Appetizers

Helen’s White Veal Bratwurst Sausage Bites

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Be sure to use white veal bratwurst for the most authentic Swiss/German taste.  The rest is your choice.  These are easy and tasty, but, in reality, any cooked sausage will make something quite edible.

Ingredients:

  • white veal bratwurst
  • bread – rye, sourdough, baggette
  • mustard – Dijon, whole grain, spicy brown

Directions:

  1. Brown the bratwurst in a frying pan.
  2. Toast both sides of the bread.
  3. Cut the bread into squares or circles the size of the diameter of the bratwurst.
  4. Spread the bread with a thin layer of mustard.
  5. Slice the bratwurst about 1/4 inch thick.  (Make the ends dissapear.)
  6. Place the bread rounds on a baking sheet.
  7. Place a slice of bratwurst on each bread round.
  8. Brown under broiler.
  9. Serve warm or cold.

Serves:  Gage the number by how many sausages you have = how many slices.

Source:   Helen Dell-Imagine

 

 

 

Party Shrimp

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The marinade for this dish makes the shrimp so flavorful, you won’t even need a dipping sauce.
Ingredients:

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1-1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, tails on, peeled and deveined

Directions:

  1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first eight ingredients.
  2. Add shrimp; seal bag and turn to coat.
  3. Refrigerate 2 hours or so.
  4. Drain shrimp, discarding marinade.
  5. Place shrimp on an ungreased baking sheet.
  6. Broil 4 in. from heat 3-4 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn pink.

To avoid rubbery shrimp (the biggest pitfall with these little guys is overcooking), watch for signs they are done—the flesh will turn pink and firm. They’ll keep cooking for a minute or two outside the oven.

Serves: about 2-1/2 dozen.

Source:  Tase ofHome, Kendra Doss, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

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Donna served these at our traditional Boxing Day dinner.  We all gather the day after Christmas and share our Christmas dinner leftovers.  Great fun!

Ingredients:

  • 6 Tab unsalted butter
  • 1/2 c packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 c water
  • 1 Tab chili powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp gr cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 c walnut halves
  • 2 c pecan halves
  • 2 c whole almonds

Directions:

  1. Perheat oven 300°.
  2. Line a large baking pan (1/2 sheet) with heavy foil.
  3. Spray with vegetable oil spray.
  4. Melt butter in large saucepan.
  5. Add next 8 ingredients.
  6. Stir until dissolved, about 1 minute.
  7. Add all the nuts and stir until the nuts are thickly coated, about 2 minutes.
  8. Spread nut mixture in single layer on prepared sheet.
  9. Bake until nuts are glazed and deep brown, about 25 minutes, stirring frequently.
  10. Cool completely.

Serves:  6 cups

Source:  Donna Barasch

Microwave Curried Almonds

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In less time than it takes to preheat a regular oven, you can toast and season these munchies. Like oven-roasted nuts, microwaved ones crisp up as they cool.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 2 teaspoons salted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Directions:

  1. Spread almonds in a glass pie dish and dot with butter.
  2. Microwave until fragrant and pale golden in center, stirring every minute, 3 minutes total.
  3. Stir in salt and curry powder.
  4. Microwave until nuts are golden in center, stirring once, 2 minutes more.
  5. Let cool until crunchy.

Serves:  1 cup (serving size: 2 tbsp.)

Source:  Myrecipes.com Elaine Johnson

Onion Rings/Mushrooms Thanksgiving 2017

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After several years of researching the perfect onion ring recipe – we think we finally got it.  Thanksgiving turkeys at the Consortium are deep fried.  Before the turkeys go in we have onion rings and mushrooms.  YUM!

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs onions – choose large ones
  • 1 lb mushrooms – choose small ones – cremimi work best
  • 4 c flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • salt
  • pepper
  • cayenne
  • 2  1/2 bottles beer
  • paper towels

Directions:

  1. Heat the oil to 350°.
  2. Slice onions 1/2 inch thick.
  3. Separate rings.  Save smaller ones to use elsewhere.
  4. Wash and dry mushrooms.
  5. Trim stems – save for other use (Try mushroom puffs).
  6. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  7. Stir in the beer.
  8. Drop the onion rings, a few at a time into the batter.
  9. Remove, allow to drip, and carefully drop into the oil, one at a time.  Fingers work best for this.
  10. Check for browning and turn after a few minutes.
  11. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  12. Sample to determine if they need salt.
  13. Repeat with mushrooms.
  14. Serve hot.

Serves:  1 – 8 How many onion rings/mushrooms can you eat?

Source:  Creativity and trial and error.

 

 

Balsamic Cippolini Onions

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  Good as an hors d’oeuvre or addition to salad.  Frozen pearl onions are a little too small and tend to be too soft.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound fresh cippolini or pearl onions
  • 2 c balsamic vinegar (not the best stuff)
  • 2 Tab olive oil
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 whole garlic cloves
  • 1 c water
  • 1/4 c sugar

Directions:

  1. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat oil.
  2. Saute onions in oil until browned but not cooked
  3. Add remaining ingredients.
  4. Simmer for 20 minutes or so until onions are soft but not falling apart.
  5. Cool in liquid.

Lasts about three weeks refrigerated.

Serves:  about 2 cups

Source:  Greg Strickland, Executive Chef, Vi Highlands Ranch
True balsamic vinegar is made by aging boiled Trebbiano grape juice in barrels for 12 to 25 years and can cost $50 to more than $200. Many versions at supermarkets are made from regular wine vinegar with added sweeteners — they cost $3 to $14.

Sun Dried Tomato Squares – for a Crowd

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Easy, tasty and vegetarian.  You can make the topping ahead and spread it at the event.  It can also be rolled, but use the smaller lavash, otherwise too much bread. Lavash is a wonderful middle eastern bread.  It comes in many sizes and shapes.  It also come thin, thicker, and toasted or soft.  Look for it in middle eastern stores.  Some Trader Joe’s have it too.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large soft lavash
  • 1 c oil packed sun dried tomatoes
  • 12 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp chopped garlic – more if you want)
  • 1 tsp oregano  (some day I will try tarragon.)
  • 32 oz (2 lbs) cream cheese – soft, not block
  • 1 c sour cream6 finely chopped green onions

Directions:

  1. Drain tomatoes.  You can save the oil and use it in salad dressings.
  2. Place the tomatoes, garlic and oregano in a food processor.
  3. Process until it is a smooth paste.
  4. Add sour cream and cream cheese – a bit at a time mixes easier.
  5. Spread on the lavash.
  6. Sprinkle with green onions. (or chives, or, for something really different, chopped olives)
  7. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 1 1/4 inch squares.

Spread can be made ahead and refrigerated (bring to room temp to spread) and can be used as a dip.

Serves:  makes 5-6 cups of spread.  Makes about 100 pieces.  Cut the recipe in half or quarter for a normal party.

Source:  Truth –  I have only the  list of ingredients, the recipe is in some book/magazine/newspaper I no longer own.  I made up the directions.

Sticky Chicken Wings

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Sometimes “quick and easy” is just fine, thank you.  

Ingredients:

  • 2 bags Hot and Spicy Chicken Wings
  • 2 c  brown sugar
  •  blue cheese dressing

Directions:

  1. Place wings (single layer) in foil pan.
  2. Sprinkle on brown sugar.
  3. Cook according to package directions.
  4. Serve with blue cheese dressing.

Serves:  50

Source:   We made it up.

Pesto Brie Melts

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Quick, easy, do ahead.  Keep pesto, sun dried tomatoes and baguette (sliced) in the freezer and you can make these at a moments notice.
 Ingredients:
  • 1 baguette
  • 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes
  • 6 oz pesto sauce
  • 4 inch brie round (I cut the white rind off – it does not melt!)

Directions:

  1. Slice baguette into 1/4″ thick slices.
  2. Top with a thin layer of pesto, sliced brie and top with a sun dried tomato.
  3. Heat in oven at 350° for 7 minutes until brie is slightly melted.

Serves:  8

Source:  food.com, recipe by aronsinvest

Grilled Rum Pineapple

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Appetizer or dessert – take your choice.  Save the rum for your next MaiTai.

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe pineapple peeled, cored and quartered lengthwise
  • 3 c rum
  • toothpicks

Directions:

  1. Slice each quarter into 10 pieces.
  2. Place in a large bowl or self-sealing bag.
  3. Add rum.
  4. Let marinate for 6 hours, or overnight.
  5. Place on a rack over a rimmed pan (lined with foil for easy cleanup).
  6. Place under broiler for about 5-8 minutes, until lightly browned.
  7. Serve on tray with toothpicks.

Serves: 120 pieces

Source: I made it up.

If camping, slice the pineapple into rings.  Grill.  Cut into quarters to serve.  For a not-quite-as-good non-alcoholic dessert, just slap the pineapple slices on the grill, turn and top with a little brown sugar.