Champagne and Apple Endive Recipe

These little cuties are divine! This recipe is easy and elegant, plus it uses my favorite mustard in the world, Cherchies Champagne Mustard!!

The crispness of the endive, combined with the tart apples and robust Roquefort cheese, comes together as a flavor explosion in your mouth. 

I usually make these gems around the holidays, but they could also be the perfect snack or salad by the pool or for a girl's night (or day) out. When I made these recently, I invited my girlfriend to my house for lunch to help me style them for their "glamour shot." We styled, and we ate! (and had a glass of wine in the middle of the afternoon-shame on us!).

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Ingredients

• 6 heads of Belgian Endive

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (or substitute our Cranberry Mustard)

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) white wine vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) pepper

• 3/4 teaspoon (tsp) salt

• 6 Tablespoons of Olive oil

• 1 Granny Smith Apple, coarsely chopped

• 1 Honey Crisp Apple, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 lemon

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans (you could substitute walnuts)

• 1/4 pound Roquefort cheese (can substitute Blue Cheese)

Preparation

Turn the stove top on to low heat.  Using a medium-sized skillet, place the pecans in the skillet, and toast pecans for a few minutes (this will bring out the flavor of the pecans).  Turn off the heat, remove the skillet from the burner, and allow pecans to cool (you will need to chop the cooled pecans later).

Slice off the ends of the endive and cut the endive in half lengthwise, removing the endive core, and gently separating the leaves.  Place the separated leaves on a platter if serving as appetizers, or a few on each plate if serving as a salad.

I just love apples!  Apples and Roquefort cheese...sigh.  Sorry, I got distracted...Coarsely chop the apples, the cranberries, the pecans and place them into a medium bowl.  Squeeze the juice from the lemon half over the apples and cranberries to prevent the apples from browning (that wouldn't look pretty).  Stir the apple mixture to coat with lemon juice.

Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, mix together the vinegar, Cherchies® Champagne Mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil (make sure to use good olive oil).  Toss the apple mixture with some of the champagne vinaigrette.  

Now for the assembly...Spoon a generous portion of the apple mixture into each endive leaf and crumble the Roquefort cheese on top of the apples.  Add the pecans, and drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the endive leaves.  Serve cold or at room temperature.  Voila, a classy elegant appetizer or salad.

Next time I make this recipe, I will try it with our Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard for a sweet and spicy twist, or our Cherchies® Cranberry Mustard.  Enjoy!

Summer Meatball Sliders Recipe

Summer Meatball Sliders Recipe

For a last minute lunch, I whipped up these cuties for my daughter and her friend.  They were playing in the water and I asked them to give me a warning when they were hungry.  Immediately, they said, "Warning!"  Yikes, I needed something quick.  I came out with these 5 minutes later...mom saved the day, plus the little umbrellas were a hit, a perfect summer treat:)

Ingredients

• King Hawaiian rolls (or any slider rolls will do)
• Frozen Meatballs (I usually make my own meatballs (using our Garlic Seasoning) and freeze a bunch for later
• Your favorite spaghetti sauce
• Shredded Mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preparation

In a medium pan, heat meatballs in sauce until the meatballs are cooked.  When meatballs are cooked, place one meatball on each of the slider rolls.  (Optional, add mozzarella cheese on top of meatballs) Secure with your favorite pick.  Enjoy!

Cheesy Guacamole Bites Recipe

Cheesy Guacamole Bites Recipe

This appetizer is super easy and a great way to use leftover guacamole. Let's face it: Guacamole itself is perfection, but turning it into these bite-sized morsels is heaven. The combination of cheese, guacamole, Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning, Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend, and spicy sauce is a Tex-Mex party in your mouth!

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Ingredients

• Shredded cheese (Cheddar or Monterey Jack work well, or a combination of both)

• 1 melon ball scooper (spoon will work fine too)

• 2 ripe avocados

• 1/2 cup Cherchies Oh Soo Simple Salsa Recipe

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp.) (or more to taste) Cherchies Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning

• 1 lime

• 1/2 red onion, chopped

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) mayonnaise

• 1 Tablespoon Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning

• Parchment paper

• Small (quart size) resealable plastic bag

• Baking sheets

Preparation (Guacamole photos included on Chardonnay Guacamole Recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  While oven is warming, prepare the guacamole.  Halve avocados, and remove pits with a knife. (Put blade into pit, and gently twist to remove). Make small slits in avocado shells with a knife, and scoop out the avocado.

In a medium bowl, mash avocados with a fork.  Depending on your "chunk level" mash until desired consistency (I like to have my guacamole on the chunkier side).  

Slice lime and squeeze juice into the bowl.  Stir.

Add salsa, Cherchies Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning, chopped onions and mix everything together.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and the Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning.  Carefully scoop mayonnaise mixture into the corner of a small resealable plastic bag (this will act as your decorating bag), and snip a tiny corner off the end of the bag (or scoop the mixture into a decorating tool).

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle about 1-2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) of cheese onto parchment paper, creating compact mounds of cheese.  Bake in the oven for a few minutes. You will need to watch closely, so the cheese doesn't burn.  Allow cheese to cool for a few minutes then carefully transfer to a platter with a spatula.

Using a melon ball scooper or spoon, dollop a scoop of guacamole on top of the cooled cheese disc. Decorate the guacamole bites with the mayonnaise/grilling seasoning mixture.  Ole!

Hot Pepper Jam and Brie Cups Recipe

Hot Pepper Jam and Brie Cups Recipe

These cuties are seriously the easiest and most delectable bites and are suitable for any occasion. They are essentially baked brie (one of my favorite cheeses), and hot pepper jelly.  Easy Peasy.

Ingredients

• 15 Mini frozen Phyllo cups (We used Athens Mini Fillo Shells)

• Cherchies® Strawberry Hot Pepper Jam (Cherchies® Cherry Hot Pepper Jam, Cherchies® Cranberry Hot Pepper Jam, or Cherchies® Seedless Blackberry Preserves or Cherchies® Cranberry Preseves with Champagne would make a nice substitution)

• 1/2 Brie Cheese Wheel (about 6 0z.)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Remove rind from brie and cut into chunks (about 1 teaspoon).

Place phyllo cups on a baking tray and add a Brie chunk to each cup.  Add about 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) hot pepper jam of choice.  Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, or until brie just begins to melt.  Remove from oven and serve warm or room temperature.  Help Yourself!

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