Though gathering with family and friends for dinner is often
considered the main event of the holidays, memories are also made
beforehand while the traditional meal is cooking. Everyone gathers
to talk, play games, exchange gifts and enjoy one another’s
company.
Though gathering with family and friends for dinner is often considered the main event of the holidays, memories are also made beforehand while the traditional meal is cooking. Everyone gathers to talk, play games, exchange gifts and enjoy one another’s company.
Don’t let these memories be overshadowed by growling stomachs and hunger pains: Have the perfect hors d’oeuvres at the ready.
A popular pre-dinner delight are pinwheel sandwiches, made with cheese, roast beef, ham and turkey all wrapped in tortillas and cut into finger food-sized pieces. The mini-sandwiches are one of the most popular appetizers sold at Nob Hill Foods in Morgan Hill, said deli employee Robin Wiedeman.
“Another really popular item is something we call tortas,” she said. “It’s like a pressed layered cheese spread with gorgonzola cheese, hazelnuts and cranberries. It’s very good. The cheese with the fruit is a good combination.”
Finger sandwiches, fruit trays, baked brie pastries and spinach dip in a hollowed-out sourdough bread bowl are other best-selling hors d’oeuvres at the store.
Meat and cheese platters are crowd-pleasers, but for an alternative, try fresh-baked french bread served with mozzarella and roasted-tomato salad, said Gloria Vasquez, deli manager at Windmill Market in San Juan Bautista.
“We have a hard time keeping the french bread on the shelves, and everyone likes this salad,” Vasquez said. “They go together pretty well.”
She also recommended putting the salad on the bread, adding some extra-virgin olive oil and broiling the combination.
To impress your party guests this year, try some of these appetizer recipes.
Cream Cheese and Crab Wontons
1 package of wonton wrappers
1 egg (beaten)
1 package of cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
1 can of crab meat (lump style), drained
2 tsp. of flour
oil for frying
sauce of your choice for dipping
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, flour and crab meat until well-blended.
Step 2: Place 1 tsp. of the crab and cream cheese mixture in the middle of the wonton wrappers. Brush the egg around the edges of the wonton. Bring top corner over and press down the edges to seal. This will make a triangle shape. Bring both corners of the wonton to the top and pinch together to make final seal.
Step 3: Heat oil in deep-frying pan. Oil is ready for frying when you place a wonton in it and the outside wrapper starts to bubble. Fry wontons until golden brown, approximately 2 1/2 minutes.
Mushroom Caps
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups chopped mushrooms
3 tsp. margarine
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
8 slices of white bread
1/2 cup melted butter
Step 1: Sauté onions and mushrooms in margarine. Remove from heat. Add parsley, eggs, cheeses and seasoning. Combine well.
Step 2: Trim crusts from bread and cut into four equal squares. Roll pieces flat with a rolling pin. Dip bread into melted butter and arrange in miniature muffin tins.
Step 3: Fill each with mushroom-cheese mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
Pesto and Brie Canapés
1/2 cup pine nuts (about 3 ounces)
8 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained and finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. minced fresh basil
freshly ground pepper
1 pound ripe brie, rind removed, at room temperature
1 long baguette, sliced diagonally 1/4-inch thick (about 50 slices)
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet and toast for about eight minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden. Transfer the nuts to a work surface and coarsely chop.
Step 2: In a small bowl, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with the garlic, parmesan, olive oil, parsley, basil and pepper. In a medium bowl, vigorously beat the brie.
Step 3: Spread one rounded tsp. of brie on each baguette slice. Top each with 1/2 tsp. of the pesto. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and serve.
Pancetta-Wrapped Scallops with Lemon
6 large sea scallops (about 1/2 pound), membrane removed, scallops quartered
3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Four 3-inch-long strips of lemon zest, plus 1 tsp. finely grated zest for garnish
2 fresh rosemary sprigs plus 2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary for garnish
freshly ground pepper
12 thin slices of pancetta (about 4 ounces), halved
Step 1: In a bowl, toss the scallops with the olive oil, lemon zest strips, rosemary sprigs and pepper, and let marinate in the refrigerator for two hours. In another bowl, soak 24 wooden toothpicks in water for 2 hours.
Step 2: Preheat the broiler. Remove the scallops from the marinade and lightly pat them dry. Drain the toothpicks. Wrap each piece of scallop in a slice of pancetta, secure with a toothpick and transfer to a broiler pan. Broil the scallops for about one minute per side, turning once, until the pancetta sizzles and the scallops are firm but not rubbery.
Step 3: In a small bowl, combine the grated lemon zest and chopped rosemary. Dip one end of each wrapped scallop in the lemon-herb mixture. Transfer to a platter and serve.
Sources: www.greatrecipesonline.com and www.foodandwine.com
