Mussels with Garlic and White Wine
Summer Roll with Shrimp and Mango
Nobody should be without a solid guacamole recipe. Sure, it’s a healthy, incredibly delicious condiment that makes almost anything it touches taste better, but there’s an even more compelling reason to commit this recipe to memory: It’s because having an awesome guac recipe is one of the easiest ways to impress others. Master it and you become the “guac guy” or “guac girl,” that person who needs to be at the party on Saturday and who needs to bring along the best guacamole ever. We hope this recipe helps you achieve such a vaunted status.
You’ll Need:
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste
2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled*
¼ cup minced onion
2 Tbsp minced jalapeño pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
2oz tortilla chips
*Always buy Haas, or California, avacados—the ones with the dark pebbly skin. They have a higher healthy fat content and creamier taste and texture.
How to Make It:
• Combine the cilantro and garlic on a cutting board and use the back of a chef’s knife to work them into a fine paste; a pinch of coarse salt helps this process. (If you own a mortar and pestle, there’s never been a better time to use it.) Transfer the paste to a bowl and add the avocado. Use a fork to smash the avocado into a mostly smooth—but still slightly chunky—puree. Stir in the onion, jalapeño, lemon juice, and salt. Serve with tortilla chips or warm corn tortillas.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $0.93
Mortar and pestle
The mortar and pestle is a critical tool for unlocking the flavors behind many of the world’s most thrilling culinary creations, from pesto from Italy to curries from Thailand to salsa and guacamole from Mexico. By pounding ingredients like herbs and spices, garlic cloves, and chiles, you release their essential oils, infusing dishes with an intense flavor that is impossible to achieve with a knife or a food processor. While ceramic mortars are good-looking, look for a volcanic or granite base with a slightly rough exterior; it’s abrasion you’re looking for to unlock those essential oils, and this tool does it the best.
Hummus earned a reputation in the United States a few decades back as hippie food, the provenance of people with knotted dreadlocks and rainbow bumper stickers. But its ubiquity in the refrigerator section of the average market these days shows that it has endeared itself to quite a few Johnny and Sally Punchclocks, and that’s a great thing. The store-bought stuff is fine, but it can't touch the hummus you can make in your food processor with a few flicks of the wrist.
You’ll Need:
3 whole-wheat pitas, cut into wedges
1 can (14–16 oz) garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), drained
2 Tbsp tahini*
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
*Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. Thanks to hummus’s popularity, it’s easy to find these days, but if you can’t, try 1 tablespoon of smooth peanut butter for the 2 tablespoons of tahini here.
How to Make It:
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the pita wedges on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until hot and lightly crisped.
• Combine the beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt in a food processor and puree. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the hummus has a thick, creamy consistency. If the mixture is still too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out. Serve with the toasted pita wedges. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Makes 6 servings / Cost per serving: $0.74
Hummus is dying to be embellished. The best part about making it from scratch at home (besides the money you’ll save) is that you can punch it up however you like. Try these additions:
• 5 or 6 whole roasted garlic cloves
• ½ cup bottled roasted red peppers
• 2 teaspoons canned chipotle pepper
• ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, minced
• ¼ cup chopped black olives
• Fresh herbs: basil, rosemary, thyme, or parsley
When we released our first list of the 20 Worst Foods in America back in 2007, Outback’s Aussie Cheese Fries occupied the top slot, packing an outrageous 2,900 calories and 182 grams of fat. While the steakhouse has managed to trim those numbers ever so slightly, the prospect of eating fried potatoes covered in cheese at a restaurant is as dangerous as ever. This easy home version keeps the calories low by baking the potatoes until crisp, applying just the right amount of cheese, and using a few hunks of crumbled bacon and a handful of pickled jalapeños to give the impression of decadence without the four-digit damage.
You’ll Need:
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼″ fries*
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
5 scallions, chopped
* The cut of the fry is critical. Slice off the lengths of the potato to create flat surfaces, then cut the potato into ¼″ planks. Stack the planks and cut into ¼″ fries.
How to Make It:
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, chili powder, smoked paprika (if using), and salt and pepper. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, until deep brown and crispy on the outside. Top with the cheese, bacon, and scallions, and return to the oven. Bake until the cheese is fully melted and beginning to brown. Garnish with pickled jalapeños.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $1.71
If there’s a better way to start a meal, we haven’t found it. Shrimp derives about 80 percent of its calories from protein, making it one of the leanest sources of the belly-filling, metabolism-revving macronutrient. Problem is, eating shrimp cocktail outside of the house is a recipe for sodium overload, as restaurants tend to turn cocktail sauce into a saline solution. We cut back on the salt by making a fiery homemade cocktail sauce and improve matters with the shrimp by skipping the precooked store-bought kind (most of which are pretty disappointing) in favor of quickly oven-roasting fresh crustaceans tossed in Old Bay. The only thing this recipe is missing is a frosty beer.
You’ll Need:
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (see below)
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp Old Bay seasoning (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup ketchup
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce
How to Make It:
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet, toss the shrimp with the olive oil, Old Bay (if using), and salt and pepper. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and just firm.
• While the shrimp cook, combine the ketchup, lemon juice, horseradish, and sriracha. Taste and adjust the spice level to your preference. Serve with the shrimp.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $2.83
Deveining Shrimp
The vein running down the back of the shrimp is actually its digestive tract, so removing it is a pretty good idea before cooking. Luckily, it’s also super simple.
| Step 1: Peel off the shrimp shell and legs | Step 2: Make an incision down the back of the shrimp | Step 3: Remove the vein with a knife or your hands |
Even if you’re a lifelong wing junkie, it’s unlikely that you’ve ever had one that wasn’t a) deep fried and b) slathered in hot sauce and melted butter. There are two fundamental flaws in this unshakeable two-pronged approach. First, chicken wings have plenty of natural fat, so cooking them in boiling oil is like committing a fat-on-fat crime. As for the Buffalo treatment, hot sauce and butter are great, but wings scream out for other bold treatments. We soak these wings in an Asian marinade, then roast them at high temperature in the oven (though a grill would be nice, too) to crisp them up. Once you go Beijing, you’ll have a hard time finding your way back to Buffalo.
You’ll Need:
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 lbs chicken wings
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sriracha
Juice of ½ lime
Sesame seeds and chopped scallions (optional)
How to Make It:
• Combine the soy sauce, half the brown sugar, the garlic, and ginger in a sealable plastic bag. Add the wings, mix to coat, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 8.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the wings from the marinade and lay out on a baking sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil (for easier cleanup), making sure they’re evenly spaced. Roast for about 15 minutes, until the meat firms up and is cooked through and the skin begins to caramelize and crisp up.
• Heat the butter, sriracha, lime juice, and remaining brown sugar in a large nonstick skillet. When the butter has melted, add the wings and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce clings lightly to the chicken. Garnish with the sesame seeds and scallions (if you like).
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $1.94
The key to a world-class quesadilla is careful crisping of the tortilla exterior. Restaurants make up for their sloppy cooking by adding more cheese and oil to the equation, which is why we’ve never, in years of analyzing nutritional information, found a restaurant quesadilla with fewer than 900 calories and 50 grams of fat. This quesadilla is plenty cheesy, but the abundance of spicy shrimp and caramelized vegetables teamed with the shattering crust of the tortilla means we can cut fat without sacrificing flavor.
You’ll Need:
8 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup orange juice
1 Tbsp canned chipotle pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ Tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 large whole-wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Salsa
Guacamole, optional
How to Make It:
• Combine the shrimp with the orange juice, chipotle, and garlic. Marinate for 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is lightly smoking, add the onion and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, until lightly charred on the outside. Push the vegetables to the perimeter of the pan and add the the shrimp to the center. Sauté until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.
• Coat a separate nonstick pan with cooking spray, oil, or butter and heat over medium-low heat. Place one tortilla in the bottom, sprinkle with half of the cheese, then top with half of the shrimp mixture and a second tortilla. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is very crisp, then flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Cut the quesadillas into wedges and serve with salsa and a bit of guacamole, if you like.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $3.45
Crisp Quesadillas
Cooking quesadillas, one side at a time, in a cast-iron or non-stick skillet is the best, but by no means is it the only, method. Have a big batch? Fire up the grill and place them directly on the well-oiled grates for a few minutes a side. Or pop them in a 450˚F oven for 12 minutes, flipping them once midway through.
The only shellfish most cooks bother messing with at home is shrimp, which is a shame, because clams, oysters, and especially mussels are begging for an invite to your dinner table. Packed with protein, omega-3s, and a cache of energy-boosting B vitamins, they make an ideal way to start a meal. Or add a salad and call it dinner. Build a flavor base with onions, garlic, and other aromatics, then add the mussels and enough liquid to create some steam. Cover and cook until they pop open, about 5 minutes or so. And make sure you have plenty of crusty bread for dunking in the sumptuous broth at the bottom of the bowl.
You’ll Need:
1 Tbsp butter
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, chopped
Salt to taste
1 cup white wine
1 tsp saffron (optional)
2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
How to Make It:
• Heat the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Season with a pinch of salt.
• Pour in the wine and add the saffron (if using), then dump in the mussels. Cover and cook until the mussels have opened, about 5 minutes (discard any that don’t open). Season again with a few pinches of salt and top with parsley. Serve the mussels straight from the pot, or in individual bowls, with hunks of bread to sop up the juices at the bottom.
Makes 6 appetizer servings (or 4 meal servings) / Cost per serving: $2.66
Mussels are a blank protein canvas, ready to be embellished endlessly with bold international flavors. Follow the same basic technique highlighted here, but for the wine, tomatoes, and parsley, trade in one of these combinations:
• Light coconut milk, red curry paste, and chopped fresh cilantro or scallions
• Diced bacon, caramelized onion, Dijon, and chicken stock
• Canned tomato puree, chopped olives, red pepper flakes, and red wine
Matt’s first cooking job had him stuffing jalapeños in a steamy North Carolina kitchen at the tender age of 14. Between the mountains of cheese, the thick blankets of batter, and the inevitable pile of oil-soaked peppers that emerged from the deep fryer, it was an eye-opening introduction to the excesses of the restaurant world. Those specific excesses are still on full display in most family-style restaurants and sports bars across America, but we found a way to harness the heat of jalapeños and the creaminess of cheese without shackling you with a full day’s worth of calories.
You’ll Need:
4 oz fresh Mexican-style chorizo, casings removed
1 cup cremini or button mushrooms, diced
½ onion, minced
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup whipped cream cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
12 jalapeño peppers
How to Make It:
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Cook the chorizo in a skillet over medium heat, using a wooden spoon to break up any clumps that form. Once cooked through, remove the meat and drain off all but a thin layer of fat. Add the mushrooms and onion to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms are lightly browned. Stir back in the chorizo.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the chorizo mixture, cheese, cream cheese, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
• Halve the jalapeños vertically. Use a paring knife to cut and scrape out as much of the white membranes and seeds in each pepper as possible (this is where the real heat of the pepper comes from; be sure to wash your hands carefully after).
• Stuff each pepper half with a spoonful of the cheese-chorizo mixture. Line up the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the peppers soften and the cheese browns and bubbles.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $1.59
We’re not sure what type of diabolical mind dreamed up the idea of deep-frying cheese, but if you’ve made it this far in the book, we probably don’t need to explain why it’s a bad thing for your waistline and overall well-being. Rather than chase fried mozz down its dubious rabbit hole, we decided to reinvent the concept entirely. By grilling cheese, bread, and tomatoes together, you’ve essentially re-engineered the whole fried mozzarella package on skewers (spiedini in Italian): gooey melted cheese and crunchy bits of bread, plus a burst of tomato to finish it off.
You’ll Need:
8 rosemary branches*
16 cherry tomatoes
½ baguette, crust removed, cut into ¾″ cubes
6 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into ½" cubes
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and black pepper to taste
* If you can’t find sturdy rosemary branches, soak normal wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes.
How to Make It:
• Preheat a grill. Strip the rosemary branches of enough of their leaves to make room for the tomatoes, bread, and cheese. Chop the leaves and reserve.
• Alternating between each, thread the tomatoes, bread cubes, and mozzarella cubes onto the rosemary skewers (cutting the tip of the branch into a sharp point makes this easier). Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Place the skewers on a cooler part of the grill and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bread toasts and the cheese begins to melt. (This can happen very quickly if the grill is too hot. Either way, it’s important to turn the skewers throughout so that all sides are exposed to the heat.) Serve with another drizzle of olive oil and garnish with the reserved rosemary leaves.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $2.24
Shrimp may be among the world’s leanest sources of protein, but when entombed in a deep-fried coconut cocoon, all bets are off. We free the crustaceans from the fry job, but not from the crunchy coconut coating that makes this dish a mainstay on so many American restaurant menus. Naturally, this works great as an appetizer, but with sides of cumin-spiked black beans and roasted asparagus, these crunchy crustaceans also make for a pretty sound meal.
You’ll Need:
1 cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
12 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Sweet Asian chili sauce for dipping*
* Look for sweet Asian chili sauces in the international section of your supermarket or an Asian specialty grocery. The balance of heat and sweet make this a must-have condiment.
How to Make It:
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Combine the panko, coconut, salt, and pepper on a plate. Place the flour on a separate plate and the egg in a shallow bowl. Working with a few at a time, coat the shrimp with flour, then egg, then finally with the bread crumb mixture, rolling the shrimp around so they are fully covered.
• Place the breaded shrimp on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until the shrimp are firm and cooked through and the coating is nicely browned and crispy. Serve with chili sauce for dipping.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $2.89
Crocks of melted cheese are burbling in corporate kitchens across America, and admittedly, it’s difficult to resist their fatty allure. Despite our considerable calorie-cutting capabilities here at CTNT HQ, making a dish of pure melted cheese relatively healthy was a serious challenge. In this case, we took inspiration from industrious Mexican cooks, who stretch a bit of cheese into a larger dish by bolstering it with vegetables: tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, chiles. In a miraculous turn of events, queso fundido is not just better for you, it’s a lot more satisfying to eat. Just make sure you serve this one right away; once it cools, it loses its full potential. If you have a fondue pot, now is the time to use it.
You’ll Need:
6 corn tortillas, cut into triangles*
1½ Tbsp canola oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms, diced
1 cup diced tomato
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 can (4 oz) green chiles
1½ cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
* Homemade chips, as superior as they are to the bagged stuff, aren’t essential here. Snyder’s of Hanover Multigrain chips are the best in show, with 130 calories and 3 grams of fiber per serving.
How to Make It:
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the tortillas with 1 tablespoon of the oil and arrange on a large baking sheet. Bake until lightly brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.
• Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the mushrooms and tomato and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to low and add the chiles and cheese, stirring constantly so the cheese melts uniformly. When the cheese has fully melted and starts to bubble, immediately remove from the heat and serve, using the tortilla chips to scoop directly from the pan.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $1.46
Not to be confused with the deep-fried spring roll, the summer roll is a prime example of how a few healthy, relatively boring ingredients can be carefully coerced into something much greater than the sum of their parts. The combination of shrimp, sweet mango, and crunchy strips of red pepper makes for seriously good eating, but once you master the simple wrapping technique, feel free to fiddle with the filling.
You’ll Need:
1 Tbsp chunky peanut butter
1 Tbsp sugar
½ Tbsp fish sauce
½ Tbsp rice wine vinegar, plus more for the noodles
2 oz vermicelli or thin rice noodles (capellini or angel hair pasta also works)
8 sheets of rice paper
½ lb cooked medium shrimp, each sliced in half
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin strips
4 scallion greens, cut into thin strips
¼ cup cilantro or mint leaves
How to Make It:
• Combine the peanut butter, sugar, fish sauce, and vinegar with 1 tablespoon warm water. Stir to thoroughly combine. Set the peanut sauce aside.
• Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and toss with a few shakes of vinegar to keep them from sticking.
• Dip a sheet of rice paper in a bowl of warm water for a few seconds, until just soft and bendable. Lay the paper on a cutting board. Leaving a ½″ space at each end of the wrapper, top with noodles, 3 or 4 shrimp halves, bell pepper, mango, scallion, and a few whole cilantro leaves. Fold the ends of the rice paper toward the center, then roll tight like a burrito. Repeat with the remaining 7 wrappers. Serve with the peanut sauce.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $3.02
Rice Paper Rolls
Rice paper is delicate, so work with one piece at a time and soak in water just long enough so that it’s soft and foldable. Then follow these steps:
| Step 1: Arrange ingredients in the center of the wrapper | Step 2: Carefully fold the ends over the filling | Step 3: Gently roll into a tight, compact burrito |
The beloved nacho, in all its gooey glory, has won over the hearts of women, children, and beer-swilling, face-painting sports fans alike. Too bad the average plate of restaurant nachos packs more than 1,500 calories. This recipe uses a spicy cheese sauce (which actually saves calories), a healthy amount of salsa, and plenty of fixings to deliver a high-flavor, low-calorie plate of goodness.
You’ll Need:
8 oz skirt or flank steak
1 tsp chili powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
¾ cup low-sodium chicken stock
1½ cups shredded reduced-fat Jack cheese
½ cup bottled salsa verde
4 oz tortilla chips
½ (14–16 oz) can pinto beans
1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
1 red onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
Chopped fresh cilantro or scallions (optional)
How to Make It:
• Preheat a grill, grill pan, or cast-iron skillet. Season the steak with the chili powder, salt, and pepper and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until medium-rare. Let the steak rest.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute, then slowly whisk in the stock. Simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the cheese and salsa and continue stirring until the cheese is fully melted.
• Chop the steak into small pieces. Arrange the chips in a single layer on a large cookie sheet or baking pan. Top evenly with the beans and steak, then drizzle on three-quarters of the cheese sauce. Top with the jalapeño and onion. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted. Top with the remaining cheese sauce, tomatoes, and cilantro if using.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $2.73
Nacho Architecture
Don’t you hate how your nachos arrive fully covered in greasy add-ons, only to find the toppings all but disappear as you work through the layers? The secret to a great nacho is balance. Put too much on and that little chip grows soggy and overburdened. Add too little and they’re not really nachos, are they? To hit the sweet spot, spread a single layer of chips (the bigger, the better) on a baking sheet. Start with beans, followed by cheese, meats, and vegetables. Save all cold toppings (guac, salsa, etc.) for after the nachos emerge from the oven.
Have we mentioned our affinity for the egg? Beyond being a near-perfect nutritional substance (ignore what antiquated nutritionists tell you about cholesterol—nearly all current research shows that eggs have no effect on overall cholesterol), no food is so versatile: It is capable of being fried, poached, baked, boiled, scrambled, and emulsified. And, of course, deviled. It might not be the healthiest way to eat an egg (that honor would go to boiling or poaching), but in terms of snacks and finger food, it’s hard to beat this Southern specialty.
You’ll Need:
8 eggs
¼ cup olive oil mayonnaise
½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp canned chipotle pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
Paprika (preferably the smoked Spanish-style paprika called pimentón)*
2 strips bacon, cooked and finely crumbled
* Spanish-style paprika adds more than just a visual pop: It brings a smoky note to the eggs that reinforces the smoke from the bacon and the chipotle.
How to Make It:
• Bring a pot or large saucepan of water to a full boil. Carefully lower the eggs into the water and cook for 8 minutes. Drain and immediately place in a bowl of ice water. When the eggs have cooled, peel them while still in the water (the water helps the shell slide off).
• Cut the eggs in half and scoop out the yolks. Combine the yolks with the mayo, mustard, chipotle, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine thoroughly. Scoop the mixture into a sealable plastic bag, pushing it all the way into one corner. Cut a small hole in the corner. Squeeze to pipe the yolk mixture back into the whites. Top each with a sprinkle of paprika and a bit of crumbled bacon.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $0.70
Sometimes it’s truly astounding just how little effort it takes to make food taste great; this recipe, as much as any, proves that point. Sweet, salty, smoky, creamy: In a single bite, these tiny packages take you through the highest peaks of flavor country. Show up at a party or a potluck with these little gems and suddenly you—and your dates—will be inundated with invites to swanky soirees all across town.
You’ll Need:
8 Medjool dates
8 almonds
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese*
4 strips bacon, cut in half
Black pepper to taste
* Some people are turned off by the funk of blue cheese, but it’s nicely tempered here by the sweetness of the fruit and the smoke of the bacon. Still don’t love it? Goat cheese and feta are good substitues.
How to Make It:
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Using a sharp paring knife, make a slit across the length of a date so that the pocket in the fruit is exposed. Remove the small pit inside the date and replace with an almond. Spoon about ½ tablespoon of blue cheese into the pocket, so that it’s tightly stuffed but not overflowing with cheese. Place the date at the bottom of a bacon strip half and roll up as tightly as possible. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining 7 dates.
• Place the dates on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, until the bacon has rendered and is brown and crispy. Top each with a bit of black pepper and serve.
Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving: $1.76
Stuffing Dates
Stuffing dates isn't rocket science, as this recipe will teach you. Just be sure to wrap the bacon extra tight, and to only use just enough to cover the date once.
| Step 1: Make a cut across the fruit; scoop out see | Step 2: Stuff with almond and a spoonful of cheese | Step 3: Wrap very tightly with a single layer of bacon |