Peanut Butter Cheesecakes

Baking and I are back on good terms.  At least temporarily.  I came across this recipe for "healthier" cheesecakes on a blog (that for the life of me, I cannot remember.)  They were so cute and so easy and I thought, Why Not?  And boy, am I glad I did.  While there are substitutions to make them less "bad" for you - at the end of the day, we're still talking about cream cheese and peanut butter.  At the end of my count, I guesstimate about 200 calories each for these little loves.

• 18 sandwich cookies (I used golden Oreos)

• 16 oz neufchatel (1/3-less-fat) cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt

pinch of salt

Heat the oven to 275. 

Line a cupcake tin with liners.

One cookie goes in the bottom of each liner.

In a bowl mix the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. 

Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  You'll need to do this frequently. 

Add in sugar and vanilla- mix until smooth.

Scrape, scrape.

Add in eggs - one at a time, mixing between each addition.

More scraping.

Add in greek yogurt and salt.

Taste.

Taste test again. 

Delish.  Give thumbs up approval to yourself for a tasty job well done.

Fill each liner nearly full - maybe 3/4, smoothing with spoon.  This should make enough for 18 mini cheesecakes.

Place into the oven for 22 to 24 minutes, until filling has set.  Cool.

These are best chilled.  If you set them overnight, the cookies soften a bit and make a softer crust.  If you get into these shortly after they come out of the oven, the Oreos will still be crunchy.  Which is really nice as well. 

Basically, you can't lose.   This is win, win for all.

Yum, Yum, gimme some!!

Golden Oreo crust!

Delish.

Pepper and Parm Crusted Halibut with Cherry Tomato Basil Sauce

Unexpected company is almost always a good thing.  Except when your studio apartment is destroyed after laundry day or you've been busy cheffing the night before, but too lazy to have yet done the dishes.  Which, I have to admit, dish laziness is becoming a real issue round these parts.  I love cooking, but seriously, I am so over doing dishes.  Eating by yourself + no dishwasher = real motivational problems.

So when I had unexpected company AND a relatively clean apartment, I was psyched.  But even more psyched because I looked like a domestic diva when I "spontaneously" whipped up this easy fish dish below.  That and I had a fabulous bottle of chilled white on hand to compliment it. 

(But we all know that this sista is a planner.  Shhhhhhhhh.... I prefer to bask in spontaneous adoration.)

Pepper and Parm Crusted Whitefish with Cherry Tomato Basil Sauce (as adapted from Rachael Ray)

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large shallot
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• a few basil leaves, torn
• salt and pepper

Fish

• 2/3 cup of cornmeal, or parmesean bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parm-reggiano cheese
• course black pepper
• 4 8 oz halibut fillets or other white fish
• EVOO
• balsamic vinegar

Ready to get after it?  Let's go.

 

Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and stir for a couple of minutes to saute and get some aromas going to get your mouth watering. Add the tomatoes and basil and saute for 10 to 15 minutes.  The goal here is to break down the tomatoes, getting a sauce 'ablending.

Mix the cornmeal with the cheese and black pepper.  I realized that corn starch and corn meal aren't substitutes for each other, so I made a game time decision and went with bread crumbs.

Side note:  Anytime I say bread crumbs, I start giggling.  In Thailand, there was a menu that listed one of the ingredients as "Bread Grumbs".  BREAD GRUMBS!  Ha.  There was also a menu item called Cream Cheese Magaroni and Fried Chicken, kentuky style.  bahahahaha.  Oh Thailand, your english interpretations crack me up.  I know, you kinda had to be there, but trust me, we couldn't stop laughing our asses off.  Then we proceeded to have the second worst meal of the trip.

You can cook the fish one of two ways:

As Rachael Ray does:
Add the fish (to corn meal mixture) and turn to coat. Heat a thin layer of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook, turning once, until crisp and brown all over, 8 to 10 minutes.

Or as Kelley does:
Coat fish in bread grumbs and bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.  Rachael goes for crispy, I go for baked. 

Once done, top the fish with the tomato deliciousness and drizzle with some balsamic.  Done and Done.

I was too hungry to appropriately take anytime to plate this for pictures, but there was a bottle of Kim Crawford calling my name.  Anyone who knows me knows that Kim is my favorite bottle of wine and I cannot be stopped in it's consumption - even if you're on glass 5 at $12 a glass on a Tuesday night.

However, you'll have to trust me, this was more YUM-O that the pictures indicate.


 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Rarely do I ever blog so quickly after making a dish, but I am so excited by this one I can hardly stand it.  Yesterday, I was day dreaming about food (as I so typically do, umm... pretty much all day long) and I saw that another blogger had recently took on the challenge of making gnocchi for the first time.  Now, I like gnocchi, but I won't typically order it at a restaurant for my entree.  It's a heavy dish.  But I've always wanted to make it.  You know, just to see if I could.

But what kind of gnocchi?  What sort of sauce?  A few weeks ago, I had an amazing dinner at a restaurant in the North End called Carmen.  The food was nothing less than spectacular.  It's a charming, tiny restaurant, totally unassuming in it's location away from hustle of Hanover street.  The wine list is nicely priced and the atmosphere is the perfect setting for an intimate meal.  I was immediately drawn to the Short Rib Ravioli with Sage Butter Sage, to which I ordered and savored every bite of.  It was one of the more memorable dishes I have had in a Boston area restaurant in months.  What I remember standing out was the brown butter sauce.  I'm such an addict for sauces of any kind, so I really wanted to lick the plate.  But again, manners, nice restaurant, blah blah blah.

A sister has got to be proper, yo.

Anyways, inspired by this amazing meal, I decided that at a later point, I would put short rib ravioli on my list of kitchen endeavors, but for tonight, it would be sweet potato gnocchi with a sage brown butter sauce.  Upon researching the intrawebs for a recipe, I realized that I pretty much had all ingredients on hand... except for a sweet potato.  Really?  Could it be this easy?

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter (as adapted from Epicurious)

• 1 pound red-skinned sweet potatoe, rinsed, patted dry, pierced all over with fork
• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese, drained in sieve 2 hours
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 1/4 cups (about) all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage plus whole leaves for garnish

Apologies in advance... I turned on my Nikon last night only to discover a dead battery.  And then tried my Sony p&s.  Dead.  Clearly, I overshot in Thailand.  So where's a girl to turn to?  i4.  Clearly.  Let's get after it.

 

Start by piercing your potato and popping it into the microwave for 5 minutes a side.  Because this was a very large sweet potato, I ended up cutting into after this and popping the middle sections back in for another 3 or so.  Then allow to cool.

 

Once cool, remove skins and mash in a mixing bowl.

 

 

Add in ricotta cheese.  I'm really not sure what purpose the sieve had for draining.  I did this step, but if you don't, I can't imagine it would change the recipe all that much.  Barely anything "sieved" out of mine.  Mix well.

 

 Add in parmesan, brown sugar, salt and nutmeg.

 

Again, mix well.

Now, it's time to add in the flour, 1/2 cup at time.  Don't pack the flour into the measuring cup, spoon it.  I am just learning this now and I think it's why all my baking sucks (things get too dense).  Slowly mix in the flour until it starts to flour a soft dough.

I decided that a soft dough meant that it wasn't that sticky anymore.  I ended up with about 2 1/4 cups flour in total.  I think one could get away with less.  I wonder if my gnocchi were too "doughy"?  Either way, feel it out.

That was a serious work out, all that dough mixing.  I did a cardio strength training class just before making these... so let me tell you, my arms were burning.    Now, divide the dough into sections.  I did about softball sized chunks.

It's time to get messy.  Throw some flour down on a clean surface and start rolling out your dough to form a long rope.  Roll back and forth in fluid motions and it will start to form a good shape.  Keep moving your hand through the rope. 

What a mess.  It's worth it though.  Cut into 1 inch pieces and set aside.  Now take a fork and run the tines over the little gnocchi pillows.  I imagined this would be easy.  It wasn't.  The dough was resistant.  I had to press hard.  Which then flattened and made ugly little gnocchis.  This is partly why I think I might have used a bit too much flour.  But again, it's all about trial and error.  Fork tines are superficial.  They don't affect the way it tastes, so don't worry your pretty little self about it too much.

Now, heat up a pot of salted, boiling water and throw these bad boys in.  They have little self timers on them.  When they rise, you know they are done.  I let mine rise and then boiled for another minute or so. 

Look at that?  Perfect looking gnocchis!

Now, heat up a skillet on medium high heat and toss in your butter.  Pay attention, this is going to happen fast.  Swirl your butter in the pan as it heats, watching very closely.

And then suddenly, it will be golden brown.  Toss in sage (they will bubble) and remove from heat.  If you keep on the heat, the butter will get very dark and will begin to break down.  You'll see ash like looking pieces in it.  This will not taste good.  The good news is, you can start over very easily!

This is what burnt butter looks like.  It's not golden brown.  Yuck.  This was my first attempt, my second attempt was much better. 

Add your drained gnocchi to the brown butter sauce and saute the gnocchi on medium high for just a few minutes.  You want to warm them back up and you don't want the butter to further burn. 

Amazing... if I don't say so myself.

This was ridiculously easy.  I saved two other chunks of dough to be frozen and finished at a later date.  These little gnocchis aren't healthy by any means, so I must eat them in small moderation.  The plate above had probably about 1,000 calories.  Yikes.  The good news is they are filling.  And easy as hell to make!

Salmon with Blueberry Pan Sauce

I'm back!  I ate my face off in Thailand... as in, ordering two of everything at every meal.  Which was clearly excessive.  But... when things range between $2 and $3 each, how could I not?  I'll have a post up soon about all the amazing things I ate.  Meanwhile, despite a quiet run lately on My Kitchen, My Sanctuary, I have been in my kitchen cooking up the usual storm.  Finding time to download and blog about it?  Well, that's been a different story. (I thought being done with my MBA would give me me time.  Wrong.)

I'm addicted to anything salmon.  So fresh, so healthy, and ever so easy to prepare.  I found this recipe on Epicurious and whipped it up one night in about 30 minutes.  

Salmon wtih Blueberry Pan Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for brushing
• 3/4 cup sliced shallots
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt plus additional for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme plus additional for seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice plus additional for seasoning
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 4 7-ounce salmon steaks or fillets with skin (each about 3/4 inch thick)
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint, divided

This one is easy, let's get after it:

Start with (my) usual onion/shallot saute.  I was surprised by the use of shallots and blueberries.  I wasn't sure what to expect from it.  However, shallots have a much lighter, less intense flavor than, say a red onion.  I'm really digging them lately.  As they start to soften, add in the garlic, thyme and allspice (I actually omitted the allspice because I didn't have any on hand.)  Also this mixture to blend together for about 30 seconds to a minute.  Let the flavors release and then move on to the next step.

Next, add in your blueberries, water and balsamic vinegar and allow to saute.

 As they warm, some will start to burst, but you can help this process along by smashing with the back of your spoon.  Or if you have an official masher of some sort, that would work well also.  Again, limited kitchen, so work with what ya got. 

Most obviously, you could use a fork too.

Allow this mixture to continue to do it's thing over medium heat.  The sauce will start to thicken, but be sure to stir frequently so it doesn't burn.

Once it looks like this, you're good to go!  Yum.  Yum.

Your salmon, perfectly seasoned with a touch of salt and some black pepper, comes out of the oven, freshly broiled for about 10 minutes.  Inside should be a dull pink.  If it looks shiny or a bit slimy, back in it goes.  It's not done. 

P.S. for years, I worked my butt of trying to deskin salmon (or any fish) before cooking it.  What a waste of time!  Once cooked, the skin flakes right off.  I wish I had known.  I would have salvaged many a piece of tortured skinless fish. 

Take your blueberry sauce and add your fresh mint.  As as much as you want.  I LOVE mint and so I went overboard on mine. 

 Add finally, top generously over the salmon.  I was in a hurry this night, so this was my complete dinner.  The recipe made enough sauce for two pieces of fish - so could be a recipe for two, OR, dinner the next night like mine was.  I love having something simple like this on hand. 

Marinated Pork with Mango Salsa

I posted this as a guest blogger for Meghan over at Travel, Eat, Love, while she traveled Ireland with her husband.  Check out my post here.

I don't reserve my best cooking for the weekends, I love to find easy to prepare, healthy dishes on the weekdays too.  There's something so satisfying about coming home and cheffing something from scratch, rather than having to rely on leftovers.  I came across this Caribbean Pork with Mango Salsa in Real Simple's January 2011 issue.  Amidst a ton of other pork recipes, this one called my name for it's simplicity and it's inclusion of Mango Salsa.

I know, I know.  Mango salsa isn't entirely in season right now.  But amidst all the winter kale and squashes and over kill of pumpkin and peppermint from the holidays, it feels so good to go against the grain.  So fresh.  So summer-y.  Wouldn't you like a taste of summer right now?

Caribbean Pork with Mango Salsa (as adapted from Real Simple)

• 1 mango, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• salt for tasting
• 1 pound of pork tenderloin, or chops
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground corriander
• salt to taste

 As usual, I was hestitant to think the Mango Salsa was going to have any flavor as the ingredients seemed too simple.  For some reason, I can't get over it in my head that sometimes less ingredients really can blow your socks off.  It's true though.

These simple, simple ingredients came together to make one of the most refreshing mango salsa's I have had.  I love the flavor and was ready to just eat a bowl of it straight up.  I know it's wrong, but sometimes a girl can't help herself.   

As for the pork, it's easy to throw together.  The recipe calls for broiling, but I am huge on pan searing lately.  So, at nearly room temperature, I patted my chops dry and seasoned as the recipe called for.  I heated 2 pans on medium high and added a bit of EVOO. (I don't have a pan large enough for two porkchops without crowding. If you crowd, you could lose the chance for them to get a sear.)  Once fired up and heated, I tossed the porkchops into the pans. 

You'll be tempted to touch.  To peek.  To check.  Resist.  Resist harder.  Have faith that four to five minutes untouched on each side with create a delicious sear.  Once they were seared, I tossed them into the oven at 450 degrees and cooked futher another 10 minutes or so, until the middle was no longer pink.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before slicing to preserve the juices in the meat.  If you slice too soon, they juices all run out and you lose some of the moisture.  Just say no to dried out meat.  Especially pork.  Pork gets a bad rap for being boring, but I think when it's done right, it's amazing.

Slice pork and top with Mango Salsa.  Serve with a freshly made salad, side of roasted veggies or some brown rice.  Dive in.  There's so reason you can't have a freshly made, healthy meal on busy weekdays!

Lobster, Lobstah!

My mama came into town this past weekend and one of her demanding (wink, wink) requests were that we obviously chef up lobster for dinner one night.  Okay, mom... twist my arm why don't you?  You see, in the four years that I have lived here in Seafood Heaven, I have forgotten that it's not all that prevelant or easily accessible (or even affordable) in the Great Midwest.  I forget the Red Lobster is the norm.

Obviously no offense meant to Red Lobster lovers.... 

I have had a great many lobsters in four years out here.  In fact, I have taken them for granted.  I've brought back a dozen Maine lobsters at points in the past years.  I consider two lobsters per person to be standard fare.  I know how to cook 'em and crack 'em and which parts are the tastiest.  I have learned that some people eat the legs and the body - but I have got two theories on that - the legs are too much work and the bodies contain too much (in my opinon) unedible goop.  Believe it or not, some diehards disagree.

Fun Lobster Facts:

• Chicken Lobsters are littler lobsters - between 1 pound and 1 1/4 pound. 
• 1 1/4 Lobster have considerably more meat than their smaller friends.  that 1/4 pound makes a huge difference.
• Lobsters do not in fact scream. It's morbid, I know.
• Hard shell lobsters (vs soft shell) have more meat.
• The white stuff around the meat (most noticably in the claws) is congealed blood.  It scraps off easy and is semi tasteless.
• You might find orange-y colored stuff in the tail.  It's lobster eggs.  Some people eat it as lobster caviar.  (No thanks!)
• Lobster meat is incredibly low in calories.

There are many ways to cook a lobster, but I prefer to steam them over boiling them. 

You'll need a giant pot filled with two inches of water.  Salt and bring to a boil.  I put my steamer in the bottom of mine, but this step is not necessary.  Once your pot is boiling, say a little prayer for your friends.  Or find a heartless boy to do the dirty work.  I'm not going to lie, I get real sad whenever I have to make a lobster meet his/her fate.

Put the lobsters in the pot and cover.  You'll want to steam them about 15 to 18 minutes depending on their size.  You know they are good and ready when they are a bright red and their little legs tear off with relative ease.    Again, I didn't say this was a PETA friendly dinner.  At this point, use a tongs to fetch them out of the pot.  They will be hot.




Gorgeous red color





T-shirt wearing for Lobster Eating.



  

The cooking part is relatively easy, it's the eating part that amateurs get stuck on.  Here's the way I was taught to eat lobsters - taught to me by someone who grew up in Maine and knows how to get to the business of lobster eating.

• Prepare yourself with paper towels.  A whole roll could come in handy.
• Also, get a bowl or recepticle of some sort for the lobster carcasses.
• Melt butter to dip your delicious in - place in a ramekin or other small dish.
• First, off come the claws.  Place your hand along the lobster body and twist until they pop off. 
• Repeat for the tail. Sometimes a lot of steam/hot water comes out, so handle appropriately. 
• Discard the shell of the body.  There's a lot of goop up in there. 
• Now it's time to get to the eating part.  If you're eating soft shell, most likely you won't need crackers.
• When it comes to the tail, I get the meat out by pressing down on the under side of the tail in a few places.  Press until the shell cracks and then pull back on the sides of the tail.  This will loosen the tail meat in one piece and it should slide out of the shell.
• I go through a ridiculous amount of paper towels in cleaning off various parts of my lobster meat.

Mom loved cheffed up and eating the lobsters.  We got them in South Boston at a wholesaler for $6.25 a pound, so our (4) 1.5 pound lobsters came out to about $43.  Not bad for a really tasty dinner at home.

Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna

I love Ahi Tuna.  I love it more at restaurants... but if you want to make it at home, it's pretty easy.  A little intimidating because it is best served rare/raw/pink, but it's nothing even a beginner can't handle.  I buy the frozen stuff because it's more affordable.  I am not yet too refined that I snub my noise at frozen fish.  I get it - it's definitely better, but this sista is on a budget.

Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna:
Fresh or Frozen Ahi Tuna
Olive Oil
Egg
Parmesan Bread Crumbs

Quickly rinse your piece of tuna and pat dry.

Lightly whisk an egg in a bowl.

Pour some bread crumbs into another bowl.  Feel free to add a bit of parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Like an assemble line, thorough dip the ahi tuna steaks into the egg, ensuring that you coat all sides thoroughly.  Then dip into the bread crumbs, also making sure you cover all sides.

Ready!

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat until hot. You know it's ready when you flick water into the pan and it sizzles.

Tsssssssszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....................

Slightly too charred..... I call it "Crusted".

Place ahi tuna into pan to sear for several minutes on either side.  Once you place in the pan, DO NOT MOVE.  This allows for better searing and creating a char.

Full Disclosure:  I left mine for too long.... and the pan smoked.... and I set off my fire alarms.

TWICE.

Nothing says Kitchen Amatuer than standing on your bed waving a bed pillow in front of the fire alarm.  Groan.

Flip and sear on the other side.  The middle should be pink.  Pink = Fabulous.  Enjoy!

Satisfying!

Super easy tuna melts

These tuna melts are super easy and really delicious.

They are perfect for busy people. I do not have a toaster. Do you? I do not really see the need for a toaster. I start by toasting my English muffins in the oven while it preheats. Preheat your oven to 375 and toss in the English muffins (or use your toaster). The tuna mixture (below) will serve about 4 people and about 4 English muffins. I usually eat one English muffin per meal.




Here are the ingredients for the tuna mixture:

2 6 oz. cans of tuna
4 tablespoons of Mayo
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
2 teaspoons of vinegar
2 teaspoons of mustard
2 tablespoons of chopped dill pickle

Mix these ingredients, and spread on the inside of each toasted English muffin.



If have have tomatoes, put a slice or two on the English muffin. If you don't have tomatoes, it's not a big deal.

Put shredded cheese or a slice of cheese on top of the English muffin and mixture. I use whatever cheese I have in the fridge. This time it was Swiss and cheddar.






Then, put in the oven for about seven minutes. This photo does not do it justice. The flavors from the pickles are really strong.

A Picnic in the Park

A few weeks ago, I invited a coworker of mine to see a movie at the Boston Hatch Shell on the Charles River.  They show family movies on a big screen outside on the Esplanade on Friday nights after dusk.  I have no idea why I haven't spent every single Friday night down by the river enjoying this free perk.  Sure, there are some rather unbehaving children there, but it's outweighed by the fact that you are watching a movie outdoors. 

In a park. 

Over looking a beautiful river. 

For free. 

Wicked Boston Fun.

Come on! My coworker showed up at my house with the most ginormous picnic basket ever.  I had expected her to bring sandwiches or something simple, while I provided the wine, so imagine my surprise when she pulled out an entire pan of freshly baked caramel brownies and a cheese stuffed beef roast.  Why stop there?  How about an heirloom tomato salad?  Maybe some Asian Peanut Noodles?  And pizza for her kiddo.  It was insane.  This girl just totally rewrote the book on picnics.

So, when UP was scheduled to play a few weeks ago, I was inspired to go above and beyond standard picnic fare.  There would be no turkey sandwiches or pasta salad on my watch.  No sirree.

My inspired picnic consisted of:  proscuitto wrapped asparagus with herbed goat cheese, tomato basil mozzerella skewers, veggies/hummus and an array of cheese, crackers and sausage.  And a bottle of fabulous white, of course.  

Fine.  

It was two bottles of fabulous white.

I'm hungry just reminiscing about it.

It was rather simple to pull together actually.  A leisurely walk over to Trader Joe's in the Back Bay provided me with all I needed AND then some (impulse purchases are the kiss of death to the wallet).

Prosciutto/Goat Cheese/Asparagus

The name lists all the ingredients - so this is a no brainer.  I got a package of already sliced prosciutto and herbed goat cheese.  Simply steam the asparagus slightly al dente and cool. (Don't over cook, it's important they are firm - limp asparagus is unimpressive in this case.) 

Lay out a thin slice of proscuitto and slab some goat cheese on one end.  Take three stalks of asparagus and roll up in the prosciutto (like pigs in a blanket).  The goat cheese on the one end will act like glue to keep it all together.  

Be generous, but not overly generous with your goat cheese or when you roll it up it will gob out because it has no place to go.  Which, is clearly only an issue in the aesthetics department, not in the taste factor.  These can be chilled prior to your picnic or eaten straight away. 

Look at these beauties!  Don't you just want to eat 'em up?





Tomato Basil Mozzerella Skewers

Again, don't over think this one kids - it's exactly as it sounds.  I halfed grape tomatoes, cut up a ball of mozzerella and ripped up shreds of basil and then skewered them on mini toothpicks.  These are easy to prepare ahead of time and store well.  Come picnic time, feel free to drizzle a balsamic over the top.  Mmmmm.... delish.  Well, I guess it would have been delish, except, in my haste, I bought balsamic vinegar, which is QUITE different than balsamic vinagrette (which has oil).




Oops.  You can't be perfect all the time.  Nonetheless, the skewers tasted fabulous naked.

In addition to the stellar dishes above - I also got a few different hunks of cheese (gouda, blue and a smelly French one), some sopreseta (sausage) and a Trader Joe's variety boxes of crackers.  Add in an aioli garlic mustard and PRESTO:

You've just won of the hearts of your picnic companions.  The wine might have something to do with it too....

This was all very easy to pull together.  The bigger battle was figuring out what to make and overcoming the misconception that picnics have to be so standard!