Ap p etizers 15 Party Appetizer Recipes to Try |

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WINTER 2014 RECIPE SUPPLEMENT
A p p e ti ze rs
15 Party Appetizer
Recipes to Try
By Tracey Moro / Photography by Maria Lisa Marino
With Christmas, New Year’s and even Super Bowl Sunday around the corner we figure now is the time to gather some of the best appetizers so
you will have plenty of choices to bring to that next home party. A ll of
our “chefs” at our home party brought their favorite appetizer they like to
make. Before we began tasting we photographed each appetizer and the
“chef ” who brought it. We socialized, had some wine of course, and then
we began tasting. Each recipe had a number and after we each had tasted
enough, we wrote down our favorites. Those four favorites are included in
the Winter 2014 edition of Macomb Now Magazine. A ll the recipes are in this
Recipe Supplement. We hope you tr y these in your kitchen and let us know
which ones were your favorites. Enjoy!
Food | APPETIZERS
1
Cream Cheese and Feta Dip
By Cathy Lentine
Local Celebrity Chef
Cathy Lentine, Cooking with Cathy,
Celebrity Chef
Cathy gives us recipes in each issue of the
Macomb Now Magazine and the response has
been so wonderful it inspired us to do this
special supplement. Cathy has two recipes
here and we knew at least one would end up
a favorite and this Cream Cheese and Feta Dip
was outstanding. Cathy makes it look so easy
and so delicious.
Ingredients
Preparation
2 boxes cream cheese (softened)
1 cup of chopped Feta cheese
3/4 cup of chopped red onion
1package of store bought
Hummus
1package of grape tomatoes —
chopped
2 garlic cloves-chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp. oregano
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup chopped black
pitted olives
Mix together cream cheese,
Feta cheese and red onion.
Spread onto a flat dish.
Spread Hummus on top of
cream cheese. Mix together
the tomatoes, garlic, lemon
juice, oregano and salt and
pepper. Place on top of
Hummus mixture — put
the olives around the whole
plate. Serve with toasted
bread or pita chips.
Food | APPETIZERS
APPETIZERS
| Food
Colossal Shrimp Stuffed with Lump Crab
By Chef Justin, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market
Ingredients
16 oz. lump crabmeat
7 Tbsp. ground saltine crackers
1.5 Tbsp. minced Spanish onion
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1-1/4 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 large egg
Kosher salt to taste
White pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
Colossal shrimp, butterflied 10 each
Panko bread crumbs as needed
Preparation
Mix together Spanish onions, Old Bay Seasoning, yellow and dry mustard,
worcestershire sauce, egg, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, and lemon juice.
Fold in crabmeat trying to keep the crab whole. Gently add the
ground crackers. Place a generous amount of crab mixture (about
2 oz.) onto the top of the shrimp. Top with panko bread crumbs. Brush
with melted butter and place into a preheated 350º oven for 10 to
15 minutes. Product should be golden brown.
2
Chef Justin, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market
This spectacular appetizer looks divine
and yet is so easy to make. Just follow the
steps Chef Justin gives and enjoy.
Food | APPETIZERS
3
Bacon Wrapped Aspargus
By Suzanne Musante, Macomb Township
Ingredients
1 bundle asparagus
1 12-16 oz. package of bacon
Preparation
Pre cook bacon for 10 minutes (do not
over cook bacon - it should still roll
around asparagus spears). Let bacon
cool and drain. Roll one slice of bacon
around each spear of asparagus. Place
on baking sheet and put in oven at
350º until bacon is cooked completely.
Suzanne Musante, Macomb Township.
Suzanne is an Account Executive with
Macomb Now Magazine. She loves to
entertain and says everyone loves
bacon and it’s so easy to make - so you
can’t go wrong with this appetizer.
APPETIZERS
APPETIZERS
|| Food
Food
4
White Bean Spread with Garlic and Rosemary
By Stephen Bitsoli, St. Clair Shores
Ingredients
Preparation
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Put olive oil, garlic and rosemary
in a skillet over medium heat until
it begins to sizzle. Add beans and
liquid. While it cooks, mash with
wooden spoon or potato masher
until the mixture thickens slightly.
Remove from heat and transfer to
bowl or container.
3 cloves (medium) minced garlic
3 tsp. rosemary
1 can (14 oz.) white beans
(undrained).
Fresh rosemary for garnish
Stephen is a writer for Macomb Now Magazine and
spends a good portion of his free time in the kitchen.
He recalls finding this recipe in 2005 in a book Perfect
Recipes for Having People Over, by Pam Anderson. His
version has a bit more garlic and was a huge hit.
Food | APPETIZERS
5
Grape Balls of Flavor
By Clarice Krolicki, Warren
Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. goat cheese
Salt - to taste
1 pound red and green grapes
8 oz. walnuts (finely chopped)
Preparation
Combine cream cheese and goat
cheese, mix well until blended (add
optional salt to taste). Wash grapes
and let dry thoroughly. Coat each
grape with the cheese mixture and
roll in chopped nuts to cover. Makes
about 50 grapes depending on grape
size.
Clarice is no stranger to cooking and
spends her days working in a restaurant
so she has first hand experience. She
made these Grape balls the day before
the party and says although they take a
bit of prep time they are worth it.
APPETIZERS
APPETIZERS
| Food
6
Appetizer Wreath
By Sheila Priemer, Harrison Township
Ingredients
2 tubes (8 oz. each) refrigerated
crescent rolls
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese,
softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
florets
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red
pepper
Celery leaves
Sheila is the mother of four and prides
herself on her cooking. She and her
friends have a gourmet cooking group,
which meets once a month, cooking a
variety of dishes throughout the year.
Preparation
Remove crescent dough from
packaging (do not unroll). Cut each
tube in to eight slices. Arrange in an
11 inch circle on a non-greased 14
inch pizza pan. Bake at 375º for 15
to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool for 5 minutes before carefully
removing to a serving platter. Cool
completely. In a small bowl, beat the
cream cheese, sour cream, dill and
garlic powder until smooth. Spread
over wreath, top with broccoli, celery
and red pepper. Form a bow garnish
with celery leaves. Serves 16.
Food | APPETIZERS
7
Asian “Turkey” Lettuce Wraps
By Chef Educator Scott O’Farrell C.E.C.,
C.E.P.C., C.C.A., Macomb Culinary Institute
Ingredients
1 Lb turkey breast, fully cooked,
dice small (chilled)
1 tsp. garlic paste
1 Tbsp. chive, cut fine
1 tsp. ginger, grate and mince fine
1/2 cup water chestnuts, fine chop
1/4 cup bamboo shoots, fine chop
2 Tbsp. red pepper, fine dice
1 Tbsp. yellow pepper, fine dice
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. soy
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 each limes, juice of
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 pinch black pepper, fresh ground
2 head lettuce of choice – wash
well in cold water, drain and
dry thoroughly.
Preparation
Place the fully cooked chilled
and diced turkey in a bowl.
Combine the remainder of
ingredients and mix well.
Let rest while under refrigeration for a couple of hours.
Adjust seasonings to one’s
personal taste. Place Asian
Turkey salad on lettuce leaf,
add vegetable garnish of
choice. Wrap and use choice
of sauce or condiments.
Depending on size serves
4 to 6.
Chef Scott teaches at one
of the world’s best culinary
schools here in our own
backyard at the Macomb
Culinary Institute at Macomb
Community College. He has
won numerous awards and
has participated in several
world renowned IKA Culinary
Olympics.
APPETIZERS
| Food
8
Sausage Bread
By Jeanette Izzi, Washington Township
Ingredients
1 loaf of Rhodes frozen bread
dough
3 links Rinaldi’s plain Italian
sausage
1 cup of Feta cheese
McCormick’s Salad Supreme
seasoning
2 Tbsp. melted butter
Jeanette is the Aunt to Macomb Now’s
photographer Maria Lisa Marino. In
their family Jeanette gets requests for
this favorite appetizer at all the family
gatherings.
Preparation
Remove Italian sausage from the
casing and brown in a frying pan. Let
cool. Mix up the cup of Feta cheese
with the sausage. Once the frozen
bread dough is thawed out, flatten and roll it until it is a half inch
thick (into a long rectangle shape)
Add the sausage and cheese filling
to the center of the dough. Gather
the dough on all ends to create a
seam; pinch the dough all together
to make a torpedo shape loaf. Turn
the seams side down on an nongreased cookie sheet. Brush loaf
with a tablespoon of melted butter
and sprinkle loaf with McCormick’s
Salad Supreme seasoning. Bake at
350 degrees for 25 minutes or until
loaf is golden brown. Let it cool, slice
and enjoy.
Food | APPETIZERS
9
Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps
By Carol Terrell, Clinton Township
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless
chicken breast
1 (1 pound) package sliced bacon
(thin)
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut
chicken breast into one inch cubes.
Cut each piece of bacon into thirds.
Wrap each chicken cube with bacon
and secure with a wooden toothpick
inserted on the diagonal starting
where bacon seam overlaps. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder.
Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture.
Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken on
rack in broiler pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
Carol is the mother of Macomb Now’s
Editor Tracey Moro and her two
sisters. She has six grandchildren and
is well known for her baking expertise. Carol’s Chicken Bacon Wraps can
be done ahead and warmed in the
microwave.
APPETIZERS
| Food
10
Hummus with Lemon and Garlic
By Jerry Drenzek, Macomb Township
Ingredients
1 (15 Oz.) can chick peas (Garbanzo
beans) drained and rinsed
1 tsp. minced California garlic
2 tsp. ground cumin seed
1/3 cup organic lemon juice
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup Tahini sesame seed paste
Since retiring Jerry has spent more
time mastering the art of cooking.
After sharing his favorite recipe on
Facebook he was invited to join our
party so we could share it with you.
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in food processor and mix until the dip reaches
the consistency of sour cream. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.
Serve with oven baked pita wedges.
Food | APPETIZERS
11
Pepperoni Puffs
By Susan Durlock, Clinton Township
Ingredients
Preparation
1 cup all purpose flour
Combine flour, baking powder, milk,
egg and cheese; mix well. Stir in pepperoni; let stand for 15 minutes.
Spoon mixture into greased mini muffin cups. Filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake
at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes
or until golden. Serve them with a side
of Marinara sauce for dipping. Makes
two dozen.
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup pepperoni, diced
Sue is the mother of college age twins.
She loves to cook and was eager
to share several of her appetizer
recipes. This recipe was just one of
her favorites.
APPETIZERS
12
Baked Brie with Raspberry Sauce
By Deb DeCook, Clinton Township
Ingredients
Preparation
1 (6 to 8 ounce) round of brie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place
brie in small ovenproof serving dish.
Mound the brown sugar on top, dot
with butter. Bake until the cheese
is very soft, but not runny, about
15 minutes. (You can also heat brie
in microwave for a minute or so).
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix
together raspberries. You may find
it necessary to add 1 or 2 teaspoon
water to cook the raspberry. Stir in
raspberry sauce over medium heat
until boiling and slightly thickened,
about 5 minutes.
1/4 c brown sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
3/4 c fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. corn starch
1 Tbsp. sliced toasted almonds
A few fresh raspberries
for garnish
Deb is a member of the same
gourmet cooking group as Sheila
and continually surprises her
friends with her spectacular new
recipes. This warm brie was not
only a favorite because it tasted
great but because it looked so
pretty on the table.
| Food
Food | APPETIZERS
13
Melon Crostini
By Cathy Lentine, Shelby Township
Ingredients
Preparation
3/4 cup sliced cantaloupe
Toss cantaloupe with vinegar, sugar
and chives - set aside. Fry prosciutto until crisp. Mix together ricotta,
cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Spread mixture onto toasted
bread slices, top with melon, prosciutto and arugula.
1 tsp. flavored vinegar
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. of minced chives
3 slices of prosciutto sliced into
thin strips
1/4 cup fresh ricotta
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp. minced lemon zest
Salt and black pepper to taste
8 pieces of toasted bread
1 cup arugula (3 Tbsp. of olive oil,
salt and pepper)
APPETIZERS
| Food
14
Spinach Artichoke Dip
By Tracey Moro, Clinton Township
Ingredients
Preparation
1 package (8 or 12 oz.) shredded
Mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Completely thaw and drain spinach until
there is no moisture. Combine mayo,
cheeses and drained artichokes in a
bowl until mixed together. Fold in garlic and spinach. Spread out in a shallow dish that you can serve in (nongreased). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or
until the edges begin to brown. Serve
warm with crackers or pita bread.
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and
drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup real mayonnaise
1-2 pressed garlic cloves
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
Tracey, our Executive Editor, has been
known for bringing her popular Spinach Artichoke Dip to home parties for
years now. It’s an easy recipe that is
always a hit during the colder months.
Food | APPETIZERS
15
Healthy Bender Cucumber Boats
By William Bender DC, Harrison Township
Ingredients
Preparation
Bamboo skewers
Cut cucumbers lengthwise and scoop
out seeds making a “boat.” Using
a vegetable peeler, make one pass
down the middle of the bottom to
turn the cucumber into a “flat-bottom-boat.” Set the cucumbers next to
each other in a decorative dish. On a
skewer alternate the veggies, herbs,
and meat, and place one skewer in
each cucumber boat. Combine olive
oil and balsamic vinegar (one to one
ratio for tartness and digestive aid).
Add sea salt and pepper and the juice
of a fresh 1/4 lemon. Mix all ingredients and drizzle over the skewers. The
drippings will be held in the bottom of
the boat.
Cucumbers, one medium per two
guests
Green olives, pitted
Black olives, pitted
Yellow bell peppers
Fresh parsley
Smoked Provolone cheese
Grape tomatoes
Hard salami
Sandwich style pepperoni
Artichoke hearts
Dressing Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Himalayan sea salt ( to taste)
Fresh ground pepper
Fresh lemon
Dr. Bender recommends this healthy
recipe at his clinic. It is very low in carbohydrates, has zero trans fats, is gluten free, and loaded with Omega-3s
and protein. As an added bonus this
delicious appetizer contains natural
gastric acidifiers to aid indigestion for
the rest of the meal. This dish is also
versatile, as you can add and subtract
elements to your taste or theme.