those recipes that you could pretty much use whatever proteins and herbs as you wanted. You could layer in other vegetables as well.  Asparagus, green beans, spinach would all be great!

Ingredients

Salami and Onion Sauteing, Potatoes Par-Boiling in the background

Layering

Crumb Mixture

I made a Panama Radish Salad from the book to go with this.  Well, I sort of did.  There is no intended slur to the recipe for my changes,  I think you could follow it absolutely and the result would be delicious.  I just happened to have no red onions and a bucketload of chives and rocket that I needed to use.  So I swapped these in.  I also used my favourite Black Russian tomatoes so my salad is probably “greener” than it should be….it still looks pretty good though.

Ingredients

Panama Radish Salad

These worked really well together, the pepperiness of the rocket and the radish in the salad, the freshness of the mint and the lemon in the dressing cut through some of the creamy, potato, salami induced richness of the Farmhouse bake.  Two big ticks here, will definitely be making both of these again.

The Meal – Delicious!

Bon Appétit.