Tag: Appetizer

Appetizers, Brunch

Recipe—Puff Pastry Spirals

Diva di Cucina

Puff pastry has got to be one of my favorite ingredients to work with. It is so incredibly versatile and is a must have item in my freezer at all times. This recipe is a great one to keep in mind when you need an appetizer that can be made ahead of time. Serve them warm or at room temperature. You really can make these with almost any combination of ingredients but these are my favorite. Both combinations are classic flavors, spinach with feta and ham with swiss. These can be prepared a day ahead of time and kept wrapped up in the fridge until you are ready to bake them. I have made these not only as an appetizer but also as a side dish for brunch. I personally love to serve them with champagne. Yummy!

Note: Be sure to remove as much liquid as you can from the spinach before adding it to the pastry otherwise it may make the pastry soggy.

SPINACH AND FETA SPIRAL INGREDIENTS
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 c feta
1/4 c yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (1/2 package)
flour for work surface
1 egg
1 tbsp water

STEPS

  • Stir together the spinach, feta, yellow onion, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
  • Sprinkle flour on the work surface and unfold puff pastry.
  • Top puff pastry with the spinach mixture and evenly spread it out leaving one edge exposed about an inch back.
  • Starting at the edge opposite from the exposed edge roll up like a jelly roll.
  • Wrap your roll in saran wrap and chill in freezer for an hour or fridge for a couple of hours. (This will make it easier to slice through.)
  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl.
  • Remove the saran wrap and cut roll into 1/4″–1/2” slices.
  • Place the slices cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  • Brush the top of each spiral with the egg wash.
  • Bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove the spirals from the baking sheet and allow to cool.

HAM AND SWISS SPIRAL INGREDIENTS
1 lb of thin sliced ham
1 c shredded swiss
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (1/2 package)
flour for work surface
1 egg
1 tbsp water

STEPS

  • Sprinkle flour on the work surface and unfold puff pastry.
  • Top puff pastry with an even layer of the ham and then sprinkle with cheese leaving one edge exposed about an inch back.
  • Starting at the edge opposite from the exposed edge roll up like a jelly roll.
  • Wrap your roll in saran wrap and chill in freezer for an hour or fridge for a couple of hours. (This will make it easier to slice through.)
  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl.
  • Remove the saran wrap and cut roll into 1/4″–1/2” slices.
  • Place the slices cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  • Brush the top of each spiral with the egg wash.
  • Bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove the spirals from the baking sheet and allow to cool.
Appetizers, Brunch

Recipe—Asparagus Gruyére Tart

Diva di Cucina

Since asparagus is plentiful at the market right now I thought I would post a simple, yet elegant asparagus recipe that will excite your palate. The final product looks impressive and tastes just as good. This asparagus tart is perfect as an appetizer or a side dish with brunch. You really can’t go wrong serving it warm or cold. It is very easy to make and requires hardly any prep time at all. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 c flour, for work surface
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (I love Pepperidge Farms)
2 c Gruyére cheese, shredded
1 bundle thin asparagus spears
olive oil
lemon pepper
sea salt

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle and trim uneven edges.
  • Carefully move the pastry to a baking sheet.
  • Using a knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to give it a border. This is identifies the boundary you will put your cheese and asparagus in.
  • Using a fork, poke the dough inside the rectangle at 1/2-inch intervals.
  • Bake pastry until golden, about 15 minutes.
  • While the pastry is baking, trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell.
  • In a large bowl toss the asparagus with olive oil, lemon pepper, and salt.
  • Remove pastry shell from oven. (If your pastry swells up lay a clean kitchen towel over the top and gently press down until it is about a 1/2” tall.)
  • Evenly sprinkle with the shredded Gruyére.
  • Arrange the asparagus in a single layer over Gruyére, alternating ends and tips.
  • Bake until spears are tender, approximately 15–20 minutes.
  • Allow to cool and then cut into squares using a pizza cutter.

For some great information about asparagus check out a previous post of mine here: https://divadicucina.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/kitchen-tip-asparagus/

Appetizers

Recipe—Western Bacon Jalapeño Poppers

Diva di Cucina

Recipe—Western Bacon Poppers

With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend I thought I would share one of my favorite finger food recipes. There are many variations of jalapeño poppers out there, but these are my favorite. They are absolutely evil and they are sure to start your Super Bowl party off with a bang. These are perfect balance of spicy, salty, and tangy. Make three times more than you think you will need, just trust me on that. Most people end up inhaling several. They really are that good.

Note: Poppers can be prepared a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge right before cooking if needed. These can also be finished off on the bbq instead of the oven to give them a nice smoky flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
5 jalapeños, seeded and deveined based on desired heat
5 slices (about 1/4” thick) of cheddar cheese cut in half lengthwise
5 slices of bacon cut in half
1/4 c of your favorite bbq sauce

STEPS:

  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Place bacon in a large pyrex dish so that the slices do not overlap.
  • Pre-cook the bacon in the oven for 8 minutes flipping once halfway through. You do not want the pieces to be overcooked. They should still be partially raw and flexible so that you can easily wrap the slices around the poppers.
  • While the bacon is cooking, place a block of cheddar cheese in each jalapeño half. You may need to cut the cheddar block slightly shorter to fit within the pepper’s cavity. The pepper will fill in with the cheese once melted.
  • When all of the jalapeños are filled, and the bacon has cooled, wrap the half slice of bacon around each jalapeño. Secure the bacon with a toothpick if necessary.
  • Place wrapped poppers on a baking sheet and dab with bbq sauce.
  • Cook in the oven for 10–14 minutes or until bacon looks cooked through and cheese is melted and bubbly. If you want to give the bacon a little extra crisp turn on the broiler for a minute before removing from the oven.
  • Dab with additional bbq sauce before serving.
Appetizers, Sauces

Recipe—Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade

Diva di Cucina

If you are from California then you should know that it’s crab season! Since crab is so affordable, and as fresh as can be right now, I thought I would share my favorite crab cake recipe. These crab cakes are perfectly crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside. The spicy remoulade is the icing on the crab cake here.

Note: You can make miniature crab cakes for a delicious hors d’oeuvre or large cakes for a main dinner entrée. If you have leftovers just put them in the oven for 12–14 minutes at 375º turning once and they will be delicious and crispy to enjoy all over again.

CRAB CAKE INGREDIENTS
1/4 c minced onion
2 tbsp minced green bell pepper
1/4 c melted butter
1 lb crabmeat, drained and flaked
3/4 c breadcrumbs
1 egg
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestshire sauce
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp dry mustard
dash cayenne pepper
1/2 c breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying
lemon wedges

STEPS

  • Sauté onion and green pepper in butter until tender and remove from heat.
  • Add in crabmeat and next nine ingredients mixing well (add in extra mayonnaise if needed to hold mixture together).
  • Shape into 10–12 patties.
  • Coat patties with additional breadcrumbs.
  • Refrigerate for at least 60 minutes. By refrigerating the patties, they are less likely to break apart when frying. (I make my remoulade during this time.)
  • Pour oil into a heavy skillet so that it is at least 1/4 inch deep.
  • Fry cakes in hot oil (375º) for 3–4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
  • Serve with spicy remoulade and lemon wedges.

SPICY REMOULADE INGREDIENTS
¼ c mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp of cayenne pepper

STEPS

  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  • Add additional cayenne pepper to taste. I like mine spicy!

If the spicy remoulade isn’t really your thing, my mango salsa pairs up nicely as well. See the recipe here:
https://divadicucina.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/recipe-mango-salsa/