Recipes - Appetizers & Snacks

[Sason]

I'm getting the chestnuts ready to roast tomorrow. In addition to scoring them so they won't explode in a fire, I heard somewhere that they should be soaked overnight. But now, I'm wondering if that's a good idea. These chestnuts look pretty fresh. Alas, I learned too late this advice about selecting chestnuts:

"“Perhaps the problem with incineration is old nuts from the store. Fresh nuts are heavier and should bounce like a tennis ball. Old nuts are dried up and lighter. Old nuts can't take the heat so they end up getting cremated. It's always preferable to buy young nuts, even if it means that you have to bounce your nuts in the supermarket.”

  

I certainly wouldn't mind witnessing somebody (preferably good looking men) bouncing their nuts in the supermarket! 

[Front-Ranger]

I'm enjoying an appetizer tonight that I didn't have a chance to make over Thanksgiving. On wheat crackers, place a slice of guayaba (quince paste) and then a slice of campasino (Mexican cow's milk cheese). Top with a piece of fresh basil. This appetizer looks great, doesn't cost much, and is simplicity itself!

[CellarDweller]

Buffalo Chicken Crescent Puffs






A spicy chicken and cheese filling mixture is baked into flaky Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent rounds in this easy appetizer that will disappear fast!

prep time 25 min   total time 1 hr 10 min  ingredients 8   servings 32
 
Ingredients

2   oz cream cheese (from two 8-oz packages), softened   
2   tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce or other red pepper sauce   
1/3   cup crumbled blue cheese (1 1/2 oz)   
1/4   cup finely chopped celery  (optional)
1   cup finely chopped cooked chicken breast   
2   cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury™ Place ’N Bake® refrigerated crescent rounds (16 rounds) or 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls   
1/3   cup unsalted or salted butter, melted   
1   cup Progresso™ Panko Bread Crumbs

Step 1 of 3

Line cookie sheet with sides with waxed paper or cooking parchment paper. In medium bowl, mix cream cheese and pepper sauce. Stir in blue cheese and celery. Stir in chicken until well blended. Shape mixture by tablespoonfuls into 32 (1 1/2-inch) balls; place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Step 2 of 3

Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. If using crescent rounds, remove from package, but do not separate rounds. If using crescent rolls, remove from package, but do not unroll. Using serrated knife, cut each roll evenly into 16 rounds; carefully separate rounds. Press each round to 3 inches in diameter. Place chilled chicken mixture ball on center of each dough round; shape dough around ball to cover completely.

Step 3 of 3

In shallow dish, place melted butter. In another shallow dish, place bread crumbs. Dip dough balls into butter, then roll in bread crumbs. Place 2 inches apart on large ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.

[Front-Ranger]

Serious asked about munches you can make quickly and easily with comestibles from Trader Joes. There are quite a few references to TJs on this thread.

One idea for the holidays is to spread their mini-toasts or bruschetta with asiago cheese spread and then top with tapenade (chopped olives) and Italian parsley. I also like to stuff their mini-bell peppers with gorgonzola mixed with sweet onion spread. Here's another appetizer I have made recently: fig and blue cheese savories. Instead of cooking and mashing dried figs, just pick up a jar of fig jam from TJs. Instead of rolling out and cutting rounds of blue cheese dough, I roll the dough into 1-inch balls in my hands and then press it into mini-muffin cups.

More ideas to come.

[serious crayons]

One idea for the holidays is to spread their mini-toasts or bruschetta with asiago cheese spread and then top with tapenade (chopped olives) and Italian parsley. I also like to stuff their mini-bell peppers with gorgonzola mixed with sweet onion spread. Here's another appetizer I have made recently: fig and blue cheese savories. Instead of cooking and mashing dried figs, just pick up a jar of fig jam from TJs. Instead of rolling out and cutting rounds of blue cheese dough, I roll the dough into 1-inch balls in my hands and then press it into mini-muffin cups.

I love the stuffed mini-bell idea! The other sounds good, too, although I'd probably cut rounds.

Somewhere I just saw a handy list of different cheeses paired with different jams. You could mix and match, of course, but the combinations on the list sounded particularly delicious. But now I can't remember where I saw (or saved?) the list. It's not a FB post as far as I can tell, it's not a phone search page. I have all these places to store things and keep records and make reminders, but then when I need to find them I can't remember which places I used.

I just bought mango habanero (that seems like it needs a tilde, but Google says not) flavored jam to put in the little gift baskets I'm assembling for my sons.

There are also spicy chocolate truffles -- they like hot stuff -- and peanut butter truffles, two of each in a little box. But I kind of froze in the store because for each flavor I had to pick dark or milk chocolate and I'm not sure which they prefer at this point (used to always be milk, but they're older with more sophisticated palates), so I got one of each. So two PB and two spicy apiece. Now I'm kicking myself because there were many more flavors and I should have just guessed one or the other and gone with it. I might go back to the chocolate shop (also to get little boxes for my neighbors).

The centerpiece of the gift baskets are coffee mugs I had made with photos I'd taken of trees in the park out back of my building, many at sunset. Two mugs for each son (and their respective girlfriends). Of course I managed to pick one of the same photos on both cups (they are rows of three) even though I had plenty to choose from, so that's bugging me now, too!

But I guess there are more serious problems in the world to dwell on.

I'm also including little three-packs of shooter-size Baileys, little boxes holding a string of battery-powered led lights that can be used for easy decorating, and whatever else I think of. Ideas are welcome!



 

[Front-Ranger]

Those gift baskets sound great! You are lucky your boys like food gifts. That makes it easier to shop for them.

This is the latest cranberry appetizer I've made and it was a big hit with crackers and asiago cheese spread:

Cranberry Salsa: sack of raw cranberries, juice of a lime, sugar to taste, a jalape?o, cilantro, green onion, lastly fold in pomegranate. Good with soft cheese and crackers.

[serious crayons]

Yum! The cranberry appetizer sounds good.

Yeah, my sons pretty much ONLY like food gifts. Occasionally I'll try a book, maybe a small kitchen appliance. I struck gold once with a toiletries bag from a posh men's store. But they've made clear for years that anything I could afford to buy them they probably wouldn't like. At one point when I was underemployed I got a job at Macy's so I could get the employee discount for Christmas, and everyone got sweaters. Ralph Lauren! But the next year they informed me that Macy's doesn't sell anything they would want. 

I've added the peppers with gorgonzola and sweet onions to my appetizer plans. Got the two fillings yesterday but still have to visit TJ's.

The plan is to bring that alongside my traditional smoked salmon rollups that I see I mentioned here in 2008!

[Front-Ranger]

Bettermost has served to show us what creatures of habit we are. More than once I've thought to post something and then I see that I already posted it several years ago!

I'm in a similar boat with gift giving. My son is actually an apparel designer. He's also a weird size--tall with wide shoulders and a small waist. But I think I've found something he'll like. Fortunately, he's very into golf and I got him a gift certificate to one of these simulator bars that are cropping  up all over. The food and drink are real but the golf is simulated, and you can play practically any course in the world!

Most food gifts are out also. His wife is something of a nutritionist and is a marathoner so my concoctions usually have something verboten. But I did drop off some sushi for him last week that was a hit. They are minimalists, a very difficult group to buy for.

[serious crayons]

I also like to stuff their mini-bell peppers with gorgonzola mixed with sweet onion spread.

Lee, are the mini bells you're talking about the shape of regular bells but small? And how small -- like two bites worth?

I ask because I googled them and the only ones that came up are shaped like jalape?os.

[serious crayons]

I looked at the nearby TJ's last night and the smallest bells they had were only slightly smaller than average. They'd still take at least four or five bites to eat, which doesn't seem ideal for something with creamy onion/cheese open filling.

There's a bigger TJ's not far away, if there's any hope they'll have something smaller there ...