Quick and easy lunch — and low carb, keto-friendly — of Caesar Tomato Tuna Melts. Just not terribly easy to photograph, but they tasted yummy. I could have served them with lettuce as more of a sandwich, but all out of lettuce. I used provolone as the cheese but cheddar or swiss would go nicely as well. Pantry/fridge friendly ingredients too.
appetizers
Rosemary Olive and Honey Sourdough Focaccia
The issue with baking artisan sourdough bread is that it is delicious. And addictive. And frankly, I could eat this entire loaf of focaccia, if I didn’t have any self-control. It is *that* good. Salty and briny from the olives, sweet from the honey. Hearty. Stop me, before I just gobble this all up. Great as a bread side to dinner, with garlic olive oil as a started or a snack. Sneak a piece when no one is looking. It’s seriously delicious.
Switching to a more traditional implementation of chick peas, here is a great, silky, creamy rendition of Ultra-Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. A little lemony, a little garlicky, very peppery (not in a hot way, in a flavorful way). I’d eat this slathered on anything, but it is particularly good with the Persian Cukes. And it’s colorful on a cloudy Spring day. I may be snacking all afternoon. (PS: the garnish on the hummus are little marinated peppers called Peruvian Pearls. They are little bursts of flavor. nom nom nom)
Hand pies, pasties, whatever you want to call them are a great alternative to making a sandwich when you’re headed out on a mini-picnic (in March!), so I made these Potato Leek and Cheddar ones before heading out. Bacon would have been a lovely addition but I didn’t have any in the fridge. So yummy. So easy too — just remember to take the puff pastry out of the fridge the night before. And I am off on my mini-adventure!
The Superbowl is this weekend, and like I often remind people this time of year, I am not an American Football fan, so I don’t have a specific team to follow, but I do watch. And it’s always a good excuse to make party snacks. Here I made some Bacon Cheddar Potato Skins …. oh so good. When I make these, I always try to find the smallest Russet potatoes that I can — like about the size of my palm. Often they are so big that you could make a boat out of them. Definitely aim for the smallest potatoes you can find here, but don’t sub out other smaller varieties like yukon gold or red potatoes; waxy potatoes won’t work here.
These are a little time consuming (the making the baked potatoes first) but they are very much worth the effort. Yummy!