Really great hot pinwheel appetizers!

I just had to post this before I left for my New Year's Eve party.  I was asked to bring an appetizer, and  I have been seeing this all over the internet, so I thought I'd try it.  Of course when I went to look for the recipe online, I couldn't find the one I originally saw. So here is my version.  The original recipe used ham and cheese, but then I decided to make another batch with turkey.  They are really tasty, and it takes less than 15 minutes to put them together!  How's that for fast! These would also make a fun lunch for the kids, with a bowl of hot soup!

The original recipe called for canned pizza dough, but I used crescent roll sheets because that's what I had in my fridge. (Pizza dough has less fat, so substitute if that's a concern)  I tend to keep these around since I find so many uses for them. You can use regular crescent rolls, but then you have to smush (a very technical culinary term) all the seams together. I will give you my original recipe and then my variation. One canned crescent roll sheet gives you about 15 pinwheels.  I ended up making three batches! Here goes!

1 canned crescent roll sheet
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham
1/2 pound sliced swiss cheese
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2  teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Open the can of crescent roll sheet onto a floured surface roll out to about a 9" by 15" rectangle. Mix mayo, mustard, worcestershire sauce and pepper in a small bowl.  Spread mayo mixture over the dough.  Now put a layer of ham slices over the dough, then a layer of cheese slices and finally another layer of ham slices.  Leave about an inch open at one of the long sides.  Now, starting on the long side and working towards the inch you left without filling, roll the whole thing together TIGHTLY like you would for cinnamon rolls, or a jelly roll, and pinch the long side shut.  Now cut the log into slices about 1/2 inch thick.  Place a toothpick through the pinwheel to hold it together.  Place on a cookie sheet which you have covered with parchment.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Keep an eye on them, it depends on your oven.  Remove when they are golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool, or eat hot from the oven.  Remove the toothpicks and serve.  How easy was that! These can be made in advance and reheated.  You can even freeze them, and then thaw and reheat.

For the second batch, I spread the dough with about 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise to which I added two or three tablespoons of pesto. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and layer with deli turkey and swiss cheese instead of the ham.  Roll and secure and bake as before.  We almost liked the turkey ones better! Experiment! I'm sure any number of fillings would be great.  What about pepperoni and mozzarella?  Roast beef and horseradish sauce? Or just cheese if you're vegetarian?  I could keep going here, but you get it!

Well, I'm on my way to my party. I wish you all a safe and happy New Year.  May the new year bring you health, blessings and happiness!  See you in 2016!

Happy Cooking!

Carol
a.k.a. Nonnie

Fettuccine with spinach and ricotta

Please forgive the long pause between posts, but I have been having some minor health issues that are now pretty much under control. I'm back in the kitchen and raring to go! 

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday and are preparing for a healthy and prosperous New Year. If you are not planning to go out for a big fancy meal on New Year's Eve, here is something rather easy and elegant, you can make at home.  This meal took less than thirty minutes to prepare and can certainly qualify as an easy weeknight meal.  I have been watching lots of cooking shows on television and I get lots of inspiration from them.  This is a recipe I saw on "Lydia's Kitchen" that I have adapted to make my own.  I left some of her ingredients out and added a few of my own.

This recipe calls for pancetta which is a kind of Italian bacon. Most supermarkets carry it, but feel free to substitute bacon. It also calls for pignoli nuts, also called pine nuts. They can be a bit pricey, so feel free to substitute chopped walnuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts.


1 pound fettuccine
1/2 cup pignoli or other nuts (if substituting other nuts make sure to chop them)
1/2 cup finely chopped pancetta (if using bacon, use about four slices and chop before cooking)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup white wine (you can substitute chicken broth)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg - use fresh and grate yourself if you have it, but don't try to measure, just a several times over the grater will do.
1 pound fresh baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
16 ounce container of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving

Begin by cooking the fettuccine in salted water.  You will prepare the sauce in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

Add about half a tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet and turn the heat to medium.  Place the pignoli nuts in the pan.  Do not leave the pan!  These will burn in about 45 seconds.  Stir until they begin to turn brown.  Remove quickly.  Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until it is crisp.  Now add the olive oil and garlic to the pan.  When the garlic begins to soften, add the wine and scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan.  Turn the heat to high for just a minute to let the alcohol cook off.  Add the spinach to the pan and lower the heat to medium.  Use tongs to continually stir the spinach until it is wilted.  Add the nutmeg and pepper and stir.  When the spinach is wilted after about five to seven minutes, add the ricotta and stir until it is softened.  If the mixture seems thick add about a cup of water from the pasta pot to the pan.  When the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan.  Stir to thoroughly mix and turn off the heat.  Add parmesan and stir.  Transfer to a bowl and add pignolis and serve with additional parmesan. Enjoy!

Remember you can leave questions or comments in the comment section below this post. Please feel free to share with friends and family!

I would like to thank you all for your support this past year.  Here's hoping that next year will be even better! I hope you all have a very happy and healthy New Year!

Happy Cooking!
Carol

a.k.a Nonnie