Simply Cookbooks

Posts Tagged ‘Appetizers’

This is a family favorite anytime of the year.   The recipe originally came from Rachel Ray’s cookbook

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, one turn of the pan
24 large gourmet stuffing mushroom caps, stems removed and reserved brushed with
damp towel
Salt and pepper
Stuffing:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, half a turn of the pan
3/4 pound sweet bulk Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, chopped
20 stems mushrooms, finely chopped
1 rib of celery and green, leafy top from the heart of the stalk, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (10-ounce) box chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 slices white bread, toasted and buttered, chopped into small dice
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano, 2 handfuls
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and mushroom caps and season
caps with salt and pepper. Saute caps 5 to 7 minutes, until they are lightly browned
and tender on edges. Turn caps up and let juices drain away from caps. Transfer caps
to a small nonstick baking sheet. Wipe out skillet and return to heat. Add a touch of
oil and sausage to the hot skillet. Brown and crumble sausage for 3 minutes. In a
food processor pulse and chop the garlic, add mushroom stems and pulse to chop the
mushroom stems. Add celery, onion and red bell pepper to the mushrooms and pulse
to chop. Remove mixture from the processor and saute veggies and mushrooms over
medium high heat another 3 to 5 minutes. Add dry, defrosted spinach and stir into
stuffing. Add chopped bread and cheese to the pan and toss stuffing until bread is
moist and stuffing is combined, 2 or 3 minutes. Fill caps with stuffing using a small
scoop or large spoon. Place caps in hot oven and reduce heat to 450 degrees F. Bake
6 to 8 minutes to crisp edges of stuffing and set stuffing in mushrooms. Transfer
stuffed mushrooms to a serving plate

Please Share This With Other Cooks!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

I don’t know what you will be doing this coming Sunday, but I will not be in the kitchen!  I freely admit I am a football junky!  So today I am making food for tomorrows “tailgate” inside the house.   Too cold to go outside!

Here is what I will probably start out with:

Ingredients

* 1  16-oz. can refried beans
* 1/4  tsp. cayenne pepper
* 1  recipe Lime Guacamole, below
* 4  oz. cojita cheese, crumbled (1 cup) or 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 1  8-oz. carton dairy sour cream
* 1  cup halved cherry tomatoes
* 1  2.25-oz. can sliced pitted ripe olives
* 1/2  cup sliced green onions
* 1/3  cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
*   Green onion tops (optional)
*   Tortilla or Corn Chips
*   Lime Wedges

Directions

1. In bowl combine beans and cayenne. In one half of bottom of 2-quart rectangular baking dish spread bean mixture in even layer. Spoon Lime Guacamole in other half, spreading evenly. Sprinkle both with cojita cheese. Spread sour cream over all. Cover; chill up to 24 hours.

2. Before serving, sprinkle tomatoes, well-drained olives, and onions over sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tomatoes. Sprinkle onion tops. Pass lime wedges. Makes 8 to 10 (1/2 cup) servings.

3. Lime Guacamole: In bowl combine 4 avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and coarsely mashed; 1 medium tomato, chopped; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped; 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves); 1 tsp. shredded lime peel; 2 Tbsp. lime juice; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper; and 1/8 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce.

Recipe Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Please Share This With Other Cooks!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Or any time really.   The last minute gift shopping and wrapping is over in this house.  It is time to get down to some serious celebrating of the season!

Our cookies are done, stuffed cabbage done, kielbasa bought, Pierogis are made.  What else?  Not much…except maybe appetizers.  After all when my family gathers for the holidays we “graze” as my daughter likes to tell it.

Here are some grazing appetizers for you to try.

Roll ‘Em Ups. Spread a thin layer of your favorite cream cheese spread on large flour tortillas (you can use plain, herb, sun-dried tomato, or spinach-flavored). Top with thin layers of turkey or roast beef, thinly sliced tomato, and baby spinach leaves. Roll the tortilla up very tightly, similar to a jelly roll. Chill rolls for about 30 minutes, then cut rolls into slices, creating small finger sandwiches.  These are also good after Christmas for snacks, use whatever cheeses you like and thinly sliced ham or turkey.   Great way to use some leftovers.

Where’s the Shrimp? Who doesn’t love shrimp? For a super-easy appetizer, thaw cooked frozen shrimp (or steam, saute, or boil your own raw shrimp). Place bowls of dipping sauces on a platter (such as tartar or cocktail sauce or aioli), then surround the bowls with the cooked shrimp.

Dip This. Every party needs a dip, but here’s an option that’s a little bit more gourmet. Purchase garlic- or basil-flavored oil or make your own variations by stirring herbs, garlic, or grated Parmesan cheese into olive oil. Pour the oil into small dipping dishes and serve with chunks of focaccia or baguette slices for dipping.

Twisted Salsa. Here’s a fun salsa variation that’s almost a meal in itself. Combine drained canned black beans, thawed frozen corn, chopped roma tomatoes, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, chopped green pepper, and chopped avocado. Toss the mixture with some lime juice, salt, and pepper. If you like, you can also add chopped garlic, sliced black olives, chopped jalapeno peppers, or anything else! Serve with tortilla chips, or just give guests a spoon to dig in!

All of these recipes are from Better Homes and Gardens, one of my favorite magazines.

Happy “Grazing” and have a safe holiday season!

Please Share This With Other Cooks!

Powered by Bookmarkify™

With the holidays upon us, most are looking for easy to fix appetizers for the last minute guest.   These do not have to be elaborate or hard to make.

Here is a simple recipe that I have used for years.  It is always a hit with family and friends.  I make the filling out before hand, keep it in the refrigerator up to week, then when the guests drop by, I just fill the mushroom and put in the microwave.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
1 pound large stuffing mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
4 ounces bulk Italian sausage
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese plus two tablespoons
2 green onions
DIRECTIONS
Chop mushroom stems. In microwaveable pie plate using a fork, combine mushroom stems, sausage, Italian seasoning, garlic, Parmesan cheese, ½ cup Mozzarella cheese and green onions. Cover with paper towel.

Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 1 minute. Arrange mushroom caps on paper towel lined microwaveable pie plate. Spoon about 1 tablespoon sausage mixture into each cap. Cover with paper towel. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) uncovered, until cheese melts, about 30 seconds.

Please Share This With Other Cooks!

Powered by Bookmarkify™