Thanksgiving Appetizers-Rosemary Ham and Cheddar Spirals

Coming up with a Thanksgiving main course menu is pretty simple: Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, some vegetables and some pies for dessert. The hard part I think often lies in choosing some appetizers that are satisfying (while not being too heavy) and don't take too much time to prepare (you have enough to do that day!). So for the next few days I'll share with you some of my favorite simple Thanksgiving appetizers most of which can be prepared ahead of time.

First up is an old standby: puff pastry pinwheels. These pinwheels are made using Rosemary flavored ham (I used Boar's Head brand) and mild cheddar cheese. Try if you can to find the Rosemary Ham-the flavor is wonderful. But if you are unable to find it, just use your favorite ham and perhaps add some chopped fresh rosemary sprinkled over the ham and cheese.

To prepare the pinwheels ahead of time, roll the pastry around the ham and cheese, then wrap in plastic wrap; slice just before cooking.

While I like the simplicity of just the salt and pepper, some other ideas to coat the pastry would be poppy seeds, sesame seeds or fresh herbs.

If salt is an issue-replace the Rosemary Ham with low sodium ham and add chopped Rosemary in place of the salt.

Rosemary Ham and Cheddar Spirals

2 sheets of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, thawed

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

10 thin slices of Rosemary Ham
8 thin slices cheddar cheese (from the deli)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface to smooth any seams from folding. Sprinkle the pepper and salt over the pastry and using a rolling pin, press the salt and pepper into one side of the pastry.

Arrange the ham and cheese in an even layer on the unsalted/peppered side of the pastry.

Roll the pastry around the filling. Using a sharp knife slice the roll into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Arrange the slices on the lined baking sheets.

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Yield: about 48 spirals

It's all about the butter

It's difficult to say specifically what makes butter so good-it just is. After all, where would a pie crust be without butter to add a little tender flakiness? Would I really love lobster as much as I do without a small bowl of sweet melted butter to dip the claws into? Would a grilled cheese sandwich be as melt in your mouth delicious without a little (actually a lot) of softened butter slathered on before grilling? I wouldn't even think about eating warm, crusty french bread without butter.

Aside from just tasting good, butter is all natural-made from fresh cream. It's a source of vitamin E and trace amounts of vitamins A, K and D. But hold on, don't start eating it right off the butter plate yet; it is also a source of saturated fat, and like all things high in fat, it's best to use good judgement and control-you know, everything in moderation. Believe it or not though, we actually all need a little bit of fat in our diets.

While shopping at our recently opened Whole Foods supermarket the other day the Kerrygold butter caught my eye. It's hard not to notice the shiny gold package next to the not nearly as exciting cardboard ones.

I've been cooking with it and buttering bread with it for the last couple of days and I have to say I really like it. The butter has a deep golden hue and a lush, smooth texture-a little smoother and a little richer tasting than the butter we usually use. It was a tad more expensive, but I think it really added to the flavor of what I was preparing so I didn't really mind too much.


I wanted to use some pork tenderloin that was leftover from another day so I decided to make some pressed Cuban sandwiches. The pork was just pan roasted in a little butter and olive oil with salt and pepper. Typically though, the pork in a Cuban sandwich has been marinated in a garlicky mojo before roasting. So in order to impart some of that flavor into my already cooked pork, I decided to make what I will call a "mojo butter" and I slathered it on the inside of the sandwich before grilling. I thought the results were great...here's the recipe:


Cuban Pressed Sandwiches with Mojo Butter




Butter:
2 tablespoons Kerrygold butter, room temperature
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon orange zest, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lime zest, finely chopped
pinch of oregano
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Sandwiches:
2 Cuban style rolls or Hoagie style rolls, split
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices baked ham, thinly sliced
4 slices pork tenderloin, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 sandwich sliced dill pickles
2 tablespoons canola oil


To make the mojo butter, in a small bowl stir together the butter, garlic, orange and lime zest, oregano, salt and pepper.


Slather the mojo butter on the cut sides of the rolls. Layer the bottom half of each roll with 2 slices of Swiss cheese, 2 slices baked ham, 2 pickle slices and 2 slices of pork tenderloin. Top with the remaining roll halves.


Heat the canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Place the sandwiches in the skillet and immediately press down with either a sandwich press, foil wrapped brick or a cast iron pan. Cook 6-8 minutes on each side or until golden brown and the cheese is melted.

I heart butter!