Harry Potter Snacks, Part 2

We are on the eve of the premier of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and I cannot wait! It's been a magical 5 weeks of viewing our favorite HP movies and enjoying some treats from the movies, along with a few of our own classics.

Ron's wands were a fun invention for a Harry Potter party we had a few years ago. Since he breaks his wand in the Chamber of Secrets, it's a quite fitting use of broken pretzel rods! And for the butterbeer, there are several interpretations, both hot and cold, alcoholic and not, that you can find online. We loved this simple recipe, and it wasn't sickeningly sweet like I feared. The baked brie isn't HP-related per se, but it seemed like something the Hogwarts students might enjoy. Especially with the Harry Potter logo that Christine so masterfully added to it. These recipes are so simple, a first year could do them!

Ron's Wands

1 bag pretzel rods (both whole and broken is fine)

6 ounces chocolate bark

Sprinkles

Lay out wax paper and prepare your pretzel rods. Place chocolate bark in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for one minute. Stir, then continue heating, stopping to stir every 20 seconds, until smooth. I recommend doing this in a tall glass, so when you dip the pretzel rods you can cover as much of the pretzel as possible. Lay on wax paper and add sprinkles. Let set about 20 minutes.

Butterbeer

6 pack cream soda cans, chilled

1 cup butterscotch snapps, chilled

Combine both ingredients and serve in chilled mugs. Fit for a Hogwarts feast! Sorry, no photo :(

Baked Brie

1 package puff pastry, thawed

1 wheel brie cheese

1/4 cup fig jam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the puff pastry and place brie cheese wheel in the center. Spread fig jam over the cheese and then tightly wrap the puff pastry dough around it, trimming the excess. You can then press a logo of your choice on the excess and press on top, if desired. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. I served with wheat crackers.

Vegetarian Mediterranean Panini

You know me, I love a good sandwich! I also tend to get in a very comfortable produce rut, so I decided to switch things up, while still making one of my favorites. What did I throw into the mix? A big, beautiful portobello mushroom. Mushrooms are such a nice meaty food without the heaviness that some of my go-to proteins lend to an otherwise light meal. Since I tend to go pretty heavy-handed with my sandwich toppings, the portobello mushroom was the perfect addition.

Vegetarian Mediterranean Panini

1 large portobello mushroom cap, stemmed and cleaned
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 red onion, sliced
2 roasted red bell peppers
2 cups frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
8 large sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf ciabatta
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Heat a grill pan on medium heat. Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil on both sides of mushroom and sprinkle with rosemary. Grill about 6 minutes on each side until grill marks are formed. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes, then slice and set aside.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat and warm other tablespoon oil. Saute garlic and onion 2 minutes, then add bell pepper, artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes and saute 3-5 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.

Reheat grill pan or panini grill. Cut ciabatta in half to form a top and bottom, then slice into 5 pieces. Pile mushroom slices, vegetable mixture and a few crumbles of goat cheese on each bottom half, then place top on the sandwich. place sandwiches on grill pan and place a heavy skillet on top (I used my cast iron) and let it cook 4-5 minutes, then flip and let it cook an additional 3-4 minutes. Enjoy!

On the side:

Blackberry Spinach Salad

5 ounces baby spinach leaves
3 ounces fresh blackberries
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1 ounce crumbled goat cheese
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Whisk together vinegar, oil and salt and pepper and drizzle over salad.

Peach and Prosciutto Pizza

You know how I love experimenting with fun new pizza toppings, and with fresh summer peaches flooding the market I couldn't help but adding them in to the mix! The sweetness of the peach is countered by the saltiness of the prosciutto, and the honey goat cheese offers a mildly sweet creaminess that really balances out the flavors.

Peach and Prosciutto Pizza

1 refrigerated pizza dough

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

2 peaches, skinned and sliced

1/4 pound prosciutto, chopped

2 ounces honey goat cheese, crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out pizza dough and spread olive oil over it in a thin layer. Next evenly sprinkle mozzarella cheese over tough, then top with peaches and prosciutto. Sprinkle the goat cheese crumbles on top and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Chilled Thai Corn Soup

I don't often make soups, and when I do it's typically a variation of chicken noodle. So when my roommate requested soup, I decided to switch things up! At a recent trip to the farmer's market, a chef from Parkside was sampling a chilled corn soup, but the recipe had so much heavy cream, I decided to try my hand at making one that was slightly more healthy. Enjoy!

Chilled Thai Corn Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
6 ears corn, husks discarded and kernels removed
1 red bell pepper, roasted, halved seeded and roughly chopped
1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot and warm olive oil. Saute onion and garlic for a few minutes, then add corn kernels. Cook about 5 minutes, then stir in red pepper and cook additional 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and water and simmer 10-15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to smooth out the soup, then stir in cilantro, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.

I served with toasted caprese sandwiches, featuring ciabatta bread, fresh mozzarella, fresh sliced tomatoes, baby spinach leaves, fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.

Harry Potter Snacks, Part 1

Somehow I've managed to keep my love for Harry Potter pretty quiet on the blogosphere, but with HP and the Half Blood Prince coming out this summer, it's time for me to reveal my nerdiness as well. My house is hosting weekly Harry Potter viewing parties, complete with fun wizard snacks, each Tuesday night leading up to the 6th movie premiere on July 15th. No matter how many times I read the books or see the movies, I love them equally every time.

My roommate Christine and I spent a good deal of time brainstorming and finding recipes from fellow bloggers, which I will be sharing in the coming weeks. For fellow fans, I hope you appreciate it! Even if you're not, these recipes are pretty tasty on their own :)

Chocolate Frogs

Thanks to Christine's dedication, she ordered a frog mold online. We then simply melted chocolate bark and filled each frog, adding walnuts and cashews to them for an added crunch. What a hit!

Cauldron Cakes

These spice cakes were simple and light!

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix eggs, sugar, butter,cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla in large mixing bowl on whip for 2 minutes. Mix other solid ingredients and milk in gradually in the large mixing bowl. Fill muffin tins about half way and bake 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Juice

We washed it all down with a fresh glass of Pumpkin Juice, which my friend Greg coined "Rumkin" Juice by adding a healthy dose of rum. Booze or not, this beverage was surprisingly refreshing!

5 cups apple juice
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Combine all in a large pitcher and stir well. Serve on ice. Makes about 6 cups.

Stuffed Zucchini

My friend Ivette and I got to talking about how much we loved zucchini the other day, and it got me thinking about how i haven't made stuffed zucchini in forever! I love making this because there are a million ways to do it, all of which turn out delicious. We've been grilling outdoors a lot lately, putting me in a fiesta mood, so I gave mine a southwestern flair :)

Stuffed Zucchini

4 large zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1 roma tomato, seeded and diced

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Scoop out the pulp of each zucchini half, leaving the zucchini shelf in tact, and dice. Heat a skillet on medium heat and warm oil. Saute garlic and red onion about 3 minutes, then add in diced zucchini pulp and saute another 3 minutes. Place in a large bowl and stir in tomato, rice, cilantro cheese and seasonings. Place filling into each zucchini shell and place on a baking sheet.Top with a sprinkle of bread crumbs and bake at 375 for 30 minutes, covered. Remove cover and broil for 2 minutes if crumbs are not yet golden brown. Enjoy!

Strawberry Chicken Panini

In case you haven't noticed, I can't get enough of strawberries while they're in season. With that in mind, I saw a delicious recipe for Strawberry, Pistachio and Goat Cheese Pizza which looked divine. I decided I wanted to switch things up a bit to add a protein and turn this into a sandwich to be more filling with a side salad to accompany it, which was a great weeknight meal!

Strawberry Chicken Panini

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled and cut into strips
8 slices whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons butter
3 ounces honey goat cheese, crumbled
2 cups strawberries, sliced
2 cups watercress


Place a few slices of chicken on buttered bread and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese. Cook on a preheated grill pan about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Add strawberries and watercress to sandwich, slice and serve.

Peach and Honey Roasted Peanut Salad

8 ounces spring mix greens
3 peaches, sliced
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 large lemon, zest and juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine greens, peaches and peanuts in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together remaining ingredients, then toss with salad. Enjoy!