3 Times Thursday - Fun Fillo Bites

It's 3 Times Thursday, and today we are exploring Fun Fillo Bites. Mini fillo shells are the entertainer's best friend. They are inexpensive and come 15 to a package. They can be filled with savory or sweet delights. They can be heated, chilled, or served at room temperature. There are dozens of websites with hundreds of recipes ideas on what to do with these crunchy, flaky cups. Here are three of our favorite, because they are so simple and so delicious, and they all contain one of our other go-to ingredients - cheese!

#3. Goat Cheese and Chow Chow Fillo Bites - Creamy, sweet, crunchy and spicy, all in one yummy bite.

Ingredients:

2 packages mini fillo shells

6 ounces plain goat cheese

1 jar Mariah's Sweet and Hot Chow Chow Relish

Remove phyllo cups from package and set out on serving tray. Fill phyllo cups with desired amount of goat cheese and top with spoonful of "chow chow" relish. 

#2. Puck, Nuts 'n Honey - Puck is a Middle Eastern spreadable cheese that comes in a jar and tastes very similar to brie. It's wonderful with nuts and honey. And the name is kinda funny.

Ingredients:

2 packages mini fillo shells

1 jar Puck

4 ounces chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pistachios, or a mix of all of these!)

2 ounces honey

Remove phyllo cups from package and place on a baking sheet. Fill phyllo cups with desired amount of cheese and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Put them in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes. Remove to a serving tray and drizzle with honey. 

#1. Brie and Berry Bites - Sweet, tart and so elegant. The balsamic really spruces up the flavor of the berries. Serve these as an appetizer or a dessert!

Ingredients:

1 package mini fillo shells

4 ounces brie

1 pint berries

balsamic glaze, or reduced balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Lay phyllo cups on a cookie sheet. Fill each cup with brie, top with a berry and bake for about 10 minutes, until heated through. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve warm. Idea plus: Try it with apples or peaches drizzled with honey.

Deep Fried Deli Rolls

Tradition has it that we go to our neighbors' (D and J) for the Super Bowl every year. Not because we are sports fans, because truth be told, we don't care too much about such things. We go for the company, the commercials, and most importantly, the food. Each year we try cooking something fun for the big game. We've created recipes inspired by one of the teams playing in the game (like Mini Upside-Down Lobster Pot Pies to celebrate New England 2012), or based on where the game is being played (like Super Bowl XLVII King Cupcakes). Our goal is to do something new and unusual.

This year, D made a request. It came in the form of a text with a picture of a recipe for "Frickles," followed by a second text that said, "Challenge issued." That's all it took.

We are teachers, so naturally, we can't just meet the challenge; we must exceed it. Therefore, we upped the ante by making two versions of "Frickles" - one following the recipe he sent, and one with our own twist on it. They were still hot when we joined the party. It was near the end of the first quarter. The fried outer shell crackled against my teeth, while warm gooey cheese dribbled onto my bottom lip. There was the saltiness of warm ham and the snap of the pickle in the center. I waited for a commercial and passed the platter. 

R pronounced them "Ridiculous," and even J.J. (who is not quite 2 years old) loved them. We don't want these delights confused with fried pickles, as they are so much more than that, so we call them Deep Fried Deli Rolls. So much more interesting than a chicken wing.

Deep Fried Deli Rolls:

The Ham and Cheese Version (aka "Frickles")

Ingredients:

12 egg roll wrappers

12 slices deli ham

12 slices American cheese

12 dill pickle spears

Cooking Oil

Ranch Dressing for dipping (optional)

Fill a large frying pan about 1/3 of the way full with cooking oil and heat the oil. Lay down an egg roll wrapper and in one corner place a slice of ham, then a slice of cheese, then the pickle spear on the diagonal. Roll as you would an egg roll, from the diagonal, tucking in the sides at the halfway point. When oil is hot (around 375), fry in batches until golden brown.

Deep Fried Deli Rolls:

The Steakhouse Version 

Ingredients:

12 slices rare roast beef

1 jar Kraft Roka Blue Cheese Spread

36 green grapes

12 egg roll wrappers

Blue Cheese Dressing for dipping (optional)

Fill a large frying pan about 1/3 of the way full with cooking oil and heat the oil. Spread the beef with a thin layer of cheese spread, then roll the beef around three grapes. Place the roast beef roll in the corner of an egg roll wrapper and roll as you would an egg roll, from the diagonal, tucking in the sides at the halfway point. When oil is hot (around 375), fry in batches until golden brown.

3 Simple Summer Snacks

Having a porch party? Is it girls' night? Need a light lunch, snack or simple summer appetizer? Here are three ideas that have worked well for us recently. Each one is deceptively elegant, utterly easy, relatively inexpensive, and of course, absolutely delicious.

Brie 'n Berry Bites

Ingredients:

1 package phyllo cups

4 ounces brie

1 pint berries

balsamic glaze, or reduced balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Lay phyllo cups on a cookie sheet. Fill each cup with brie, top with a berry and bake for about 10 minutes, until heated through. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve warm. 

Idea plus: Try it with apples or peaches drizzled with honey.

Caesar Salad Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 head romaine lettuce

1 pint grape tomatoes, diced

1 English cucumber, diced

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, diced

Caesar salad dressing, to taste

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup croutons

Peel off the outer leaves of the romaine and discard. Wash and allow to dry the remaining leaves of lettuce. Gently mix the diced tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella cheese and Caesar dressing in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set the croutons aside for garnish. Place everything on a large platter and allow guests to make their own wraps. 

Idea plus: Add grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a meal.

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1 baguette, sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled 

1 pint grape tomatoes, diced

5-6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

olive oil, to taste

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Lay out the sliced baguette on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown. Rub each toast slice with raw garlic. In a small bowl, gently mix the diced tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spoon tomato mixture onto the bread and drizzle with additional olive oil. 

Idea plus: Need it quicker? Buy pre-made crostini at your local market.