Blinis with Creme Fraiche and Smoked Salmon
Cheesy Sausage Muffins
Smoked Turkey on Cran-Orange Muffins with Mango Chutney
Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Caramel Baked Brie with French Bread
Blanched Asparagus with Asparagus Sauce
Fresh Vegetables with Beau Monde Dip
Cheesecake dip with fresh strawberries and grapes
Union Square Mixed Nuts
JFL Cheese Biscuits
Poinsettia Cocktail
Pomegranate Matini
Proseco or Champagne
Easy Blini Recipe
From www.greatpartyrecipes.com
Blini are small, thin buckwheat or whole wheat pancakes, more like crepes. They are the ideal and classic vehicle for caviar.
Easy Blini Recipe
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup buckwheat or whole wheat flour-I like King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and milk. Combine the flours and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk again.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, thoroughly coat the bottom of the skillet with butter.
Using 1 tablespoon of batter per blini, cook for about 1 1/2 minutes on the first side, until golden brown. Turn them when they are dry and slightly bubbly around the edges. Cook another 30 seconds or so.
You can cook 4 or 5 blini at a time in a large skillet, more on a large griddle. Recoat the skillet with butter each time.
Serve with caviar and crème fráiche (or sour cream) Add thin sliced smoked salmon, if you like.
Makes 4 dozen blini
Note:
To make ahead: blini can be prepared a day or two ahead of time, refrigerated, and warmed to room temperature before serving.
Creme Fraiche
From www.greatpartyrecipes.com
Actually Crème Frâiche, produces a sweeter, richer version of sour cream. It's a great way to add a gourmet touch to any recipe that calls for sour cream. But if you find it difficult to obtain it in your area, you can make your own.
Crème Frâiche
Creme Fraiche is very simple, very easy, but it does take 2 or 3 days to make (In the South, usually, 1 day
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
Combine the cream and buttermilk in a small saucepan and heat just to lukewarm over medium-low heat. Do not let it boil.
Immediately remove it from the heat and cover. Let it thicken at room temperature for 8 to 48 hours, until it reaches the desired thickness and flavor.
Chill well.
Makes 1 cup
Caramel Baked Brie Appetizer
½ cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, or more depending on the humidity
1 8-inch wheel of Brie, about 2 pounds
3/4 cup slivered almonds (or coarsely chopped pecans)
Mix together the butter and brown sugar; set aside. Remove the wrapping from the brie and cut off only the top portion of the rind and discard the rind. Spread the butter and brown sugar mixture over the brie. Sprinkle the almonds or pecans over the top. Place in a glass Pyrex pie plate. Cover loosely with foil and bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Serve with a knife or spreader, fine crackers or thin-sliced baguette, and champagne.
Savory Brie Options:
After slicing the top of the rind off, top the brie with caramelized onions or chopped garlic, thyme and pepper. Bake as above and serve with sliced baguettes.
Caramelized Onions
3 pounds sweet onions (about 5 or 6 med.)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (more or less) dry white wine or balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
How to caramelize onions:
Peel and slice the onions 1/4" thick. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and sprinkle with the teaspoon of salt. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft, about 30 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly now, until the onions reduce to about half their volume and turn a deep caramel color, about 25 minutes. If the onion "juices" build up in the skillet during this time, pour in a little dry white wine or vinegar to deglaze the pan. Reincorporate the bits into the onions as they continue cooking.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Makes 6 to 8
Note: Caramelized onions can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Cheesy Sausage Muffins
1 pound Tennessee Pride country sausage, cooked, crumbled, and drained
1 can cheddar cheese soup
½ cup water
3 cups Bisquick
Combine ingredients in a large bowl stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into greased miniature muffin pans filling 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.
Makes 2 dozen
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
20 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
Vegetable oil, for grilling
Butter lettuce leaves
Fresh cilantro leaves
Peanut sauce, recipe follows
Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a shallow mixing bowl, stir to combine. Place the chicken strips in the yogurt marinade and gently toss until well coated. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at up to 2 hours.
Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers working the skewer in and out of the meat, down the middle of the piece, so that it stays in place during grilling. Place a grill pan over medium heat and brush it with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Grill the chicken satays for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until nicely seared and cooked through. Serve the satays on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and cilantro; accompanied by a small bowl of peanut sauce on the side.
Peanut Sauce:
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons red chili paste, such as sambal
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish
Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, red chili paste, brown sugar, and lime juice in a food processor or blender. Puree to combine. While the motor is running, drizzle in the hot water to thin out the sauce, you may not need all of it. Pour the sauce into a nice serving bowl and garnish with the chopped peanuts. Serve with chicken satay.
Makes 3 cups
Makes 20 skewers
Beau Monde Dip
1 cup sour cream, you can use low fat but not fat free
1 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise, you can use low fat but not fat free
1 ½ tablespoons dried minced parsley
1 ½ tablespoons dried minced onion
1 ½ tablespoons dried vegetable flakes-you can buy these at Fresh Market-not too expensive
1 ½ teaspoons Spice Islands Beau Monde seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons dried dill weed
½ teaspoons dried minced garlic
Mix all ingredients together and chill overnight. Great served with fresh veggies, Scoops or pretzel rods.
Asparagus Sauce
THIS MAKES A LOT!
2 quarts Hellman’s mayonnaise (or Duke’s), you can use low fat but not fat free
1 cup French’s yellow mustard
1 cup Durkee’s sauce
½ cup white wine vinegar
12 hard-cooked eggs, minced
Salt, to taste
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients well. Chill. Serve with fresh blanched asparagus stalks. Great for Cocktail Parties or Wine and Cheese Receptions.
Enjoy!!!
Cheesecake Dip
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow crème
1 tablespoon orange juice
Red food coloring
Blend cream cheese, marshmallow crème and orange juice together, until smooth. Add enough food coloring to make the mixture light pink. Chill for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve with strawberries and grapes.
Makes 1 3/4 cups
JFL Cheese Biscuits
1 cup margarine, softened
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 cups Rice Krispies
In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt and cayenne pepper. In another bowl, cream together margarine, cheese, and Tabasco sauce until smooth. Add flour mixture to margarine and cheese mixture. Add Rice Krispies. Drop by round teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Spread out on paper tower to cool.
Makes 3 dozen
The Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts
from Nigella Lawson, 2007
2 1/4 cups (18-ounces) assorted unsalted nuts, including peeled peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans and whole unpeeled almonds
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons Maldon or other sea salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and melted butter.
Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm. And once you eat these, you will never want to stop.
Note: If you use salted nuts, omit the salt from the recipe.
Poinsettia Cocktail
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup Champagne
1/2 cup cranberry juice
Crushed ice
2 strips orange zest, each about 1/4-inch wide and 2 inches long
Combine the vodka, Champagne and juice in a large-stemmed red wine glass. Add crushed ice and stir until the mixture is well chilled. Twist the orange strips over the glass, drop them in, and serve.
Makes 1 drink
You can make a large pitcher of these and set it out for your guests, versus slaving at the bar making drinks for everyone!
Pomegranate Martini
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
2 ounces Absolute Citron vodka or white tequila
1 ounce Cointreau liquor
Cup of ice
Splash of sparkling water (optional)
Squeeze of lemon (optional)
Shake ingredients in a shaker and put in chilled martini glasses. Put pomegranate fruit into glass as garnish.
Makes 2 servings
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