Appetizers and Dips
Appetizers and Canapes
Bite sized goodies for parties and celebrations...or a few days' snacking
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Tzatziki
Tzatziki
Ingredients:
- ½ English cucumber, halved lengthwise
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
- 1 tbsp minced fresh mint
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Remove cucumber seeds and grate cucumber on the large holes of a grater.
- Sprinkle with salt and let stand 20 minutes.
- Drain cucumber in fine mesh sieve place in a bowl and combine with yogurt, garlic, mint, dill, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
Great on top of my eggplant casserole.
Creamy Butter Bean Dip
Creamy Butter Bean Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 and 2/3 cup fresh butter beans
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 Tbsp truffle oil
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup diced pancetta
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Place beans in saucepan with enough water to cover. Simmer over medium heat until tender. (1-1 and 1/2 hours). Reserve one cup cooking liquid. Drain beans.
- Transfer beans to food processor, add truffle oil and salt and pepper to taste. Puree until smooth.
- Cook pancetta and shallots in 4 Tbsp olive oil.
- Add bean puree, then add milk. Cook until slightly thickened.
- Add parsley and lemon juice.
Black-eyed Pea Pâté
Black-Eyed Pea Pâté
This is for those who do not love liver as an option to liver pâté.
It is easiest to make using a food processor, as everything needs to be finely ground, but a blender will work too.
Ingredients:
- 1 can (13-15 oz) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup pecans, toasted
- ½ cup cubed ham
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp marsala
- ¼ cup whipping cream
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp hot sauce
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1/3 cup finely diced onions
Preparation:
- Add all ingredients to food processor.
- Pulse until a smooth paste forms.
- Place mixture on a sheet of waxed paper and form into a block.
- Let chill at least 1 hour.
- Remove waxed paper and place on a serving plate.
Parmesan Hush Puppy Rounds
Parmesan Hush Puppy Rounds
These are great to serve in place of chips for appetizers or to serve with chili.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup grated onions
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup corn meal
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup diced green onions
- ¼ cup carbonated water
Preparation:
- In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.
- In a small bowl beat egg, buttermilk, and carbonated water.
- Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and add onions, green onions, and cheese.
- Stir until just blended.
- Let sit at least 5 minutes, it is best if refrigerated for 30 minutes.
- Using a nonstick skillet, or a skillet that has 2 tablespoons of oil, heat over medium high heat. When the skillet is hot, pour/spoon batter into the pan in circles the size you prefer. Fry as you would pancakes. Allow the batter to cook on one side for ~2 minutes per side.
Pink Peppercorn and Goat Cheese Crackers
Pink Peppercorn and Goat Cheese Crackers
I like to make this dough and freeze it, then slice and bake when I have company or need to take an appetizer to a party.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup pink peppercorns, cracked
- ¼ cup goat cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ tsp ground Allspice
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chives (you can use dried)
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor, blend until smooth. No food processor? You can use a mixer to blend the ingredients. Start at a low speed until flour becomes incorporated and then mix well at medium speed.
- Place dough in plastic wrap and form a log.
- Chill 1 hour, or freeze, and slice into ¼ inch slices
- Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 F for 12- 15 minutes, until golden brown.
The complex pink peppercorns are a particularly good complement to simple matcha tea.
Bacon-Onion Marmalade
Bacon-Onion Marmalade
This is a sweet/sour/savory creation that is good on hamburgers or served with cheese and crackers.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 6 medium sweet onions, sliced thin
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
Preparation:
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté chopped bacon until brown. Remove bacon pieces from pan and reserve for later.
- Add olive oil to pan and saute onions until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add fennel, pecans and garlic to onions and continue cooking and stirring until everything is brown, about 10 - 15 minutes.
- Add sherry and vinegar, and continue cooking until liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add brown sugar, bacon and salt and pepper to taste.
- Place in tightly sealed jar. Will keep 1 week in refrigerator.
Mini Gruyere Puffs
Mini Gruyere Puffs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- dash ground red pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (2 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Combine water and butter in a small saucepan. Add basil, garlic salt, and red pepper. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring to melt butter. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that doesn't separate. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes.
- Grease a baking sheet. Add eggs, one at a time, to saucepan, beating with a spoon after each addition until smooth. Stir in Gruyere cheese. Drop mounds of dough by rounded teaspoons, about 2 inches apart, on a prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake 10 to 12 minutes more or until puffed and golden. Turn off oven. Let puffs remain in oven for 3 minutes. Serve hot. Makes about 20 appetizers.