APPETIZERS 19
NO-RECIPE APPETIZERS
FRUIT APPETIZERS
BRIE & FRUIT
Warm a round of Brie cheese in a 325 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with apple and pear wedges or crackers.
FRUIT & DIP
Thread fruits such as pineapple chunks, apple wedges, pear slices, and orange sections onto wooden skewers. Serve with a curry dip made from equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream, seasoned with curry powder.
VEGGIE APPETIZERS
PESTO-ROLL UPS
Separate 1 package refrigerated crescent rolls into triangles and spread with purchased basil pesto. Cut each triangle in half, making 16 long triangles. Roll up triangles and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.
FAST PIZZA
Top a 6-inch Italian bread shell (Boboli) with tub-style cream cheese; top with cooked vegetables, sliced red onions, and snipped fresh herbs. Sprinkle on crumbled blue or feta cheese. Bake until all ingredients are heated through.
MARINATED KABOBS
Thread cubes of salami or cheese, cooked tortellini, and vegetables alternately onto 6-inch skewers. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours in Italian salad dressing. Drain and serve.
MEXICALI CHIPS
Cook ground beef seasoned with ground cumin until brown; drain off fat. Stir in enough salsa to moisten, along with sliced ripe olives and snipped cilantro. Top with sour cream or shredded cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.
Chicken Bagels: Split mini bagels in half and toast. Top with chicken salad, and sprinkle with finely chopped red onion. Top each with a thin apple wedge or toasted, sliced almonds.
REUBENS
Top crispy rye crackers with thinly sliced fully cooked corned beef, rinsed and well-drained canned sauerkraut and Thousand Island salad dressing.
SMORGASBORD
Spread water crackers with soft-style cream cheese with chives and onion. Top with thinly sliced smoked salmon and fresh dill. Or spread rye crackers with soft-style cream cheese. Top with canned sardines and finely chopped tomato.
BROILER TREATS
Combine equal amounts of mayonnaise and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir in some snipped parsley. Spread on melba toast rounds. Broil about 1 minute or until golden. Or top assorted crackers with sliced Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers. Top with some salsa. If desired, broil for 30 to 60 seconds or until cheese melts.
.
ROASTED GARLIC SPREAD
Peel away dry outer layers of skin from head of garlic, leaving skin and cloves intact. Cut off pointed top portion, exposing individual cloves. Place garlic, cut side up, in a muffin cup. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees F 25 to 30 minutes until cloves feel soft when pressed. When cool enough to handle squeeze out garlic paste from each clove. Spread on crusty bread, toasted baguette slices, or crackers.
TACO DIP ~ Denise
2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning mix (Ortega)
1 lg jar hot salsa
1 pkg (2 c) shredded cheddar or taco cheese
Preheat oven to 350.
Soften cheese and spread in 13x9 pan. Brown ground meat, drain grease. Prepare taco seasoning according to pkg directions for tacos. Add to meat. Spread over cream cheese. Then spread salsa over the beef. Sprinkle the cheese over salsa. Heat the dip til cheese melts. Serve with taco chips.
FOR SPICER DIP:
Use Ortega Hot & Spicy Taco seasoning mix.
Recipe can be halved. Use an 8x8 pan.
LOBSTER LASAGNA
2 pounds fresh asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 9-ounce package no-boil lasagna noodles
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 4-1/2-ounce rounds Brie cheese, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup dry sherry (optional)
2-1/2 cups chopped cooked lobster meat* or
2 6- or 8-ounce packages flake-style imitation lobster
2/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped tomato
Grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish; set dish aside. Place asparagus pieces in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; toss with oil. Bake, uncovered, in a 475 degree F oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender; cool.
Meanwhile, separate lasagna noodles and soak in water for 15 minutes; drain. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degree F.
For sauce, in a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat; stir in flour. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until flour mixture is lightly browned. Stir in broth and white pepper. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Stir in Brie until almost melted. If desired, stir in sherry.
Place one-third of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of the prepared baking dish, overlapping or trimming as necessary to fit. Top with 1/3 cup of the sauce, half of the asparagus, and half of the lobster. Sprinkle with a little of the Parmesan cheese.
Repeat layers with another one-third of the noodles, 1/3 cup of the sauce, remaining asparagus, and remaining lobster. Sprinkle with a little more of the Parmesan cheese. Top with remaining lasagna noodles, chopped tomato, remaining sauce, and remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake, covered, in the 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving (if toting, see note). Makes 12 servings.
*Note:
For 2-1/2 cups cooked lobster meat, in a 3-quart saucepan cook four 8-ounce lobster tails in boiling water, uncovered, for 8 to 12 minutes or until shells turn bright red and meat is tender. Drain. Remove shells and coarsely chop lobster meat.
TO TRANSPORT:
Do NOT let stand after baking. Cover tightly. Transport in an insulated carrier.
For 6 servings:
Prepare using the method above, except assemble and bake in a 2-quart square baking dish.
PICKLED GRAPES
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 whole cloves
1/4 cup crystallized ginger
2 medium jalapenos, diced
1 bunch green or red seedless grapes, plucked from stems
Mix the vinegar, sugars, coriander, cinnamon and cloves together in a saucepan. Boil over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the ginger and jalapenos. Add the grapes and allow to sit at least 1 hour or preferably, overnight. Use the grapes in your next chicken or fruit salad.
CRANBERRY RUM BRIE
1/2 cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Imitation Rum Extract
1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 wheel (8 ounces) Brie cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
Assorted crackers and French bread slices
Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix cranberry sauce, sugar, extract and nutmeg.
Peel off top rind of Brie, leaving 1/4-inch edge. (Leave sides and bottom of Brie intact). Place in pie plate or ovenproof dish. Top with cranberry mixture. Sprinkle with pecans.
Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese softens. Place Brie on serving plate. Serve with crackers and French bread slices.
MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH BLUE BAYOU
Make Sauce, cool, then assemble sandwhich
CURRANT JELLY SAUCE
2/3 c. currant jelly
1 TB water
1 TB half and half
Combine jelly, water and half and half in blender and mix until
smooth.
Makes about 3/4 cup.
BATTER
2/3 c. water
1 small egg
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. white pepper
few drops yellow food coloring
2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 3/4 t. baking powder
Place water, egg, salt, pepper and food coloring in a bowl and
using an
electric mixer, mix well at low speed. Add flour and baking
powder and mix
until batter is smooth. Chill. Makes enough for 4
sandwiches.
SANDWICHES
8 slices white bread
4 slices turkey (1 oz. each)
4 slices swiss cheese
4 slices ham
Make 4 sandwiches, putting cheese between ham and turkey. Cut
into fourths
and put a toothpick through each quarter.
PREPARATION
soybean or vegetable oil for frying
Confectioners' sugar
currant jelly sauce
Heat about 6-inches of oil to 340F in a fryer. Dip sandwiches in
batter to
cover all surfaces. Deep fry sandwiches until golden brown,
turning as
needed. Remove from oil, take out toothpicks, sprinkle
sandwiches with
confectioners' sugar. Serve with currant jelly sauce.
OPTIONS
Serve with raspberry jam for
dipping.
Serve with
soft spread strawberry cream cheese
BAKED MONTE CARLO
8 slices whole wheat bread
4 slices cheese
24 slices shaved smoked ham
2 egg whites
1/2 cup fat free milk
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Top 4 of the bread slices with
cheese slices,
ham and remaining bread slices. Beat egg whites and milk in
shallow dish or
pie plate. Dip each sandwith into egg mixture, turning to coat
both sides.
Place sandwiches on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake 6 minutes,
turn. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until sandwiches are
golden brown. Cut
sandwiches diagonally in half. Makes 4 servings.
OPTIONS
Serve with raspberry jam or Currany Jelly for
dipping.
Serve with
soft spread strawberry cream cheese
GRILLED MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH #1
18 slices bread
butter
6 slices ham
6 slices turkey or chicken
12 slices Swiss or Gruyere cheese
a little mustard and mayonnaise, if desired
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
For each sandwich use 3 slices of bread. Butter one side of
bread first,
then cover with a slice of ham and a slice of turkey or chicken.
Butter both
sides of the second slice of bread and spread with a little
mustard or other
dressing, if desired. Place on top of turkey or ham slice and
top with 2
thin slices of cheese. Butter third slice for top; press
sandwich lightly
and trim crusts. Cut into halves diagonally and secure with
toothpicks.
BATTER
Beat eggs with milk and salt.
Dip sandwich halves into the egg
mixture and
fry on a hot skillet or griddle in butter or margarine. Brown on
all sides,
adding more butter when necessary. Remove toothpicks before
serving.
Makes 6 sandwiches, 12 cut triangles, to serve 4.
OPTIONS
Serve with raspberry jam or Currany Jelly for
dipping.
Serve with
soft spread strawberry cream cheese
GRILLED MONTE CARLO SANDWICH #2
2 slices bread
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 slices cooked ham
2 slices cooked turkey meat
1 slice Swiss cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Spread bread with mayonnaise and mustard. Alternate ham, Swiss
and turkey
slices on bread.
Beat egg and milk in a small bowl. Coat the sandwich with the
egg and milk
mixture. Heat a greased skillet over medium heat, brown the
sandwich on both
sides. Serve hot.
Serve with raspberry jam for
dipping.
OPTIONS
Serve with
soft spread strawberry cream cheese.
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