Start holiday gatherings off right with top-notch appetizers
When Thanksgiving arrives, it’s officially the holiday season.
With holidays come parties and other gatherings to which I like to
bring an appetizer or other snack along. One of my favorite
discoveries last winter was baked brie. It can be baked in the oven
with just a sprinkle of macadamia nuts and brown sugar. With
slightly more effort, the brie can be baked in puff pastry with jam
and nuts on top of it. Those recipes can be found online at
www.pinnaclenews.com/life.
Start holiday gatherings off right with top-notch appetizers
When Thanksgiving arrives, it’s officially the holiday season. With holidays come parties and other gatherings to which I like to bring an appetizer or other snack along. One of my favorite discoveries last winter was baked brie. It can be baked in the oven with just a sprinkle of macadamia nuts and brown sugar. With slightly more effort, the brie can be baked in puff pastry with jam and nuts on top of it. Those recipes can be found online at www.pinnaclenews.com/life.
For a party last weekend, I decided to make use of some leftover cranberry sauce to make a limoncello chutney chicken. The recipe turns whole berry cranberry sauce, wine vinegar and limoncello into a sauce and dip for chicken skewers. Though I had some trouble with the broiler in the oven at my house (the chicken was not browning or getting char marks on it,) I was able to cook it well on an indoor grill. The sauce boiled down to a sweet and tangy mixture. The other guests at the party seemed to enjoy the skewers, along with the baked brie I served with apricot preserves.
Below are a few other recipes that are quick to make and transport to parties.
Limoncello chutney chicken
Recipe courtesy of Raley’s ‘Something Extra’
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce (14-ounces)
¼ c. wine vinegar
¼ c. limoncello (lemon liqueur)
Minced onion
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Wooden skewers
Cut the chicken breasts into very thin strips. Thread onto small skewers that have been soaked in water, placing one strip onto each skewer. In a small saucepan stir together a can of whole berry cranberry sauce, vinegar, limoncello and minced onion. Add salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Place half the mixture in a decorative bowl. Broil chicken skewers until nicely charred on both sides, brushing liberally with remaining chutney mixture during the last few minutes of cooking. The chicken can also be cooked on an indoor or outdoor grill.
Sprinkle with snipped fresh thyme and serve with reserved sauce.
Makes 12 servings.
110 calories, 8 g. protein, 1 g. fat, 14 g. carbohydrates
Crispy salmon cups
Recipe courtesy of Raley’s ‘Something Extra’
24 square won ton wrappers
Vegetable oil cooking spray or vegetable oil
1 ¾ c. shredded 3-color deli coleslaw blend (cabbage and carrots)
3 tbsp. minced red onion
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2. Tbsp. each: Grama’s sweet chilli sauce and rice vinegar
¾ tsp. each: sesame oil and soy sauce
2 oz. hardwood smoked salmon (from a 4-oz. package)
Black or white sesame seeds (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray wonton wrappers on both sides with nonstick cooking spray or brush very lightly with vegetable oil. Press into 24 mini-muffin cups, pressing all the way into the bottom. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned; let cool.
Toss cabbage mixture, onion and cilantro together in a medium bowl. Stir together chilli sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce and toss with cabbage mixture. Spoon into won ton cups.
Remove skin from salmon and break into pieces; place into cups and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if you like.
Makes 8 servings.
100 calories, 4 g. protein, 1 g. fat, 17 g. carbohydrates.
Artichoke and cheese stuffed mushrooms
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
24 large (2 1/2 to 3 inches wide) white mushrooms
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and pepper
2 cans sliced or quartered artichoke hearts
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
Pinch dried thyme
Handful grated Parmesan
Handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 tub shredded Asiago cheese, 8 ounces
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place mushrooms in a large plastic food storage bag. Drizzle in just enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat – about 1/4 cup should do it. Shake the mushrooms to coat and scatter out onto a cookie sheet. Roast 10 minutes, round-side-up. Season with salt and pepper and flip over. Toss drained quartered artichokes with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, nutmeg, thyme, grated cheese, and parsley. Generously fill the mushroom caps, mounding the filling up. Top the artichokes with shredded Asiago cheese and return to oven. Cook mushrooms 5 minutes more to melt cheese and set filling. Serve warm.
Flank steak and pepper pinwheels
Recipe courtesy of Claire Robinson
1 flank steak, about 1 1/2 lbs.
6 sweet pickled cherry peppers, stemmed and finely chopped, plus 1/2 c. liquid from the jar
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
12 oz. farmer’s cheese or drained ricotta
4 sheets, 9 by 12-inch, lavash bread (whole-grain if possible)
2 c. baby arugula leaves
Put the flank steak in a glass baking dish and pierce all over with a fork. Pour the pickling liquid over it; turn over several times to coat, and let stand, turning frequently, for 15 minutes. Preheat a stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Drain excess liquid from the steak, season well with salt and pepper, and grill, turning once, until medium rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand at least 10 minutes before cutting against the grain into thin slices.
In a medium bowl, mix together the farmers cheese and chopped cherry peppers. Season with salt and pepper; to taste and add a few drops of water to make the cheese moist and spreadable. Lay a lavash sheet lengthwise on a work surface and spread 1/4 of the cheese mixture over it, leaving a 1-inch border. Evenly scatter 1/2 cup arugula leaves, followed by 1/4 of the sliced steak over the cheese. Fold the ends in toward the center, then, roll the lavash tightly from the bottom into a roll. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Wrap the rolls tightly in a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve, slice the roll-ups into 1-inch segments and arrange them on a serving platter.
Note: Regular burrito-sized tortillas or flavored wraps can be used in place of lavash.
