Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip in a Bread Bowl

Ingredients 2 Panera Sourdough Bread Bowls 1 Panera Asiago or Three Cheese Loaf 1 cup baby-cut carrots 2 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch lengths 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ cup finely chopped red onion 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic 1 cup light sour cream ½ cup light mayonnaise 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon paprika

Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cut out top of both Panera Sourdough Bread Bowls as if making a jack-o’-lantern out of a pumpkin. Remove bread from inside, leaving about a 1” shell of crust. Cut removed bread into 1” cubes and transfer to a serving bowl. Wrap the bread bowls in heavy-duty foil and bake until warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Cut Panera Asiago or Three Cheese Loaf into 1” cubes and transfer to large serving platter. Arrange carrots and celery on platter as well.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and stir in sour cream, mayo, spinach, artichoke hearts, cheese, salt and paprika. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Unwrap warm bread bowls and spoon-dip into the two bowls. (Or divide evenly between the two bowls.) Serve immediately with bread cubes, carrots and celery.

Serves 10-12
Prep: 8 mins
Cook: 15 mins
(Panera Bread recipe)

Piggy Rolls

Roll out some refrigerated bread dough and cut circles with a biscuit cutter, glass, or whatever round edged object you can find laying around (which is the method I usually go with).

With the leftover scraps cut some triangles for the ears and make a small ball for the nose. Brush the whole roll with a little egg wash and use peppercorns for the eyes and rosemary for the nostrils.

Recipe : Hummus

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed
• 2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Pine nuts (toasted) and parsley (chopped) for garnish

Method
In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.

Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Serve with crackers, raw dip vegetables such as carrots or celery, or with pita bread. You can cut the pita bread into thin triangles, brush with olive oil and toast for 10 minutes in a 400°F oven to make pita chips with which to serve the hummus.
Makes about 3 cups.

Hot Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for baking dish
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds spinach, cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Baguette slices, breadsticks, or crackers, for serving

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

2.  Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next; cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.

3. In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

4. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments, as desired.

Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad

Avocado Deviled Eggs with Bacon

Ingredients
Make 24 pieces

• 12 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon mustard (optional)
• 6 pieces of bacon

Directions
Cook bacon in a pan on medium heat until crisp.  Drain on paper towel and set aside. Cut each hard boiled egg in half and carefully remove the yolks.

In a mixing bowl, mash 6 full yolks with the avocado, garlic, olive oil, paprika, lemon juice and mustard.  I don’t use all of the yolks because the avocado will make it rich enough.  It should be a creamy consistency after you fully mix the ingredients.  Take your cooled bacon and finely chop into small pieces and add to mixture.  Stir together.

Spoon each egg half with mixture.  Sprinkle paprika on each egg.

Tabbouleh

90g fine bulgar wheat

4 medium tomatoes, ripe but still firm (600g)

2 medium shallots (60g)

4 large bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley (160g)

2 bunches fresh mint (30g)

1 tsp ground allspice

3-4 tbsp lemon juice

120ml top-quality olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Put the bulgar in a fine sieve and put under the cold tap until the water runs clear and most of the starch has been removed. Transfer to a bowl.

Cut the tomatoes into 0.5cm dice (a small serrated knife is the best tool for this job) and add to the bowl, along with any juices. Chop the shallots as fine as you can and add to the bowl.

Take a few stalks of parsley and pack them together tightly. Use a large, very sharp knife to trim off the end of the stalks, then chop the remaining stems and leaves as finely as possible and no wider than 1mm. (If you can't achieve that first go, go over the chopped parsley again, this time with the heel of the blade.) Add the parsley to the bowl.

Pick the mint leaves, pack a few together tightly, chop as finely as the parsley and add to the bowl. Finally stir in the allspice, lemon juice to taste, olive oil, salt and pepper. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Note:

Avoid using a food processor. Chopping the leaves with a razor-sharp, heavy knife, although a lot of work, prevents bruising and gives the parsley its light and dry texture.

Collier’s Classic Welsh Rarebit

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks
• 50ml Welsh ale, such as Brains
• 1 tbsp mustard - try Double Dragon Welsh mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 200g Collier's cheddar
• 4 shallots - finely diced
• 3 x traditional muffins, cut in half

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Toast the muffins on both sides. Spread a layer of the cheese mix on top, quite thickly, and grill until brown and bubbling.
2. If you like a Hot Chilli Rarebit, add 2 tsp of finely chopped red chilli to the cheese mix before grilling.

Notess
Quick, simple and so tasty, use muffins instead of the usual bread for extra bite.

Grilled Eggplant with Tomato and Feta

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 3 large tomatoes, to match the diameter of the eggplant
• 0.4 lbs Bulgarian feta, crumbled
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• juice of half lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cut of the eggplant crosswise into ½” thick rounds. Lightly season them with salt and leave them for 30 minutes on a side to let water to come out of the eggplant.
2. Once ready drizzle some olive oil on top of each slice and grill them on a lightly oiled grill rack for 2 -3 minutes each side.
3. Blend the basil leaves with 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt in an immersion blender until smooth.
4. Cut the tomatoes crosswise to 1/4” thick rounds.
5. Lightly oil the baking pan. Arrange 4 eggplant rounds side by side. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of the basil-garlic mixture on top of each one, then generously sprinkle feta crumbs. Top each with tomato rings. Add another layer of eggplant, basil spread, feta and tomato rounds and top with the rest of the crumbled feta.
6. Preheat the oven to 400F.
7. Drizzle some olive oil on top of each stack and bake for 15 minutes.

Melon & Prosciutto Burrata Salad

Ingredients

• One cantaloupe
• 1 tablespoon of pesto
• Arugula
• Prosciutto
• Two cherry tomatoes
• 1.5 oz fresh burrata
• Olive oil

Preparation:
1. Peel and cut a cantaloupe into small slices.
2. Place one slice in the center of the plate.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of pesto into the center of the slice of cantaloupe
4. Layer with arugula and then with a layer of one piece of prosciutto
5. Layer with another slice of cantaloupe, arugula and prosciutto (repeat this step four times)
6. Finally, slice two cherry tomatoes and place in the center of the dish
7. Cover with 1.5 oz of fresh burrata
8. Season with FIG & OLIVE Picholine olive oil and micro basil

Potato Salad Bites

Ingredients

• 12  small red potatoes (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter)
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  hard-cooked egg, finely chopped
• 1/4  cup chopped celery
• 3  tablespoons dill pickle relish
• 2  tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 1  teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1/4  teaspoon pepper
• 2  medium green onions, thinly sliced (2 tablespoons)
• 3  radishes, thinly sliced (1/4 cup), if desired

Directions 

1. Heat over to 400°F. Place potatoes in ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Cool 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
2. Cut potatoes in half. With melon baller, scoop out insides of potatoes into medium bowl, leaving 1/4-inch lining of potato flesh around edges of shells. Sprinkle shells with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. To potato flesh in bowl, add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining ingredients except onions and radishes; mix well, breaking up potatoes.
3. Cut very thin slice off bottom of each potato shell so potatoes will stand upright. Fill each potato shell with about 1 tablespoon filling mixture. Top with onions. Cover; refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled. Garnish with radish slices.

Baked Egg and Toast Cups with Tomatoes and Cheddar

TIP: If you prefer, you can scramble the eggs then pour them into the toast cups.

INGREDIENTS6 slices from Panera Bread White Whole Grain Loaf, crust removed
1/4 cup melted butter
6 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped grape tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, optional
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional
DIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 350ºF. Coat 6 jumbo muffin cups with cooking spray. Brush both sides of trimmed bread slices with melted butter. Press 1 bread slice into each muffin cup, molding it to the shape of the cup. The bread corners will rise out of the edges of the cup. Bake until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes.

Break 1 egg into each toast-lined cup and season with salt and pepper. Add chopped tomatoes and onion, if using, dividing equally among muffin cups. Top with cheese and bake until cheese melts and eggs are set, 15 to 20 minutes. Scatter on parsley, if using.

Makes 6 servings.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes

Avocado Crostini

INGREDIENTS

• 1 French baguette, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 scallion, finely chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 2 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Put baguette rounds directly on oven rack and bake until toasted, but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
2. Using a fork, mash avocado, lime, jalapeño, cilantro, scallion, garlic, goat cheese, oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Spread 1 to 2 teaspoons avocado mixture on each crostini and top with tomatoes.

Makes 8 servings.

French Bread Margherita Pizza

TIP: Look for fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, which adds just the right tang and creaminess.

French Bread Margherita PizzaINGREDIENTS1 loaf French bread, cut in half lengthwise, then into thirds 1 ½ cups canned tomato sauce or canned whole, peeled tomatoes, chopped ½ cup fresh basil chiffonade, lightly packed 3 large Roma tomatoes, sliced 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste DIRECTIONSPREHEAT oven to 475°F. Lightly toast the bread for 5 minutes. Spoon the tomato sauce over the bread. Top with the basil, then tomato slices, then the cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes to brown the tops. Serves 6 (Panera Bread recipe)