Apricot Brie Appetizer Recipe

I love French cheeses. This week, I gave myself a treat and bought a wheel of triple cream Brie cheese. This particular cheese has an exquisite flavor and luscious, creamy texture because it is made with heavy cream as the base instead of only milk. I spread the soft, buttery, cheese onto sesame Persian bread and garnished the top with dried apricots and hazelnuts.

Even though the cheese appetizers contain exceptionally high fat content, I enjoyed every single bit. Serving them in small portions also helped me feel a lot less guilty! I just thought to myself, dried fruits are good for you; they're full of fiber, plus they taste delicious with a juicy flavor.  Hopefully they'll counteract the calories of the Brie cheese!

Breakfast Quesadilla Recipe

My take on the breakfast quesadilla is part omelet, part cheese quesadilla. Don't let the name fool you though; the combination makes for an easy and tasty school lunch. I serve them at room temperature, along with salsa so the children can dip them. It's playful and no utensils are required. The recipe can be adapted with additional ingredients that you have on hand.

Zucchini Tart Recipe (Tarte aux Courgettes)

Savory tart is a very versatile dish. The crust is usually puff pastry, a sauce serves as the filling and the topping is roasted or grilled vegetables. I made pesto using goat ricotta cheese and topped the tart with zucchini. Once you choose your favorite flavorings, you can come up with your own combinations for the pesto sauce, cheeses and vegetables.

Zucchini is a relatively easy vegetable to plant from seeds. My husband Lulu's uncle grew humongous 18-inch zucchini in his garden. Ratatouille would have been a great way to make great use of the veggie but I really wanted to showcase the size of the slices in a tart.

Peach Comte Cheese Appetizer Recipe

I've had in mind for some time now to pair ripe stone fruit with Comté cheese. It's one of the most popular gourmet French cheeses, originating from the Jura region of France. It's fruity with a hint of nutmeg, while still tasting mild. To balance the flavors, I added sun-dried tomatoes, marinated red onions and a drizzle of spicy mint chutney. The peaches were so ripe and juicy that there was no need to quickly blanch them as the skin peeled off very easily.

Over the weekend, we ordered take-out food from one of my favorite restaurants, Shalimar in Fremont. We had a lot of leftover naans, so I used them the next day to make the cheese appetizers. Nothing goes to waste in our home!

Raspberry Cheese Pinwheel Appetizers

They may seem like an odd couple, but I paired raspberry and blue cheese to create these great party appetizers. First, I made a raspberry salad, tossed with pickled red onions, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and candied walnuts. To make them easier to serve, I wrapped the raspberries in lavash flat bread and rolled them into pinwheel appetizers.

I secured the appetizers with party picks, so they would look elegant passed around on trays. They are great appetizers for finger food buffet parties and take no time to assemble. Fruits don't have to be used only in desserts!