what is a good party without fabulous food and drinks?
we knew in order to keep the crowd coming, we would have to set the bar high for the menu.
what emerged was a combination of aesthetically pleasing, delicious, easy to prepare hor d'oeuvres.
Seared Steak Lettuce Cups with chili and mint
(Makes 16 appetizers)
1/4 cup finely chopped english hothouse cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 1/5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger
8 ounce flank steak (seasoned with salt and chili powder)
16 small crunchy inner leaves of butter lettuce, romaine or endive
2 tablespoons chopped salted roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
Asian Sweet Chili sauce
Preparation:
Combine chopped cucumber, sliced scallions, lime juice and grated ginger in a medium bowl, season to taste with kosher salt and set aside.
Heat a grill pan over high heat. Grill seasoned steak, turning once until charred on both sides. (About 8 minutes for medium-rare.) Transfer to cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.
Arrange 16 greens on large platter. Thinly slice steak against grain, then cross-wise into 1 inch pieces. Add steak to cucumber mixture, and then toss to mix. Season to taste with salt and more lime juice, if desired. Divide steak salad among lettuce cups. Garnish with peanuts and mint. Drizzle with Asian Sweet Chili sauce.
Sweet-Onion Tomato Tartlets
(Makes 18 tartlets)
3 cups grape tomatoes
1 sweet onion, quartered and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh snipped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 17.3 oz package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
Manchego or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shavings
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prick tomatoes with fork or tip of sharp knife. In ungreased sheet, combine tomatoes, onion, oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until onion is tender. Remove from oven, sprinkle with vinegar; cool.
Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. On a lightly floured surface unfold puff pastry. Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter cut pastry into rounds. Place rounds on prepared baking sheet. Spoon 2 tablespoons of roasted tomato mixture on each pastry round. Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges are puffed and golden brown. Let stand on baking sheet 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with cheese.
Triple-Smoked Salmon Pepper Dip
(Makes 12 servings)
1 large green sweet pepper
1 8-oz. package of cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 to 1 teaspoon finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
4 oz. hot style smoked salmon flaked with skin and bones removed
French bread - Baguette (sliced)
Cucumber slices
Line baking sheet with foil. Cut green pepper into quarters. Place pepper quarters skin side up on baking sheet. Broil 4-5 inches from heat for 10-15 minutes or until pepper skins are charred. Wrap pepper quarters in the foil; let stand 15-20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Peel off skin and discard. Chop pepper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in sour cream and milk until smooth. Reserve 1/4 of cup of the green onions; stir remaining green onions, garlic, paprika, and chipotle pepper into cream cheese mixture. Gently fold in salmon and chopped green pepper. Spread in a one quart au gratin dish.
Bake for 25 minutes or until heated through, stirring once halfway through baking. Sprinkle with reserved green onion. Serve with warm french bread and cucumber slices.
Roasted Dates with Bacon
(Makes 16 appetizers)
16 fresh or dried pitted dates (such as medjoll)
16 smoked almonds
8 thick slices of apple-smoked bacon, halved crosswise
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut a slit in each date. Place almond inside each slit. Press dates together to close slit. Wrap each date with piece of bacon. Line a baking pan with foil. Add a roasting rack. Place dates on rack. Roast 15-20 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Serve immediately with toothpicks.
Citrus Marinated Olives
2 cups mixed oil packed olives
1/2 orange quartered into wedges, thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 table spoon crushed coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
1 small red chili, halved length-wise
Place the mixed oil packed olives in a bowl with the orange.
In a small sauce pan over low heat, combine olive oil, garlic cloves, crushed coriander sees, bay leaves, and red chili. Cook until fragrant and garlic begins to brown (about 20 minutes). Remove pan from heat and let steep for 1 hour. Pour oil mixture over olives and stir to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 2 hours or cover and chill for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Pomegranate Champagne Punch
find all of these recipes in the sidebar labeled eat.- we hope you will try these at home and share them with your community.
- enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment