Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly

This eye-catching Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly is very easy to make and can be made a day or two before your event. I was completely inspired by fellow blogger Grace on La Mia Vita Dolce for the recipe. She made a coconut version, which I modified to vanilla.

Makes 12 to 15 shot glass servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk + 1/4 cup

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cups sugar

4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Place the gelatin in bowl and add 1/4 cup milk, stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes. Pour milk mixture into a saucepan and stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves about 5 minutes. Do not let the liquid reach a boil.

Add 1/2 cup milk, cream, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds and cook on medium heat for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup with a pour spout. 

For the tilted effect, place the shot glasses at an angle in an egg carton.  Carefully pour the panna cotta into tall shot glasses, filling 3/4 of the glass. Chill in refrigerator for 4 hours.  

Pomegranate Jelly

3 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

1/3 cup (80 ml) cold water

2 cups Pomegranate Juice 

1/2 cup granulated white sugar, or to taste

Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup of cold water. Let this mixture sit for about five to ten minutes. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the pomegranate juice and sugar on medium-high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Do not let boil. Stir the softened gelatin into the hot juice and place this mixture over a low heat and stir constantly until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the panna cotta from egg carton and place on non-slip flat surface.  Pour equal amounts of the pomegranate jelly over the panna cotta and refrigerate about 2 - 4 hours or until set. Top with pomegranate seeds when ready to serve.

Crostini three ways

To make crostini: Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange baguette slices on rimmed baking sheet, brush each slice with a little olive oil. Toast in oven until golden, turning once, about 9 minutes. Cool. 

Pear and Gorgonzola Crostini

This classic flavor combination will start a party in your mouth! The rich buttery flavor of the Gorgonzola with the sweet crunch of the pears and the smooth velvety honey makes this crostino a crowd favorite.

Servings: about 12 crostini

1 baguette, sliced 1/2 inch at an angle

1 Bartlett pear, halved, cored and thinly sliced

1 piece of Gorgonzola cheese (about 150gr) , sliced into 12 pieces

3 Tbsp honey

Layer each crostino with a slice of Gorgonzola cheese then add two slices of pear and drizzle the tops with honey before serving.


Sweet Pea, Pine nut and Speck Crostini

Sweet, nutty and smokey. This crostini has a few preparation steps like toasting the pine-nuts and making the crispy speck, but the extra effort will be appreciated by your taste buds. 

Servings: about 12 crostini

1 baguette, sliced 1/2 inch at an angle

1 package frozen peas, thawed (454 gr)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup pine-nuts, toasted 

1/2 cup Parmigiano, grated

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 slices speck

Heat a large skillet to medium heat, add pine nuts. Stir the nuts continuously. As the nuts start turning brown, remove them from heat and transfer immediately into a dish. Let cool.

Preheat oven at 350 degree F. Place slices of speck on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes, remove from oven. Let cool and then brake into pieces.

In the food processor pulse together the peas, garlic, toasted pine nuts, Parmigiano, salt and pepper. While you are pulsing slowly pour the olive oil until well combined, about 1 minute. 

Top each crostino with 1 Tbsp of pea pesto and garnish with pieces of speck.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Crostini

The garlic sauteed mushrooms and the tangy goat cheese flavor work together perfectly on the crispy baguette. 

Servings: about 12 crostini

1 baguette, sliced at an angle in 1/2 inch
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups thinly sliced mixed mushrooms  1-1/2 lb (750 g) (I used king and brown button mushrooms, but feel free to use whatever is available: oyster, shiitake, chanterelles) 

1 tsp fresh thyme
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup crumbled soft goat cheese

In large skillet heat oil over medium- high heat. Add sliced mushrooms; sauté until the mushrooms are golden and the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Add minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Top each crostino with 1 Tbsp  mushroom mixture and crumble some goat cheese over the mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil just before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature

Mussel Saffron Risotto

Flavored with saffron and white wine, this mussel risotto is perfect for a special occasion. 

Makes 10-12 canapé servings 

2 1/2 cups water 

1 cup fish broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 pounds mussels, scrubbed.  Use a brush to scrub mussels under running water. Discard mussels with broken shells or any whose shells remain open after you tap them lightly. Scrape away their beards (black fibrous string) with a knife . 

1/4 tsp saffron threads

1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

1 onion, onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cups arborio rice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring water and wine to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add mussels and steam until the shells open, 2 to 3 minutes. Pick out the mussels, discard any that have not opened and reserve the broth. Shell the mussels, set aside. Strain the broth through a filter-lined sieve into a small saucepan. Add fish broth (or water), salt, saffron and keep on back burner at a simmer.

Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add rice and stir well to coat.  Add your first ladle of hot stock and a nice pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer and keep stirring until the liquid is absorbed by the rice. Keep adding 1/2 cup of stock at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed between each addition, stirring constantly. After about 18 minutes, test the rice. It should be soft but with a slight bite. Carefully stir in the shelled mussels (reserve 10 to 12 to use to top your dishes when plating) and parsley and season with more salt (if needed) and pepper.  Carefully plate risotto in individual dishes and top with mussel. Serve warm

Fennel, Mandarine and Pomegranate Salad

Lighten any meal with this fresh, festive and colorful Fennel, Mandarine and Pomegranate Salad.

Makes 8 to 12 canapé serving

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced (reserve some fennel leaves)
3 mandarine oranges, supremes.
1 seeded pomegranate (the trick here is to de-seed it in a bowl of water - the seeds will sink to the bottom and your hands won’t get stained)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp juice from mandarins
Salt and pepper

Start by making the mandarine supreme. Using a sharp pairing knife cut off the ends, then remove skin in strips working from top to bottom. Cut along the side of the membrane to remove the sections of the citrus fruit. Set the supremes aside. Squeeze what is left of the mandarine over a strainer and reserve juice. Whisk 3 Tbsp of mandarine juice with olive oil and salt.

Assemble your salads by layering fennel slices, topping with mandarin supremes and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle the vinaigrette and top with fennel leaves.