Showing posts with label Appetizer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Appetizer. Show all posts

Sauerkraut Balls 

Thursday, April 14, 2011 -
Hubs likes his sauerkraut.  Me?  It is one of those items sometimes I like and sometimes I'm okay not eating.  I think it just depends on how it is prepared and if it is good.

I decided to search for a new sauerkraut option to see what I could do differently with it for dinner one night.  I came across this recipe on the Food Network website and thought I'd give it at try.  You can see all of the ingredients and step by steps on the link, so this will be more of a photo walk through for your enjoyment.  But please note, I omitted the ham (didn't have any), adjusted flavoring (added more mustard than recommended), and made bread crumbs out of hot dog buns and seasoned those up a bit.



Ending result?  Eh...they were okay.  Not a mishap, but okay.  I think it was because I prepared the balls and then froze them prior to breading and frying.  We changed our dinner plans that night and went out with friends to celebrate the weekend.  Maybe they would have been better if we prepared and ate them the same night?  Either way, I shouldn't have added more mustard (got it, lesson learned) and I'm sure the ham would have given it an extra something. 

Either way, I think I'll stick with the Rathskeller's fried German apps.

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Candied Pecan Bacon: An Appetizer 

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 -
Every year, the Indy Alumnae Panhellenic (this is Greek talk people.  Put on your fraternity or sorority hat for two seconds, then I promise you can take it off and concentrate on the food) hosts a "Taster's Luncheon" to raise money for scholarships that are given to local, sorority women.  The luncheon is always a collection of salads, appetizers, breads and desserts that are submitted by the delegates and then selected for this event.  One of the delegates for our alumnae chapter couldn't make her dish (lucky gal was cruising with her husband) so I jumped to help her out.  I thought it was interesting, so I decided to share (by interesting, I really thought it was going to quickly become a mishap...)

Candied Pecan Bacon Points
Ingredients include:
  • 1 pound bacon
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • black pepper
  • rye party bread
  • 1 cup cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • chives for garnish (optional - I didn't have these on hand to add)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and top it with a baking rack. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on top of the rack.

Mix together the pecans, and brown sugar with a good grinding of pepper in a small bowl. Evenly sprinkle the mixture over the bacon. Put the bacon into the oven and bake until the sugar is melted and the bacon is crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly until crisp.

While the bacon is cooking, in a small bowl mix together the cream cheese and Worcestershire sauce.  Spread the rye bread with the cream cheese mixture, then cut the slice of bread in half like a triangle (Jan uses scissors). Top with two pieces of bacon cut about ½ inch each and crossed to fit the bread.

 



I had no idea what to expect out of these, but to be honest, I was surprised.  They were tasty, despite me not being a lover of rye bread.  They even held up pretty good overnight in the fridge before being served at the luncheon.  And from what I heard, they were well received.  Overall, great recipe Jan - glad that I could help you out while you were off cruising!

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Snacks, Wine & Jewels: A Girl's Night 

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 -
My friend Mary came over on Monday evening to showcase thew new season of Stella & Dot jewelry.  She is is off to a great start as a stylist, and I was happy to host the party for her on Monday evening.  It is a great reason for a group of girl's to get together to drink some wine/beer, eat some snacks and ogle over jewelry.  And if you find something great (which I think is not difficult with Stella & Dot), you could possibly walk away with a great purchase.  I had hosted a party in the past, but with all these new products, I was excited to see what was being offered this season (especially with all the weddings quickly approaching!)

My closest friends in Indy made it out (thanks ladies!), but I thought I would show all of you some of the jewelry (and food!) that you may have missed out on.


For food, I restrained myself and provided really simple appetizers.  I served basil, sun dried tomato and pistachio encrusted goat cheese skewers; ciabatta sandwiches of pesto, turkey, provolone and bacon; and a variety of veggies with a ranch dipping sauce.  Drinks were a variety of wines, home crafted brews from the hubs and a pomegranate punch.

 



I would love to get some more orders, so if you are interested, don't hesitate to place an order online!  It is great quality jewelry at a reasonable price.  Anyone is more than welcome - there are some great pieces for brides (and bridesmaids!), Spring break accents and everyday wear.  To order, visit this link and select me (Angie Ahrens) as your hostess!  Questions?  Leave a comment - I'll hit you back!

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Broccoli Soup & Crostinis 

Thursday, January 20, 2011 -
With the New Year, I decided more veggies had to be incorporated into my meals. This also means hubs gets to eat more too.  I saw broccoli was on sale this past weekend, so I scooped up two pounds knowing that I could make a simple, yet tasty, broccoli soup.  It would be a light, Sunday evening meal after eating out over the weekend - perfect way to kick off the week.

I began with what would be the "hardest" part of this recipe - the veggie prep.   After chopping the onion, hubby sauteed it in olive oil while I finished the veggies.  I peeled and diced the potato and continued onto the broccoli.  One thing I notice that many people do with broccoli is disregard the stem.  For a soup though, you can really use all of this once you peel and prep it.  Thus, I thought I'd give you a basic four step procedure to using the stems.

1. Remove the broccoli heads
2. Trim off all the "branches" of the stem (makes it easier to peel)
3. Stand up the broccoli on an end, then cut away the outer layer with a knife, like you would with a pumpkin or melon skin.
4. Ta da!  You are done!  Chop and use!

Now that we have all of our broccoli chopped with the potato, I added all the veggies to the onion Tim had been cooking (muah, thanks hubs!)  We then added a few cups of vegetable broth (you can use chicken, beef, whatever you have) and then finished it off with water just until all the veggies were submerged.  I also added some red pepper flakes, pepper and garlic salt.

That's it.  Let it boil, then lower the heat so it simmers for about 20 minutes.  Grab the hand held submersion blender your mother gave you back in the day (or, you could also use a blender, just be cautious cause the liquid is hot.  Do it in batches and cover it with a towel to make sure there are no splatters) and go to work.  Whatever consistency you like, we preferred super smooth.

And the whole time the soup is simmering, hubs is being fantastic and making crostinis to compliment the meal.  Simply enough, toasted french bread was topped with a mix of artichokes, parsley, Parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Absolutely fantastic with the soup (would be a great appetizer too!), that evening and the next day.  And while your coworkers are looking at the soup in disgust due to the green appearance, you can sit back and enjoy the warm soup in your belly knowing it is not only tasty, but good for you too.

Make anything recently that was perfectly light and hit the spot?

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Jalapeno Popper Dip 

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 -
While hubs and I were making the Parmesan Tator Tots, we had a batch of jalapeno popper dip in the oven.  Inspired by my love of buffalo wing dip, I figured we could translate the spicy and cheesy popper into a dip as well.  I was sure other people have done this before, so I did a little research and found Closet Cooking presented a great option.  When we got home, I whipped up a batch of my own with what we had in the kitchen.

This is so simple - we mixed together some pickled jalapenos, mayo, cream cheese, cheddar and Parmesan cheese.  Everything that a jalapeno popper has - that's it!

On top we sprinkled some panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top.  I should have mixed these together and finely grated the Parmesan so it would have browned up better, but it was still delish.  Once topped, we put it into the oven.

Crisp corn tortillas were the perfect vehicle to get this dip in my mouth.  And it was just like a popper - I promise.

Next time, I'll probably add more jalapenos, both fresh and pickled, and mix the topping together.  And trust me, there will be a next time!

What spicy appetizer do you enjoy?

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