By Ratna.
I am not an outdoor person. I prefer sitting with a cup of hot tea and gazing out through the window. No snowboarding or icehockey here.
Bloghopping is my favourite past time these days. Who would’nt like to travel from Israel to India, Texas to Turkey with a click of your mouse. Visit a virtual friend, listen to their stories, take a peek at what’s cooking in their kitchen, feast with your eyes at the beautiful pictures. Wouldn’t you agree its easier than losing your suitcase, flights not taking off, or oh don’t forget, the slippery road conditions. I have gone a step further. At the end of another bloggers post, it asked to leave a comment regarding some food, which I did. No double Jeopardy questions or complex mathematical solutions. Just a comment. I got an email a few days later that I was the winner! Note to self – remember to buy the Lotto max tickets.
As promised in the post I received a set of cheese boards with cutters and best of all Brie cheese from Castello. Thank you “Keep Calm And Eat On”. The timing couldn’t have been better, as I recently found an interesting recipe in the December issue of Chatelaine magazine. Does this scenario sound familiar: guests are arriving soon, still not sure about the appetizers… or a last minute potluck notice at work, in the middle of the week. With just a few things in hand you can change a disaster to a winner.
Recipe:
Ingredient;
Mejdool Dates About 10
Brie Cheese One small packet 125 gms
Pistachio nuts Handful
Garlic One Clove coarsely chopped
Rosemary leaves A couple shredded. (Optional)
Honey One Tbsp
Method;
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the dates in half lengthwise and take the stone out. Keep them aside. Unwrap the Brie. Take a sharp knife and make a cut about 3 mm from the periphery, all the way round. Now scoop the rind off from the top. We have now created a ‘moat’. Seat this in an ovenproof bowl. Dump the honey, nuts and garlic in it. Sprinkle with a few cut pieces of the rosemary leaf. Cover the bowl with aluminium foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 40-45 mts. Scoop up this mixture of melted cheese with nuts etc and fill up the date halves. Arrange them on a tray or platter. Welcome your guests with a big smile!
Inside Scoop;
All amounts can be adjusted as per taste. I prefer the gooey cheese hence I melted it in the oven. The recipe in the magazine called for goat cheese and pecan nuts. I added the crushed garlic, which I thought cut the sweetness of almost everything else. It took very little time from start to finish.
I love dates especially stuffed ones. They look great!.
Thanks for visiting Carrie.