Tag: appitizers

appetizers · Fish · Meats · Uncategorized

Bang Bang Shrimp

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

imageLast night, my sweet hubby took me to Bone Fish Grill for dinner. We have been wanting to go back since we ate there in Ft Lauderdale, FL a few years ago and have just discovered that there is now one here. So off we went, all the while talking about the first thing we will do is order the Bang Bang Shrimp. If you have never had these, all I can say is, if you live anywhere close to a Bone Fish Grill, get there as fast as you can and order these little darlings. Your life will never be the same. As soon as we got in the car after dinner, we googled to see if there was a copy cat recipe of this and sure enough there it was. So am posting this to encourage you to make your way into this restaurant if possible, and if not, do yourself a favor and make this.

1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined (smaller shrimp works great, but not the tiny ones)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Thai sweet chile sauce

3-5 drops hot chile sauce

1/2-3/4 cup cornstarch, to coat the shrimp

Mix may with sauces for coating the shrimp. Set aside.

Bread shrimp in cornstarch.

Deep fat fry the shrimp until lightly browned.

Drain on paper towel, putting shrimp in a bowl and coat with the mayo sauce.

Serve in a lettuce lined bowl, top with chopped green scallions.

 

appetizers · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Super Bowl Supplies

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We all know what Super Bowl means….food, lots and lots of food; oh yes and I guess football. But for a lot of us, who don’t even really know who is playing or what a football even looks like, food is the central core of what Super Bowl Sunday is all about. I have to admit that for the last couple of weeks, I have been searching magazines, web sites, blogs and Face Book for new recipes that would make this 50th Super Bowl special. So it is with great expectation that the menu is settled. Since we are packing, getting ready to move to Arizona, our house isn’t exactly what you would call cozy right now, but due to some circumstances, we are blessed to be hosting this most significant event. Remembering the year I turned 50 brought back so many thoughts of how to celebrate, and what I would want for my celebratory meal (you know, just in case I didn’t make it to 51 due to the high cholesterol count AND extra weight AND having a consistent diet of butter, chocolate, whipping cream and cream cheese), I began to think that maybe this special 50th Super Bowl Game should be celebrated with lots of different foods. What better way than to go back through the recipe books from 50 years ago. So if you google recipes from 1966, these are the recipes which will be fun to serve this Sunday!

The Frank Blandi’s Devonshire Sandwich (you can google the recipe)

Lipton Onion Soup Dip

Meatballs with Grape Jelly

Stuffed Celery

Pigs In A Blanket

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

 

appetizers · Breads · Super Bowl Recipes

Mushroom Bread

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Looking for a filling meatless appetizer for Super Bowl? This is taken from Taste of Home and sounds like a great one.

1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

2 cups thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

1 tables butter, melted with garlic powder tailored to your liking

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teas Italian seasoning

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. On an ungreased baking sheet, unroll crescent dough into one long rectangle; press perforations to seal. Prick dough several times with a fork. Bake 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss mushrooms with melted butter (with added garlic powder); arrange on crust. Sprinkle with cheese and seasonings. Bake 12-14 min longer until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Cut into 12 pieces.

appetizers · Daily Thoughts · Super Bowl Recipes

Artichoke-Parmesan Strudel

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Since I made a new tab of Super Bowl Recipes, I have been thinking all day about all the foods that would make up my perfect Super Bowl Party. This is what I would have.

Boiled Shrimp (which I know you don’t need a recipe for)

Hamburgers (grilled)

Stuffed Mushrooms

Garlic Cheese Ball

Fried Pies

Sugar Cookies made in the shape of footballs

Cream Cheese Brownies

And this Strudel which will begin the collection of recipes that will be posted this week.

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup butter,

3 (6 oz) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup cottage cheese

1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cracker crumbs

1 teas garlic salt

1 teas dried whole margoram

1 teas minced fresh parsley

3/4 teas dried whole tarragon

15 (18 1/2 x 12″) sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed and divided

1 cup butter,melted

Saute onion and garlic in 1/4 cup butter in a skillet until tender. Add artichoke hearts and next 9 ingredients; cook over medium heat 5 min or until cheeses melt, stirring often. Set Aside.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on a flat surface (keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel); brush with melted butter. Layer 4 phyllo sheets on first sheet, brushing each sheet with melted butter.

Spread 1/3 artichoke mixture crosswise, 1 inch from narrow end of phyllo. Starting at narrow end, carefull roll up jellyroll fashion. Tuck ends under. Carefully place on a lightly greased baking sheet; repeat procedure with remaining phyllo and artichoke mixture. Brush rolls with remaining melted butter. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into 1 inch slices and serve warm.

Yield: 30 servings.

appetizers

Corn Dip

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A friend of ours brought a great dip that Frosty now says is his favorite dip (I’m surprised at this because you can’t buy it at QT or Walmart), but we actually made it Sun night and our family that was here having dinner with us, loved it also.

1 can of whole style corn, drained

1 can of black beans, drained

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped very fine

2 green onions chopped

8 cherry tomatoes chopped

2 avocado diced (right before serving the dip)

1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican style

1 cup Pace’s Picante sauce

Combine all ingredients except the tomatoes and the avocado, and toss to combine  and let sit in fridge about 2 hours before serving time. Right before serving, add the tomato and the avocado. Serve with chips of your choice.

appetizers · Breads · Holiday Fare

Blue Cheese & Bacon Puffs

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What a great appetizer for those holiday parties. This recipe makes 6 dz! You will have plenty to snack on while putting the finishing touches to your table, while waiting for guest to arrive, still having plenty for the party. Taken from a SL magazine, 2001. The dough is like the dough you make for cream puffs, but used as appetizer with cheese instead of cream filling.

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teas salt

1/4 teas black pepper

1/4 teas ground red pepper

6 large eggs

8 oz crumbled blue cheese (Stilton is a good brand to use)

8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

4 green onions

Bring the water and butter to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and next 3 ingredients; cook, beating with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a smooth ball of dough. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Mix in cheese, bacon and chopped green onions.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful 2″ apart onto lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Puffs will be moist in the center. Serve puffs warm or at room temperature.

Puffs may be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight and reheat at 350 for 5-7 minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Uncategorized

Crab Streudel

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I am not a big seafood lover, but this streudel sounded really different and good. The fact that it is made with phyllo dough makes it a recipe that I will try. This will be an awesome appetizer for the holiday open houses.

1 (16 oz) package phyllo dough

Filling

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat

1 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley

1 tables Dijon mustard

1 cup white bread crumbs

Juice of two lemons

Salt and Pepper

Melted butter

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine lump crab meat, chopped chives, parsley, Dijon mustard, bread crumbs and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Using a French bread pan or two 9×5″ loaf pans, line pan with individual sheets of phyllo pastry that have been brushed with melted butter, making three layers, (each loaf pan with use 3 sheets)

Place filling into center and completely wrap with phyllo pastry.

Trim edges to make streudel neat. Brush top of phyllo with melted butter. Place on baking sheet and bake for approx. 20 minutes.

Serve with Red Wine Butter Sauce

2 shallots, minced

6 sprigs fresh thyme

3 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups red wine

6 tables red wine vinegar

2 tables heavy cream

6 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes

Salt and Pepper

Juice of 2 lemons

In saucepan, combine shallots, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, red wine and red wine vinegar.

Bring mixture to a boil and cook until nearly dry (approx. 3/4 volume is reduced away)

Add heavy cream and stir. Over low heat, begin to slowly add butter into sauce a few cubes at a time until all butter is incorporated.

Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and strain mixture through fine sieve.

Keep warm until ready to serve.

appetizers

Marinated Mozzarella Prosciutto & Basil

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This week has been week of celebration for me. The cookbook that I have been working on for the last few years is finally finished. I am in the process of editing it to send it off. My mind has been so much on that that I have not been cooking very much, hence, not many postings this week.
Seems that we cannot go anywhere that we don’t see prosciutto or basil on the menu, offered in so many different combinations. These are great little appetizers and this recipe makes 4 dz. The combination of the three flavors, enhanced by the balsamic make for a great beginning.
2 large bunches fresh basil
1/2 lb thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4″ strips
2 (8 oz) packages mozzarella cheese, cut into 1×1/2″ strips
1 (14 oz) bottle classis balsamic vinaigrette
Place 1 basil leaf on a clean flat surface. Place 1 prosciutto strip over basil. Wrap basil and prosciutto around 1 piece of mozzarella. Secure with a wooden pick. Repeat procedure with remaining basil, prosciutto and cheese. Place cheese, in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour salad dressing over; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Transfer the pieces to a serving platter.

appetizers · Salads

Yes, Another Mushroom Recipe

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I LOVE mushrooms. I don’t know if it is the flavor or the fact that you can eat a million of them without worrying about calories. Of course, depending on what you stuff them with or how you prepare the little angels, could quickly send you into Cholestrol Cardiac, but we won’t worry about that at Christmas. Let’s just enjoy them and come January, you can eat raw cauliflower till your hearts content and the cholesterol has been washed out of your system. This recipe certainly cannot be considered diet, but guess that’s what makes it so good. Great appetizer to take to those Christmas and New Years parties.

24 Large mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

1/2 pound Italian bulk sausage (casing removed)

1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

1/2 cup picante sauce

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (I bet already you are picturing these in your mind as “what a cute little Christmas looking appetizer with the red picante and green onions”)

Place mushroom caps in large shallow baking dish (sprayed with Pam)

Brown sausage in skillet, stirring to break up large pieces

Drain and mix with cheese. Fill mushrooms with sausage mixture. You can prepare to this point up to 1 day in advance and store in covered container in fridge.

Spoon picante sauce over mushrooms and bake at 375 for 15 min or until they are heated all the way through. Top with green onions before serving.

appetizers

Artichoke Fritata

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Several friends have texted me to ask if I had any new appetizer recipes. When I went back through some recipes that I have used in the past, I came across this one. In the 90’s I belonged to a women’s club, called Northwood Womans Club in Dallas. We began each year with a “tea” for new members of which the members who are joined the year before was in charge of planning and executing this wonderful afternoon of great desserts and appetizers. Now why did I list desserts first….hum….tells me a little of why I cannot fit in those size 12 pants anymore.  Back to the story. This recipe was made and was an instant hit.

2 small jars (61/4 oz) marinated artichokes

1 small onion, chopped very fine

1 clove garlic, mashed

4 eggs, beaten with a fork

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 teas pepper

1/8 teas oregano

2 teas parsley flakes, or chopped fresh parsley

1/8 teas Tabasco

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Drain 1 jar of the artichokes-drain the oil from 2nd jar into frying pan.

Saute onion and garlic in oil

Chop artichokes very fine (use blender if necessary)

Combine all ingredients and pour into a 9×9 pyrex pan which you have sprayed with Pam

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 min or until mixture is set firmly and lightly brown.

May be frozen and reheated. Cut in squares and place on serving platter.