Appetizers

Cream Puffs

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Do not be afraid – it is not that hard.  And so impressive!  Have the ingredients at room temperature.  We stuff 2 inch puffs with a mixture of crab, hard boiled eggs, celery, and mayonnaise for a fancy hors d’oeuvre.  

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c flour – sift before measuring
  • 1/2 c milk
  • 1/4 c butter (1 stick)
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 400°.
  2. Heat milk.
  3. Add butter.
  4. Bring to the boiling point.
  5. Add the flour and salt.
  6. Cook and stir (with a wooden spoon) until the batter leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball.
  7. Remove from fire.
  8. Beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure to blend well before adding second egg.
  9. Chill the dough for at least half an hour.
  10. Place a spoonful of batter in 2 inch round on a greased tin, heaping them well in the center.   Allow 2 inches between the puffs.
  11. Bake them at 400° for 30 minutes.
  12. Reduce heat to 350° for 5 minutes.
  13. Test the puffs by removing one from the oven.  If it does not fall i is done.
  14. When the puffs cool cut a gash in the side of each puff and fill them with sweeten whip cream, custard, or ice cream.

Serves:   Makes 6 large puffs or eclairs or 30 1 inch puffs.

Source:   Joy of cooking.

Notes:   When you double the recipe, use only one extra egg. (today’s eggs are larger than when the book was written)

We used a 1 oz scoop to make the cocktail puffs.  Baked them 20 minutes at 400° and 10 minutes at 300°.  Cut the top almost off to fill.  2 time the recipe made 40 puffs.

Rumaki – Some other Way

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For those of you who cant stand chicken livers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can whole water chestnuts (5 oz), or scallops, or pickled watermelon rind, or dates, or tater tots,  or just about anything you can get a half a strip of bacon around.
  • 12 bacon strips
  • toothpicks

Directions:

  1. cut whatever you have into a bite size piece.
  2. Wrap in half a strip of bacon.
  3. Secure with a toothpick.
  4. Arrange on broiler pan and bake at 400° for 20 minutes.
  5. Drain on a paper towel.

Serves:  Makes 24

Source:  Lots of parties.

Notes:   May be made ahead of time and reheated at 35o° about 5 minutes.

 

 

Smoked Duck with Pinot Braised Onions on Garlic Toast

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Tasty, can be made ahead, it freezes – what’s not to like?

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 1 1/4 lbs smoked duck breast
  •  artisan bread (large baggette size)
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 c pinot braised onions

Directions:

  1. Trim most of the fat off the duck.
  2. Slice thinly, and then cut slices into quarters.
  3. Slice bread.
  4. Toast lightly.
  5. Rub with garlic clove.
  6. Brush with olive oil.
  7. Place slice of duck on bread.
  8. Top with pinot braised onions.

Pinot Braised Onions

Ingredients:

  • 3 large sweet onions cut into slivers (about 6 cups)
  • 2 Tab olive oil
  • 1 Tab butter
  • 1 1/2 c pinot noir
  • 1 Tab sugar
  • 1 tsp grated orange rind
  • 1 small cinnamon stick

Directions:

  1. In a 10-12 inch skillet, on lowest heat, saute the onions, stirring often (About 30 minutes – don’t let them brown).
  2. Add the pinot noir, sugar, orange rind, and cinnamon stick.
  3. Continue to cook on low heat until all the liquid is gone and the onion are very soft – about 30 minutes.
  4. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves:  Makes abut 5 dozen – depends on the bread size.

Sourde:  Annett Martin

Mushroom Paté

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Easy!  Use any mushrooms – cooked or raw.  I added a splash of cognac for good measure. It will keep for week in the fridge.

Ingredients:

  • 25o g mushrooms (1 cup – 1/2 lb)
  • 30 g butter (2 Tab)
  • 3 – 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 250 g cream cheese (1 cup -1/2 lb)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Clean and trim the mushrooms and chop them finely.
  2. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
  3. Drop in the mushrooms and garlic and sauté , stirring frequently for 10 minutes, or until all the moisture in the mushrooms is released and evaporated.
  4. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
  5. Blitz the mushrooms in a food processor until smooth.
  6. Add the cream cheese and blitz again util well blended.
  7. Season to taste then leave to cool completely.
  8. Refrigerate for at least an hour for the garlic flavor to develop.
  9. Serve in generous dollops on crostini or triangles of toast.

Serves:  10 – 12 as a canapé.

Source:  River Cottage Mushroom Handbook

Note:    Here is what really happened.  We had sauted mushrooms (little button ones) in the freeze.  I put them in the food processor, blitzed until smooth, added garlic,  a dollop of butter and some cream cheese (about equal to the amount of mushroom stuff.)   It needed something so went for the cognac.  It was terrific!

 

Pickled Garlic

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Margie served this with the Pickled Haricot Vert at Thanksgiving.  A different hors d’ouevre.  Quantities are not really important.

Ingredients:

  • peeled garlic
  • some vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp mustard seed
  • 2 small red peppers.

Directions:

  1. Cook the garlic, red pepper and mustard seed in the vinegar about 5 minutes.
  2. Place in jar, vinegar et al.
  3. Refrigerate over night.

Serves:  How adventurous are your friends?

Source: Margie’s kitchen

Pickled Haricot Vert (thin green beans)

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These were a huge hit at Thanksgiving.  And, you do them the day before.  Also good with Pickled Garlic.

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 2 lbs haricot vert
  • 1/2 c white wine
  • 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 c white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp white peppercorns
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 sprig dill
  • a wide mouthed jar tall enough to hold the beans upright.

Directions:

  1. Pack the beans in the jar standing upright, filling the jar completely.
  2. Add dill and garlic.
  3. Bring wine, vinegar, and pepper corns to a boil.
  4. Simmer for about 5 minutes.Serves:
  5. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the beans.
  6. Refrigerate overnight.

Serves:  How big are your friends on pickled things?

Source:  Margie’ kitchen

Note:  If you use regular beans, simmer them in the vinegar for a minute or blanch them first.

 

Pizza al Pomodoro con Formaggio (Tomato-Cheese Pizza)

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Try it once. There is nothing like “from scratch” pizza – if you have time.  This is just a beginning.  You can add salami, mushrooms, anchovies, Italian sausage, olives, onions, whatever.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 c lukewarm water
  • 3 1/2 c flour
  • olive oil
  • 4 -6 fresh tomatoes, peeled, sliced
  • 3/4 lb cheese mozzarella or Jack, sliced or grated (3 cups)
  • dried oregano

Directions:

  1. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water with salt.
  2. Allow to stand 10 minutes.
  3. Sift flour into a large bowl.
  4. Make a hollow in the center.
  5. Pour in the yeast mixture.
  6. Work the flour into the liquid little by little.
  7. If necessary, add a little more water so that the dough is soft and smooth.
  8. Roll into a ball and set to rise in a covered, greased bowl in a warm place.
  9. When dough has doubled in bulk, knead for several minuets.
  10. Divide into six pieces.
  11. Roll into circles 1/8th inch thick. Edges should be slightly thicker to form a rim.
  12. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  13. Brush each round lightly with oil on both sides.
  14. Cover with layer of tomatoes, then cheese.
  15. Sprinkle lightly with oregano.
  16. Bake in preheated 450° oven for 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Serves:  6

Source:  Maglare Alla Italiana

Tortilla Roll Ups

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Yes, another tortilla appetizer – and a good one!

Ingredients:

  • 2 0 3 10 inch flour tortillas
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 Tab sour cream
  • 1/2 green pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 red pepper, chopped
  • 2 oz diced green chiles, canned, mild
  • 6-8 ripe olives, chopped

Directions:

  1. Mix cream cheese and sour cream.
  2. Add peppers, chiles, olives.
  3. Mix well.
  4. Spread on tortillas.
  5. Roll tightly.
  6. Chill.
  7. Slice into 1/2 – 3/4 inch pieces.
  8. Eat the odd ends.
  9. Serve with Pace Picante Sauce

Serves:  Makes about 30 pieces

Source:  Joan and Chuck Jackson

 

That Thing You Make With Tortillas

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Easy to make.  Travels well. You can freeze it.  Fun to make “variations on a theme”.   What’s not to like??

Ingredients:

  • 4 10 inch flour tortillas
  • 8 oz whipped cream cheese
  • 2 Tab pesto (or drained salsa, or blue cheese crumbles, or ??)
  • 1 1/2 c chopped shrimp (or crab, or chicken, or salmon, or ???)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt (if not using pesto)

Directions:

  1. Mix cream cheese, shrimp, pesto.
  2. Spread on tortilla – not all the way to two sides but all the way to the top/bottom.
  3. Roll TIGHTLY from bottom to top.
  4. Roll in wax paper.
  5. Refrigerate over night.
  6. Slice 3/4 inch discarding the ends that have no filling.

Serves:  32 pieces

Source:  Devine inspiration/desspertion!

 

Quesadillas

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Now, this has become a standard food across the country.  But, someone may be looking for a basic recipe –  so here it is.  Feel free to vary the cheese, add peppers, chicken, whatever is in the fridge. 

Ingredients:

  • 24 6 inch flour tortillas
  • 1 1/2 lbs cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 1/2 lbs jack cheese, grated
  • 14 oz green chili salsa
  • 2 bunches green onions, chopped (green part and white part)
  • soft butter

Directions:

  1. Place oven rack in top position.
  2. Preheat oven  400°.
  3. Butter one side of tortillas.
  4. Place 12 buttered side down on foil covered cookie sheet.
  5. Sprinkle with both cheeses, onions and salsa.
  6. Top with the rest of the buttered tortillas – buttered side up.
  7. Bake until brownish.
  8. Flip over and brown other side.

Serve immediately.

These also can be made in a frying pan or toaster oven.  Anything to brown the tortilla and melt the cheese.

Serves:  12

Source: Patty Johnson and Marty Stevenson, Taft School (Orange, CA) ELP Cooking Class