We need you – and your recipes – for the new PT Cookbook! Contribute a recipe today!

A group of committed ParentTalk members is putting together a family cookbook to sell in 2013, with all proceeds benefitting ParentTalk.  Please participate and contribute a favorite recipe to this worthwhile project!  We need your “family favorites” and your “go-to recipes” for appetizers, entrees, salads, desserts and side dishes.  (Feel free to submit recipes that you got elsewhere; just attribute it accordingly.)  Please submit your recipes to cookbookrecipes@parenttalk.info by January 31.  Here are a few “starters” to whet your appetite!

 

 

Honey-Apple-Brie Phyllo Cups

By Vidya Kagan

(Full disclosure:  I got this recipe from a Pampered Chef party I hosted several years ago.)

This recipe marries so many of my favorite ingredients, and the finished product is delicious!  The apples and honey provide a touch of sweet, the walnuts and brie give a touch of salt, and the phyllo cups hold everything nicely to make a simple yet elegant presentation.  It is also a very kid-friendly recipe. After prepping all of the ingredients, get your kids to help you assemble each phyllo cup.  It’s fun and easy, and you might even get them to try one!

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

2 medium red apples, finely diced (about 2 cups)

¼ cup honey

1 4-inch round (8 oz.) Brie with rind

2 packages mini phyllo cups, 30 cups total (you can find these in the freezer aisle of your grocery store)

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Combine lemon zest, walnuts, apples and honey in a large bowl.  Mix gently.

3.  Cut Brie into thirty (30) ½-inch cubes.

4.  Arrange phyllo cups on a large baking sheet.  Place one Brie cube into each cup.  Top Brie with a small scoop of the apple mixture.  Bake 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Curried Cashews

By Vidya Kagan

When I was a kid, I remember my dad always eating nuts.  Cashews, peanuts, pistachios, almonds … you name it, we had it, and he was eating it.  My dad always preferred spicy and salty snacks over sweets, and years later, so do I!  Experts tell us that nuts are good for us, so why not give this recipe a try?  These curried cashews are super easy to make, a total crowd-pleaser and incredibly addictive.  You can serve them at a party or eat them as a snack. They’re delicious AND versatile!

6 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons curry powder

4 teaspoons kosher salt

6 cups unsalted cashews (if using salted cashews, omit the kosher salt)

1.     Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 250°F.

2.     Whisk lemon juice, curry powder and salt in a large bowl. Add cashews; toss to coat. Divide between 2 large rimmed baking sheets; spread in an even layer.

3.     Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until dry, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

photo credit: opensourceway via photopin cc