Dining Well: appetizer

Showing posts with label appetizer. Show all posts

Monday, April 2, 2012

Caprese Kabobs

Serve salad caprese on toothpicks for a fun, light appetizer. I liked these a lot, but would serve them with extra dressing next time.

Caprese Kabobs

1 pt. grape tomatoes
1 8-oz. package small mozzarella balls (or cut fresh mozzarella into small cubes)
1 bunch basil
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
toothpicks

Prepare kabobs with a grape tomato, a piece of mozzarella, and a piece of basil on each one. Place them on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil and splash with balsamic. Add plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper.

If you like, offer extra oil/vinegar on the side, since the dressing tends to slide to the bottom of the platter.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Smoked Salmon Spread

I love smoked salmon for an appetizer, but I decided to try salmon spread for a change. This is Ina Garten's recipe, and it's great, as usual! Even people who don't love smoked salmon like this savory, creamy spread. It's also a good way to stretch pricey smoked salmon.

I served the spread with Town House Pretzel Crackers, which were really good. Bagel chips or rye cocktail bread would also be nice.

Smoked Salmon Spread

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill (I used one teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced

Directions

Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

Stuffed grape leaves - so delicious but not so photogenic!

I'd never had them before, but I made them for a Greek dinner, and they were a hit. Many recipes call for meat, but I liked them with this combination of rice, pine nuts, and vegetables. Tzatziki sauce makes a great addition, and you can eat them hot, room temperature, or cold.

I went to a Greek market to buy the grape leaves before realizing Publix sells them. I got a pound for $5.69, and I have tons left over. I'll be making this recipe again soon!

Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Yield:about 30 dolmades

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
* 1 small fennel bulb, halved, cored and diced
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* 1/2 cup pine nuts
* 1 cup long-grain rice
* 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill leaves (I used 2 t. dried dill)
* 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (8-ounce) jar grape leaves, rinsed and drained
* 2 lemons, juiced

Directions

To make the filling, coat a large saute pan with 1/4 cup of the oil and place over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and lemon zest and stir until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts and rice and saute for 2 minutes, stirring to coat. Pour in just 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and lower the heat. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes. Scrape the parboiled rice mixture into a bowl and add the dill and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool. Now on to the grape leaves.

Bring a big pot of water to a simmer. Blanch the grape leaves in the hot water for 5 minutes until pliable. Drain, then trim the stems and any hard veins from the leaves. Pat dry with paper towels.

To assemble the dolmades, lay a grape leaf on a work surface, shiny-side down. Put 2 tablespoons of the rice filling near the stem end of the leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and roll up into a cigar – it should be snug but not overly tight because the rice will swell once it is fully cooked. Squeeze lightly in the palm of your hand to secure the roll. Repeat with remaining grape leaves and filling.

Place the dolmades in a large Dutch oven or wide deep skillet, seam-side down in a single layer. Pour the remaining cup of broth, remaining olive oil, and the lemon juice over the dolmades, the liquid should reach halfway up the rolls, add some water if necessary. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the dolmades are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm, at room temperature or cool.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Salsa Cheese Dip

I don't have a picture of this dip, because it is honestly not very pretty. It's kind of pink and chunky. I originally had it in a blue casserole, but I switched it to a red crock to make it more appetizing.

Although it's not a looker, this appetizer is worth your attention! It's easy and addictive and a good change from the usual Mexican appetizers I serve. The red crock I put it in has a plug-in base which kept it piping hot.

Salsa Cheese Dip

1 cup salsa (I used hot salsa from the produce section)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream

Mix all ingredients together with a mixer until smooth. Bake, covered, for 35 minutes at 350. Uncover, stir or whisk, and bake for 45 minutes more. After you take it out of the oven, stir or whisk again and serve with tortilla chips.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Homemade Ricotta and a Birthday Dinner

Catherine came over for her birthday dinner on Friday night, and I decided to go with a late-summer-bounty theme. Here was our menu:

Crostini with Homemade Ricotta, Caramelized Onions, Basil Oil, and Sea Salt

Grilled Red, Yellow, and Orange Peppers with Grilled Tomatoes and Onions

Sweet Corn Pudding

Crash Hot Potatoes

Baltimore Crab Cakes with Basil Aioli

Summer Fruit Crostata with Vanilla Ice Cream

I was happy with everything, though the crostata cooked unevenly - burnt on the edges (I knocked them off) and a little underdone in the middle. I loved the combination of plums, peaches, and blueberries at their peak, though!

I've been wanting to try to make ricotta for a while, so I incorporated it into the appetizer. I put out a platter of toasted crostini (slice a very thin baguette into 1/2 inch rounds; bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes) and bowls of ricotta, basil oil (1/2 cup of oil; 1 cup of basil leaves, packed; and a pinch of salt whirred in a processor), caramelized onions, and sea salt. Guests could make whatever combination suited them.

Making ricotta was incredibly easy, and it tastes so much better than store-bought. It's creamy rather than gritty.

Homemade Ricotta

1/2 gallon whole milk

1 cup cream

1 t. salt

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cook milk, cream, and salt on medium low to just under a boil. Add lemon juice and turn heat to low. Stir mixture until curds form - about 2 minutes.

Pour ricotta into a pasta strainer lined with a clean cloth napkin or cheesecake. If you want to save the whey, put a bowl under the strainer. Drain the ricotta for a few minutes, then transfer to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Ridiculousness

Here's a great Pioneer Woman recipe - unbelievably good jalapeno poppers. They are a much-loved appetizer for a crowd, and you can make them ahead of time. If you have any left over, chop them up and add them to scrambled eggs for your breakfast. I love that and I don't even like eggs.

Keep these tips in mind when making the poppers:

1. Seed the jalapenos while wearing plastic gloves or plastic bags on your hands.

2. If you are serving guests who can't handle spicy food, carefully remove all the seeds and membranes. The end result will not be very hot.

3. If you have guests who like to travel up the Scoville heat scale, leave a few seeds and/or membranes. Leaving all the seeds will be too much.

4. You can make them ahead of time and refrigerate overnight, uncooked. You can also cook them and freeze them until later - just reheat in a warm oven.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalape
ño
Poppers

18 fresh jalapeños
One 8-ounce package cream cheese
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
1 green onion, sliced
18 slices thin bacon, cut into halves
Bottled barbecue sauce
Toothpicks
Rubber gloves (or plastic bags) for working with jalapeños

Preheat the oven to 275ºF.
Begin by cutting jalapeños in half lengthwise. Try to keep the stems intact.
With a spoon, scrape out the seeds and light-colored membranes. Remember: The heat comes from the seeds and membranes, so if you can handle the sizzle, leave some of them intact.

Now, in a bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and chopped green onion. Mix the ingredients together gently.

Next, stuff each hollowed jalapeño half with the cheese mixture.

Wrap bacon slices around each half, covering as much of the surface as you can. Be careful not to stretch the bacon too tightly around the jalapeño, as the bacon will contract as it cooks.

Brush the surface of the bacon with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Secure the jalapeños with toothpicks and pop them in the oven for 1 hour, or until the bacon is sizzling.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Pico de Gallo and Guacamole

I love salsa, but lately I've been making pico de gallo more often. I like how chunky and flavorful it is, and it's a great topping for breakfast burritos or tacos. I first made it when I was introduced to Rick Bayless's Mexican cookbooks, but I wasn't a huge fan until I read Pioneer Woman's take on pico: each ingredient plays an equally important role. In other words, pico de gallo should not be 3/4 tomato with a little onion, jalapeno, and cilantro; equal amounts are what gives pico its flavor.

When you make it, save a 1/2 cup or so for the guacamole; that recipe will come next.

Pico de Gallo

4-5 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 small onion, diced

3 jalapenos, seeded and minced (leave the seeds in if you want much spicier pico)

1 bunch cilantro, stems removed and leaves chopped

2 T. lime juice

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients. Taste and correct with more lime juice and salt if needed.

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados, mashed (you can buy unripe avocados a few days ahead and put them in a bag with an apple to ripen them)

1/2 cup pico de gallo

lime juice

salt

Combine avocado with pico de gallo. Add more lime juice and salt if needed.

Friday, August 20, 2010

French-Style Crudités with Blue Cheese Dip

According to this site, vegetables and dip in France are a bit different. The vegetables are often untrimmed - the carrots and celery have leaves attached, etc. Also, the vegetables are tossed with a vinaigrette before you dip them into a sauce. The vinaigrette makes a huge difference in taste - it adds another layer of flavor other than just the dip. Of course, it's a bit messier to eat, though the French wouldn't eat with their fingers anyway! If you don't want to make the vinaigrette from scratch, try tossing vegetables in your favorite dressing before serving with dip. And think outside the usual veggies: in addition to grape tomatoes, carrots, red bell pepper, and celery, I also used lightly steamed green beans, radishes, and sliced zucchini.

Crudités with Blue Cheese Dip

Assorted vegetables, cleaned and sliced (lightly steam cruciferous vegetables like green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower)

Vinaigrette

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon honey

Dash of grated shallot (maybe ¼ small shallot, if that) - I used a bit of grated onion

Salt and pepper

Blue Cheese Dip

3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup crème fraîche (I used sour cream)

1 clove garlic, grated

Salt and pepper

1. Put all the vinaigrette ingredients into a mini food processor, and whirl until emulsified. (I shook the ingredients in a jar.)
2. Trim the vegetables as desired, and toss with just enough vinaigrette to coat.
3. Stir all the ingredients for the Roquefort sauce together, and decant into a decorative bowl.
4. Arrange the vegetables in a mason or jam jar or bowl, and serve alongside the Roquefort sauce.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Barefoot Contessa's Pan-Fried Onion Dip

We didn't serve a meal at Ben's birthday party, but we had snacks. I made marinated cheese, strawberry fruit dip with strawberries and grapes, a mix of cheddar, pretzel, saltine, and multi-colored goldfish (to fit the water theme), and this dip from the Barefoot Contessa. It's an amped-up version of the old onion soup mix/sour cream version: richer and infinitely more flavorful.

Once again, though - it's rich! But that just means you'll eat less of it (truly). Isn't that what we say is the correct approach to eating - a little bit of something you love rather than a whole lot of something okay? It would certainly be fine to sub lower-fat dairy products and to offer vegetables along with chips. We're thinking the leftovers would taste good as a sandwich spread.

Be sure to caramelize the onions- they should be golden and brown - not pale, and not black. If you double the recipe (recommended unless you have a small group), cook the onions in two batches.

Pan-Fried Onion Dip (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

Ingredients
2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (can reduce by 1-2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Directions
Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Drain and allow the onions to cool. Chop onions roughly (I used kitchen shears).

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or bowl and hand mixer and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Greek Feta Dip

Here's a quick dip I came up with that's very versatile. It's great on vegetables (especially cucumbers!), pita chips, or even grilled chicken. Add a little buttermilk or even regular milk and it's creamy feta salad dressing. You can also add roasted red pepper when you puree it for a different but very good flavor.

Greek Feta Dip

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (Greek would work best)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 t. salt, or to taste (your feta may be very salty or not)

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 t. oregano

1/2 t. dried basil

1 garlic clove, minced

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree to combine. Tastes even better the next day!

Serve with vegetables, warm pita, or pita chips.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Tapas

Chickpeas with Spinach

Fried Eggplant with Honey, Mint, and Sesame Seeds

Marinated Cheese (Romano marinated in olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and red pepper)

Portobello Bruschetta with Rosemary Aioli

Garlic Shrimp (from Mark Bittman's The Best Recipe in the World)

Smoked Ribeye and Goat Cheese Empanadas

Spanish Hot Chocolate (also from Bittman's TBRitW)

.
If I had to choose a favorite, it would be the bruschetta - absolutely 5-star, restaurant quality. It has a lot of steps, but you can take some shortcuts, like using jarred roasted red peppers rather than roasting them yourself.

I'm not posting the recipes here because the post would be enormous, but if you are reading this and plan to make any of the recipes, let me know and I'll give you my notes on the recipes.

My first foray into Spanish cuisine was lots of fun - I'm thinking of hosting a tapas party or making tapas for the next gourmet club night.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Super Easy October Snack

One day a few years ago I ate a piece of candy corn with a salted, roasted peanut. Mirabile dictu! A new snack mix/party nibble/candy bowl treat was born. Even if you don't like candy corn, you will probably like this combination: it takes just like a Payday bar. And it looks so cute for this time of year!

You can also add candy corn to Chex mix after it is cooked and cooled. I've always heard that red is the most eye-catching color, but for me, orange always draws my attention.

There is no recipe; combine a bag of candy corn with about half a jar of roasted peanuts and put in a clear or festive bowl.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I made this dip to take into Ben's school for their teachers' meeting. It's not typical "ladies' fare," but men and women both seem to love it! It's great for football season or anytime you want a very heavy appetizer. My sister-in-law is famous for it! She and my brother-in-law did the low carb thing a few years back, and this was perfect - they ate it with low-carb tortilla chips and celery sticks.

To be honest, I must say it is one of the most unhealthy things I make. At times I have used all low-fat dairy products, including Trader Joe's parmesan ranch, which tastes good but is very thin. The dip is not as creamy as normal, but it also doesn't make me feel quite as guilty eating it for supper! For social occasions, I don't skimp as much, though low fat cream cheese or low fat Hidden Valley Ranch taste fine.

You can add blue cheese crumbles or use 1/2 blue cheese dressing if you like. You can also use a white cheddar instead of the Monterey Jack. I prefer Monterey Jack because it is so mild and doesn't take away from the buffalo wing flavor.

My sister-in-law uses canned chicken, which works great because you need shredded chicken for this recipe. When I need shredded chicken, I put boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot with a little salt - no liquid. Frozen or not, low or high heat, they turn out perfectly. They take about 2 hours on high if thawed.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

4 boneless chicken breasts, boiled, drained & shredded with two forks
1 (12 ounce) bottle of original Frank's red hot sauce (do not use Tabasco or buffalo wing sauce)
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (16 ounce) bottle ranch dressing
1/2 cup chopped celery
8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine shredded chicken and Frank's Hot Sauce and spread in the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cream cheese and ranch dressing, stirring until smooth and hot. Pour this mixture over chicken forming a second layer. Sprinkle celery on top and top with shredded cheese. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes until hot & bubbly (do not let it get browned or it will be hard). Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Pork and Peanut Dumplings

I made these delectable dumplings for my sister once, and she really liked them. When I made them for her, I was doing it from memory, so I'm sure I left a few things out. They're on the menu for this week, so it's a good time to post them.

The first time I made them was before Jack was born. I was cooking lots of freezer meals for us to have after the baby was born, and these were great. It was easy to take out just the number we needed and cook them - no need to thaw. They taste good dipped in soy sauce mixed with a bit of hot sauce and green onion, but just soy sauce is good, too.

Oh, and they're from Cooking Light, so they are quite healthy!

Pork and Peanut Dumplings

1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1/2 cup diced mushrooms (can omit)
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
30 (3-inch) gyoza/wonton skins

Cook pork, gingerroot, diced mushrooms, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well, and return pork mixture to skillet.

Combine chicken broth and cornstarch; stir well. Add to skillet; cook over medium heat 30 seconds or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, peanuts, green onions, soy sauce, and sugar.

Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining skins to keep them from drying out), spoon about 2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of each skin. Moisten edges of skin with water.

Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal. Place dumplings, seam sides up, on a baking sheet; cover loosely with a towel to keep from drying out.

To cook, heat a tablespoon of oil in a saute pan. Place dumplings 1/2 inch apart in pan, and cook until bottoms are golden brown. Add 1/4 cup water to the skillet and bring to a boil. Cover with a pan cover or aluminum foil, and steam for 3-5 minutes, turning down heat to medium-low. Uncover and cook until water has evaporated.

Yield: 30 appetizers (serving size: 1 dumpling)

CALORIES 41 (29% from fat); FAT 1.3g (sat 0.4g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.5g; SODIUM 71mg; PROTEIN 2.5g; FIBER 0.2g

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Greek Layered Dip

This is a great, great recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens. It's my favorite kind of food: fresh ingredients, reasonably healthy, definitely indulgent. It's party food with Mediterranean flavors. Think of a Mexican layered dip with Greek ingredients.

I added some Greek salad toppings. Be warned: this is garlicky!

Greek Layered Dip

8 ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

3 cloves garlic, minced

1½ cups prepared hummus (or enough to cover cream cheese)

1 cup chopped cucumber

1 cup chopped tomato

½ cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives

½ cup crumbled feta cheese (reduced fat is fine, but I used more than 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers

1/3 cup sliced green onions or diced red onions

pita chips or tortilla chips

1. In medium mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and garlic with rubber spatula until smooth and well-combined.
2. Spread cream cheese mixture into deep 9-inch pie plate or oval platter. Spread hummus on top of cream cheese layer. Sprinkle on cucumber, then tomato, olives, feta, peppers, and onions.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. Serve with pita chips or tortilla chips.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of dip

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Asiago Spinach Dip

My lovely and talented college roommate, JiYoung, gave me this recipe. I made it for New Year's Eve, and we loved it. There's no way to make this truly healthy, but you can sub almost all lowfat dairy to help a little. My SIL Beth suggested stuffing the leftovers in chicken breast - yum! I also think it would be good stuffed in a turkey burger. Ground turkey breast is so lean that it's hard to make burgers without them drying out.

JiYoung made the dip in a crockpot, which is a great idea because the dip will stay nice and hot. The oven works fine, though, and it reheats beautifully.

Asiago Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
1 (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups grated asiago cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained - I measured after I thawed/drained

How to:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine everything (a mixer helps, unless your cream cheese is very soft)
3. Bake in preheated oven until middle is bubbling and the edges are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn on the broiler for the last couple of minutes (watch carefully) to get those brown spots we all love on melted cheese.

Serve with crudite, pita chips, crackers, tortilla chips, or crostini.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving 2008

I'm going to do a long post or series of posts about this year's Thanksgiving menu. As usual, I'm trying a bunch of new recipes, so I'll post the new ones after the meal if I think they are worth recommeneding. For now, here's my menu!

Thanksgiving Menu

Appetizers
Pumpkin-shaped cheese ball with crackers
Pumpkin dip with gingersnaps and green apples
Chex mix

Main course
Turkey – 2 (one smoked, one traditional)
Gravy
Stuffing (Mom)
Waldorf salad (Chris)
Jello salad (Chris)
Mashed potatoes
Whipped sweet potatoes with streusel
Cranberry Apple Salad
Cranberry sauce
Glazed pearl onions
Green Beans with hazelnuts
Parker House Rolls with cranberry butter

Desserts
Mini pecan pies
Mini pumpkin pies
Pumpkin cheesecake
Apple Pie (Mom)
Southern Pecan cake (Chris)
Gingerbread pear trifle

Pumpkin Dip (from Cooking Light)

This dip is very good and looks great served in a bowl that is placed inside a hollowed-out sugar pumpkin. I usually make leaf-shaped gingersnaps to go with it, but that's a short-cut I'm taking this year! I'm doubling the recipe.

3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons maple syrup (can sub with brown sugar or honey if you don't have any)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
24 green apple slices
gingersnaps (thin kind)

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup and cinnamon, and beat until smooth. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apple and gingersnaps.

Pumpkin-shaped Cheese Ball (from Southern Living)

Two 8-ounce blocks extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
One 8-ounce container chive-and-onion cream cheese
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground red pepper
1 stalk broccoli
red and green apple wedges
crackers

1. Combine cheddar cheese, cream cheeses, paprika and red pepper in a bowl until well blended. Cover and chill 4 hours or until mixture is firm enough to be shaped.

2. Shape mixture into a ball to resemble a pumpkin. Smooth entire outer surface with a frosting spatula or table knife. Make vertical grooves in ball, if desired, using fingertips.

3.Cut florets from broccoli stalk and reserve for another use. Cut stalk to resemble a pumpkin stem, and press into top of cheese ball. Serve cheese ball with apple wedges and crackers.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Mixed Antipasto

I've been making this recipe for years - it's another one that is great for a crowd. I also like it because whatever diet or eating plan your guests are following, they will almost certainly be able to find something in it that they can eat. I often mix the leftovers with pasta or bake it into a lasagna. The original idea came from www.epicurious.com, but I've lightened the marinade and changed the ingredients somewhat.

Mixed Antipasto

Marinade

1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried orégano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix all ingredients except olive oil in a bowl. Pour in olive oil slowly, whisking until emusified (mixture should be translucent, not separated). Set aside.

Ingredients
Fresh broccoli florets and baby carrots, blanched (boiled for a minute or so, then plunged into cold water)
Roasted red peppers
Sun dried tomatoes
Chunks of mozzarella cheese
Chuncks of provolone cheese (buy unsliced from the deli)
Stick pepperoni, cut into small chunks
marinated mushrooms
pepperoncini peppers or banana peppers
olives
artichoke hearts

Chop all ingredients into bite-sized chunks and put in large serving dish. Re-whisk marinade and pour over ingredients; toss gently. Chill for several hours. Can serve cold or at room temperature. Set out toothpicks for guests to make their own combinations. Obviously, if you use large quantities of all the ingredients, you will need to make additional marinade.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Fruit Dips

When we have a group of people over, I almost always serve some sort of fruit dip. They make a good predinner snack because they are not too filling; they are make-ahead; they are not starchy as many appetizers are; they look great; and children will eat the fruit if not the dip. Here are some of my favorites.

Caramel Dip

1 8-oz. package of cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 T. peanut butter

Mix all ingredients with beaters or a stand mixer until light and smooth. Serve with sliced apples (dip them briefly in regular Sprite to keep them from turning brown).

Marshmallow Dip

1 8-oz. package of cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, softened
1 7-oz. jar Marshmallow Fluff, or marshmallow creme
zest of one orange

Mix all ingredients with beaters or a stand mixer until light and smooth. Serve with sliced apples, grapes, melon, pineapple, clementines, bananas, strawberries, etc.

Strawberry Dip

1 8-oz. package of strawberry cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, softened
1 7-oz. jar Marshmallow Fluff
1 8-oz. container Cool Whip, thawed
1/2 c. strawberry jam

Mix all ingredients with beaters or a stand mixer until light and smooth. Serve with sliced apples, grapes, melon, pineapple, clementines, bananas, strawberries, etc.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Righteous Herb Cheese Spread

Make sure everyone eats this, because the flavors are very strong and you'll want everyone to smell like garlic! I've been making this for years, always on Thanksgiving but other times as well. It was named by my sister-in-law, Beth.

Righteous Herb Cheese Spread

This spread is great with crackers or vegetables. It also is good as a sandwich spread, especially with roast beef. Another way I serve it is in sliced cucumber rounds, about 3/4 inch thick. If you salt the cucumbers, let them sit in a colander layered with paper towels, rinse, and pat dry, the cucumbers won't "sweat."

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill weed (or 1 heaping T. dried)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 heaping T. dried)
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together. Chill to let flavors blend.