Category Archives: APPETIZER RECIPES

ROASTED SUGAR SNAP PEAS

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I got this quick, easy, incredibly flavorful and healthy recipe from the Love Farm Organics site one day when I was searching the web for a local organic farm that delivered weekly produce boxes. Well they are local if you happen to live in Portland, Oregon, but from the Seattle area, Forest Grove, Oregon (40 miles west of Portland) isn’t exactly “local”. Too bad, I would love to support these farmers. And I would love to have their produce delivered to my home once a week. But alas, great customer service only goes so far – and delivering to my home would certainly qualify as “going too far”. But if you are lucky enough to live near Forest Grove or in the metropolitan Portland area, I would advise you to check out Love Farm Organics. If their produce is as good as their recipes, you are in for a treat.

  • ½ lb. sugar snap peas*, calyx cut off and strings removed, if necessary
  • 2-3 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 T. thinly sliced shallots, rings separated
  • 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • kosher salt

Place sugar snap peas on a medium sized baking sheet. Pour about 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the peas and mix well until every pod is well coated. (Only use more oil if the pods still seem dry or are not evenly coated.) Spread pods in a single layer on the pan. Sprinkle with shallot slices, thyme, and a moderate amount of kosher salt.  (It’s easy to over salt this recipe, so go easy.) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a pre-heated 425 degree oven until crisp tender. Serve hot or at room temperature.

*Sugar snap peas are a cross between green peas and snow peas. The pods appear quite fat, like they’re ready to burst with large peas, but inside, they’re mostly air, and the kernels are miniscule. Like snow peas, you eat the entire pod. Cut off the calyx (end attached to the stalk), and remove the fibrous strings running down the center.  (Note: some varieties are string-less.) You may also see these peas labeled simply as “snap peas” or “sugar peas.”

VIENNESE LIPTAUER

 

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Ok, here’s the deal! If you like wimpy spreads with hardly any flavor or personality – do not try this recipe! In fact, I absolutely forbid you to try this recipe! However, if you like a spread that screams sophistication, European tradition (check out the name again), and good breeding, not to mention tastes like nothing you have ever had before (and I mean that in a good way), then work up your courage (don’t let the anchovy paste and caraway scare you) and make this for your next get-together. It is absolutely addicting.  And I know, some of you may be saying to yourself “I had Viennese Liptauer in Vienna and it was just ho-hum.” And you would be right if you ordered it in the same restaurants we did. But I promise you that once you have tasted this version your memories of ho-hum will disappear forever.

Note: Liptauer is also found throughout Hungary.

  • 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 T. sour cream
  • 2-3 tsp. anchovy paste
  • 1 tsp. capers, drained and finely minced
  • 1 T. grated or finely chopped onion
  • 1 T. Dijon mustard
  • 1 ½ tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. caraway seeds
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Thoroughly blend all ingredients together. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Serve at room temperature with Finn Crisp, a thin rye crisp bread with caraway. Finn Crisp comes in a small, mostly red package and can be found at most grocery stores.

 

MARINATED GOAT CHEESE

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Whenever I want to make certain that I have prepared an appetizer that almost everyone will adore, it’s off to the mighty goat cheese isle at my grocery store that I go. (Actually, that’s not the whole truth!) Oh, my local grocery store does carry goat cheese logs (now), but they are lovingly enclosed in the tiniest packages you have ever seen; barely visible to the naked eye. So in fact, when I want to serve this appetizer, I have to go off island, drive for many miles to my “local” Costco or Trader Joe’s, to find enough goat cheese (at a reasonable price) to make preparing this dish worthwhile. Because I am here to tell you, no matter how much of this marinated yumminess (my word, don’t bother looking it up) you serve, it will be gone. But, if by some miracle of miracles there is a wee bit left at the end of the evening, you or your spouse (I use the term generically to represent any one else with whom you live) will be happy campers having this available on command in your refrigerator. Nothing makes Mr. C. as happy as a little snack here and there throughout the day. And this cheese spread on a cracker is one of his favorites. I just know there are hobbit genes somewhere in his DNA!

  • 4 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 T. chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 T. chopped fresh basil or oregano
  • 1 T. chopped fresh chives (opt.)
  • 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (6 oz.) log goat cheese, sliced into 1/3-inch thick slices (dental floss works great!)
  • lightly toasted baguette slices

In a flat covered container, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, parsley, basil or oregano, chives, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Add cheese slices to oil. Gently turn cheese a couple of times to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. Serve at room temperature with crackers or baguette slices.

 

CREAMY CURRY DIP

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Almost everyone loves this dip. It not only possesses inner warmth and character, it is beautiful on the outside. (If only people would refer to me the same way!) So when you want to serve a veggie plate that looks like a million dollars, spoon this dip into a “bowl” made from the bottom half of a red pepper. Place the “bowl” in the middle of a good sized plate surrounded by your favorite crudités (fancy French word for raw veggies) and sprinkle everybody with chopped fresh parsley or a sprinkle of paprika.

  • 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ c. low fat sour cream
  • ¼ c. low fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp. turmeric
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tsp. chopped onion

Combine all ingredients in a food processor; whirl until onion all but disappears. Refrigerate at least a day before serving with your favorite veggies.

GRILLED MARINATED PRAWNS

I got this basic recipe from a girl I worked with back in 1974 or 1975.  I was about 4 years her senior and held the misguided belief that I was quite savvy about food. (I was young – cut me some slack!) Anyway, she shared this recipe with me. As I read through the recipe she proceeded to verbally elaborate on the merits of using this white wine over that white wine. (Up till that point I had only purchased wine in a box, that is if you don’t count Ripple, Annie Green Springs, and Cold Duck (and please for goodness sake, don’t count them). This younger woman was actually talking about wine that came in a bottle with a fancy French name! Then there was this olive oil that I had never heard of either. And prawns?  Who was this girl? Suffice it to say, my ego took a big hit that day. I still think of her when I find myself getting overly verbose about my cooking expertise. You just never know when you are in the presence of a true kitchen genius.

  • ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ c. dry white wine
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2-3 lbs. uncooked prawns (I use frozen, uncooked, unshelled with tail on, 18-25 per lb.)

Combine olive oil, white wine, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a one gallon zip lock bag.  Add prawns and marinate for 1-2 hours depending on size of the prawns. (The larger the prawns, the longer the marinating time.) Refrigerate while prawns are marinating. Drain and barbeque over medium heat, or sauté quickly in a large fry pan, for a couple of minutes per side. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Prawns are done when they have just turned pink. Serve immediately or cool completely and refrigerate. When ready to serve, warm gently or serve at room temperature. No dip or sauce required.

 

CHEDDAR PECAN CRACKERS

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So one day I’m talking to my mother-in-law, who by the way was a fabulous cook, about appetizers. She told me about these crackers she used to make that were just fabulous. So not being a shy, young daughter-in-law, I asked her if she would make some for our next get-together. And because I am so adorable, she did just that. OK, the result was disastrous! I made a complete pig of myself. I just could not restrain myself from going back for “just one more”! (I’m still embarrassed about that less than stellar moment in my life.) The upshot was that she gave me the recipe, and because I am terribly devoted to my readers, I am going to share the recipe with you. Please, don’t make the same mistake I did. Make these and sample one (good luck on that!) when you are alone. You’ll thank me, I promise.

  • 1 c. butter, room temperature
  • 1 tsp. cayenne
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 4 c. (1 lb.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 c. finely chopped pecans
  • 2 c. flour

Cream butter, cayenne, salt, and cheese together in a large mixing bowl. Add pecans and flour and mix well. Roll dough into logs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. When ready to bake, slice dough in thin slices (about 1/4th inch thick) and place on lightly buttered baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until edges and bottoms are a nice golden brown. (I don’t use the convection option on my oven when I bake these crackers.) Remove crackers from pan as soon as they come out of the oven. But be careful. They are very fragile while still warm. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for a couple of weeks, if they last that long, of course!

 

SUN DRIED TOMATO AND FRESH BASIL SPREAD

Ok, so here’s the deal, I’m cheap frugal. Every morning I used to stop at a wonderful bagel shop (remember those) in the bowels of the many story building where I worked before heading up to my cubicle in the sky. (I still hate wind storms because of the way that building would sway in the wind.) But I digress.  Anyway, I would buy my bagel, but without any flavored cream cheese my plain bagel was just not acceptable to my highly sophisticated (and spoiled I might add) taste buds. So, here comes the part about my being “frugal”. I fell in love with this lovely creamy sun dried tomato spread. Those shop owners thought I should pay, every morning mind you, $1.50 more for just a wee smear of this blessed concoction on my already over-priced bagel. Since I don’t take lightly to paying more for something than I should, I went home and duplicated the flavor of their heavenly spread. From that day forward, I still bought their wonderful bagels, but cleverly disguised in a Tupperware container, I brought and smeared my bagel with this homemade version of their lovely spread. By the way, it’s not just good on bagels. It is equally happy being spread on crackers or toasted baguette slices.

  • 1 (8-oz.) pkg. reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 T. sun dried tomato bits (not oil packed is the best, but if all you have are sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, just drain slightly and chop finely)
  • 5-6 large basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 T. chopped fresh parsley**
  • 2 small cloves of garlic, finely minced**
  • ½ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 heaping tablespoons light mayonnaise or low fat sour cream

Combine all ingredients; refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving at room temperature with crackers, toasted baguette slices, or even bagels.

**Hint: When you have both parsley and garlic to mince, and they are going into a recipe at the same time, mince them together. The parsley helps keep the garlic from “skipping” around your cutting board. In the case of this recipe, I add the basil to the garlic and parsley too. I’m lazy – what can I say?

 

 

ONION DIP

 

Call me old fashioned, but I love onion dip. I used to make myself sick before parties by tasting the onion dip every few minutes to make sure the flavor had not changed. (What can change in 20 minutes?) But along with advancing age came my body’s inability to tolerate too much salt. (Come now Patti, be truthful, and mention your little issue with high blood pressure!) Anyway, I can’t eat the old dry onion soup mix added to a pint of sour cream version. Truth be told (again with the truth thing), because the dry soup mix is so salty, I don’t even enjoy the original version. Serve this dip with thick, lower sodium (sigh) potato chips and the lowly onion will prove once again that it is a super star in the vegetable realm.

  • 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large white or yellow onions, finely diced
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. white pepper
  • 2-3 tsp. beef base*
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ tsp. granulated garlic
  • 16-oz. container (2 cups) sour cream
  • thick plain potato chips (like Tim’s lightly salted potato chips)

Pour olive oil into a large sauté pan. Add onions, salt, and pepper and cook until onions are caramelized (golden brown), but not to the point where they are becoming a mushy mess. It usually takes at least 20-30 minutes to caramelize white onions. (I use white or yellow onions because they are not too sweet. You do not want a sweet onion for this recipe.) Meanwhile combine the beef base, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and sour cream in a small bowl. When the onions are caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the sour cream mixture. Refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.

ROSEMARY ROASTED CASHEWS

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I first made these cashews several years ago for a vocal jazz in-home concert. They were an immediate hit. (The recipe is a slight modification of an Ina Garten classic.) Happily, the monthly home concerts have flourished and many of our guest artists have made return visits to perform as part of our ongoing series. I’m sure it’s because of these fabulous nuts! Just sayin…….

  • 4 c. salted whole cashew nuts
  • 1 T. melted butter
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 T. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary (I know this seems like a lot, but trust me on this one!)
  • 2 tsp. brown sugar

Place the nuts on an ungreased baking pan and warm in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 6-10 minutes. (Don’t let nuts get brown, so watch carefully.) Meanwhile, combine the melted butter, salt, cayenne, rosemary, and brown sugar in a bowl large enough to also hold the nuts when they come out of the oven. Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until they are well coated. Serve warm or cool thoroughly and store in an airtight container.