Snack & Dessert Recipes

Right... so, I've said that I'm a fruits dessert person. And today, watching Giada's Everyday Italian show, I'm again going to list down 2 of her recipes. They are really simple ideas and I think great for parties, dinners or even something cozy for 1-2 persons. The best part? Just a few simple ingredients.

Recipe #1 - Sauteed Pineapple with Honey & Pine Nuts

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed pineapple, fresh or canned
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon rum
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

Method:
Drain the pineapple cubes in a strainer. Lay the pineapple cubes on a paper towel and pat dry. Put the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Make brown butter by heating the butter until melted and just starting to brown around the edges. Add the pineapple and toss to coat in the butter. Add the honey and toss to coat the pineapple with the honey. Cook until the pineapple is golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the pine nuts.

In a small bowl mix together the rum and the mascarpone. Place the pineapple mixture in a serving dish and top it with a dollop of the cheese mixture. Serve immediately.


Recipe #2 - Proscuitto & Carrot Bundles

Ingredients:
2 carrots, shredded, about 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
4 slices prosciutto
4 whole fresh basil leaves

Method:
In a medium bowl, toss together the carrots, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Lay out the 4 slices of prosciutto. Top each with 1/4 of the carrot mixture. Place a basil leaf on top of each and roll the prosciutto up and around the basil and carrots. Secure the bundles with toothpicks and serve.

Hmmm... a colleague of mine was telling me that he's looking for ideas for a division Christmas party. So, maybe he would be interested in this?

Source: Food Network (http://www.foodnetworks.com), Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian.