Macaroni & Cheese Bites with Tomato Jam

Today I'm bringing you one of my favorite appetizers to serve at events where kids are in attendance, Macaroni and Cheese Bites! Mac and cheese is always a hit with adults and children alike, that's no secret. But when you transform that ubiquitous comfort food into a bite sized version people go absolutely nuts! 

I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve to take this cheesy, gooey treat to the next level- first, sprinkle a layer of golden, buttery panko breadcrumbs on top of each one. You could also use crumbled potato chips if you're feeling lazy, they would produce virtually the same end result. The point is, a little crunch goes a long way, creating a lovely textural balance. Listen to me, getting all technical...

My other little secret is the tomato jam. I love that it adds another layer of complexity and a fun pop of color, keeping this one bite item from being too one note. And the intense, sweet tomato flavor really packs a punch. It's my fancy little interpretation of ketchup, and since this recipe makes more than enough for the mac & cheese bites I have been loving the leftover jam with butter, toast and arugula and on crackers with goat cheese!

adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients

for the macaroni & cheese bites:

1/2 lb elbow macaroni
2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 tbsp
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

for the tomato jam:
1 lb ripe plum tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup sugar
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice


1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions
for the tomato jam:
1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
2. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then pour into hot, sterilized jam jars, screw the lids on and turn the jars upside down to cool completely.

for the macaroni & cheese bites:
1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add panko, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.
3. Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan and tap out the excess.
4. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the macaroni. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle toasted panko over the top.
6. Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 minutes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs. Top each with a dollop of tomato jam, transfer to a platter and serve.

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Sweet Potato Plantain Cakes with Cucumber Pineapple Salsa

I created this recipe as an entry to Louisiana Cookin's 2013 Sweet Rewards Contest. The guidelines are to create a recipe using fresh, canned or frozen sweet potatoes in one of five different categories. I opted to use fresh for my recipe...it's always the way to go if you ask me!

I love making mashed potato cakes as a side dish for dinners, but I wanted to come up with a more unique version for the contest, so I created this bite-sized version using sweet potatoes for the appetizer category. I added plantains to the mixture for some exotic flair, and topped the cakes with a colorful cucumber pineapple salsa. Wouldn't these be perfect to serve at your next barbecue or summer cocktail party? 

 I hope you'll give these a try soon, and wish me luck on my very first recipe contest, eek! I think I might submit a recipe for the dessert category as well...if so I'll be sure to share it here too!

makes about 2 dozen
Ingredients
for the potato cakes:
1 medium to large sweet potato, peeled and sliced
1 ripe plantain, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup flour
salt and freshly ground pepper
1-2 tbsp coconut oil

for the salsa:
1/4 cup pineapple, diced
1/4 cup cucumber, diced
2 tbsp red onion, diced
1 tbsp jalapeño, diced
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions
1. Place the sweet potato and plantain in a stockpot with rapidly boiling water and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.
2. While potatoes are cooling make the salsa by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Mash cooled potatoes and plantains using a potato ricer (or potato masher). Add flour and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Form mixture into 1 inch patties using a small cookie scooper for uniformity. Transfer to a plate and chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. When pan is hot, add potato cakes and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and top with cucumber pineapple salsa.

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Spinach and Fava Bean Empanadas with Chimichurri Sauce

I love playing around with recipes that allow me to get in touch with my Latin heritage (Peru & Mexico, in case you were wondering). These empanadas were so much fun to make because they are a distinctively Latin dish with a decidedly lighter twist. Instead of a traditional meat or cheese filling, these savory pastries are packed full of fresh green fava beans, spinach, peas and green beans.  These gorgeous fava beans I spotted at the farmer's market earlier in the week had found their place in this perfect Springtime dish!

I'm kind of a sauce nut and a firm believer in using them to punch up the flavor of pretty much anything, so I paired the empanadas with one of my favorite South American sauces: chimichurri. This herb and garlic-based oil which is usually added to meat and fish dishes works just as well as a dipping sauce here. I hope you'll give them a try!

adapted from Food & Wine
makes 16 large empanadas or 32 small empanadas  
Ingredients
for the chimichurri:
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

 for the dough:
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
3 3/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
Milk, for brushing on dough before baking

 for the filling:
10 oz fresh spinach
1/2 cup shelled fava beans (lima beans would also work well)
1/4 pound green beans
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup shelled peas
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions 
1. To make the chimichurri, combine the parsley, vinegar, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and pour the olive oil over the mixture. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the water, salt, butter and paprika and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the 3 3/4 cups of flour until the dough comes together. On a lightly floured work surface, gently knead the dough until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the spinach for 1 minute. Transfer the spinach to a colander with a slotted spoon. Add the fava beans to the boiling water and cook until bright green, 1 minute. Transfer the fava beans to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, 4 minutes. Drain and finely chop the green beans. Peel the tough outer skins from the fava beans. Squeeze the excess water from the spinach, then coarsely chop.
4. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach, fava beans, green beans and peas and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the mint and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
5. Lightly oil 2 large baking sheets. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 32 rounds from the dough (or 16 rounds using a larger biscuit cutter). Moisten the edge of 1 dough round with water. Mound 1 tablespoon of the vegetable filling on half of the round and fold the other side over. Press to seal the dough and pinch at intervals to make pleats. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds and filling.
6. Arrange the empanadas on the prepared baking sheets, brush the tops with milk and bake at 350 degrees in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 30 minutes, until browned. Serve the empanadas warm or at room temperature with chimichurri sauce.

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