Category: Appetizers

Water Chestnut Appetizers

This can be varied with scallops, pineapple chunks, dates, pickled watermelon rind, or chicken livers (forget the soy/sugar on them).  They can be made ahead and reheated for 5 minutes at 350°.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can whole water chestnuts
  • 1/4 c soy sauce
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 12 slices bacon

Directions:

  1. Drain water chestnuts.
  2. Split in half crosswise.
  3. Marinate in soy for 30 minutes.
  4. Roll each water chestnut in sugar.
  5. Cut bacon in half crosswise
  6. Wrap each water chestnut in bacon.
  7. Secure with toothpick.
  8. Arrange on broiler pan.
  9. Bake 400° for 20 minutes – until bacon is crisp.
  10. Drain on paper toweling.

Serves:  Makes 24

Source:  Sunset

Spiced Vegetables

This is really good added to an antipasto tray.  The beets are just plain good by themselves.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 c wine vinegar
  • 1/4 c water
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp celery seed
  • 1 can beets (whole or sliced), or carrots, or green beans

Directions:

  1. Mix sugar, salt, celery seed.
  2. Add water, vinegar, cinnamon stick.
  3. Boil together  4 minutes.
  4. Pour over drained vegetable.
  5. Refrigerate.

Serves:  Depends on what else you have.

Source: Lucia Henderson

 

 

 

Sherry Glazed Spareribs

For those who want something other than bbq sauce for their ribs.  You can have the butcher cut the ribs in half and they make a hardy appetizer.

Ingredients:

  • 1 side spareribs (about 2 pounds)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1/2 c sherry (or dry white wine)
  • 1 1/2 c honey
  • 2 Tab red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tab onions, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or smashed
  • 1.4 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

Directions:

  1. Sprinkle the whole side of ribs with salt and pepper.
  2. Place in a shallow pan and bake in a hot oven (400°) for 40 minutes.
  3. Drain off all the fat from the pan.
  4. Combine remaining ingredients.
  5. Pour over ribs.,
  6. Lower oven to 350° and bake ribs 1 1/2 hours longer or until tender.
  7. Cut apart to serve.  (I sometime cut them before cooking – easier serving.)

(After baking you can bless them on the bbq for that smoky taste. Brush them with the sherry-honey glaze.)

Serves: 2 (With ribs, you have to figure 1 pound per person.)

Source: Sunset – the first Sunset cookbook

Flaky Pillows Stuffed With Cheese

This looks WAY more complicated than it actually is.  Just read the directions all the way to the end before you start to get the big picture.  I even do it with just cheese cubes (pepper jack is great).  They will freeze too.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg (17 1/4 oz) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
  • 1 recipe chili and cheese or caraway cheese filling
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 Tab sesame or caraway seeds

Cheese and Chili Filling:

Mix:

  • 6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 6 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (1 3/4 c)
  • 1/3 c Diced green chillies, drained

Caraway cheese Filling:

Mix:

  • 6 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 lb shredded Kuminost or Noekkelost cheese (2 c) (cheese with caraway seeds in it)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 400°.
  2. On a floured board, roll each pastry sheet into a 12″x15″ rectangle.
  3. On half of each sheet, drop filling by the rounded teaspoon, making 3 rows of 5 dollops each, space about 3/4 ” apart and 1/2″ from the edge and center.
  4. Brush egg on pastry between dollops and around edges.
  5. Fold unfilled side of pastry over so the edges meet.
  6. With a fork, prick several times on each filling mound.
  7. Press firmly around each mound to seal well.  (I used the handle of a wooden spoon.)
  8. With a ravioli cutter or knife, cut between mounds.
  9. Repeat with other sheet.  (Or save other sheet in the freezer for another time.)
  10. Place puffs, slightly apart on  ungreased 10×15 baking pans.
  11. Cover and chill until cold, at least 30 minutes or over night.
  12. Brush each puff with egg and sprinkle with sesame or caraway seed.
  13. Bake, covered until golden , 15-20 minutes.
  14. Serve hot or cold.

Serves:  Each sheet makes 15 little puffs.

Source:  Sunset Magazine

Cheesy Mushroom Roll

“My husband loves mushrooms. Sometimes I think he makes up work functions just so I make a batch of these savory appetizers…and he can snack on them at his desk.”—Kathi Bloomer, Noblesville, Indiana

And I don’t blame him!  Yummy good!

We made these last week and had a “re-think” on the recipe.  Flatten each can of rolls.  Spread filling on one, top with other.  Cut into squares or strips.  Bake.

Ingredients:
  • 2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cans (4 ounces each) mushroom stems and pieces, drained and chopped
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Unroll crescent dough into two long rectangles
2. Seal seams and perforations.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, mushrooms, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning.
4. Spread over dough to within 1 in. of edges.
5. Roll up each rectangle, jelly-roll style, starting with a long side
6. Seal edges.
7. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet.
8. Beat egg and water; brush over dough.
9. Sprinkle with cheese.
10. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Cut into slices.

Yield: 16 appetizers.

Source: Taste of Home

Note: The following spices may be substituted for 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning: 1/4 teaspoon each salt, garlic powder and paprika; and a pinch each of dried thyme, ground cumin and cayenne pepper.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin

You can serve this as an entree or an hors d’oeuvre if the party is really all about grazing.

Ingredients:

  • 1 beef tenderloin (4 To 5 Lbs.)
  • 4 Tab butter
  • garlic salt
  • Sour Cream Horseradish Sauce
  • Blue Cheese Butter

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°.
  2. Rinse meat well.
  3. With a very sharp knife, begin taking the fat off the top, revealing the silver cartilage underneath. You definitely don’t want to take every last bit of fat off—not at all. As with any cut of meat, a little bit of fat adds to the flavor.
  4. If tenderloin is large, cut in half lengthwise and tie into 2 rounds.
  5. Put several tablespoons of butter all over the meat.
  6. Sprinkle meat generously with garlic salt.
  7. Place in a 325° oven until the internal temperature reaches just under 120°, about 40 minutes. Stay near the oven and keep checking the meat thermometer to make sure it doesn’t overcook.
  8. Let meat stand ten minutes or so before slicing.

Sour-Cream Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 c sour cream
  • ¼ c prepared horseradish, drained

Directions:

  1. Combine the sour cream and horseradish and mix well.
  2. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper.
  3. Store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to serve.

Serves: 1 ¼ cup

Source: Joshua Paul, Pioneer Woman Cooking

Blue Cheese Butter

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb crumbled firm blue cheese (2 cups)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 c Port

Directions:

Gently mash together all ingredients in a bowl with a fork, leaving some texture.

Serves: Makes about 3 cup

Source: Gourmet – October 2003
Comments: Butter keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week. It will freeze.

 

Turkey Cucumber Wheels

I got tired of trying to spread the cream cheese, so I plopped it into a plastic baggie, cut a corner off, and piped it onto the cucumbers. It was a little easier that way. You could also use a pastry tube.

Ingredients:

  • 4 English cucumber about (1 ¼ inch in diameter and 8” long)
  • 1 pt whipped cream cheese
  • thin sliced turkey (the more thinly sliced the better)
  • toothpicks

Directions:

  1. Cut cucumber into rounds about ¼ inch thick.
  2. Use a small spoon or knife to spread cream cheese on half of the pieces.
  3. Cut or break each slice of deli turkey into 5 or 6 pieces and divide it evenly among the cream cheese topped cucumber.
  4. Top with another round of cucumber to form a sandwich.
  5. Secure with a toothpick.

Serves: 64 Pieces

Source: Cooking With My Kids

Asparagus-Ricotta Tart

Pretty and different.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed (2 sheets)
  • 3c ricotta cheese (part-skim)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 c chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 c finely grated Asiago cheese (plus more for topping)
  • ¼ c chopped capers
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 48 Small asparagus (about 2 lb), trimmed

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Roll out each pastry to a 13-by-9-inch rectangle.
  3. Fold over about ½ inch on all sides to form a crust.
  4. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Prick crust all over with a fork. Bake 10 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, combine ricotta, lemon zest, parsley, Asiago, and capers in a bowl.
  7. Season with salt and pepper.
  8. Spread ½ ricotta mixture over each crust.
  9. Sprinkle with more Asiago. Line asparagus across filling, two per inch, alternating tips and bottoms (more closely than in picture).
  10. Bake until pastry is golden-brown and asparagus is tender, about 20 – 30 minutes.
  11. Cut in half length wise, then into 1 inch strips with two asparagus each to serve.

Serves: 48 pieces

Source: L A Times Parade Magazine, June 1, 2014

Lucia’s Paté

Lucia was an old friend of ours who would visit her four children each year and bring us the best recipes.  They have stood the test of time!

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz  liverwurst 
  • 1 c sour cream
  • ½ envelope onion soup mix (1 ¼ ounce)
  • 2 drops Tabasco sauce

Directions:

  1. Put all ingredients in a bowl and beat with mixer.
  2. Let stand over night in the refrigerator.
  3. Serve in bowl or mounded on plate.
  4. Serve with crackers.

Serves: 12

Source: Lucia Henderson

Easy Swedish Meatballs

My Swedish mother-in-law might frown at the ready made meat balls – but she was practical so would forgive.

Ingredients:

  • 2 c beef stock
  • 2 c heavy cream
  • 6 Tab flour
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 Tab dried dill
  • 2 ½ lbs frozen cooked ½ oz beef meatballs, thawed
  • toothpicks

Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan, whisk together a little of the beef stock and the flour to make a paste.
  2. Slowly add rest of beef stock.
  3. Add heavy cream, flour, soy sauce, black pepper, and dill.
  4. Whisk until smooth.
  5. Cook and stir over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Stir in the meatballs, and continue cooking until meatballs are heated through, about 5 more minutes.

Serves: 80 Pieces

Source: allrecipes.com, submitted by: Mary B

Comment: Frozen ½ ounce meat balls are available at Smart and Final.