Apricot, Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Bites

Have you heard of "Knowledge Knights?" The idea of Knowledge Knights is to get a group of friends together to learn and teach something new. We've been to a few, and hosted our first last week! The only rule is that everyone must come with one thing to talk about for roughly five minutes (whatever they want). If you have ever gotten into a deep web of Wikipedia searches, reading about this and that and becoming totally lost in the world of random facts, this is for you. So here is what you do!

First, invite your favorite people over. Give them the basic jist of what will happen. 

Pick and research your topic (and ask all of your guests do the same). The sky is the limit! You can pick something that you already know like the front and back of your hand of you can use this as an excuse to learn something new. No ideas? Try answering a question you've always asked yourself, like "What causes volcanoes to erupt?" or "How did Mayans discover cocoa beans and how did they make Xocoatl? " (I tend to go for the foodie questions, go figure).

Plan your menu--really this can be whatever you want, but most recently I made a couple of appetizers, like these Apricot, Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Bites and it worked out great! 

On the night of your party, crack open a bottle of wine and roll a dice to see who will go first! We don't like to keep people to their fixed five minutes--you are welcome to, but it's also fun to see what other questions people have and, of course, to joke around a bit. 😉

Apricot, Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Bites

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    |    Print This Recipe

A creative play on bacon wrapped dates, these prosciutto wrapped apricots are stuffed with goat cheese and a toasted pecan, for a little something different.

Yields: 16   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 16 dried apricots
• 1 four-ounce package prosciutto
• 2 ounces soft goat cheese
• 16 whole pecans
• 1 cup baby arugula
• 2 tablespoons balsamic gel (honey would also be good if you don't have this!)

Directions:

1. Toast the pecans in a oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
2. Spread a small amount of goat cheese on the top of each dried apricot, and top with toasted pecans.
3. Place a few pieces of arugula under each apricot.
4. Remove top slice of prosciutto from package, and cut into 3 pieces, the long way, so that you have three strips. Carefully remove any plastic dividers from the prosciutto. Using one long prosciutto strip, wrap an apricot and arugula together. Place on serving tray. Do the same thing with the other two strips you cut (wrapping an apricot with arugula and placing on serving tray).
5. Repeat step 3 until all prosciutto is used and apricots are wrapped. Keep serving tray wrapped in plastic in fridge until you are ready to serve. Before serving, drizzle with balsamic gel.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mahi-Mahi

So I'm sitting on the couch right now, curled up next to Oliver while he watches his new favorite show. His show ends, and I ask him, "What ten foods would you pick if you could only have ten?" (Welcome to typical us). He starts his list right away, a couple of basics -- I do the same. We get about half way, and then our list building process slows down. We realize ten is not very many. We start to make more calculated selections. After we get to about seven items each, we stop all together. It's a good thing we don't live on a deserted island. 

What's on your Ten-Foods-On-A-Deserted-Island List? What about your top three? After a little more thought, I think I have my list. I'll probably look back at this a year from now (or maybe even next week?) and wonder what I was thinking, but for now, here it is:

1. White fish. Preferably Mahi-Mahi or Tilapia: they're both satisfying and when cooked they are perfectly flakey. They're also easy to cook (cod gets tough when cooked wrong, and if I'm on a deserted island I probably don't have a full kitchen). Not to mention, they're versatile! 

2. Broccoli. I've always adored broccoli. It was probably my second favorite vegetable when I was a kid, right after zucchini. It's good raw, it's delicious steamed, but it's best when it's roasted. Heck, you can turn it into soup! Maybe my love for the vegetable explains why this broccoli ad has a special place in my heart. 

3. Coconuts. All hail the coconut! Seriously, if I were stuck on an island, an everlasting supply of coconuts would be my savior: first, you get coconut water. Then, the milk -- glorious, glorious coconut milk! Finally, coconut meat and coconut oil. Four food items in one -- is that cheating? 

4. Cocoa powder. Did you think I was going to missing this one? Cocoa powder + coconut milk = 1 damn good glass of chocolate milk. I'd probably go crazy without my chocolate fix. 

5. Apples. I'm all about their sweet crunchy flesh. Evidence -- the many many apple recipe on this blog (like apple cinnamon roll porridge). 

6. Kabocha Squash. Even though Delicata Squash is my favorite squash, I think I would pick Kabocha. It has a satisfying, starchy quality that makes it taste rich. 

7. Salt. I'd like to take other seasonings with me too, but there are too many to choose from! Curry powder + coconut milk + fish could make a pretty good dinner, but I know that'd get old. I always love thyme, but that would get old too. So instead I'm keeping it simple: salt. 

8. Water. Do I have to say this? Can't this bee a free-be? Well, for anyone that thinks it must be included on your list if you want to consume it, I'm adding it to my list. Definitely wouldn't last long without water. 

9. Onions or Garlic. I'm not sure which one. Maybe onions? They add so much flavor to everything, but then, so does garlic. Which would you choose? 

10. Eggs. Ok, not only can eggs be cooked in so many different ways, they're also just the best breakfast food I can think of. If you have any doubts about this pick, just read Michael Ruhlman's book, Egg. 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mahi-Mahi

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    |   

Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 5-ounce portions of Mahi-Mahi
• 3-ounces frozen spinach, thawed (about 1/3 of a typical package)
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 slices prosciutto
• Mustard for seasoning
• 3 teaspoons coconut oil
• 1 pieces of baker’s twine, about 10 inches long each.

Directions:

1. Dice onion and mince garlic. Using your hands or a strainer, squeeze extra water out of the spinach. Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a medium sized skillet. Once oil is hot, add the onion to the pan, and sauté until transparent. Add garlic, and then spinach. Cook until the spinach is warmed through. Turn off the heat.
2. Assemble the fish: lay the slices of prosciutto out on a cutting board. Spread a thin layer of mustard over the middle section of the prosciutto (cover about 1/2 of the surface area— leaving 1/4 of the prosciutto untouched on each side). Place 1 fish filet on the top of the prosciutto, right where the mustard smear is. Season the fish lightly with salt & pepper. Finally, scoop a bit of spinach over the top of the fish, and spread into an even layer. Fold the ends of the prosciutto over the fish and tie closed using the bakers twine.
3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in a medium sized skillet. Once sizzling, place fish in pan. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, until fish is flakey and opaque. Serve immediately.

Paleo Spring Omelette

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The series Sex and the City hit it's peak at the end of my Junior year of high school. It was a BIG DEAL. A really big deal. The first Sex and the City movie came out and my tight-nit group of girlfriends was all over it. Sure, watching the show felt a bit risque, but what made this show so appealing was the strong female leads. The quartet of women knew everything about one another, and gathered for regular brunch dates to just talk about life (who doesn't want to go to brunch on a regular basis?). 

My circle of friends could totally relate to it. While our lives were significantly less entertaining than Carrie's, Charlotte's, Samantha's, or Miranda's, we could spend hours talking about our shared dramas. We would camp out at the local coffee shop, Cup of Coffee, claiming it as our headquarters.

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Those days are long behind us--Cup of Coffee has a new owner and a new name, and our tradition has slipped into the past along with it. I wish I could say we still talk to each other on a regular basis, but to be honest, it's sporadic at best. Still, when that group gets together it's like no time has passed at all. 

Earlier this Spring a few of us sat down to brunch in a Sex and the City-style fashion. Nothing had changed. Is brunch a 5 hour affair? Sure! Just make sure there are enough Mimosas to go around. These airy Spring Omelettes made it feel like a fancy meal. Since our brunch dates are few and far between these days, it's nice to make them count with a bit of extra everything. I'm the only Paleo eater at the table, but it doesn't matter: no one seems to notice they're eating grain-free when the table is covered in platters of fresh food! These omelettes stole the show, stuffed with prosciutto and garlicky asparagus.

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I think even back in 11th grade, I secretly hoped that I'd always have my girlfriends around for brunch. Here's to many more to come! 

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Best enjoyed outside!

Paleo Spring Omelette

Yields 4 small omelettes

4 eggs

1/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk

4 slices prosciutto

16 stalks of asparagus

1 clove garlic

4 teaspoon coconut oil

Salt & Pepper

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Mince the garlic. Add it to the pan once the oil is hot. Trim the tough, white ends from the asparagus and add it to the pan. Stir every so often, cooking until the asparagus is bright green and tender. 

2. While the asparagus cooks, whisk together the eggs and coconut milk.

3. In a 9-inch non-stick skillet (I use a Le Creuset enamel cast iron skillet), heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, pick up the skillet and swirl it around the pan to coat. Return to stove, and pour in 1/4 of the egg mixture. The mixture will bubble and begin to set. Turn the heat down to low. Once the omelette is cooked almost all the way through, lay 1 slice of prosciutto in the center. Top with 4 stalks of asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. 

4. Fold the omelette: working carefully, use a spatula to fold one side of the omelette over the asparagus and then the other. Slide the full cooked omelette onto a plate and serve.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, using remaining coconut oil, eggs, prosciutto, and asparagus until all four omelettes are cooked.  

Yields 4 small omelettes

4 eggs

1/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk

4 slices prosciutto

16 stalks of asparagus

1 clove garlic

4 teaspoon coconut oil

Salt & Pepper

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Mince the garlic. Add it to the pan once the oil is hot. Trim the tough, white ends from the asparagus and add it to the pan. Stir every so often, cooking until the asparagus is bright green and tender. 

2. While the asparagus cooks, whisk together the eggs and coconut milk.

3. In a 9-inch non-stick skillet (I use a Le Creuset enamel cast iron skillet), heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, pick up the skillet and swirl it around the pan to coat. Return to stove, and pour in 1/4 of the egg mixture. The mixture will bubble and begin to set. Turn the heat down to low. Once the omelette is cooked almost all the way through, lay 1 slice of prosciutto in the center. Top with 4 stalks of asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. 

4. Fold the omelette: working carefully, use a spatula to fold one side of the omelette over the asparagus and then the other. Slide the full cooked omelette onto a plate and serve.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, using remaining coconut oil, eggs, prosciutto, and asparagus until all four omelettes are cooked.