We had the pleasure of entertaining Krista and David on Friday night for dinner. It was a great opportunity to open a bottle of wine and try out some new recipes. They didn't mind! Bill made awesome ribs and BBQ chicken, while I did the apps and sides. Champagne cream, gouda and gruyere cheeses, crackers and fruit with veggies and spinach & artichoke hummus to start. Salads included: broccoli slaw with crunchy noodles, warm potato with bacon, shallots and green peas as well as mozzerela, tomato and basil. I also tried two new recipes ... crunchy chick peas and rosemary, hazelnut and gruyere biscuits. I'll include those two recipes.
Roasted Provencal Chickpeas
From The Provence Cookbook by Patricia Wells
These delightful roasted chickpeas are as crunchy as peanuts and make a marvelous appetizer or snack any time of the day. I particularly love to season them with ground cumin and freshly ground pepper, for a spicy hit. But feel free to vary the seasoning according to your mood: with curry powder, hot pepper flakes, or a blend of personal spices.
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried with a towel
2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Place chickpeas in large bowl and toss with spices. Transfer seasoned chickpeas to baking sheet in a single layer. Place in center of the oven and bake until golden about 40 minutes. Toss from time to time to keep from burning.
3. Remove from baking sheet and transfer to shallow bowl. Store in sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.
From The Provence Cookbook by Patricia Wells
These delightful roasted chickpeas are as crunchy as peanuts and make a marvelous appetizer or snack any time of the day. I particularly love to season them with ground cumin and freshly ground pepper, for a spicy hit. But feel free to vary the seasoning according to your mood: with curry powder, hot pepper flakes, or a blend of personal spices.
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried with a towel
2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Place chickpeas in large bowl and toss with spices. Transfer seasoned chickpeas to baking sheet in a single layer. Place in center of the oven and bake until golden about 40 minutes. Toss from time to time to keep from burning.
3. Remove from baking sheet and transfer to shallow bowl. Store in sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.
Hazelnut, Gruyere, and Rosemary Biscuits
The Provence Cookbook by Patricia Wells
These warm and tidy little biscuits of herbs, cheese, and nuts and always receive a welcome smile from my guests. There’s something about the fragrant scone-like treats that make people feel at home. As the French would say, tant mieux, or all the better! That’s the purpose of inviting people into your home in the first place. While I like these best served warm from the oven, they can be made an hour or so ahead of time or if oven space poses a problem. Sometimes I turn them into little sandwiches, slicing the biscuits in half and stuffing them with a pitted olive, some black olive spread or even a bit of mustard.
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled
¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
½ cup fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 cup finely grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
¾ cup nonfat milk
Egg wash: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water
Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. With a fork, rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles bread crumbs. Add the hazelnuts, rosemary and 2/3 of the cheese, stir to combine. Add the milk and stir until a soft dough forms, adding additional milk as necessary.
In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk and water and stir to blend.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about ½ inch thick. Using the pastry cutter, cut our rounds of dough (2” round pastry cutter). Place rounds of dough on sheet side by side and brush tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake until deep brown color – 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temp.
The Provence Cookbook by Patricia Wells
These warm and tidy little biscuits of herbs, cheese, and nuts and always receive a welcome smile from my guests. There’s something about the fragrant scone-like treats that make people feel at home. As the French would say, tant mieux, or all the better! That’s the purpose of inviting people into your home in the first place. While I like these best served warm from the oven, they can be made an hour or so ahead of time or if oven space poses a problem. Sometimes I turn them into little sandwiches, slicing the biscuits in half and stuffing them with a pitted olive, some black olive spread or even a bit of mustard.
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled
¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
½ cup fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 cup finely grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
¾ cup nonfat milk
Egg wash: 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water
Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. With a fork, rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles bread crumbs. Add the hazelnuts, rosemary and 2/3 of the cheese, stir to combine. Add the milk and stir until a soft dough forms, adding additional milk as necessary.
In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk and water and stir to blend.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about ½ inch thick. Using the pastry cutter, cut our rounds of dough (2” round pastry cutter). Place rounds of dough on sheet side by side and brush tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake until deep brown color – 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temp.
