Roasted Grape Crostini with Ricotta

Sweet, velvety, and elegant. Roasted grapes are an easy to prepare and unexpected addition to a cheeseboard. Easy to prepare and so good you won't have any leftovers, these are a surefire way to impress friends and family this holiday season.

I love simple things. Simple clothing, simple math problems, simple recipes. This is just that. The name may be a little misleading and everyone I talk to does a double-take when I say “roasted grapes” but these apps are truly amazing. They are prepared with nothing more than a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt. A little char from the oven, some creamy ricotta cheese, and crusty bread and you’ve got yourself an appetizer that will surely impress any holiday crowd this year.

Ingredients

4 cups red grapes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
pinch of kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. In a large bowl, toss the grapes with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt until evenly coated.

3. Spread the grapes on a large baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the grapes are wrinkled and slightly charred.

4. Serve the grapes with ricotta cheese and toasted crusty bread.

Honey Ricotta Bruschetta

Appetizers don’t get much easier than this. Perfectly toasted baguettes with creamy ricotta cheese, sweet local honey, crushed red pepper flakes, and a little salt are all you need to make these Honey Ricotta Bruschetta. If you’re in a pinch and need an appetizer for cocktail hour, Thanksgiving, or eating while you binge Netflix, this is it. In fact, this is such a simple recipe that it’s hardly a recipe at all, merely suggestions.

If you have access to local cheesemakers like I do here in Maine, go with that. The quality of the ricotta will be far superior to what you can buy in the store. If you don’t have a local creamery, don’t sweat it - nobody will be the wiser!

Ingredients

1 baguette, sliced 1-inch thick
olive oil
1lb ricotta
honey
pinch salt
pinch red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler to high and position an oven rack in the upper half of the oven.

2. Arrange the sliced baguette on a cookie sheet in a single layer and brush generously with olive oil on both sides. Toast under the broiler until golden brown, flip and toast the other side. This will not take long so pay attention.

3. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.

4. When the bread has cooled, smear about a tablespoon of ricotta on each toast, followed by a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of salt and red pepper flakes.

Note: You can prep the baguette earlier in the day or up to the night before, just seal it in an airtight container.

Artichoke-Caper Bruschetta

This time of year, nobody wants recipes that are ten million steps long or require special tools, equipment, or skills. Frankly, I think we should be like this all the time. Who wants to spend all their time in the kitchen when there is life to be lived?

This recipe, very similar to a few other bruschetta and crostini recipes I’ve posted lately, is so easy I can barely call them recipes. This took less than 10 minutes to prepare and can be made in advance so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Throw everything in a food processor, or simply chop it with a knife, stir, and you’re done. Easy as that. This recipe also lends itself well to embellishments like the addition of hot peppers or maybe even toasting it with some parmesan. Personally, I love having leftovers of this that I can toss with pasta, smear on a sandwich, or bake atop some chicken breasts.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

12oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 C green olives
1 Tablespoon capers
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
toasted rustic bread or baguette

Directions

1. Combine everything in a food processor and pulse until the artichokes and olives are roughly chopped. Stir to combine and spoon onto the toasted baguette.

Tip: Use the oil from the jar of artichokes when you toast the baguette, it will deepen the overall flavor of the dish.

Cranberry-Bourbon Meatballs

Make these cranberry-bourbon meatballs and win #friendsgiving. They are sweet, tangy, and SO easy to make! Simply dump it all into a crockpot and walk away for a couple of hours. The best part? You’ll probably need to buy a whole bottle of bourbon which means you’ll have leftovers! Cheers!

But seriously, these meatballs are SO easy and use ingredients you probably have in your house already. If you’re unfamiliar with sambal oelek, it is a red chili paste readily available in most grocer stores. I don’t find it overly spicy and all the other ingredients really mellow it out.

You’ll notice I used frozen premade meatballs for this and that’s because around the holidays, I try to keep things easy. Could you make your own? Of course! For some, however, the idea of making meatballs in addition to everything else this time of year brings is just too much, so grab your favorite bag of meatballs and let the crockpot do the work.

Ingredients

1 bag cranberries
1/2 c bourbon
1/4 c orange juice
1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c sambal oelek
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 bag frozen meatballs

Directions

1. Combine everything but the meatballs in a crockpot set to high. Stir well and allow the sauce to cook for an hour before gently mashing the berries with a wooden spoon or potato masher.

2. Add the frozen meatballs and stir to coat evenly. If the sauce looks too thick, add a little liquid (water, broth, or bourbon). Cover and allow everything to cook for another hour or until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are hot throughout. Serve immediately or keep warm.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Romesco

One of my goals for 2020 and beyond is to change my relationship with food and how I think about nourishing my body. For me, this means cutting back on how much meat and dairy I eat and consuming more vegetables and plant-based foods. Much to Anthony’s chagrin, we’ve been on an 80/20 diet lately where 80% of the time, we eat plant-based foods while the other 20% we eat meat and dairy. I love it. I feel better, I’m just as satisfied with my meals as I am when I eat meat and I am spending less money.

Romesco has long been one of my favorite sauces. Not only does it have a totally unique flavor profile of nutty acidic goodness, but it is also super flexible and goes with so many wonderful things. Originally from Catalonia and served with fish, this sauce goes well with roasted vegetables, pasta, chicken and even meatballs. Admittedly, I love a good Italian red sauce that simmers all day with meatballs and sausage but this sauce gives all others a run for their money in my mind. The toasty flavor of the broiled vegetables and the fat from all those almonds give this sauce so much body that I literally lick the plate clean whenever I make it.

Romesco Sauce

Ingredients

1 lb Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 lb red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 Fresno chili peppers, chopped
5 garlic cloves, skinned
1 yellow onion, skinned and quartered
1 t paprika
1 t smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
½ cup almonds, toasted and ground

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler to high.

2. Toss everything but the almonds together in a large mixing bowl, being sure to coat everything evenly. Pour the mixture onto a large cookie sheet and arrange in a single layer. Broil, on high until everything starts to char

3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

4. Working in batches, carefully puree everything in a blender or food processor until smooth and saucy. If the sauce looks too thick, dilute it with some water or olive oil.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Ingredients

1 lb fingerling potatoes, washed and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425

2. In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients until the potatoes are evenly coated.

3. Spread the potatoes out on a large cookie sheet in a single layer, cut side down.

4. Roast the potatoes 20-25 minutes, flipping the potatoes halfway through. Remove from oven and serve with parmesan, parsley, and romesco

Crack Crackers

My mom makes these every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas and remind me of home with each bite. They are lovingly referred to as “crack crackers” because they are SO. ADDICITIVE.

Kathy’s Crack Crackers

Ingredients

1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/3 cup olive oil
2 16oz packages regular Cheeze-Its

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dressing mix, dill and garlic. Slowly whisk in the olive and and mix until evenly combined. Add the crackers and toss to coat.

3. Separate the crackers between two cookie sheets and bake for 30 minutes, stirring ever ten minutes.

4. When the crackers are browned but not burned remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheets.