The season is upon us!
Well, I believe the holiday season has arrived; turkey is gone, Thanksgiving hockey tournament is over and doorbusters have been snagged! This week I have posted some of my favorite appetizer recipes, sorry no photos this time, just too darn busy! Check back on Wednesday as I plan to post my personal absolute favorite holiday entertaining entree for a crowd (picture included)! Enjoy the recipes, let me know if you have any questions. Happy holidays!
These are a few of my favorite...
HOLIDAY APPETIZERS
Fig Torte
1 Lb. Mascarpone cheese
1 ½ lb. Cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
½ lb. Dried figs
1 Tbls. Vanilla
2 Tbls. Granulated sugar to dust baking dish
¼ cup Madeira or Marsala wine
Poach figs in water with wine, until soft.
Puree half of the figs. Slice the other figs. Set aside.
Blend together mascarpone, cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla.
Butter and sugar baking dish, line dish with sliced figs.
Layer half of the cheese mixture over figs, then add fig puree, then add remaining cheese mixture.
Bake in a water bath at 300 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. Unmold and serve with crackers such as table water or baguette.
Smoked Trout Spread
Approx. ¼ lb. smoked trout
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbls. sour cream
2 Tbls. chopped green onion
¼ tsp. horseradish
½ Tbls. capers
1 Tbls. lemon juice
1 Tbls. parsley
Process smoked trout in food processor (make sure all pin bones are out). Mix in remaining ingredients, garnish top with lemon zest if desired. Serve with table water crackers or Trader Joe's Pita Crackers.
Baked Brie and Shrimp
2 Tbls. finely diced red pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¾ cup raw peeled and deveined shrimp chopped
dash of red pepper flakes
1 wedge of brie rind removed and cut into chunks
Sauté diced red pepper in a bout 1 Tbls of olive oil and shrimp, sauté until just about cooked, add garlic and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over chunks of brie (avoid excess olive oil). Bake at 325 for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally to combine. Serve with baguette slices.
*Don’t let it get too hot or the cheese will break and become very oily.
Sesame-Eggplant Salsa
2 medium eggplants
1 Tbls. oil
¾ cup green onions
2 Tbls. fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
3 Tbls. brown sugar
2 Tbls. soy sauce
1 Tbls. rice vinegar
2 Tbls. fresh lemon juice
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
¾ cup cilantro
11/2 tsps. sesame oil
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, pierce eggplants all over with a fork. Place on baking sheet. Roast in oven until eggplants are soft and deflated about 1 hour. Scrape flesh into a strainer set over a large bowl. Let drain about 30 minutes. Transfer to food processor and process until almost smooth.
Heat oil add ginger, garlic, green onions and chili-garlic sauce cook about 45 seconds. Stir in brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, mix in eggplant puree and cook about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, cilantro and sesame oil. Cool to room temperature. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions and cilantro. Makes 4 cups.
Serve with fresh pita rounds or pita chips.
Crispy Crab Wontons
1 can lump crab
1 ½ Tbls. cilantro
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbls. diced green onion
1 tsps. chopped garlic
salt and pepper
Mix together above ingredients
36 wonton skins
oil for frying
Dipping Sauce:
1 cup apricot preserves
½ cup orange juice
1 Tbls. soy sauce
1 Tbls. sesame oil
Bring preserves to a boil, mix in other ingredients and let cool before serving.
Place a teaspoon of crab mixture in the middle of the wonton skin wet edges and fold over to make a triangle, press edges to seal bring 3 points together and pinch to seal.
If freezing place on sheet pan, dust with flour and flash freeze about 1 hour.
To cook heat oil to about 375 degrees and fry a few at a time until golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve with sauce.
Stilton and Watercress Dip - Stilton is a cheese which is traditional at the holidays
5 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
5 Tbls. butter, room temperature
1 bunch watercress, stems trimmed and leaves chopped
2 green onions, chopped
¼ cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
3 large Belgium endive spears (approx. 24) end trimmed or serve with Carr’s water crackers
Mix Stilton cheese and butter in a medium bowl until blended. Mix in watercress, onions and nuts. Arrange endive leaves on a platter, spoon 1 Tbls. of the mixture onto each endive leaf and serve.
Fig Torte
1 Lb. Mascarpone cheese
1 ½ lb. Cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
½ lb. Dried figs
1 Tbls. Vanilla
2 Tbls. Granulated sugar to dust baking dish
¼ cup Madeira or Marsala wine
Poach figs in water with wine, until soft.
Puree half of the figs. Slice the other figs. Set aside.
Blend together mascarpone, cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla.
Butter and sugar baking dish, line dish with sliced figs.
Layer half of the cheese mixture over figs, then add fig puree, then add remaining cheese mixture.
Bake in a water bath at 300 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. Unmold and serve with crackers such as table water or baguette.
Smoked Trout Spread
Approx. ¼ lb. smoked trout
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbls. sour cream
2 Tbls. chopped green onion
¼ tsp. horseradish
½ Tbls. capers
1 Tbls. lemon juice
1 Tbls. parsley
Process smoked trout in food processor (make sure all pin bones are out). Mix in remaining ingredients, garnish top with lemon zest if desired. Serve with table water crackers or Trader Joe's Pita Crackers.
Baked Brie and Shrimp
2 Tbls. finely diced red pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¾ cup raw peeled and deveined shrimp chopped
dash of red pepper flakes
1 wedge of brie rind removed and cut into chunks
Sauté diced red pepper in a bout 1 Tbls of olive oil and shrimp, sauté until just about cooked, add garlic and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over chunks of brie (avoid excess olive oil). Bake at 325 for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally to combine. Serve with baguette slices.
*Don’t let it get too hot or the cheese will break and become very oily.
Sesame-Eggplant Salsa
2 medium eggplants
1 Tbls. oil
¾ cup green onions
2 Tbls. fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
3 Tbls. brown sugar
2 Tbls. soy sauce
1 Tbls. rice vinegar
2 Tbls. fresh lemon juice
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
¾ cup cilantro
11/2 tsps. sesame oil
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, pierce eggplants all over with a fork. Place on baking sheet. Roast in oven until eggplants are soft and deflated about 1 hour. Scrape flesh into a strainer set over a large bowl. Let drain about 30 minutes. Transfer to food processor and process until almost smooth.
Heat oil add ginger, garlic, green onions and chili-garlic sauce cook about 45 seconds. Stir in brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, mix in eggplant puree and cook about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, cilantro and sesame oil. Cool to room temperature. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions and cilantro. Makes 4 cups.
Serve with fresh pita rounds or pita chips.
Crispy Crab Wontons
1 can lump crab
1 ½ Tbls. cilantro
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbls. diced green onion
1 tsps. chopped garlic
salt and pepper
Mix together above ingredients
36 wonton skins
oil for frying
Dipping Sauce:
1 cup apricot preserves
½ cup orange juice
1 Tbls. soy sauce
1 Tbls. sesame oil
Bring preserves to a boil, mix in other ingredients and let cool before serving.
Place a teaspoon of crab mixture in the middle of the wonton skin wet edges and fold over to make a triangle, press edges to seal bring 3 points together and pinch to seal.
If freezing place on sheet pan, dust with flour and flash freeze about 1 hour.
To cook heat oil to about 375 degrees and fry a few at a time until golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve with sauce.
Stilton and Watercress Dip - Stilton is a cheese which is traditional at the holidays
5 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
5 Tbls. butter, room temperature
1 bunch watercress, stems trimmed and leaves chopped
2 green onions, chopped
¼ cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
3 large Belgium endive spears (approx. 24) end trimmed or serve with Carr’s water crackers
Mix Stilton cheese and butter in a medium bowl until blended. Mix in watercress, onions and nuts. Arrange endive leaves on a platter, spoon 1 Tbls. of the mixture onto each endive leaf and serve.
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