Tag Archives: recipe

Peaches, Prosciutto & Burrata: Two Ways

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Heirloom Tomato, Peach & Fresh Mozzarella Crostini

As summertime comes to a close, there’s no better way to celebrate the end of the season than with fresh, California-grown peaches.

My inspiration for today’s recipe came from a post I shared last summer –  Heirloom Tomato, Peach and Mozzarella Crostini.  Those who know me, know I LOVE burrata and prosciutto….so naturally they made their way into today’s recipes. The delicate creaminess of the burrata and the smoky saltiness of the prosciutto are the perfect complement to the sweet, juicy peaches.

  • Spring greens mix
  • 4 ounces fresh burrata
  • 2 large peaches, peeled and sliced
  • 4 slices of prosciutto
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh thyme
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine spring greens, fresh burrata, peaches and prosciutto on a plate. For the dressing, slowly whisk the olive oil into the lemon juice and continue whisking until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over the salad and garnish with fresh thyme. Serves 4.

Peach Crostini

If you are looking for an easy-to-make appetizer, this salty and sweet combo is the perfect summertime snack.

  • 1 baguette, sliced
  • 4 ounces fresh burrata
  • 2 slices of prosciutto
  • 1 large peach, peeled and sliced
  • Fresh thyme
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice baguette into 1/2 inch slices and coat with olive oil. Season lightly with salt & pepper and bake them for about 8 – 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove the baguette slices from the oven and layer with a peach slice and burrata. Drizzle a little olive oil over each crostini, season with a dash of freshly ground pepper and garnish with prosciutto and thyme. *If you made the salad recipe above, you can also use the lemon dressing for drizzling.

Cheers! ~ Crystal

Wake Up to Beignets & Café au Lait

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Beignets Cafe

My friend Morgan taught me how to make these puffy fried pastries when I was interviewing her for our Mardi Gras blog post several years ago. These light fritters are a traditional New Orleans-style dessert that can be enjoyed as a morning treat, mid-afternoon snack or as a sweet ending to dinner.

  • 3/4 cups lukewarm water
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 envelope active dry yeast
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • Nonstick spray
  • Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners  sugar for sprinkling

How to Make Beignets

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Add the egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the butter and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for about an hour. Add oil to a large, heavy pan and heat on medium (make sure to cover the entire bottom of pan with oil, about 1/2 inch.) Roll the dough out and cut into 1-inch squares. Add dough to oil and fry for about 2 – 3 minutes or until golden brown and flip. Cook for another 1 – 2 minutes. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then sift confectioners’ sugar over beignets. Makes 1 1/2 dozen.

Enjoy beignets with cafe au lait: steam milk and add to coffee.

Cheers – Crystal

Meatless Monday | Summer Salad with Grilled Corn & Black Beans

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Grilled Corn Salad | Aprons & Stilettos

Today I headed over to the local produce stand to pick up some fresh vegetables for the week. I just spent six days in North Carolina enjoying southern food at its finest and after indulging in North Carolina BBQ, fried chicken and waffles, biscuits (with every meal) and grandma’s lemon chess pie, I decided I should probably load up on fresh veggies this week. As I was driving towards Mike’s Truck Garden produce stand I noticed they were advertising fresh corn for sale so I decided to pick up a bag. Taking into account that today is Meatless Monday, I decided to make one of my favorite summer salads: grilled corn & black bean salad with radishes, cilantro, lime juice and queso fresco.

Veggies

4 ears of fresh corn, shucked
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Queso fresco, crumbled
1 avocado, thinly sliced
Salt

Preheat your grill. Cook the corn on the grill until slightly charred, about 10 minutes. Let cool before cutting off the corn kernels.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, chili powder and salt. Once the corn has cooled, cut the corn kernels from the cob and transfer to the bowl. Add the rinsed black beans, radishes, scallions and cilantro. Mix together. Top salad with queso fresco and avocado.

Cheers ~ Crystal