Recipe Course: Appetizers & Snacks

Apple-Orange-Raisin Fruit Salad

  • In bowl, combine olive oil, apples, oranges and raisins. Press some oranges with the back of a spoon to release juice.
  • Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes; toss and serve.

 

Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders

Apple Pie Oatmeal Muffins

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Place oats in large bowl; pour buttermilk over top. Stir together; let stand for 30 minutes.
  • Stir in sugar, olive oil, egg and apple.
  • Sift together whole wheat and all-purpose flours, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; add to oats mixture.
  • Spray nonstick muffin pans with olive oil and fill each muffin cup with 1/2 cup of the batter.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until set and springy to the touch. Serve warm.

Almond Brunch Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch spring-form pan with oil. In bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In food processor fitted with metal blade, process almond paste until finely ground. Add sugar and almond extract; process until combined. With machine running, drizzle oil through feed tube; process until smooth. Add eggs; process until smooth.
  • Add flour mixture in three additions and milk in two additions, starting and ending with flour mixture, pulsing just to combine after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  • Bake for about 35 minutes or until the cake is lightly browned and tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Transfer to rack; let cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar; serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip:

• Serve the cake with lightly sugared seasonal cut fruit.
• Almond paste, a stiff mixture of ground almonds and sugar, is sold in the baking section of supermarkets. Do not replace it with almond filling, which is a much softer, sweeter mixture.

Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders

All-Cheese Pizza

  • Grease 12-inch round pizza pan with oil; sprinkle with cornmeal. Set aside.
  • Punch down dough; let stand on lightly floured work surface for 5 minutes. With lightly floured hands or rolling pin, pat or roll into 13-inch round. Transfer to prepared pan; fold edges over slightly to make rounded border. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand for 15 minutes or until slightly risen.
  • Preheat oven to 450°F. In small microwaveable bowl, place garlic and oil; cover with waxed paper. Microwave on high for about 90 seconds or until bubbly. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
  • Drizzle some of the garlic oil over crust, spreading with back of spoon. Mix remaining garlic oil with ricotta; dollop over crust, spreading with back of spoon. Sprinkle evenly with Gruyère and Parmesan.
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheeses are golden and bubbly. Transfer to rack; let cool for 5 minutes.

 

Tip: To save time, substitute one pound of thawed frozen commercial bread dough for the pizza dough.

 

Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders

Caramelized Onion Frittata

  • Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat; add onions and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes or until well browned.
  • Meanwhile, preheat broiler. In bowl, beat together eggs, water and remaining salt; pour over onions in skillet. Increase heat to medium; cook for 4 minutes, lifting edges of the eggs as they set to let uncooked egg run underneath until bottom is set. Transfer skillet to broiler; broil for 3 minutes or until frittata is puffed and golden.

 

Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders

Best Blueberry Muffins

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • In bowl, beat together sugar, eggs, olive oil and orange extract.
  • Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture, in two additions alternating with buttermilk.
  • Fold in blueberries.
  • Line muffin cups with paper cups; fill cups three-quarters full of batter.
  • Combine lemon zest with sugar; sprinkle over each muffin.
  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Recipe provided by Chef Mary Ann Esposito

Asian Crab Cakes

  • Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in sauté pan set over medium heat; sauté onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened but not browned.
  • In large bowl, gently fold together onion mixture, crab meat, cilantro, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce and salt. Gently fold in rice, egg and 1 tbsp remaining olive oil until well blended.
  • Divide mixture into 4 portions and form into patties. Place bread crumbs on plate; coat each patty.
  • Heat remaining olive oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat; sauté crab cakes, turning once, for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.

 

Tip: If bread crumbs brown too quickly, remove crab cakes from pan and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in 350ºF oven or until cooked through.

 

Recipe provided by Chef Jim Coleman

Pizza Margherita

  • Preheat oven to 400ºF. On lightly floured work surface, roll out dough into 13-inch round. Transfer to lightly oiled 12-inch pizza pan. Brush dough with 1 tbsp olive oil; arrange tomato slices over top. Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.
  • Bake pizza for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges begin to brown slightly and underside is golden. Remove pizza from oven; let cool slightly. Cut into wedges. Sprinkle basil over top.

 

Recipe provided by Chef Mary Ann Esposito

Linguine with Crab

  • In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for 10 minutes or until al dente.
  • Meanwhile, in large skillet set over medium-high heat, heat 3 tbsp olive oil; gently sauté garlic for 1 minute. Add wine; cook until reduced by half. Add crabmeat, parsley and chilies; cook for 1 minute or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Drain pasta; toss with crabmeat mixture. Serve with remaining olive oil drizzled over top.

Cran-Pear Oatmeal

  • In saucepan, combine milk, olive oil, cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Add oats and pear; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in sugar, walnuts and vanilla.

 

Recipe provided by Chef Jim Coleman