Pecan Tarts

This recipe came from my mom, and I've been using it frequently to win over friends - everyone loves it! The tart shells do take a bit of time to make; they're probably the most time-intensive part of the recipe. However, you won't be sorry you tried them: they are absolutely scrumptious, with a flaky crust and just the right amount of filling to make you want that second, third, and fourth one. :)

Makes 24.

Crust Ingredients:

1/3 package (8oz) cream cheese

6 tbs softened/melted butter

1 cup flour

Crust Instructions:

1. Knead ingredients together. Make sure the ingredients are incorporated and the dough is smooth.

2. Cut the dough into 24 even pieces and place the pieces in the tart trays.

3. Form each tart shell by lightly pressing the dough down and up the sides.

Filling Ingredients:

1 egg

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

2 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 chopped pecans

Filling Instructions:

1. Whisk all ingredients except for the pecans together. Once the mixture is smooth, stir in the pecans. Make sure the pecan pieces are coated evenly.

Baking Instructions:

1. Before you begin filling each tart shell, pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees. Make sure the rack is on the middle level of your oven.

2. Fill each tart shell with 1 tsp of the filling.

3. When the oven reaches 350 degrees, place the tart trays into the oven. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille, from all accounts, takes a really long time if you want to do it right. It is a simple dish in that it doesn't require a huge amount of kitchen know-how and technique; however, it is quite complicated in the number of times you need to chop vegetables, add things to the pot, take things out of the pot, let the ingredients boil, etc. This dish takes time! Thus, though I truly wanted to try ratatouille in the traditional sense, I settled on this particular recipe because it looked like I could get something on the table in less than two hours. The flavors were delicious, but I think it could have used that additional time on the stove were we not in a rush to eat.

This recipe I took from www.epicurious.com: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ratatouille-354344

Parmesan Couscous

This was a great and easy side to soak up the flavorful sauce of the ratatouille. In fact, it would go great with anything that had a spicy, tomato flavor like Italian meatballs perhaps. Give this a try if you want an easy starch to go with your main entree.

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth

2 tbsp butter

2 packages (10 oz.) plain, uncooked couscous

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Bring the chicken broth and butter to boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 6-8 minutes.

2. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and ground pepper. Fluff with a fork, and serve immediately.

Potato Latkes

It's been a long time since my last post - apologies! I'm finding time now, as the holiday season starts up, to post these recipes from a month ago. You have here a potato latkes recipe that I first tried for a quick dinner. I later introduced this to the Dinner Meet crowd. Quick, delicious, and with a short list of vital ingredients - I think I might start putting this into my regular cooking rotation! The below recipe serves 2-3 people.

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled and grated potatoes

3 tbsp grated onion

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp all-purpose flour or Matzo ball flour

1 tsp salt (slightly less than a full tsp)

1/2 cup canola or peanut oil

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, stir potatoes, onion, egg, flour, and salt together.

2. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form quarter-inch to half-inch thick patties. Brown on one side, flip, and brown the other side. Let the finished patties drain on paper towels. Serve hot with applesauce, chopped chives, and/or sour cream