Hummus and Baba Ghanoush

Hummus

• 1 16 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
• 3 to 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Drain the chickpeas and set aside the liquid.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or a food processor. Add chickpea liquid while blending for about 3 to 5 minutes until thoroughly mixed and very smooth.

Baba Ghanoush

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup tahini, plus more if needed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
• 1 pinch ground cumin
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat a grill to medium-high.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Score the eggplant in several places with a fork and place it on the grill, about four to five inches from the fire.
4. Grill the eggplant, turning frequently, until the outer skin is blackened and blistered and the flesh feels soft to the touch, about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and cook until very soft, another 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Remove eggplant from oven, cool and peel off skin.
7. In a large bowl mash the eggplant with a potato masher or a fork.
8. Add tahini, garlic, lemon juice and cumin and mix well until smooth.
9. Season with salt and pepper and taste, adding more tahini or lemon juice depending on your palette.

Salmon Cakes 2 Ways: Mexican or Mediterranean

SERVES 4–6
This foolproof recipe makes about 12 salmon cakes for a family supper. You can also use this recipe to make about 40 mini salmon cakes for small bites to serve with drinks for an informal party. They are absolutely delicious served with flavored mayonnaise and Tomato and Cucumber Salsa. Again, if your children do not eat spicy food, you can omit the chile or Tabasco.

3/4 lb filleted and skinned salmon, roughly chopped
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
2–3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
1 egg, whisked
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (you can chop the small stalks too)
6 scallions, chopped
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1–2 tsp Tabasco sauce or 1 deseeded and chopped chile (optional for children)
3-4 tbsp olive oil, for cooking

Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and whiz to combine. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and more lemon juice or Tabasco, if necessary. If you do not have a food processor, chop up the salmon as finely as possible and mix together all the ingredients in a bowl. Shape into 3-inch patties or 11/2-inch diameter patties for mini salmon cakes. Pan-fry in 3–4 tablespoons olive oil on a medium heat for 3–4 minutes on each side (2-3 minutes for mini cakes), or until golden. Serve on warm plates.
MEDITERRANEAN VARIATION
Omit the Tabasco or chile and substitute the same amount of basil for the cilantro in the salmon cakes and serve with the mayonnaise and salsa.
[Rachel Allen]

10 Easy Make Ahead Appetizers

Steamers with Bay Leaves

Serves 4-6
Prep under 30 mins

5# soft whell clams, scrubbed
1 c dry white wine
4-5 bay leaves
lemon wedges
melted butter

Put clams, wine, bay leaves in large pot with tight fitting lid. Bring liquid to boil over high and cook til clams open. about 10 mins. Scoop clams into large bowl, discarding any closed ones, and reserve broth. Pour broth into mugs, taking care not to get the sediment. Seve lcams iwth lemon wedgs, mugs, and melted butter. Big bowl for shells.

Serve with Beef stew, sauteed apples/pears, cabbage salad.

Vitamix Crabmeat Spread

Yield: 2 1/3 cups (560 ml)
Speed: Variable
Time: 5 to 10 Seconds

Ingredients
1/4 cup (60 ml) lowfat milk
8 ounces (227 g) light or nonfat cream cheese, room temperature, cut in four pieces
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
pepper, to taste
1 cup (135 g) crab meat or imitation crab meat

Directions
1. Place all ingredients into the Vita-Mix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 3 or 4.
4. Blend for 5 to 10 seconds or until chunky. You may need to stop the machine and run a spatula around the inside of the container to integrate ingredients. If necessary, use the tamper to press any ingredients into the blades while processing. Do not over mix.

Note: Refrigerate in airtight container.

Health Classification: Low Carb

Meal Type: Appetizers

Best Hummus Ever

Toast 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in a little skillet until fragrant and dark, about a minute. Pour them into a mortar and pound with a pestle. Add 2 garlic cloves to the cumin and pound them until they become paste. Scrape everything into a food processor and add 1/4 cup tahini, a pinch of cayenne, kosher salt, pepper, the juice of 1 1/2 lemons, and 2 (15-ounce) cans chick peas, drained. (Davis also gives instructions for making this with freshly cooked and hand-peeled dried chick peas, but we haven't gone there yet). Pulse the machine a few times, then add 1/3 cup oil in a steady stream. (This is more than Davis uses, he calls for 5 tablespoons). If it seems too thick, you can thin it out with water, but Daniel uses even more oil.
To serve, spread it on a plate and drizzle on more oil, then sprinkle with a touch more cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Enjoy. And let me know if you think the hummus lives up to the title.

Fast Bruschetta

From Martha Stewart:

Canellini Beans with Herbs
Heat 1 garlic clove + 4 minced anchvy fillets in 2 T oilive oil until fragrant, 1 min. Stir in 19 0z can beans, drained and rinsed, and 1 t each fresh rosemary, sage and thyme. Cook til beans warm. Spoon onto 8 slices bruschetta. Drizzle with EVOO.

Roasted Peppers and Herbed Ricotta
Stir 1 c ricotta + 1/2 t coarse salt + 2 T EVOO + chopped fresh oregano. Season with ground pepper. Spread on 8 slices bruschetta. Cut 1 roasted red pepper into 8 strips. Place 1 strip on each slice. Drizzle with EVOO.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

8 ounces medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

3-1/2ounces thin rice noodles (rice vermicelli)

12 rice paper wrappers,* about 6-1/2 inches in diameter

36whole fresh cilantro leaves

4 ounces roast pork or beef, sliced 1/8 inch thick

1 tablespoon chopped peanuts (OMIT)

Lime peel (optional)

Bring large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add shrimp; simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and opaque. Remove shrimp with slotted spoon to small bowl. When cool, slice shrimp in half lengthwise.

Meanwhile, soften rice noodles in medium bowl of hot water 20 to 30 minutes or according to package directions. Drain; cut noodles into manageable 3-inch lengths.

Soften rice paper wrappers in large bowl of warm water 30 to 40 seconds or until pliable. Drain wrappers, 1 at a time, on paper towels and transfer to clean work surface. Arrange 3 cilantro leaves in center of wrapper. Layer with two shrimp halves, some pork and rice noodles.

Fold bottom of wrapper up over filling; fold in each side and roll up, burrito-style. Place on platter with leaf design on top. Repeat with remaining wrappers and fillings.

Sprinkle Summer Rolls with peanuts. (NOT) Serve with Sweet Sour Dipping Sauce. Garnish with lime peel.

Sweet Sour Dipping Sauce:
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1 T minced garlic
3 T sugar
1/4 c fish sauce
1/2 t crushed pepper flakes

Soak pepper flakes in lime juice for 4 mins first. Then add other ingredients.

Feta Radish Spread

Martha tells you to make your own pita chips here but I simply ran out of time. I brought my clients store-bought pita chips instead. Another change I made was to use more yogurt (a full 7 oz. container instead of the 1/4 cup she called for) to eliminate the need for olive oil in the spread.

1 package sheep’s milk feta cheese (7 or 8 ounces), coarsely chopped
1- 7 oz. container Greek yogurt (DT: I used low fat)
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 radishes, quartered and thinly sliced

Pulse the feta, yogurt, and lemon juice in a food processor just utnil the mixture is thick and spreadable, about 10 pulses. Transer to a medium bowl, and stir in the parsley and radishes. Serve with pita chips or crackers. (The dip can be made, without the radishes and parsley, 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Add parsley and radises just before serving.)

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

1.5# tomatillas, husked
1 jalapeno
1 small yellow onion fine chopped
2 T red wine vinegar
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped
s/p

Preheat grill. Rost tomatillos and jalepeno til soft and slightly charred about 20 mins. Set aside to cool. Remove charred skin from pepper/ Half legnthwise, remove seeds. Fine chop, set aside. Chop tomatillos. Place in bowl add pepper, onion, viengar, cilantro. Season with s/p.

Grilled Chutney Cheddar Quesadillas - Martha Stewart

Make ahead, wrap in plastic til ready to grill.
3/4 c Major Grey's chutney
12x 6" flour tortillas
1.5 c sharp cheddar, grated
3/4 c sour cream garnish
Tomatillo Salsa

preheat grill, grill about 2 mins each side.

Smoked Salmon Canapes

1 cup butter
3/4 cup fresh dill sprigs
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 French baguettes
8 oz. smoked salmon, sliced very thin

Let butter sit out of refrigerator to reach room temperature. If necessary you can always place butter in a dish and microwave for a minute or two until butter becomes soft. Remove dill leaves from large sprigs. Add dill, garlic and salt to food processor. Process until chopped. Add butter
and process until smooth. Slowly add lemon juice while processing until mixed completely. Remove butter from processor and scrape sides to get as much as possible. Refrigerate butter until ready to use. Cut baguettes into very thin slices, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide with a very sharp bread knife. Spread a small amount of the dill butter on each slice and top it with a small piece of smoked salmon. Arrange on a platter and serve. If you would like to really dress these up, you can sprinkle a small amount of caviar on top of each canape. We had these on New Years Eve and they were wonderful. This is a traditional starter to serve with champagne.

The Skinny: Not much to do here.

Chicken Empanadas

Tired of sandwiches for lunch? Try these little pies instead. They freeze well and pack in lunch sacks well. Make them smaller for appetizers.

by Miss Annie

38 min | 25 min prep

8 -9 empanadas, (approx.)

• 1 cup cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 can green chilies, chopped or use green salsa
  
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons minced green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 frozen pie crusts
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon chili powder

1. Mix together first 8 ingredients, and refrigerate until ready to assemble empanadas. Or, moisten chicken with green sauce
   
2. On a floured surface, roll out pie shells and cut into 4-inch circles (use all the pie dough by re-rolling scraps).
3. Place approximately 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture in center of dough circles.
4. Fold each circle in half and crimp edges with a fork.
5. Place on a baking sheet and brush tops with egg yolks.
6. Sprinkle top with mixed salt and chili powder.
7. Bake 12-13 minutes at 400F degrees.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature.
9. Freezes well.
10. I also did a BBQ chicken filling with shredded gouda, a bit of cream cheese and a couple tablespoons of barbecue sauce. Also yummy and good for those who don't do spicy.

Perfect Potstickers - no sesame (Alton Brown)

Prep Time: 50 min

Cook Time:20 min

Serves: 35 to 40 potstickers

1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
35 to 40 small wonton wrappers
Water, for sealing wontons
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/3 cups chicken stock, divided

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl (pork through cayenne). Set aside.

To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush 2 of the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold over, seal edges, and shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.

Heat a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil once hot. Add 8 to 10 potstickers at a time to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, without touching. Once the 2 minutes are up, gently add 1/3 cup chicken stock to the pan, turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove wontons to a heatproof platter and place in the warm oven. Clean the pan in between batches by pouring in water and allowing the pan to deglaze. Repeat until all the wontons are cooked. Serve immediately.

Menu: Entertain using takeout (Real Simple)

Bruschetta:

Start with garlic bread (take out), Slather with marinara or pesto, Top with goat cheese or mozzarella, marinated pepper, or oil packed sundried tomato, Toast in oven.

Guac stuffed cherry tomatoes:

Start with guacamole (take out), Pint cherry tomatoes, Cut off tomato tops and scoop out seeds. Level off bottoms. Fill with guac and top with a cilantro leaf.

Taco Casserole:

Use various soft-shell tacos (take out), Layer them in a baking dish. Top with salsa and grated queso fresco or jack cheese and bake until bubbly. Serve with guac on the side.

Chicken/Shrimp Boat Appetizers

Start with favorite Chinese stir fry, Mound spoonfuls into the center of Boston lettuce leaves., Top with chopped nuts or scallion slices

Pizza Hors D'oeuvres:

Start with large cheese pizza, unsliced, Cut out mini circles with biscuit cutter, avoiding the crust.

Heat rounds at 400 for 5 mins. Top with olives, marinated mushrooms, chopped prosciutto, anchovy fillet, basil, flat parsley, thyme or oregano.

see www.realsimple.com/takeout

Shrimp Porcupine Meatballs

Serves 4 | 30 minutes active time | 2 1/2 hour total time

These bite-size shrimp balls make for ideal finger food—plus, kids will love the name.

• 1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
• 1 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup short-grain rice (such as arborio), soaked in 2 cups very hot water for 2 hours
• Cabbage or lettuce leaves
• Ponzu sauce (available at Asian specialty stores) or more soy sauce

1. Put half the shrimp in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. Add the rest and pulse a few more times (half the mixture will serve as a binding paste; the rest will remain roughly chopped).
3. Transfer to a bowl and add the scallions, soy sauce, and ginger, then mix by hand until well combined.
4. Drain the rice and spread it on a plate. Form the shrimp mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll each in the rice.
5. Line a steamer basket with the leaves. Add the meatballs and steam until the rice is cooked and the shrimp is pink, 8 to 9 minutes. Serve with the ponzu or soy sauce.

Swedish Meatballs

Serves 6 | 30 minutes total time

This classic goes best with a tart berry sauce.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs, soaked in 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, grated and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour (any kind)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Lingonberry or cranberry sauce (optional)

1. Combine the first 8 ingredients. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls.
2. Place 3/4 of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs for about 10 minutes.
3. Remove them and most of the fat. Stir the flour and the remaining butter into the pan.
4. Add the broth. Simmer until it thickens, about 2 minutes.
5. Strain it with a sieve to remove clumps. Return it to the pan.
6. Reduce heat to low; stir in the sour cream.
7. Return the meatballs to the pan for 1 minute. Serve with the berry sauce.