Fresh Mozzarella just can't be beat!

As my mother's wedding day nears, I've been experimenting with various appetizers. The goal is to find some quick and easy apps that are still tasty. First, I practiced my deviled egg making skills. Then I moved on to a simple but elegant looking dessert: tuxedo cupcakes. Now, it's time for an excellent finger food: cheese and crackers!

Now I'm not just talking about cutting up a few slices of cheese and putting them on crackers, but ways to dress up that old routine! My favorite: fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, a little balsamic vinegar, and buttercrisp crackers. Garnish with some basil and you're set!

Ingredients
1-2 roma tomatoes
8 oz fresh mozzarella
basil leaves, fresh
balsamic vinegar (preferably thick and syrup-like in style)
20 Keebler Toasteds Buttercrisp crackers (or French bread, sliced)

Directions
Wash and cut the roma tomatoes into thin slices. Slice the mozzarella in thin circles or cut it into 8ths and then slice (this way they're the size of the cracker).
Take the crackers and lay them on a serving tray (or plate). Place the mozzarella on the cracker followed by the tomato. Lightly sprinkle some balsamic vinegar across the crackers and garnish with the basil leaves.

This treat only takes a few minutes to make, but looks amazing and tastes even better! Plus, on hot summer days, it's great not to have to turn on the oven to make something wonderful.

*Note: if you choose the bread method, brush each slice of bread with a little bit of olive oil before putting on the tomatoes and cheese. These can also be broiled until the cheese melts to make mini Italian style pizzas. Very tasty!

Carmelized Onion Tarts!

This past January I married a wonderful young man whom shares my love of food. At the wedding, there were these delicious goat cheese tarts with carmelized onions. Unfortunately, because we had to be in the receiving line, we only got one of these tasty treats.
After scouring my grocery store, I discovered frozen some mini-Fillo (Phyllo) Shells already baked and ready for me to use. I was so excited at the thought of making my very own carmelized tarts that I bought them on a whim.
I finally had a chance to put them together and they were incredible!

Here are two simple recipes for using Fillo Shells:

Carmelized Onion Tart Ingredients
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp of sugar
1 package of Fillo Shells
4 oz of 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese (or goat cheese) at room tempurature

Carmelized Onion Tart Directions
Cut up the onion into thin strips. Saute the onion in the butter on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Add the sugar and saute for 2 more minutes.
Meanwhile, put about 1 tsp of cream cheese in each of the Fillo shells. When the onions are fully cooked, place the onions on top and enjoy!

Strawberry Tart Ingredients
6-7 medium strawberries, washed and sliced
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp lemon (or lime) juice
1 package of Fillo Shells
4 oz of 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese (or goat cheese) at room tempurature

Strawberry Tart Directions
Put about 1 tsp of cream cheese in each of the Fillo shells.
Then, wash and cut up the strawberries into small slices. Cook the strawberries in the lemon juice and sugar on low heat for 2-4 minutes or until tender. Finally, place the strawberries on top and enjoy!

Both of these treats are wonderful as an appetizer or dessert!

Delightful Deviled Eggs at their most basic!

I love appetizers! There have been times where I made an entire "meal" out of my favorite appetizers because I love them so much. And who says appetizers have to come before a meal? Why can't they be the meal? :)

In any event, one of my all time, favorite appetizers are deviled eggs. There are numerous variations on this treat, but I like them plain and simple: eggs, mustard, mayo, and maybe some paprika sprinkled on top. Nothing fancy, but boy are they tasty.



Ingredients (8 deviled eggs)
4 eggs, hard-boiled
2-3 tbsp mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip if that is your preference)*
2-3 tbsp mustard (amount of mustard is entirely dependent on your preferences)

Directions
Put 4 eggs in a pot 3/4 full of water on high heat until the water is at a rolling boil. Reduce to medium-high heat and set the timer for 9 minutes. After the timer buzzes, remove pot from heat, empty out the hot water, and pour cold water into your pot. Note: if you do not have particularly high quality cookware, you may want to start with lukewarm water so as not to damage the pot.
Once the eggs are cool enough to pick up with your bare hands, start peeling the eggs carefully! Remember that with deviled eggs, the outside of the egg will show and should like as nice as possible.
After all the eggs are peeled, cut the eggs in half. Carefully remove all of the egg yolks by pushing the back of the egg white until the yolk pops out; then place in a small bowl. Squish the egg yolks with a fork until most of the lumps are gone. Add the mayo and mustard to the squished egg yolks and stir until creamy.
Either pipe the egg yolks back into the eggs (using a cake decorating bag and tips) or spoon them back in. I usually spoon mine in, but sometimes it's fun to go fancy. When all of the eggs have their filling, sprinkle some paprika lightly across the tops of the eggs. Serve cold!

*I would like to point out that I used Miracle Whip in this batch, but there is a good reason behind that: I was cooking at someone else's house and they did not have mayonnaise. I am an avid advocate of real mayo and prefer its taste to all forms of Miracle Whip. That being said, if you grew up on Miracle Whip and that is your preference, by all means continue to use it!

Other ideas that could be added to this basic deviled eggs recipe:
Chives chopped and used as a garnish
1-2 tablespoons of chopped onion added to the yolk mixture
1-2 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish added to the yolk mixture

However you decide you like yours best, there is no denying that they are as simple, tasty treat!