Palmabella's Passions

Hot Crab Dip: (I doubled this)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can crab
2 green onions, chopped
1 c. grated sharp cheddar
1/4 c. grated Romano cheese
enough mayo to blend (1/2 c.)
Black pepper

Combine ingredients and bake at 350 for 30 min. Serve with crackers.
Leftover crab dip is great on French bread, under the broiler. (Brad's Sunday dinner)

Brie-Prosciutto-Fig Jam Tartletts

Use frozen phyllo appetizer cups. Fill each half full with small amount of brie. Saute chopped proscuitto with olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar (I use FIG balsamic), and a little green onion. Fill cups with cooled and drained proscuitto. (At this point you can freeze if making ahead) Top with fig preserves and bake at 350 for about 7 min. for cheese to melt. They are great to have in the freezer (just add jam).

Artichoke-Lemon Pesto Lasagna (no photo...too busy eating it!)

Fresh sheets of pasta

Filling:
16 oz. ricotta
2 containers of Trader Joe's Lemon-Artichoke pesto

2 bricks of Gruyere cheese, grated

Parmesan, or Romano cheese

Bechamel Sauce:

6 T. butter
6T. flour
4 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

Make filling. Make bechamel sauce. Begin layering by putting some bechamel on bottom of lasagna pan. Layer of pasta, Bechamel, Artichoke filling, parmesan. For the next layer, only pasta, bechamel, and gruyere. Repeat with layers of filling (3 total), and gruyere (2 total).

Lemon-Blueberry Trifle:
(Can be made 2 days ahead)

Lemon curd: (or cheat and used 2 jars of purchased lemon curd)
1 1/3 c. sugar
3/4 c. (1 1/2 cubes) unsalted butter
2/3 c. fresh lemon juice
1 T. lemon zest
1/8 t. salt
5 eggs, beaten

Lemon Syrup (or cheat and use limoncello)
1 c. water
1c. sugar
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 T lemon peel

Filling
8 oz. cream cheese (room temp)
3/4 c. sugar
2 1/4 c. whipping cream
1/4 t. vanilla

3 half-pint baskets of fresh blueberries

12 oz. pound cake, cut into cubes (frozen like Sara Lee)

For curd: Combine first 5 ingredients in saucepan. Stir over med heat until butter melts and sugar is dissolved.Remove from heat.Gradually whisk in eggs. Return to med-low heat, continue whisking until it thickens (don't boil) Strain through seive, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

For syrup: Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 5 min. Cool.

Filling:Beat cream cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, 1/4 c. cream and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. In another bowl, beat 2 c. cream, 1/4 c. sugar until peaks form. Fold in 2 additions into cream cheese mixture.

Puree 1 containter of berries with 1/4 c. lemon syrup. Transfer to bowl and add 1 1/2 container of berries (save half a basket for garnish), mashing with fork or potato masher for a chunky puree.

Assembly:
Arrange 1/3 of cake cubes in bottom of trifle dish or high glass bowl. Drizzle with 7 T of lemon syrup (or just use lemoncello) Spoon 1/3 of cream cheese mixture (2 c.), spread to sides of dish.Spoon half of berry puree, spreading to sides. Spoon half of lemon curd (1 1/4 c.), spreading to sides of dish. Repeat with 1/3 cake cubes, 7 T lemon syrup, 1/3 of cream cheese filling,remaining puree, remaining cake, 7 T syrup, remaining lemon curd. Spread remaining cream cheese filling over top and "decorate" with remaining berries and a lemon slice. Cover and chill overnight.