Posted on 08/23/2017 3:47:45 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I like meals made up of lots of different, little things – I’m a fan of ‘tasting menus’, buffet parties, and can make a restaurant meal of appetizers.
An appetizer recipe that’s been a party hit for us, is this one for Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts in Chili Sauce:
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/bacon-water-chestnuts-50888.aspx
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I think we originally found the recipe for these little Garlic and Mushroom Tartlets about 15 years ago – perhaps from the Sorrento site, or off the bag.
Sorrento seems to have turned into Galbani (?) and I haven’t seen this garlic-flavored Mozzarella cheese lately. Sargento used to have a similar Mozz/Asiago garlic-flavored blend in their 'Bistro' line, and I'm not finding that on their website, either. But you can probably create the ingredient by adding some roasted or even sauteed garlic to shredded Mozzarella. We usually used the little frozen Phyllo cups to make these:
Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Tartlets
3 T Butter
2 (6oz) Jars of Mushrooms (sliced)
1/2 C Scallions, (sliced)
1 T Sherry (optional)
1/4 C Heavy Cream
1 C Sorrento Roasted Garlic Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/4 C Parsley (chopped)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
24 (2inch) Tartlet Shells or Phyllo Cups
1. In a medium skillet, melt butter, cook mushrooms and scallions until tender.
2. Add Sherry and heavy cream, bring to low simmer; stir in cheese, parsley and seasonings, stir until cheese is melted.
3. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes and spoon into tartlet shells.
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For a spread to serve with Bruschetta, try this:
Olive Caper Spread
½ C. pitted black Kalamata Olives
3 T. Olive Oil
1 T. drained Capers
1 T. chopped fresh Basil
2 Garlic cloves, minced
Puree the olives with the oil, basil, capers and garlic in a processor. Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Serve at room temp with bread or crackers.
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And, last but best, my very favorite ‘little bite’, which I know I’ve posted more than once: Olive Cheese Balls:
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/olive-cheese-balls/1a335df0-4d11-47ac-ad81-a810a626e6d9
-JT
Do those cookie presses make ruffled edges along the length on the cheese straws?
Do those cookie presses make ruffled edges along the length of the cheese straws?
Ooops. That pic doesn’t really go with the instructions - she suggests using the flat ridged tip; but the pic is using the star tip.
Here’s a better one:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/cheese-straws-recipe6-2124961
I like the ones in the milk glass server....although they’re not actually “straws.”
Good to eat...... no matter the size.
If it’s in your area get Dukes. Best Mayo Ever!!
Did the same turn abit ago.
This week I conquered Peruvian yellow sauce with the help of a women I met from Bolivia. (”Only the Northern Peruvian’s can cook” LOL! OK!)
I love when I can make exactly what I love in my own home.
It’s fun to discover stuff in the food world!
J. bet you get this.
Late to the party, found an old thread about grilling veggies. I want to roast them and am going to invest in some balsamic vinegar.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2763124/posts?page=13#13"
It's an old thread, fun, they talk about salmon cakes, coffee, Dukes mayo & etc. I'm doing different things, going to cook some mayacoba beans and see how it works for hummus.
Going to make some carmelitas.
I don't make appetizers but there are some I liked so well years ago I made them just to eat myself.
Chicken livers with a wedge of water chestnut wrapped in a half piece of bacon and secured with a toothpick. Slather with BBQ sauce and bake at 400 until the bacon has crisped up, maybe 20 minutes or a little more.
Yummy looking carmelitas!
As for the green chilies being jalapenos, I think that they are some other kind of chili pepper - though I won’t bet my life on it. There are probably dozens of different ones used in Mexican cooking. The tortilla roll-ups use both and it has a particular taste profile and balance that jalapenos alone won’t bring.
Speaking of grilling veggies, have you tried grilling fruits (i.e., peaches and plums, lemons and limes)?
I did a little digging around about the “green chilies” and now think they are more than likely Anaheim chilies. Serrano chilies look like the ones on the can but they are especially hot - hotter than jalapenos - and the canned chilies are pretty mild. I also found out that there can be THOUSANDS of different kinds of chilies around the world. So, the “green chilies” in the Old El Paso can could be any number of skinny, long, green and mild chilies. Hope that helps.
All sounds yummy. Years ago, I made back in wrapping water chestnuts, with a sauce of half ketchup, half brown sugar, bake till bacon is almost crisp.
I can find those. Thank You!
I think you’re right, because the Chiles are mild. I never thought about it, but there are thousands okay maybe hundreds of varieties of green chiles. And it is funny that these cans just say green chile on them. All have the same mildness and flavor - so are are likely consistent between brands.
I am opening an online spice business soon. And most of the spices I use consistently in each recipe are dehydrated chiles. So in researching, I have discovered there really are a lot of different varieties out there. And even more in the fresh ones, most likely.
Those Carmelita’s look awesome! Recipe?
This is perfect, because appetizers are the one thing I have very few recipes for.
Yep, the canned green chiles are mostly the ‘Anaheim’ cultivar, first mass produced by the Ortega Foods family. Great as chile rellenos.
I LOVE Chile Relleno - cheese-stuffed ones...
Found the recipe here where there is a print version, had a little trouble with that as a video frame blocked off part of it.:
Note: These are in 8X8 and being so rich, maybe I'll make them that way. There is a recipe on yt that has them in a 9X13 and a little less butter but they don't look quite as pretty. I like the idea of combining chunks and morsels like she did. And for these I will prefer Werthers although I can't find the baking ones, will use the chewy caramels. They taste a little more buttery than Kraft. Terribly rich for an appetizer though ;=).
For all the words, they mix up pretty fast though.
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/12/carmelitas.html
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 stick; I use unsalted butter but salted may be used)
3/ 4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole-rolled old fashioned oats (not instant or quick cook)
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
35 caramel squares, unwrapped (I used Werther’s Originals Baking Caramels which are slightly bigger than cellophane-wrapped caramels; if using those, I recommend using a couple more)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste, if you prefer salted caramel sauce
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used a combo)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Lining your pan is highly recommended for ease of cleanup due to the stickiness of the caramel; set pan aside.
In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 90 seconds.
Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
Add the flour, oats, baking soda, optional pinch salt, and stir until combined. Mixture will be quite thick.
Add half of the mixture to the prepared pan (just eyeball it), and smooth it with spatula or the back of a spoon, to create an even, smooth, flat layer; set remainder aside.
Bake for 10 minutes. While it bakes, make the caramel sauce.
In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine the caramels, cream, and heat on high power in 60-second bursts to melt caramels, stirring after each burst. It will likely take about 4 to 5 minutes total to melt; heat until mixture can be stirred smooth. Alternatively, combine caramels and cream in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat to melt, stirring nearly continuously, until mixture can be stirred smooth.
Optionally stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste, for salted caramel sauce; set sauce aside.
After 10 minutes, remove pan from the oven and evenly sprinkle with the chocolate.
Slowly and evenly pour caramel sauce over the chocolate.
Evenly crumble reserved oatmeal-brown sugar mixture over the top.
Return pan to oven and bake for about 15 to 18 minutes (I baked 16 1/2), or until edges are lightly browned and center is bubbling slightly.
Allow bars to cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving, giving the molten caramel time to firm up. This can take up to 4 hours, or overnight, at room temperature. You can speed it up by placing pan in fridge with a sheet of foil over the top to prevent fridge smells. If you don’t wait for bars to cool completely, they’ll be a literal hot mess. They’ll taste fine (don’t burn yourself), but they won’t slice neatly with clean cuts. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Not to change the subject but that Alamazan Kitchen channel on yt, one went and picked off some home-grown red peppers. I did a little research, and the closest I can find are Italian peppers, found some on that seed savers exchange in Decorah, Iowa.
Speaking of that exchange, they have some interesting varieties. I probably won't be ambitious enough to make watermelon pickles (I was looking for the old Muscatine melons we used to get with the black seeds), but they have a watermelon with an extremely thick rind which would be superb. It's laborious but worth it, are not made the way traditional pickles are and use oil of cinnamon and cloves.
The Italian peppers are pointy with fairly broad "shoulders", some not so much. Laura Vitale on yt and maybe with her mother on a visit to Italy, made some stuffed peppers. Like Almazan, they roast the peppers to where they are very limp and lifeless lol and stuff them, bake them on their sides. Guess I could get used to that.
Take an 8 oz block of cream cheese and place it in a shallow serving dish.
Drain some good quality canned crab and spread thick on the top of the cr cheese or you can finish with it if you prefer with something to make it prettier like what's for fish? Chef John likes fresh tarragon, maybe a little smoked paprika..
Mix up some shrimp dip, I keep the stuff on hand, horseradish to taste, ketchup, Heinz chili sauce, lemon juice (fresh preferred but Realemon works fine), mix it all together and pour over the top of the crab.
Chill or serve right away.
Serve with Club crackers (the buttery ones that are more bar shaped than saltines - Keebler?), spread with preferably a soft cheese knife on the cracker and enjoy.
I love them. Millers canned crab is supposed to be the best (those who live by the sea will have access to more variety and better). Lobster would work great. I have even used cut up pieces of that artificial crab stuff which is tolerable if you are hungry for it.
You are left with some cream cheese which usually doesn't get all used up but it is fast and easy to make, can have everything on hand. Cr cheese in the box unopened keeps a long time.
How come nobody said some kind of spinach artichoke dip with toasted thin French or ciabatta? slices or did I miss it?
I made some months ago from a recipe I found on Huff Po that used white sauce (bechamel) with cheese melted in it, haven't found the perfect cheese yet. Used one box of spinach squeezed out and 2 boxes frozen artichokes cut up (found at Walmart not usual store). The frozen ones don't have the tang of the canned ones.
Then I got the idea on yt for a chicken salad sandwich, but slice Fr or It bread in about 3/4 inch slices, put on a rack in a 450 oven. Watch carefully; they will go fast when they start to toast. You are looking for just a little browned around the edges maybe the slightest light brown on the rest of the slice. I think you have to turn them over to get them right on both sides.
Then I break my bread in half the long way so that the top is one of the halves and the bottom of the slice the other half and dip that. I love them; the inside stays tender and the outside crispy but not too toasty.
Of course if you slice those small loaves thin and toast they are more like crackers but oh so pretty. Can rub with a little garlic butter with or without some paprika and herbs.
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