Muffin Tin Chef by Matt Kadey (good beach reads .TXT) 📕

bowl, toss together the chicken, green onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, apple cider vinegar, chipotle chile, and salt and pepper to taste. With a pastry brush, lightly coat both sides of the wonton wrappers with oil. Press the wrappers into 24 mini muffin cups, making sure the bottoms are as flat as possible. Place a small amount of mozzarella cheese in each cup. Top with the chicken mixture and then the cheddar cheese. Bake until the wonton wrappers are golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before unmolding.

In a small bowl, stir the together sour cream, lime zest, and lime juice. Serve alongside the chicken cups.

TWO-CHEESE SMOKY CHICKEN CUPS, page 46

SPINACH DIP BOWLS, page 48

SPINACH DIP BOWLS

Chips and dip are a big part of party fare. For the bowls, you can also use naan bread or even store-bought pizza crust. Serves 6 to 12 V

2 loaves flatbread, preferably whole- grain

grapeseed or canola oil, as needed

6 ounces spinach (about 1 large bunch)

1/2 cup canned or jarred artichoke hearts

1/2 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg dash or two of cayenne pepper, or a few squirts of hot sauce

salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut 24 (2-inch) rounds from the flatbread using a cookie cutter, the top of a glass, a 1/4-cup metal measure, or similar object that is about the same size as the top of a mini muffin cup. Brush both sides of each round with oil and carefully press into 24 mini muffin cups, making sure the bottoms are flat. Bake until crispy, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, blanch the spinach by bringing a large pot of water to a boil and filling a large bowl with ice water. Add the spinach to the pot and boil until bright green in color, about 30 seconds. Drain and place in the ice water for about 2 minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible between sheets of paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. Chop the spinach finely. Place the artichoke hearts between sheets of paper towel and press to remove excess liquid. Chop the artichoke hearts finely and place in a large bowl along with the spinach, ricotta cheese, sour cream, garlic, lemon zest, nutmeg, cayenne pepper or hot sauce, and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine well.

Remove the muffin tin from oven and stuff each bread cup with the spinach mixture. Cover with aluminum foil, return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before unmolding, and serve.

BASIL PESTO

You can use store-bought pesto for the caprese cups on page 50, but making your own will almost always produce more flavorful results. And it’s so simple! Use extras in pasta or sandwiches, mixed with cooked potatoes, or freeze in your mini muffin cups. Makes about 3/4 cup F

1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or

Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place the basil, garlic, and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely minced. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and salt, and process until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, add the olive oil through the feed tube until fully combined.

CAPRESE CUPS

Caprese is an Italian sandwich or salad made predominantly with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. This spin is fit for a crowd and a lot less messy than that other Italian favorite, bruschetta. If possible, use buffalo mozzarella, which is most often sold in containers with water. The prepared cups can be assembled a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator. You can also make these a side dish by cutting bigger tortilla rounds and using medium-size muffin cups. Serves 6 to 12 V

8 (6-inch) whole wheat tortillas grapeseed or canola oil, as needed

3 ounces fresh mozzarella, finely chopped

1/3 cup Basil Pesto (see page 49)

2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, finely diced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice the tortillas into rounds about 2 1/2 inches wide using a cookie cutter, the top of a glass, or the top of a metal 1/3-cup measure. You should get 3 rounds per tortilla, and you want them to be slightly larger than the tops of mini muffin cup molds. Brush each tortilla round with oil and place them over the tops of 24 mini muffin cups. Top each round with an equal amount of mozzarella, pesto (about 1/4 teaspoon), and tomatoes. Press each round into the muffin cups molds to form cups. The contents help keep the tortilla rounds in place. Sprinkle each with a pinch of salt. Bake until the tortilla cups are crispy and golden, about 10 minutes. Place the caprese cups on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil.

CAPRESE CUPS, page 50

SMOKED MACKEREL MOUSSE CUPS, page 52

SMOKED MACKEREL MOUSSE CUPS

Inexpensive omega-3-plush smoked mackerel is available at most well-stocked fishmongers. Horseradish gives each bite some zing, while a smooth and creamy consistency will assure your guests never need to know that you used low-fat versions of ricotta and sour cream. Serves 6 to 12

1 pound smoked mackerel fillets

2/3 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese

2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 shallot, chopped

1 tablespoon horseradish

2 tablespoons chopped chives, plus more for garnish

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 phyllo sheets, thawed grapeseed or canola oil or melted butter, as needed

Lift the mackerel flesh away from skin and place in a food processor along with the ricotta cheese,