Scroll down for the following recipes:

BATTER-DIPPED DEEP-FRIED MUSHROOMS

WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE

BLACK OLIVE & SUN DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE

BLUE CHEESE BALL

BRAUNSHEIGER DIP
CARAMEL, DATE, & PECAN TOPPED BRIE
CHINESE DUMPLINGS & DIPPING SAUCE
CRAB & LEMON HERB CREAM PHYLLO CUPS
CRAB WONTONS

CRANBERRY HORSERADISH DIP

CRANBERRY SALSA

DEVILED EGGS

FOIE GRAS & STEWED PRUNES
GARLIC DIP
GUACAMOLE

ITALIAN SALSA

LAMB FILETS OVER QUINOA

MASCARPONE-HORSERADISH DIP

PESTO NUTS

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED FENNEL

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

ROASTED PEPPER & ANCHOVY CROSTINI

SALSA

SMOKED SALMON CRUDITES

SPINACH & FONTINA CHEESE TARTLETS
SPINACH AND MOZZARELLA PUFFS

STUFFED MUSHROOMS EN CROUTE
SWEET POTATO CRUNCHIES

TRUFFLED GOAT CHEESE CRUDITES

WATERCRESS DIP

BATTER-DIPPED DEEP-FRIED MUSHROOMS

WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE

 
Vegetable oil for frying
10 oz. white button mushrooms
2 eggs
8 oz. Pellegrino mineral water, (or plain seltzer)
8 oz. cornstarch
Salt to taste

For the sauce:

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons extra-hot horseradish (adjust to taste)

A squeeze of lemon juice

A sprinkle of McCormick lemon-pepper seasoning

A sprinkle of onion powder

A sprinkle of garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

            Preheat the oil to 375 degrees.  Brush the mushrooms clean.  Leave the small ones whole and cut any large ones in half.  In a bowl beat the eggs.  Add the water and then gently whisk in the cornstarch incrementally.  Add the salt.  Dip the mushrooms in the batter and place in the oil.  Fry them in two batches or else the first half will be done by the time you’re adding the last of the second half to the oil.  Fry for 2-3 minutes.  Drain them on a rack or paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt.  Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and serve. 

BLACK OLIVE & SUN DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE

             Place an equal amount of black olives and sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor.  Add a bunch of parsley, a squirt of lemon juice and some salt and pepper.  Pulse the mixture a few times.  Then slowly add a stream of extra virgin olive oil with the processor on until a smooth paste is achieved.  Check for additional salt or pepper.  Place dollops of the tapenade on Belgium endive leaves.   

BLUE CHEESE BALL

This recipe comes from culinary companion.com

8 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
8 oz. pineapple, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley, minced

             Combine all of the ingredients except the parsley in a bowl and mix well.  Form into a ball shape and roll in minced parsley.  Chill for 1 hour.  Serve with crackers.

BRAUNSCHEIGER DIP

One of the most famous liverwursts, Braunschweiger is a smoked liver sausage enriched with eggs and milk.  You can find it in the packaged meat section of your supermarket.  This recipe comes from Jude Sutton, a Texas chef whose website is http://www.theculinarycompanion.com

1 8 oz. tube Braunschweiger
3 oz. softened cream cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 to 3 tablespoons dill pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
 
            Combine all of the ingredients, pat into a bowl lined with plastic wrap, then fold over the excess wrap to cover and chill.  Invert onto a serving plate and turn out. Remove the plastic wrap. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.  Serve with crackers, bread and/or vegetable sticks.

CARAMEL, DATE, & PECAN TOPPED BRIE

This recipe comes from Lynne Kaplan, a chef who owns the Victoria House Bed & Breakfast in Spring Lake, NJ.  For a gourmet B&B check them out at victoriahouse.net.

One handful pecans
Half cup dates, chopped
One wedge of Brie cheese
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

            Toast the pecans on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for eight to ten minutes.  Sprinkle the pecans and dates on top of the brie.  Cook sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat stirring frequently.   As the sugar heats it will melt and start to turn a caramel color.  When the sugar has completely melted and attained a rich caramel color immediately remove it from the stove and stir in the butter.  Once the butter is completely incorporated pour it over the pecan and date topped brie.  It will harden quickly.  Serve with assorted crackers or toasted French bread.

This recipe comes from momsmenu.com

8 oz. crabmeat
1 pound cream cheese
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Pinch of hot pepper (optional)
Worcestershire sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces wonton wrappers

Vegetable oil for frying, as needed

Preheat a pot of vegetable oil or deep fryer to 350 degrees.  Mix crabmeat, cream cheese, cilantro and hot pepper in a mixing bowl.  Season mixture with Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper.  Fill each wonton wrapper with 1 tsp of the crab mixture.  Moisten one edge of each wonton wrapper with a little water or egg wash.  Fold and seal each wonton.   Fry them in oil until browned.  Do not fry too many at one time.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve with dipping sauces such as plum or mustard.

CRANBERRY HORSERADISH DIP

1 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped

½ cup white cranberry juice

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 cup horseradish

1 small onion, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

             Beat the cream until fully whipped.  Mix in the remaining ingredients and chill.

CRANBERRY SALSA

12 oz. fresh cranberries

3 small oranges, peeled, seeded, and sectioned

1 small red onion

Chopped cilantro, (leaves and stems), to taste

2 jalapenos

½ cup honey

3 tablespoons lime juice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Salt to taste

             Place the cranberries in a food processor and process them until finely chopped.  Empty the cranberries into a separate bowl.  Place the oranges, onion, cilantro and jalapenos in the food processor and finely chop.  Mix with the cranberries and the remaining ingredients.  As like any other salsa, serve it with tortilla chips or spread it over grilled pork chops.

DEVILED EGGS

             A deviled egg is simply a stuffed egg with the addition of hot spices.  There are innumerable recipes for stuffed eggs and they have been eaten since the Roman Empire.

6 hard cooked eggs.

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons mustard

1 shallot, minced

Salt, (or celery salt), and pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper or paprika, as needed

Minced chives, as needed

            Boil the eggs, allow them to cool, and then cut them in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the yolks and mash with the mayo, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper.  Place a scoop of the mixture in each of the twelve egg white halves.  Sprinkle with chives and a generous amount of cayenne, or if you’re not a little devil, use paprika instead.

            This recipe comes from Sheilah Kaufman’s book: “Simply Irresistible:  Easy, Elegant, Fearless, Fussless Cooking.”   

4 large garlic cloves peeled
Bunch of fresh parsley
6 oz. can smoked almonds
2 scant cups mayonnaise

            Put garlic, parsley, and almonds in a food processor, and process until the nuts have reduced to tiny pieces but can still be seen.  Do not completely puree.  Place the mixture in a bowl and fold in mayonnaise.  Stir before serving.  Serve with crackers, bread and/or vegetable sticks.

GUACAMOLE

1 small onion, chopped

3 jalapenos or 2 serrano chiles, chopped

Chopped cilantro to taste

Juice of one lime

Salt to taste

2 ripe Hass avocados

             Simply combine all of the above ingredients by mashing the avocados in with the rest.

ITALIAN SALSA

5 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

20 small black olives, chopped

2 tablespoons coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

Basil, chiffonade, to taste

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

             Combine the tomatoes, garlic, olives, Parmesan and basil.  Pour the oil and vinegar in a bowl and whisk it until an emulsion is formed.  Pour this over the tomato mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.

LAMB FILETS OVER QUINOA

             Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is a popular South American grain.  It is very nutritious, containing several vitamins and minerals, as well as being a complete protein with all eight amino acids.  Look for it in gourmet stores or on the Internet. 

First roast a lamb loin.  If you can’t get a whole loin, try lamb rib chops.  If you use the chops, pound them thin like veal scaloppini and sauté them very briefly at high heat.   

For the quinoa, finely mince one small carrot, one celery rib, and half a small onion.  Sauté the vegetables in a good dose of butter and olive oil for two minutes.  Add about one cup of quinoa and sauté for a minute or two more.  Add two cups of water and some salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the quinoa is the texture of al dente pasta.  Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. 

Make quenelles with the quinoa.  To make a quenelle scoop up some of quinoa with one tablespoon.  Work it back and forth against another tablespoon to form a firm football shaped mass.  Slice the lamb very thin and drape one slice over each quinoa quenelle.  If you’d like, make a quick sauce from equal parts buttermilk and plain yogurt.  Add chopped mint leaves and salt and pepper.  Place a small dollop of the sauce on top of the lamb. 

MASCARPONE-HORSERADISH DIP

8 oz. mascarpone cheese

8 oz. heavy cream

4 oz. extra-hot horseradish

1 small-medium red onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 red bell pepper, cut into small dice

             Add all of the ingredients except the bell pepper to a mixer and whip until you achieve a mildly firm yet airy mixture devoid of any runniness.  Assess for additional salt and pepper and incorporate more if need be.  Place dollops of the mixture on crackers, or cucumber or carrot rounds, and then top with a sprinkle of the diced bell pepper. 

PESTO NUTS

             For a yummy snack, take some of the leftover pesto sauce and mix it with the nuts of your choice.  Almonds and pecans work well.  Then spray a baking sheet, spread the pesto covered nuts on it and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 or until toasted, stirring them every so often.  

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED FENNEL

3 fennel bulbs

Extra virgin olive oil

Parmesan or Romano cheese

Finely minced garlic

Oregano, chopped

Salt & Pepper

Prosciutto, as needed

             Remove some of the fronds, (the tiny green leaves), from the fennel stalk and chop.  Cut off the fennel bulbs, remove the core, and then slice them into strips approximately two by one half inches.  Drizzle each strip with olive oil and then sprinkle with fennel fronds, cheese, a pinch of garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Then wrap each strip with one slice of prosciutto.  Sprinkle some more fronds on top of the wrapped strips and serve. 

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

             They’re not done on an open fire but nevertheless are a seasonal classic.  Serve them as a hors d’oeuvre or as an after dinner snack.  Simply take a bunch of chestnuts and make an X in their flat side with a paring knife.  Make sure you cut all the way through their outer shell.  Place them on a baking sheet in a 450 preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.  As soon as they’re cool enough to handle, peel and eat.

ROASTED PEPPER & ANCHOVY CROSTINI

             Crostini are small thin slices of toast.  Roast a red pepper in the broiler and remove the seeds and stems.  Chop it up with some anchovies and garlic.  Add either some basil or sautéed spinach for color.  Finish with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Slice a long thin loaf of French bread, drizzle some olive oil on the slices and toast.  Spoon the mixture onto the toasted slices.

SALSA

5 large, ripe, on-the-vine tomatoes, chopped.

1 small onion, chopped.

Half a green bell pepper, chopped, for mild salsa or 3-4 jalapenos for hot.

Quarter cup cilantro, chopped.

Juice from one whole lime. 

A splash of red vinegar.

Kosher salt to taste

SMOKED SALMON CRUDITES

             Crudités, (cru-dee-TAY), are raw vegetables served as a hors d’oeuvre.  Finely mince a little red onion and some dill.  Mix it into sour cream.  You can also add some capers if you like.  Add salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Peel and slice a cucumber into ¼ inch rounds.  Bundle a piece of smoked salmon on the cucumber and then top with the sour cream sauce.  Place a tiny sprig of dill on top of the sauce or if you really want to get fancy, some caviar.

SPINACH & FONTINA CHEESE TARTLETS

6 oz. baby spinach

Olive oil as needed

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package refrigerated pie crusts

2 eggs

2 oz. heavy cream

4 oz. shredded Fontina cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

             Preheat oven to 350.  Begin sautéing the spinach in olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the shallot.  When almost done add the garlic.  Remove from heat and set aside.  With a 2 ½ inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out 24 discs from the pie crusts.  Lightly grease a 24 cup mini-muffin pan.  Line each muffin cup with one of the pieces of dough.  Evenly distribute the spinach into the dough-lined muffin cups, tamping it down as you do so.  Mix the eggs and cream with some salt and pepper and beat.  Pour about a teaspoon of the egg mixture into each cup.  Do not overfill.  You will probably have some egg mixture left over.  Top each one with a little cheese and bake for 12 – 15 minutes. 

SPINACH AND MOZZARELLA PUFFS

             You can use frozen chopped spinach but if you have the time I’d recommend sautéing fresh spinach in some garlic and oil and chopping it yourself.  If you choose sautéed spinach, remember that spinach reduces a great deal so start with a lot.  Take the thawed frozen spinach or the sautéed spinach and squeeze as much of the fluid out of it as possible.  Add the spinach to a food processor along with an equal amount of mozzarella cheese.  Add some parsley and salt and pepper.  If you used the frozen spinach add a few cloves of garlic.  Briefly whiz it in the food processor until you have a homogenized mixture.

            Take two sheets of phyllo dough and brush them with melted butter.  Then cut lengthwise into three-inch strips.  Take a spoonful of the spinach mixture and place at the beginning of a strip.  Fold it over to make a triangle and continue to fold the strip end over end, maintaining the triangular pattern.  Brush the finished puff with melted butter.  Continue with the rest of the dough until you’ve used up the spinach mixture.  Line the puffs on parchment paper on a sheet tray and place them into a preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown.  Keep an eye on them for the filling can sometimes burst out while baking.  You can also fill them with the goat cheese mixture from above. 

STUFFED MUSHROOMS EN CROUTE

This recipe comes from Chef Cindy Sanchez.  Check out her website at momsmenu.com.

4 oz. Boursin cheese
4 oz. finely minced crabmeat
Salt and pepper to taste
18 uniform button mushrooms, stems removed
18 sheets phyllo dough
Melted butter as needed
1 egg, beaten

            Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine the cheese, crab, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Dividing the mixture accordingly, stuff all the mushroom caps. Carefully lay 6 sheets of phyllo dough on top of one another, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Cut phyllo lengthwise down the center and cut each half into 3 pieces to make 6 rectangles. Place a mushroom, cheese side up, in the center of each rectangle.  Lift the sides of the pastry over the mushrooms to resemble small bundles and form a "neck", pinching the edges together to seal. Repeat the entire procedure two more times.  Place on a greased baking sheet and brush each bundle with beaten egg. Bake for about 15 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden brown.

SWEET POTATO CRUNCHIES

This recipe comes from foodreference.com

3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed or 2 (15-oz.) can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
3 cups crushed corn flakes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl.  Add the butter, brown sugar, pecans, vanilla, flour, and cinnamon; mix well.  Beat in the egg.  Form the mixture into bite size balls and roll in crushed corn flakes.  Place the sweet potato balls on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake for about 20 minutes.  Serve with toothpicks.   Makes 3 ½ -4 dozen.

TRUFFLED GOAT CHEESE CRUDITES

             Mix white truffle oil into goat cheese until you achieve the extent of truffle flavor that you like.  You can also add chopped herbs such as parsley, thyme or rosemary.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Peel and slice a cucumber into ¼ inch rounds and a parsnip into 1/16 to 1/8 inch rounds.  Roast, seed, and peel a red pepper.  Cut the pepper into little diamond shapes or some other decorative pattern about a half-inch in size.  Spread some of the cheese on a cucumber slice.  Top with a parsnip slice and more cheese.  Place a piece of the red pepper on top in the center.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel or another high quality sea salt. 

WATERCRESS DIP

             Take 2 batches of watercress and about a pint of sour cream.  Chop up the watercress with some red onion and mix in the sour cream little by little to you achieve the desired consistency.  Add horseradish, salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with crackers and/or raw vegetable sticks.