Appetizers

RECIPE FORUM Recipe Exchange
21

Stuffed Tomatoes

36 whole cherry tomatoes
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon dry Italian salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley

Place tomatoes, stem side down, on cutting board. Make an “X” cut to within 1/4" of bottom of each tomato. Carefully spread to open.

In small bowl, combine cream cheese, dressing mix and milk. Blend well. Fill each tomato with heaping 1/2 teaspoon of cream cheese mix ( or fit a pastry bag with a large star tip and pipe into cherries). Sprinkle tops with chopped parsley. Refrigerate up to 6 hours before serving.

22

Catfish Appetizer

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dash of garlic salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound catfish fillets
1/2 cup chili sauce
Paprika (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients; beat at medium speed with electric mixer until smooth. Stir in chopped onion. On a serving platter, spread cream cheese mixture into a 6-inch circle, and pinch up a small rim. Cover and chill at least 3 hours.

Combine water and salt in a large skillet; bring to a boil, and add fish. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Drain and flake fish with a fork; chill.

To serve, spoon chili sauce over cream cheese mixture; top with fish. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Serve with crackers.

Yields 14 to 16 appetizer servings

23

Confetti Bites

2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerator crescent rolls
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups finely chopped vegetables:
broccoli, peppers, carrots, onion
Salad Supreme

Press crescent roll dough onto a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes.

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, basil and garlic powder. Spread thinly over cooled crust. Top with chopped vegetables. Sprinkle generously with Salad Supreme. Cut into squares to serve.

24

Pearl Balls

1/2 pound finely chopped boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup chopped, toasted almonds
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
1 egg white
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon white pepper, ground
1/2 cup long grain rice
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon green onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root

Combine all ingredients except rice and dipping sauce (the last 5 ingredients from rice vinegar through chopped ginger) in large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Scoop and roll meat mixture into small balls, about the size of marbles. Roll each in rice, pressing rice into meat. Place on steamer rack, cover and steam over boiling water for 25 minutes, until rice grains are tender. Serve hot or cold with orange dipping sauce (recipe below).

Orange Dipping Sauce: Stir last 5 ingredients together. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Makes about 1/2 cup.

25

Jalapeno Rangoons

3 ounces chopped fresh jalapeno peppers
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
3 dozen wonton wrappers
1 egg yolk
Oil for deep frying
Chinese mustard, sweet and sour, or plum sauce

Combine jalapenos, cream cheese, onion, garlic powder and soy sauce. Place one heaping teaspoon of mixture in the center of each wonton. Use egg yolk to moisten the edges of the wonton wrappers, fold together, and pinch to seal.

Heat the oil in a frying pan to 375 degrees F.
Fry five or six rangoons at a time, for about 3 minutes each batch, until golden. Drain on paper towels, and serve while hot with sauce for dipping.

26

Salami Stack-ups

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 dash hot pepper sauce
25 thin slices salami

Blend softened cheese, mayonnaise, chives and hot pepper sauce.

Make 5 stacks of salami slices; spread cheese mixture between slices. Chill.

Cut each stack into 6 equal Wedges. Serve on cocktail picks.

Makes 30

27

Mexican Egg Rolls

1 lb. ground round
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
24 egg roll skins
1 Tbsp. oil
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1-2 fresh jalapenos, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 egg whites, beaten
1/2 cup water

In a heavy skillet begin to brown ground beef in 1 Tbsp. oil.

Add onion, green pepper, garlic, jalapeno(s), salt, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Stir to combine and continue to stir until onion and pepper begin to soften; drain well.

Add water, cover and reduce heat. Continue to cook until dry, approximately 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese and Tabasco sauce.

Lay out all 24 egg roll skins flat with points facing you (like a diamond). Place 1 heaping Tbsp. of meat and cheese mixture in center of each skin.

Fold bottom point of skin up to cover meat mixture. Fold left and right points into the center. Lastly, fold top point down to form a roll. Brush on beaten egg whites to seal.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 350º F. Cook rolls a few at a time in the fryer until brown (approximately 1 minute).

Drain on paper towels.

28

Italian Roasted Mini Pierogies

1 egg (lightly beaten)
1/3 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 pkg. frozen Mini Pierogies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine egg with 1 tablespoon water.

In a pie plate, place bread crumbs and cheese.

Coat Mini Pierogies with egg mixture first, then with bread crumbs. Arrange on baking sheet.

Roast until crisp and golden (about 15 minutes), turning once.

29

If you like Buffalo chicken wings, you’ll love this great hot appetizer.

Buffalo Chicken Spread

1 10 oz can white chicken breast, drained
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup ranch salad dressing
1 cup hot wing sauce (preferably an orange colored sauce: Hooter’s, Sweet Baby Ray’s)
1 8 oz package shredded cheddar cheese
green/red/yellow and/or orange sweet pepper strips
cucumber slices
Roma tomato wedges
Celery sticks

In a medium mixing bowl, shred the chicken. Mix in the chopped, roasted red peppers.

Add softened cream cheese and mix well.

Add salad dressing and hot wing sauce and mix well. Mix the shredded cheese into the spread.

Spread the mixture into a 9 1/2" pie plate or any glass baking dish with low sides.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The spread should be hot and bubbly. Let cool slightly.

Serve with sweet pepper strips, cucumber slices, celery sticks and tomato wedges. Or you can serve with crackers.

30

Baked Onion Dip

2 cups Vidalia Onions
1 cup FreshParmesan Cheese
1 cup Swiss or Mozzarella
1½ cups Mayonnaise
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder
1/2 chives if you have them

Mix all ingredients together in 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350° F for 20 minutes.

Serve with crackers or crostini.

31

New England Crab Cakes

1 lb. crab meat (canned crab meat can be substituted)
1 egg
1 slice bread (crumbled)
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. mustard
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. parsley
1 tbsp. old bay seasoning
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Crumble bread in crab meat, beat egg, mustard, mayonnaise and milk. Add baking powder and seasoning.
Beat. Add to crab meat, mix well and make into cakes.

Fry in butter until golden brown. Can be served with cocktail sauce.

32

Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

8 oz large stuffing mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small rib celery, chopped
3 oz small shrimp, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
Sliced Mozzarella cut into squares to place on top of mushrooms

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, trim and discard the tough ends, and chop the stems finely.

Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat and sauté the mushroom stems and celery for 5 minutes.

Add the
remaining ingredients and sauté 1 minute.

Spoon the shrimp mixture into the mushroom caps and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Place cheese on top
Cook under a preheated broiler until the tops are golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6

33

Crab Meat Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound large mushrooms
1 can crab meat or 6 oz fresh crab meat
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1teaspoon grated onion
2 tablespoons minced mushroom stems
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ pound bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Clean mushrooms, remove stems, minced, and reserve.

In a large bowl, mix crabmeat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, minced mushroom stems, salt and black pepper.

Fill cavities of mushrooms with mixture. Wrap with half a slice of bacon and fasten with a toothpick.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove and place on absorbent paper.
Serve warm.

34

Maple Broiled Scallops

1 pound lean bacon, cut into 4-inch lengths
2 pounds sea scallops
1/3 cup maple syrup

Preheat broiler.

Wrap bacon slice around each scallop and secure with a toothpick. Place on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Brush with maple syrup.

Broil for 3 to 5 minutes about 4 inches from the heat source, turn, brush with more maple syrup and broil for 2 to 3 minutes more, until bacon begins to crisp. Serve at once.

Serves: 10 to 12

35

Salmon Cheese Balls

2 cups fresh cooked salmon or one 1-pound can of salmon
One 8-ounce cream cheese
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated onion
1 teaspoon horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 Tablespoons snipped parsley

Strain and flake salmon. Combine with next 6 ingredients, then chill.

Shape into ball then press with pecans and parsley

36

Baked Garlic Bundles

1/2 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough, thawed to room temperature 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, melted
3 large heads garlic,* separated into cloves and peeled
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove phyllo from package; unroll and place on large sheet of waxed paper. Using scissors, cut phyllo crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Cover with large sheet of waxed paper and damp kitchen towel. (Phyllo dries out quickly if not covered.)

Lay 1 phyllo strip on flat surface; brush immediately with melted butter. Place 1 clove garlic at end of strip. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon walnuts over length of strip. Roll up garlic clove and walnuts in phyllo strip, tucking in side edges while rolling. Brush bundle with melted butter; roll in bread crumbs to coat. Repeat with remaining phyllo strips, garlic cloves, walnuts, butter and bread crumbs until all but smallest garlic cloves are used. Place bundles on rack in shallow roasting pan. Bake 20 minutes or until crispy.

37

Brandy-Soaked Scallops

1 pound bacon, cut in half crosswise
2 pounds small sea scallops
1/2 cup brandy
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder

Wrap one piece bacon around each scallop; secure with toothpick, if necessary. Place wrapped scallops in 13X9-inch baking dish.

Combine brandy, oil, parsley, garlic, pepper, salt and onion powder in small bowl; mix well. Pour mixture over scallops; cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours.

Remove scallops from marinade; discard marinade. Arrange scallops on rack of broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from heat 7 to 10 minutes or until bacon is brown. Turn over; broil 5 minutes more or until scallops are opaque. Remove toothpicks.

38

Dim Sum Pork Buns

1 lb. frozen white bread dough
12 ounces Barbecued Pork Tenderloin, chopped (recipe follows)
4 dried black Asian mushrooms
1 T. peanut oil
1/4 C. chopped green onions
1 T. minced fresh ginger
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. hoisin sauce
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
Plum Sauce (recipe follows)
1 egg
1 T. water
1 T. black and ivory sesame seeds

Follow package directions for thawing frozen bread dough.

Prepare Barbecued Pork Tenderloin.

To prepare filling, place mushrooms in small bowl. Cover with warm water; let stand 30 minutes. Rinse well and drain, squeezing out excess water. Cut off and discard stems. Cut caps into thin slices.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add pork, mushrooms, green onions and ginger; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and cornstarch; cook and stir until thickened. Cool slightly.

Cut parchment paper or waxed paper into 16 (4-inch) squares. Place 1 inch apart on baking sheets.

Punch dough down. Divide dough in half; cover one half with plastic wrap. Cut remaining dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough to form disc. Pinch edge of disc between thumb and forefinger, working disc in circular motion to form a circle 4 inches in diameter. Center should be thicker than edge.

Place disc flat on work surface. Place 1 heaping tablespoon filling in center. At 3 or 4 places gently lift edge of dough up around filling; pinch dough together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Place buns, seam side down, on parchment paper squares. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Prepare Plum Sauce

To bake buns: preheat oven to 375°F. Beat egg and water until well blended; gently brush onto tops of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until buns are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

Serve warm with Plum Sauce.

*To steam buns, place 12-inch bamboo steamer in wok. Add water to 1/2 inch below steamer. (Water should not touch steamer.) Remove steamer. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Arrange 4 buns at a time in steamer, using parchment paper to lift. Place steamer over boiling water; reduce heat to medium. Cover and steam buns 15 minutes. To prevent splitting, turn off heat and let buns stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Barbecued Pork Tenderloin

Yield: Makes 1 pork tenderloin

1 T. soy sauce
1 T. hoisin sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
1 whole pork tenderloin (about 12 ounces)

Combine all ingredients except pork in large glass bowl. Add pork; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place meat on meat rack in shallow foil-lined baking pan. Insert meat thermometer in center of meat. Bake 30 minutes or until meat registers 160°F. Remove meat from oven; cool slightly.

Plum Sauce

Yield: Makes 1 cup

1 C. plum preserves
1/2 cup prepared chutney, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. lemon juice
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp minced fresh ginger

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until preserves melt.

39

Shrimp Tapas in Sherry Sauce

1 slice thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips (optional)
2 T. olive oil
2 ounces crimini or button mushrooms, sliced into quarters
1/2 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined, leaving tails attached
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 T. medium dry sherry
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Add oil to bacon drippings in skillet. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 2 minutes.

Add shrimp and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and opaque. Stir in sherry, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.

Remove shrimp to serving bowl with slotted spoon. Cook sauce 1 minute or until reduced and thickened. Pour over shrimp. Sprinkle with reserved bacon.

40

Oriental Chicken Wings

32 pieces chicken wing drums and flats
1 C. chopped red onion
1 C. soy sauce
3/4 C. packed light brown sugar
1/4 C. dry cooking sherry
2 T. chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped fresh chives (optional)

Slow Cooker Directions
Preheat broiler. Broil chicken wing pieces about 5 minutes per side; transfer to slow cooker.

Combine onion, soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, ginger and garlic in large bowl. Add to slow cooker; stir to blend well.

Cover and cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH 2 to 3 hours. Sprinkle with chives.