FoodAskew » Appetizers

Fig & Olive Tapenade

Trish — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:00:49 +0000

Submitted by Heresy

1 c. chopped dried figs		½ c. water
1 tbsp olive oil		1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried rosemary		1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp cayenne pepper		2/3 c. chopped kalamata olives
2 cloves garlic, minced		1/3 c. chopped toasted walnuts
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese		Salt & pepper to taste

1. Combine figs & water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil & cook until tender, and liquid has reduced. Remove from heat & stir in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, thyme, & cayenne. Add olives & garlic, & mix well. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Cover & refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.

2. Unwrap cream cheese block & place on a serving platter. Spoon tapenade over cheese, & sprinkle with walnuts. Serve with slices of French bread or crackers.

Candy Coated Pecans

Trish — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:00:04 +0000

Submitted by NutsOnTheNet.com
Serves 6-8

1 large egg white		¼ c. loosely packed light brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract		2 c. Zenobia Mammoth Pecans
¼ c. sweetened coconut flakes

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the egg white in a medium sized stainless steel bowl & whisk until frothy. Add the brown sugar & vanilla & stir until smooth.
3. Add the pecans & coconut, if desired, & stir until well coated. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet & arrange in a single layer.
4. Set aside at least 30 minutes & up to two hours. Transfer to the oven & bake, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
5. Immediately loosen the nuts with a spatula & set aside to cool.

Crab Cocktail

Trish — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:00:51 +0000

Submitted by The Crab Place
Serves 4

1 lb. lump crab meat		2 large cucumbers, diced
1 tbsp lemon juice		¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp paprika		¼ tsp tarragon
2 tsp parsley flakes		1 c. sour cream

1. Combine cucumbers, lemon juice, salt, paprika, tarragon, & parsley in blender for 3 minutes.
2. Add sour cream to the mixture.
3. Mix well; refrigerate for 20 minutes or until chilled.
4. Place lump crab meat in cocktail dishes & chill until ready to serve, then pour dressing over crab dishes.

Chef’s Note: This recipe was the First Place winner in the 1971 National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield, MD.

Holiday Fried Oysters

Trish — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:00:21 +0000

Submitted by CrabPlace.com
Serves 6-8

1 pt. shucked oysters		4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. cracker meal (or crushed crackers)		2 c. vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter		1 tbsp sea salt

Prepare the oysters. Combine the flour & cracker meal & dredge the oysters in the mixture. Let the oysters sit, refrigerated, for 20 minutes. Heat the oil to about 350°F on medium heat. Add in the butter (optional for flavor).

Fry the oysters until crispy, about 1-2 minutes per side. The oysters are done when they are golden brown & crispy. Transfer the fried oysters to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with sea salt & serve hot with spicy cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.

Chef’s Note:This is a great recipe for the holidays and goes well as croutons on a salad or as part of the dressing in a Thanksgiving turkey!

Cumin Dusted Tortillas

Trish — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:00:45 +0000

Submitted by Americo

12 flour &/or blue corn tortillas, quartered		1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp kosher salt		peanut oil (for deep frying)

1. Heat 2″ of peanut oil in a high-sided pan to 360°F.
2. Fry the tortillas, in batches, until light golden brown. Drain on paper towels & season immediately with cumin & salt.

Chef’s Note:Goes well with Guacamole.

Sweet Corn Tomalitos

Trish — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:51:00 +0000

Submitted by Trish
Serves 6-8

5 tbsp margarine, softened		¼ c. masa harina flour
1/3 c. sugar		2 c. corn kernels (fresh or frozen, thawed)
½ c. cornmeal		½ c. water
1 tsp baking powder		½ tsp salt
2 tbsp milk		1 tsp milk

1. In a small bowl, mix the margarine, masa, & sugar with a mixer until light & fluffy, about 1 minute.
2. Blend ½ the corn kernels with the water in a blender until smooth.
3. Combine with margarine mixture, stirring well.
4. Add the remaining corn, cornmeal, baking powder, salt & milk.
5. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil.
6. Pour the mixture into an 8″ baking dish.
7. Tightly cover with plastic wrap & set atop the saucepan of boiling water.
8. Keep pan tightly wrapped & steam for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
9. Check water level often, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Chef’s Note: This has also been made in the oven, setting the pan in a water bath. Not sure of the temperature or time.

Deviled Eggs

Trish — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 06:27:14 +0000

Submitted by Trish
Servings 6-8

6 eggs		1 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp mayonnaise		¼ tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp paprika		salt & pepper to taste

1. Place eggs in a pot of salted water. Bring the water to a boil, & let eggs cook in boiling water until they are hard boiled, approximately 10-15 minutes. Drain eggs & let cool. Once cool, remove the shell, cut the eggs in half lengthwise & scoop out the yolks.
2. Place the yolks in a medium-size bowl & mash them. Blend in vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard, salt & pepper. You may need to add more mayonnaise to hold the mixture together, but it should be slightly dry.
3. Carefully put the egg yolk mixture back into the egg whites, but do not pack them. There will be enough mixture so the whites are overfilled. Sprinkle with paprika.

Smoked Salmon Mousse

Trish — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 06:26:05 +0000

Submitted by Carli

12 oz. Smoked Salmon		8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 c. finely chopped onion		1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp sour cream		3 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp lemon juice		Dash of Tabasco sauce

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth mousse. Chill until serving.

Ham Rolls

Trish — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 06:25:15 +0000

Submitted by MoonSpinner

1½ Blocks Philadelphia Cream Cheese		2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ to 1 c. green onions or Vidalia onions		1 pkg. ham slices (not thin cut)

1. Heat cream cheese in microwave until smooth & warm, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
2. Add shredded cheddar cheese to warm cream cheese mixture. You can vary the cheese mixture depending on how much of a cream cheese taste you want. If you want more of a sharp cheddar taste, add more shredded cheese.
3. Stir until blended smooth, which may require additional heating. (Mixture should be a light orange color)
4. Stir in green onions to mixture.
5. While still warm, drop a spoonful of mixture onto one end of ham slice. Also spread a very thin layer of cheese picture across rest of ham slice (this will make the roll stick together.
6. Tightly roll ham up pushing cheese mixture through slice evenly. Cheese mixture should stick ham roll together.
7. Once rolled, refrigerate ham rolls flap side down for 3-4 hours until solid.
8. Once solid, slice rolls up to desired size or eat whole & serve.

Sausage Rolls

Trish — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 06:24:25 +0000

Submitted by The Lord Riddler

Two boxes frozen puff pastry sheets (do NOT		1 pkg Sage Seasoned Sausage meat
buy filo pastry as it’s too thin)		1 egg, beaten
Water

1. Let pastry thaw out at room temperature for a couple of hours & then take one slice at a time & open it out to be a rectangle.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Gently roll the sheets out a little longer, about 1″ on all 4 sides.
4. Cut the pastry into 3 sections, making a total of 9 rectangles.
5. Take a spoonful of sausage meat & roll it between your hands to make sausage shape & put on one end of pastry square. Do this for all 9.
6. Use a pastry brush & gently dip it into the water & brush the opposite end of where the sausage meat is.
7. Roll firmly into rolls & place onto a rectangular cookie sheet. Using a knife, slice 3 air slits in the top of each pastry.
8. Brush the tops with the beaten egg (i.e. egg wash) & bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.