Tuna Stuffed Peppadew Peppers August 1, 2012

I must admit that I first heard of peppadews a few weeks ago when a friend offered me one after her visit to a local olive bar.  Peppadews are tiny little peppers that are mildly spicy and slightly sweet, with a complex flavor.  They are seeded and pickled and typically found in a jar near olives or on an olive bar.

As you may know, I love all things mini and am always looking for new bite-size appetizers to serve at my next soiree.  Stuffing them with a creamy cheese or tuna salad makes for a lovely appetizer.  This tuna stuffing recipe is inspired by Andrew Carmellini’s recipe in Urban Italian, and is packed with protein, flavor and tang.

The tuna can be made up to 2 days in advance, but the peppers should only be stuffed up to 2 hours in advance.  Stuffing 30 peppers takes about 10-15 minutes so it can be done right before serving.

I made these little tuna stuffed peppers for a picnic in the park, but they would also be perfect for any cocktail party – especially a retro-themed party, complete with deviled eggs, a port wine cheese ball and pigs in a blanket.

Tuna Stuffed Peppadew Peppers

10 oz. can tuna (in oil)

3 scallions, divided

1 Tbs. mayonnaise

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. picking juice from peppadew peppers

Juice of 1 lemon

6 basil leaves, chopped

1 jar peppadew peppers (about 30)

salt and pepper to taste

Drain oil from tuna.  Combine tuna and 2 minced scallions in bowl (reserve additional scallion for garnish).  Add mayo and olive oil and mix until well combined.  Add peppadew juice, lemon juice and basil and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Using your fingers, stuff each pepper with tuna mixture.  Place stuffed peppers on serving platter and sprinkle with reserved chopped scallion.  Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours.

Mediterranean Baked Olives October 26, 2011

Imagine the best olive mix you’ve ever bought.  The marinated olives you can make at home are infinitely better.  Combine a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your house (garlic, wine, bay leaf, oregano, etc.), bake them with your favorite mix of olives, and serve them with crusty bread for a simple tapas-style appetizer.  The smell of these olives cooking will elicit moans from anyone in the vicinity of your kitchen.

Mediterranean Baked Olives

1 cup Kalamata olives

1 cup green olives, such as Picholine

1 bay leaf

3 cloves garlic, 1 sliced and 2 minced

1 tsp. oregano

1 Tbs. parsley

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

1 ½ Tbs. olive oil

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1.            Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Combine olives, bay leaf, sliced garlic and wine in baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake in single layer, covered, for 45 minutes or until olives are fragrant and swollen.

2.            Meanwhile, combine minced garlic, parsley, oregano and olive oil in mortar and pestel until it resembles a thick paste.   When olives are done baking, pierce each olive with a knife or fork, and add parsley mixture, along with olive oil and crushed red pepper, tossing to combine.  Serve immediately or cool and store at room temperature for up to a week.

Serves 6-8

Tapas Party April 6, 2011

Check out my April 2011 column on The Family Groove for info. on how to host a great tapas party.

http://www.thefamilygroove.com/apr11_EntertainingOnTheEasy.htm

Goat Cheese Artichoke Dip December 21, 2010

I love to serve a warm dip during the holidays, like this Goat Cheese Artichoke Dip.  It can be prepared several days in advance and popped into the oven right before guests arrive, filling your house with the inviting smell of cheesy goodness.  This dip is a huge crowd-pleaser, so I always double the recipe when serving as part of a cocktail party menu.

Although this dip is cream cheese based, it freezes surprisingly well.  I often make an extra and freeze it (unbaked) so I have a delicious dip on hand for impromptu holiday entertaining.  If you aren’t a fan of goat cheese, use sour cream in place of the goat cheese.  Either way, this dip is absolutely delicious.  Serve with warm whole wheat pita wedges, baguette slices, or whole-grain crackers.

Goat Cheese Artichoke Dip

½ C. low-fat mayonnaise

8oz low-fat cream cheese or Neufatchel cheese, softened

6oz goat cheese, softened

½ C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 can (14oz) water-packed artichoke hearts, drained

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

1.            Combine mayo, cream cheese, goat cheese and Parmesan in food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Add artichoke hearts, onion and garlic and pulse until combined, leaving some texture to the mixture.  Transfer mixture to a 6” soufflet or casserole dish.  (You can refrigerate this mixture for up to 2 days).

2.            Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake dip for 30 minutes, or until warm and bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Frozen Vodka December 1, 2010

Take frozen vodka to a whole new level by freezing it in a decorative block of ice.  I have been making this impressive yet simple bar-staple for years and it not only adds interest to your bar, but it also keeps the vodka syrupy and delicious.

You’ll need an empty milk carton, various garnishes to fill the ice with color, and a bottle of good-quality vodka.

Before you begin, make sure that the vodka bottle you plan to use can fit in your freezer, standing upright.  Next, cut off the top of an empty milk carton to square-off the top and create a rectangular mold and rinse inside.  Place a bottle of vodka in the center of the clean carton and fill with first layer of chosen garnishes (evergreen sprigs, fruit, etc.).  Pour just enough cold water into the carton to cover the garnishes.  Freeze for several hours until the garnishes are suspended in the ice.  Add another layer of garnishes and again, pour just enough cold water into the carton to cover the garnishes.  Repeat freezing and filling until you fill the carton to about 1″ below the top.  Keep frozen until ready to serve.  Peel the carton away from the block of ice before serving.  Be sure to place frozen vodka on a tray with a lip to prevent melted water from spilling onto your bar.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Parmesan November 19, 2010

These decadent bites are not the pretties appetizer, but they are one of the most popular that I serve.  People talk about them for days after the party.  I can understand the draw – they are sweet, sticky and salty bites of deliciousness.  What doesn’t taste good wrapped in bacon?

Bacon-wrapped dates are a great make-ahead appetizer.  Pit the dates up to a week in advance, stuff them with Parmesan up to 2 days in advance (refrigerate until ready to wrap in bacon), wrap in bacon up to 1 day in advance and pop these in the oven right when your guests arrive.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Parmesan

24 Medjool dates

½ lb. Parmesan cheese, cut into 24 pieces

12 slices bacon, cut crosswise in half

Arugula, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in middle of oven.  Cover rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick spray.  Cut dates lengthwise to remove pit, then place Parmesan inside.  Seal by pinching the sides together over cheese.  Repeat with remaining dates.  Wrap each date in bacon and place on prepared baking tray, about 1” apart, seam side down.  Bake for 5 minutes; turn dates over to continue cooking until bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes more.  Remove from oven and drain on paper towel.  Serve over bed of fresh arugula, if desired.

• Be sure to use a rimmed baking sheet or a shallow baking dish.  The bacon will render some fat into the pan.
• If you cannot get the bacon to hold in place use a toothpick to secure it.

Hip Halloween Menu October 28, 2010

You don’t need a menu filled with ghoulish dishes for a festive Halloween party. Use seasonal flavors in creative ways to create a hip party menu that will please the adult palate.

Hip Halloween Menu

Pumpkin hummus served with blue corn tortilla chips

http://hiphostessblog.com/2009/10/25/pumpkin-hummus/

Fried pumpkin ravioli

http://hiphostessblog.com/2010/10/28/pumpkin-ravioli-appetizer/

Black olive tapenade crostini

http://hiphostessblog.com/2008/04/12/savory-black-white-cookies/

Lamb chop lollipops with chimichurri sauce

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chimichurri-Sauce-107159

Carrot raisin salad

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/kathleen-daelemans/carrot-quik-slaw-recipe/index.html

Maple-spiced nuts

http://hiphostessblog.com/2008/03/06/go-nuts-for-maple-spiced-nuts/

Pimiento-stuffed green olives (store-bought)

Pumpkin Ravioli Appetizer

Try this simple pumpkin ravioli recipe and serve these bite-size bundles as an appetizer at any fall gathering. Pumpkin ravioli are sold in the fresh pasta section of many grocery stores and Italian specialty markets. Often, the filling has a bit of sage in it, which pairs beautifully with pumpkin.

This fried ravioli technique can be used with any kind of store-bought ravioli. If you’re using a cheese based filling try serving with a warmed marinara dipping sauce.

Fried Pumpkin Ravioli

Canola oil, for frying
¾ C. low-fat buttermilk
2 C. bread crumbs
1 package store-bought pumpkin ravioli (about 2 dozen ravioli)
¼ C. fresh-grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Fill dutch oven or deep frying pay with 2” canola oil. Heat over medium heat until oil reaches 325 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
2. Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment and set aside. Put buttermilk and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip ravioli in buttermilk and coat completely, gently shaking off excess buttermilk over bowl. Next, coat each side of ravioli in bread crumbs, then place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ravioli.
3. Fry the ravioli in batches (6 at a time) in hot oil. Turn ravioli once, until golden brown, after about 2 minutes, and continue cooking (about 1 minute). Transfer fried ravioli, with slotted spoon, to paper towel to drain excess oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Transfer cooked ravioli to baking sheet and keep warm in preheated oven until ready to serve. Best served shortly after frying.

Ouzo Lamb Meatballs (Kaftedes) September 3, 2010

The best lamb burger I ever had was prepared  by a Greek man at a farmer’s market in Kinsale, Ireland.  The secret ingredient, he told me, was the addition of ouzo – a Greek anise-flavored spirit (similar to Italy’s Sambuca).  So I decided to make lamb meatballs using ouzo and they were phenomenal!  Don’t be afraid of the anise flavor – it isn’t licoricey.  Ouzo gives depth of flavor and keeps the meatballs deliciously moist.  No dipping sauce is needed for these flavorful lamb meatballs.

To make-ahead for a party, prepare the meatballs up to 2 days in advance and undercook them.  Reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes, adding an additional minute at a time if needed.

Ouzo Lamb Meatballs

1 lb. ground lamb

3 Tbs. ouzo

½ yellow onion, chopped

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium garlic clove, minced

3 Tbs. fresh mint, finely chopped

1 ½ Tbs. fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 Tbs. capers (rinsed), finely chopped

1 large egg + 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

½ tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 lemon, zested

1.            Place meat in medium bowl, add ouzo and let sit.  Sautee onions in 1 Tbs. olive oil until soft and caramelized, about 5 minutes.  Add onion to meat mixture.

2.            Add remaining ingredients to meat mixture and knead until well combined and smooth.  Using moistened hands or a small spring-loaded scoop, form meat mixture into 1” meatballs and place on a baking sheet.

3.            Heat 2 Tbs. olive oil in large skillet, cooking meatballs in batches until browned on all sides (size of batch depends of size of your skillet – keep the skillet hot by leaving plenty of room for each meatball).  Keep cooked meatballs warm on a baking sheet in a pre-heated 200-degree oven.  Sprinkle meatballs with lemon zest before serving.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Bundles May 18, 2010

This recipe is the perfect example of how a single seasonal ingredient like asparagus can be transformed into a spectacular appetizer when paired with a few other choice ingredients.  Blanched asparagus and creamy herbed cheese are enveloped by paper-thin slices of prosciutto.  Although tying the chives is a bit time-consuming, the wow factor makes it worthwhile.  If you are pressed for time you can skip the chives all together, but they do add a fresh flavor component to these delicious bundles. 

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

1 lb. Asparagus, trimmed and peeled from tip down

1 package spreadable herb cheese, such as Alouette*

12 slices Prosciutto di Parma, sliced paper-thin

1 bunch chives (choose the longest available)

1.  Prepare water bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water, set aside.  Blanche asparagus by dropping into boiling water for 1 minute or until bright green.  Strain asparagus and rinse with cold water.  Immediately plunge blanched asparagus into ice bath.  Once cooled, strain asparagus, dry with paper towel and refrigerate until ready to use (can be done 1 day ahead).

2.  Cut prosciutto slices in half to make 24 short pieces.  Place ½ tsp. herb cheese at one end of the prosciutto halve and top with asparagus.  Carefully roll prosciutto around asparagus.  Tie asparagus bundle with 1 chive.

* Herb goat cheese or cream cheese are good substitutes.