Ingrid Gundersen’s tulip BLT bites in a bouquet.
Ingrid Gundersen is part of the culinary team at The Lincoln Home. She started cooking as soon as she was able to hold a spoon, helping her mother and grandmother cook whenever they would let her. Gundersen got her first cooking job at 16 and then attended Southern Maine Community College’s culinary arts program. She has been working in the culinary industry for 20 years.
Gundersen shared her recipe for tulip BLT bites, a delicious appetizer with a fun and creative presentation.
Tulip BLT bites
Ingredients: 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature); 4 slices precooked bacon, 1/4 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; dash of Cholula (or other hot sauce); cocktail or large cherry tomatoes; and lettuce (for garnish).
1. Grind bacon in a food processor or chop very fine by hand.
2. Add cream cheese, mayo, garlic, and hot sauce and pulse food processor until everything is mixed well.
3. Cut an X in a tomato, then slide a paring knife around and pull out all the seeds and guts. Set tomato upside down to drain any extra liquid. Repeat this process with all the tomatoes. (Other small vegetables can also be used, such as baby bell peppers.)
4. With a spoon or piping bag, fill each tomato with cream cheese mixture.
5. Shred the lettuce very small and top each tulip with a little bit.
Tulip BLT bites.
These can be served on a plate with a bed of lettuce or in a bouquet in a vase.
To create bouquet stems, use wooden skewers and scallions. Take a scallion, cut the white end off, and carefully push the skewer through the scallion. Make sure the pointed end is at the dark green end of the scallion. Repeat process for the all tulips. Poke each tulip on to the top of the skewers and arrange in a vase.
For more information about The Lincoln Home, contact Brigit Cavanagh at 563-3350 or brigit@lincoln-home.org. To learn more about activities and amenities offered, visit lincoln-home.org or follow The Lincoln Home on Facebook. The Lincoln Home located at 22 River Road, Newcastle.
