New Zealand Mussels Appetizer

I bought a bag of these frozen mussels at a HyVee supermarket.  They are already cleaned and cooked, so it makes preparation super simple.  Plus they are very affordable!  (I've heard these also called green mussels.)

This recipe, with a few modifications, can be found at Food.com.  This is one delicious appetizer. So let's get cooking.

Thaw the mussels and loosen them from the shell. Drain and pat dry, then place them back in the shell and arrange on a baking sheet.

Next make the bread crumb topping.

1 cup panko bread crumbs
3 Tbl. melted butter
1 Tbl. parsley flakes
1 clove garlic finely minced
2 Tbl. grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
juice of one lemon

In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, melted butter, parsley flakes, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the mussels, Spoon the bread crumb mixture evenly over the mussels, pressing down a bit.

Broil for 5 minutes or until the bread crumb topping is golden brown and crunchy, and the mussels are warm. Watch carefully when broiling.  It can go from golden brown and delicious to black and burned.  Not that I would know anything about that.  ;)

Enjoy friends!

Roasted Asparagus with Grape Tomatoes and Mushrooms

We were shopping at HyVee and there was this wonderful bunch of asparagus.  Looking through some ideas on Pinterest, I came across a recipe which I modified.  Came out just delicious.

I snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and then use a vegetable peeler to peel the stems, I think it looks nice that way.  I read a chef on Food and Wine who said he does this because, 

"it looks cool!"

That is non-stick foil lining a pie dish, easy clean up.

Next, slice some mushrooms.  I keep reading this debate on whether to wash mushrooms OR wipe them off with a damp towel.  I saw Alton Brown toss mushrooms into a mesh strainer, run water over them and toss them around--works like a charm.  Then lay them on a paper towel to dry.

Take the grape tomatoes and cut them in half.  

Toss everything in some olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.

Back into the pie dish and arrange in a pretty pattern.  

Sprinkle on some grated parmesan cheese.  Use your judgement as to how much you like, or 

omit it altogether.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Roast until the asparagus is tender crisp.  

Use the tip of a knife to test doneness.

Enjoy friends!

Easy Italian Herb Focaccia

This recipe was in a newspaper long ago and I just happened to write it down and and try it.  It was easy and gooood!  Went very well with dinner tonight -- pasta and venison parmesan.

This recipe makes a 9 x 13 pan.  I just made half the recipe -- but here's the whole thing for a 9x13 pan.

3 1/4 C flour

1 envelope dry yeast (2 1/4 t.)

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

1 2/3 C warm water (120 - 130 degrees)

2 T parmesan cheese

1 T Italian seasoning

Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Add 2 T. olive oil and water.  

Stir until well mixed.

Press dough into greased 9 x 13 pan.  Cover and let rise until double -- about 30 minutes.

After the dough has risen, poke multiple holes into the dough with the handle of a wooden spoon.  

Drizzle two tablespoons olive oil over the dough, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings.

Let rise 15 more minutes while the oven pre-heats to 375 degrees.

Bake 30 minutes until light brown.  Cool and cut into squares.  

Serve warm with olive oil for dipping.

The bread got me so excited that I almost forgot about the salad that was going along with dinner!

This is super easy -- not a lot of fussy kneading and rising like most breads.  

Hope you give it a try.

Enjoy friends!