Miss Finger Foodie

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Ham and Swiss Pinwheels [“LJ’S Breakfast pinwheels”]

Every year, I look forward to Christmas Eve dinner for one reason, and one reason only (whelp, besides my family’s competitive game of left right center). My Aunt LJ makes THE best bread that she serves with dinner, which was the inspo behind these ham and swiss pinwheels.

Ham and swiss pinwheels lined up on a baking sheet

The secret ingredient? Spice Island’s Beau Monde seasoning. Which, by the way, Aunt LJ was so kind to include in my Christmas stocking this year. Anddd not gonna lie, getting my hands on her secret ingredient might have been one of the best Christmas gifts. Ever.

a hand holding beau monde seasoning

It’s a killer combo of celery seed, onion and salt and when coupled with swiss cheese and carbs and butter…GAME OVER. Aunt LJ’s bread consists of butter, the Beau Monde seasoning, poppy seeds and Swiss, all neatly layered in between each piece of the loaf ensuring every crumb is as flavorful as possible.

A single baked ham and swiss pinwheel topped with everything bagel seasoning

I took a different spin on these wheels (pun intended??? Maybe.) with using puff pastry and incorporating the ~*~trendiest~*~ seasoning of 2019 (and probably 2018, let’s be real). The everything bagel seasoning. I get mine at Trader Joe’s, but you can honestly find it in any spice isle at this point.

The layering process is quite simple, and you can honestly make the “logs” of the puff ham and swiss filled puff pastry in advance, then just slice and bake. How easy is that (cue me taking any opportunity to quote the queen herself, Ina).

ham and swiss pinwheel process

Let’s not waste any more time and get right to the recipe, shall we???

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Ham and Swiss Pinwheels [“LJ’S Breakfast pinwheels”]

  • Author: MissFingerFoodie.com
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes (20 minutes to thaw pastry)
  • Cook Time: 18-20 minutes
  • Total Time: 48-50 minutes
  • Yield: 15-18 pinwheels
  • Category: Brunch
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Description

The perfect savory addition to any brunch spread.

Ingredients

  • One sheet of puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 1 TBSP salted butter, melted
  • 10 oz thinly sliced deli ham
  • 9 slices swiss cheese
  • 3 TBSP Beau Monde seasoning
  • Everything But the Bagel seasoning, for sprinkling
  • Flour, to prevent the pastry from sticking

Instructions

Preheat and Prep

Preheat the oven to 375. Take one sheet of the puff pastry and open it like a book, laying it flat on a lightly floured surface. Pinch any cracks together, using a couple drops of water to make the pastry easy to manipulate.

Top

Brush the top of the thawed puff pastry with 1 TBSP butter and 1 TBSP olive oil, covering every nook and cranny. Sprinkle the beau monde seasoning evenly over the butter/olive oil combo.

Next, layer the ham on top of the seasoned butter. Finally, add the swiss cheese, If you are more comfortable rolling from left to right, add the swiss on the left side, leaving some room on the right side without cheese. If you are more comfortable rolling from front to back, add the cheese to the bottom of your “square” puff pastry, leaving room at the top.

Carefully roll (either left to right or bottom to top) tightly until you have a log.

Slice and Bake

Slice the roll into 15-18 slices. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Best served warm, however can be served at room temp!

Notes

  • Your Puff pastry box will most likely come with two sheets of pastry and will be frozen. I use Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. It shouldn’t take too long to thaw out, but if you don’t want to use both sheets (i.e. you’re not making two batches), do not thaw and re-freeze the puff pastry. Only take out whatever sheets you are going to be working with.

Keywords: ham and swiss pinwheel

 

Summer Scallop Salad

Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or an easy winning dish for your next Summer BBQ, this Summer Scallop Salad will not disappoint.

Summer Scallop Salad in a bowl

This is my kind of meal. Minimal time spent cooking over a (hot) stove means more time spent enjoying other simple pleasures that come with summer, like sipping on this red sangria, amiright???

Summer Scallop Salad in a bowl before mixing

Oh and another selling point on this recipe? Everything can be purchased at Trader Joe’s. No need to go to different grocery stores looking for specialty ingredients.

The burrata adds the BEST richness (but obviously can be supplemented with more avocado if dairy ain’t your thing). The corn contributes the perfect sweetness (especially if you’re using sweet Jersey corn). The basil brings a wonderful freshness. And the addition of lemon juice and balsamic at the end brings it all together. BOOM.

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Summer Scallop Salad

  • Author: Blaire
  • Prep Time: 5-8 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 12-15 minutes
  • Yield: 3-4 as a main dish; 6-8 as a side
  • Category: Seafood salad
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Light, fresh, and easy. The perfect combo for a quick lunch or even a last minute side for a Summer BBQ!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup tightly packed fresh basil, julienned
  • 1/4 onion, diced, about 1/4 cup
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 2 ears of corn
  • 16 oz container of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 lb bay scallops
  • 1 TBSP minced garlic
  • 4 oz burrata
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
  • 3 TBSPs olive oil, separated
  • Salt/pepper

Instructions

PREP

Julienne the basil (i.e. stack the leaves on top of one another, roll up tightly into a log shape, and slice down the “log” to make thin ribbons of basil), dice the onion, and cube the tomatoes. Set aside.

With a sharp knife, stand one ear of corn upright, holding the top firmly. Run your knife down the corn from top to bottom, rotating the corn and cutting again once you’ve hit the bottom. Repeat on second ear of corn. ***Note, no need to cook the corn – we are using it raw***

COOK

Over medium heat, toss the tomatoes in 1 TBSP olive oil with the 1 TBSP garlic, salt and pepper. Move the tomatoes around in the pan (I used a cast iron skillet) every couple minutes until blistered, about 7 minutes. Set aside.

In the same pan,  crank the heat up to high, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/3 of the scallops to the pan and cook until golden (these cook quickly so keep an eye on them). Ensure to get all sides golden (i.e. toss the scallops around once one side is done). Repeat until all batches are done (you might need to add more garlic along the way).

***THE KEY HERE IS SMALL BATCHES*** – you do not want to overcrowd the pan. This will ruin the crust you want to get on the scallops.

TOSS

Toss the tomatoes, onion, avocado, basil, and scallops in a bowl with 1 TBSP olive oil, 1 TBSP balsamic, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Add in chunks of burrata and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

BEST SERVED WARM OR AT ROOM TEMP, BUT ALSO WORKS AS A COLD SALAD AS WELL!

Notes

  • I used frozen scallops from Trader Joe’s. To defrost them last minute, I ran them under water while they were in a colander (took about 3-5 min).
  • If making this advance for a party, wait until you serve to add the basil and avocado to preserve the color! (if you chose not to, it will still taste the same! The brighter green color is just more appetizing 😉 )
  • Fresh mozzarella will work here too! The cream from the burrata just adds a nice richness. You could also just swap out the cheese for more avocado to make it Whole30 approved/Paleo!

Keywords: scallop

BEFORE:

Summer Scallop Salad in a bowl

 

AFTER:

Summer Scallop Salad in a bowl