Simply Delicious

My recipe collection is let's say, barely under control.  A few years ago, it was out. of. control. and I stopped buying cookbooks, stopped asking for cookbooks, and thought really, really hard before I tore a recipe out of a magazine for one of my recipe binders (I think the number of binders was over a dozen at the time).  I purged pages and pages of recipes, gave away cookbooks and shaped up my recipe hoarding ways.

This Christmas I fell off the wagon and asked for a cookbook, and received it (thanks, Mom!).  See, Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen fame published her first cookbook this fall, and I thought long and hard, and had to have it.  If you have never heard of Smitten Kitchen, definitely check it out, she has an entertaining writing style and her recipes are no-fail and I just love that everything in the smitten kitchen cookbook  was created in her small New York City kitchen (which from the pictures looks an awful lot like my kitchen in our Upper West Side apartment).

Before hosting our playgroup a couple weeks ago I was looking for a little inspiration.  The cover of the smitten kitchen cookbook pictures Tomato Scallion Shortcakes with Whipped Goat Cheese (recreated and pictured quite nicely here).  I wanted something that was a little simpler to prepare, but would still look and taste delicious, so this is what I came up with:

Tomato and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

1 Loaf Ciabatta or Italian Bread
11 oz Goat Cheese
2-3 T Milk
Half a Bunch of Scallions, finely chopped
2 Pints Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
3 T Red Wine Vinegar
2 T Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Slice the bread down the middle and hollow out the top and bottom of the bread, set aside.

Whip the goat cheese with a fork and add a little milk at a time until it reaches an easily spreadable consistency, stir in green onions.

Place tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with vinegar and olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste (I'm sure this would be even better if you let the tomatoes marinate 30-60 minutes, but I didn't have time for that).

Spread goat cheese over bread, top with tomatoes and squish on bread--wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Slice into 6-7 portions right before serving.

Note: For the appetizer portion I used 4 oz of goat cheese, one pint of tomatoes and two ciabatta rolls.

The other (super) simple recipe I made for guests recently was Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.  This was one of the first recipes I tried after (finally) giving in and joining Pintrest.  I discovered this recipe when creating my Thanksgiving menu last fall and have made different variations of it at least a half-a-dozen times since then.  This version has become my favorite, and I was lucky enough to have good (Arizona) olive oil on hand the night I hosted dinner thanks to my thoughtful brother.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

1 lb Brussels Sprouts, picked of any brown/bruised leaves
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1/2 Cup Feta, Crumbled
6-8 Tablespoons Lemon Vinaigrette

Shred the Brussels sprouts (I have found cutting them in half, then thinly slicing works well). Mix in cranberries and feta.  Store all in a large zip-lock bag until ready to serve.  Add vinaigrette to mix a few tablespoons at a time while it's in the bag and shake. Pour into a serving bowl.

I like to dress it lightly and serve additional vinaigrette at the table.  Even dressed this holds up remarkably well if you have leftovers.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Note: If you're not up for shredding the Brussels sprouts, some stores sell them already shredded (I've seen that at Trader Joe's and HEB).  This and the original recipe are excellent with baby spinach too, though watch the amount of dressing and toss with tongs since it's much more delicate.

What impossibly easy dish can you not get enough of lately?