Appetizer Recipes

[pastskater]

CRAB SPREAD


8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise or sour cream
1 can crabmeat, drained and flaked
1 to 2 Tablespoons chives
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

[pastskater]

A HEATED VERSION SOMETHING LIKE THE LAST ONE

Ingredients
One 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 Tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
One 7-1/2-ounce can crabmeat
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
2 Tablespoons slivered almonds
Thoroughly combine cream cheese, milk, and Worcestershire sauce. Drain and flake crabmeat. Add to cream cheese mixture along with onions. Turn into greased 8-inch pie plate. Top with almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

[pastskater]

LAMB & PLUM SAUCE
Ingredients:
For Croquettes:

2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 lb. ground lamb
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, grated
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs chopped fresh coriander
1 medium carrot, grated
1 egg, beaten
2 cups fine, plain breadcrumbs
sesame seed oil or light oil for deep frying

Instructions:
Press ginger between 2 spoons to extract juice, discard pulp. Combine ginger juice with remaining ingredients (except oil and 1 cup of breadcrumbs) and mix well. Make tbs size balls and roll in remaining cup of breadcrumbs. Place on a tray, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Deep fry in hot oil until deep golden brown or bake in a hot oven at 375 degrees for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm with a plum sauce.

For Plum Sauce:

2 tsp garlic, grated
1 medium onion, minced
1 tin dark plums, drained and chopped; reserve juice
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp chile powder
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
4 drops tabasco sauce
1 tbs corn starch
tsp ginger

Saute onion until soft. Add ginger. Mix sugar, chile powder, curry powder and cornstarch. Combine both mixtures. Add wine vinegar and liquid from plums. Stir well and heat. Add tabasco and chopped plums. Warm over low heat until thickened. To serve pour sauce into warm serving dish and add lamb croquettes

[pastskater]

TOMATO FUN

3/4 cup chili sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 6-ounce roll smoke flavored cheese
1 tablespoon butter
assorted crisp fresh vegetables for dipping

Beforehand: Mix chili sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and curry powder. Let stand several hours to blend and mellow the flavors. Break cheese into small pieces. Prepare bite-size pieces of vegetables such as zucchini, cauliflower, turnips, carrots, cucumbers and so forth for dipping. Chill until serving time.

Prep the tray: Chili sauce mixture, pieces of cheese, butter and vegetables arranged on platter for serving.

On stage: Melt butter in blazer pan of chafing dish until it sizzles. add cheese and stir until just melted. Gradually stir in chili sauce mixture, mixing until well blended.

[pastskater]

OLE PUFFS
SERVES 4

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 pint lowfat or nonfat cottage cheese
1 large can (7 oz) Ortega mild green chiles, chopped
1/2-1 cup part skim mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup sharp cheddar, shredded, for top

Instructions:
A mild and cheesy breakfast entree (or light supper) that's suprisingly low in fat. Great with warm flour tortillas or english muffins and an orange compote.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs until light and lemon colored. Whisk in flour, then baking powder, salt, cottage cheese and mozzarella. Blend until smooth. Stir in chiles. Pour into a glass pie dish or similar baking pan. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the center is firm and the top lightly browned.

[pastskater]

Oyster with Truffle Cream Sauce


Makes 4 appetizer servings
24 fresh oysters, shucked, liquor and bottom shells reserved separately
4 to 6 cups rock salt
Braised Leeks:
1 large or 2 medium leeks, white part only, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Truffle Glaçage:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Champagne
1 egg yolk
Reserved oyster liquor, above
1 teaspoon chopped fresh black truffle or white truffle oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons finely julienned fresh black truffle, or lightly toasted nori for garnish



To prepare the oysters: Rinse, scrub, and dry the reserved oyster shell bottoms. Using a large gratin dish or broiler-pan bottom, pour in 2 cups of rock salt and pat into a thick layer. Nestle the shucked oyster-shell bottoms firmly in the salt and set aside. Divide the remaining rock salt between each of the 4 serving plates and set aside while you make the dish.


To prepare the leeks: Cut them crosswise into thin half-circles. Rinse in a colander and dry well. In a small sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat, add the leeks, and cook until soft but not colored, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the glacâge: In a deep bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form. In a small bowl, whisk the Champagne, egg yolk, reserved oyster liquor, and truffle or truffle oil together. Add to the whipped cream and beat again until the cream begins to hold firm peaks. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

To serve, preheat the broiler. Put a little of the sautéed leeks in the bottom of each shell and place a shucked oyster on top of each serving of the leek mixture. Spoon on enough glacâge to cover the oysters. Place the prepared shells under the broiler 4 to 5 inches from the heat source until the glacâge is speckled golden and brown, about 30 seconds. Remove the oysters from the broiler, carefully lift them out of the salt, and arrange 3 in the bed of rock salt on each plate. Garnish with the truffle or nori.

[pastskater]

VEGETABLE DIP

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk (cold)
2 cups cream cheese (room temp)
4 cups mayonnaise
4 cups roquefort cheese

Instructions:

Beat milk until light and fluffy. Add softened cream cheese. Whip until smooth. Add mayonnaise. Fold in Roquefort.

[pastskater]

GARLIC & CUCUMBER DIP


4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces sour cream
1/2 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 small onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and sour cream. Mix in the cucumber, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

[pastskater]

SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS
APPETIZER
serves 20
4 SLICES HEARTY WHITE SANDWICH BREAD TORN INTO PIECES
½ C WHOLE MILK
2 LARG EGG YOLKS
½ LB GROUND PORK
½ C FINELY CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY
2 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
1 TSP SALT
2 TSP PEPPER
2 ½ LBS 85 PERCENT LEAN GROUND BEEF
SAUCE
1 TBSP VEGETABLE OIL
1 ONION, MINCED
1 (28 OZ) CAN TOMATO SAUCE
2 ½ C APRICOT PRESERVES
¼ C PACKED DARK BROWN SUGAR
3 TBSP ‘WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
2 TBSP DIJON MUSTARD
½ TSP RED PEPPER FLAKES

1. Make meatballs
Adjust oven racks to upper middle and lower middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Using fork, mash bread, milk and egg yolks, in large bowl until smooth. Add pork, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and mix until combined.
Bake meatballs: Form mixture into 1 ¼ inch meatballs (you should have about 80). Bake meatballs on 2 rimmed baking sheets until cooked through and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 mintues. Switching and rotationg sheets halfway through cooking. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm, about 30 mintues. Transfer to large zipper lock freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.
2 Make sauce: Heat oil in dutch oven over med high heat until shimmering. Cook onion until softened, about 5 mintues. Whisk in tomato sauce, preserves, sugar. Worcestershire, mustard and pepper flakes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to med -low and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
3 To serve Reheat sauce, covered and stirring occasionally, in Dutch oven over med low heat. Once sauce reaches simmer, stir in frozen meatballs and cook until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve

[pastskater]

Shrimp skewers

SERVES 4
1 ½ L BS EX LRG SHRIMP, PEELED AND DEVEINED
4 TBSP UNSALTED BUTER, MELTED
¼ TSP CAYENNE PEPPER
SALT
½ C HOT PEPPER JELLY
1 TSP GRATED ZEST AND 2 TBSP JUICE FROM 1 LIME
Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Thread shrimp on skeweres, and brush with 1 tbsp butter.
Season with cayenne and salt.
Heat jelly in saucepan over med heat until bubbling. Off heat, whisk in remaining butter, lime zest and lime juice. Cover and keep warm.
Grill shrimp over hot fire until lightly charred, about 2 mintues per side. Brush with glaze. Serve

[pastskater]

HERB SPREAD

Ingredients
1 cup dry Cannellini Beans
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 Tb Lemon Juice
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Rosemary
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Directions
Soak the beans overnight. Drain and rinse the beans and put into a medium-sized saucepan. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans with cold water. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Makes 20 - 2 Tablespoon servings

[pastskater]

Crab cakes (mini) with Lemon Dill

Aioli

3/4 cup Mayonnaise
2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
4 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. fresh dill weed, minced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Crab Cakes

1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Large Brown Egg
1/8 tsp. cayenne
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
4 cans (6 oz.) crab meat, well drained

1.For aioli, in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, lemon peel and juice, dill, and garlic. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate until crab cakes are ready.

2.For crab cakes, in a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, egg, cayenne, 1 cup bread crumbs, celery, red bell pepper, and green onion; mix well. Gently stir in crabmeat.

3.Place remaining 2 cups bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Shape crab into small cakes (about 1 1/2-in. diameter); coat with bread crumbs, pressing gently to adhere.

4.Place apart in two oiled 12- by- 17-in. rimmed baking pans. Bake in a 500° oven for 7 minutes, switch pan positions, and continue baking until golden brown, about 7 minutes longer. Serve hot with aioli.
(source: pavilions.com/holiday)

[pastskater]

Hushpuppies (WITH DEVILED CRAB)

Ingredients For Deviled Crab Filling:
1 lb Lump Crab Meat, Free of Shell
1/4 c Celery,Minced
1/4 c Red Pepper,Minced
1/4 c Red Onions,Minced
1 t Tarragon, Chopped
1/2 c Mayonnaise
1/4 c Whole Grain Mustard
Salt and Pepper

Ingredients For Hush Puppies:
1 c Corn Meal
1/4 c All-Purpose Flour
1 c Vidalia Onion, minced
1 t Baking Powder
1/4 t Cayenne Pepper
2 t Black Pepper
1 t Salt
Combine, then add: 1 Egg
6 oz Buttermilk
1 oz Melted Butter


Spoon out the hush
puppies into a 325 degree fryer.
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until they float and are golden brown.
Place on a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Once the hush puppies are cool to the touch, hollow them out with a spoon
and stuff with the deviled crab filling.

[INRI]

Here's a guac dip that we like to make at our house.

2 whole HASS avocados
1/3 Lime
A small handful of cilantro finely chopped
Half of a package of crumbled Bleu Cheese (make sure it is good quality Bleu Cheese)
A teaspoon of cumin

Mash the avocados in a medium sized bowl until slightly chunky
Squeeze the lime into the bowl
Mix in the cilantro, Bleu cheese and cumin
Toss in the diced Roma tomato

Enjoy!

If you're really adventurous place some hearty bacon in your oven and cook until crispy. Then cut them into small pieces and mix into the guac. This recipe here is more like a meal!