Happy Tuesday! We are finally home and just now getting back into the swing of things after being gone all last week. It’s so hard coming out of vacation mode! I’ve been doing minimal cooking, and am pretty sure our suitcases might not get unpacked for a few more days. With this heat, I’m not super excited about turning on the oven either, which is why I’m sharing this delicious, no-bake appetizer option. When I was making this dish the other day, I remembered I had a jar of apricot jam in the pantry (leftover from these apricot almond crumb bars). I’m on a huge apricot kick right now, so it was the obvious choice. The sweetness of the jam was the perfect compliment to the tang of the cream cheese in this spread. This did not last long. In fact, everyone filled up on so much of this that they could hardly eat dinner. This has become one of my staple appetizer options since it’s super easy to put together, and is a real crowd pleaser. You could change it up with whatever jam sounds good to you, or even do a spicy chutney if that’s more your speed. Also, if you don’t have a cheesecloth, you could use a few sheets of paper towel instead. It won’t be as pretty (as you can tell from the unevenness in the picture), but works in a pinch.
Oven “Fried” Pickles
I love fried food, but rarely make it at home because I can not stand the smell. And then there’s that issue of the oil. What exactly do you do with the frying oil when you are done? I once heard Martha Stewart say that she dumps hers on the rail road tracks. Not exactly convenient. When I saw these baked “fried” pickles on Pinterest I immediately pinned them, only to find out that they linked back to a site that no longer existed (grr…). So then I started scouring the internet to find something similar, picked out my favorite bits from a few different recipes, and created the lovely plate of baked goodness you see above. They were a big hit on Superbowl Sunday and would be great for any party. Just dredge the pickles up and place them on the wire rack in the fridge and bake when ready. Crunchy exterior, flavorful pickle, easy dipping – all with no lingering fried smell or annoying left over oil. Oh, and I guess they are healthier too if you are still on a New Year’s kick.