Category: Appetizers

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Fish

Crab Cakes with Ginger and Coconut milk

Belinda

This a recipe by Barbara Tropp from the “More than Burnt Toast” Food Blog
Spectacular and so different!

Ingredients


1/4 bunch of cilantro or parsley (depending on your taste) leaves and stems finely chopped
2 tbsp grated ginger
4 scallions sliced into thin rings, using the white part and about 2″ of the green part.
1 tsp (or more to taste) of Chinese chili sauce
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 pieces of white sandwich bread (as close to the Pepperidge Farm brand as possible) crusts removed, cut into tiny pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb jumbo lump blue claw crabmeat

In a bowl, mix the cilantro, scallions, ginger, chili paste, salt, coconut milk, bread pieces and egg together.
Set aside.
Inspect the crab meat for bits of shell being very careful not to break up the lumps of claw meat.

Gently fold the cilantro/ginger mixture into the crabmeat. Taste for seasoning. Gently but firmly press the crabmeat mixture into patties. Do this by filling 2 inch rings with the mixture, removing the ring and then gently pressing the edges towards the center.
Place the patties on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour which will make the crab cakes firmer and less prone to breaking apart.
Gently “film” a cast iron or any other sort of frying pan with vegetable oil, NOT olive oil and saute the crab cakes until browned.
Turn gently and brown the other side.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Gluten Free · Nuts

My quick pesto mushroom starter

Belinda

This is ever so quick and tasty, especially if you have your own homemade pesto, but a good brand of store-bought pesto works really well too. I haven’t given measurements as it’s a recipe to be creative with!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Serves 4

4 large portobello mushrooms
about 2 tbsp pesto sauce per mushroom (preferably homemade)
2 large balls of fresh mozzarella (the ones in water)
good olive oil
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
ground pepper
lightly toasted pine nuts, (about 1 tbsp per mushroom)

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth, do not wash under running water, remove the stalks and put on a baking tray dark side up.
Sprinkle each with olive oil then put in the pesto sauce.
Top the pesto with torn up pieces of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle the pine nuts over.
Season with ground pepper and a little kosher salt. Add grated parmesan cheese, about 1-2 tbsp per mushroom.
Put under a broiler first and cook on a medium heat so as not to burn the pine-nuts, then if the mushrooms are still too raw, put them on the top shelf in the oven for about 10 minutes to soften them.

Serve!

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Fish · Gluten Free

Coconut tuna tartare with avocado mousse

Belinda

It doesn’t get much better than this!  (c/o chef John Doherty of the Waldorf Astoria)

Ingredients
1 pound sushi grade tuna; cut into 1/4-inch dice
5 tbsp grated coconut; toasted
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
4 tbsp toasted almond slivers; chopped
4 tbsp currants
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp fresh ginger; minced
1/2 tsp garlic; minced
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 ripe avocados
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to Prepare Coconut Tuna Tartare with Avocado Mousse
In a medium stainless mixing bowl combine the diced tuna, coconut, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, almonds, currants, vegetable oil, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.
Toss well and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Peel and halve the avocados and remove the pits. Give them a rough chop and place them in a small stainless mixing bowl.
Add the remaining lime juice, cayenne, cumin, paprika, and olive oil.
Mash the seasoned avocado with a sturdy whisk until creamy in texture and season with salt and pepper.
To serve:
Divide the avocado mixture equally into the bottom of 8 martini glasses.
Separate the tuna into eight equal portions and spoon on top of the avocado

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Meat

My roasted fig, prosciutto and blue cheese baguette

Belinda

This is fantastic with such an orgy of flavors and textures in the mouth.
Very simple, but make sure your ingredients are the best you can find.

1 French baguette
2 packs Italian thinly sliced prosciuto (Spend the money on the genuine Italian made prosciutto, not some trader Joes or any other store “knock-off)
6 oz St Agur, cheese, Gorgonzola or Roquefort, softened at room temperature.
8 fresh ripe figs
Raw or brown sugar to sprinkle on the figs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Slice the French baguette diagonally, wiping each side with a little olive oil and roast on a baking sheet till crisp. Turn halfway through the roasting. Be careful they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Lay the thin slices of prosciutto on a baking sheet topped with either a silicone mat or a piece of baking parchment. Roast at 400 degrees for about 6 – 8 minutes till the pieces are really crisp. Remove and set aside.

Slice each fig into 3 slices and set aside.

Set up your station and on another lined baking sheet, place the roasted slices of baguette, break up the slices of prosciutto and lay them over the slices of bread, then add the fig slices to the prosciutto. Sprinkle the fig slices with the sugar, keeping the sugared side facing upwards. Top the figs with generous slices of blue cheese.
Roast at 400 degrees for 5 – 7 minutes till the cheese is well melted and the figs are heated through.

Serve with lots of napkins!!

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free

Smoked trout mousse

Belinda

This always goes down really well and people are very surprised at the “zestiness” of the flavors.
I buy the ready prepared, boned smoked trout available at Gelsons and some other markets, usually near the smoked salmon section. Prepare the mousse a day ahead of serving to allow time for the flavors to really take off!
Adjust the seasonings on the day of serving.

Makes about 1 cup and serves 4 – 6 people

1 large shallot
1/2 lb smoked trout, skinned and boned ( You can use up to 10 oz and it’s great)
6 heaped tbsp good quality mayonnaise
3 tbsp cream cheese. at room temperature
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
white pepper
fresh dill sprigs for decoration
lightly toasted thin baguette slices or crackers

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, mince the shallot. Add the fish, mayonnaise, cream cheese, lime juice, chopped dill and white pepper and process until pureed.
Taste for seasoning.
Spoon the mousse into a lovely 1 1/2 cup dish and garnish with the dill sprigs.
Serve with the baguette slices or crackers.
remember to leave overnight in the fridge before serving.

Can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free

Grilled Prawns with lemon-basil dipping sauce

Belinda

Your guests will adore these! They really are a winner!

Serves 6 – 8

 

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2lbs fairly large raw prawns  ( buy the 16 to 20 count) peeled and deveined
1 cup good quality mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 anchovy fillets
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

To make the dipping sauce

Combine the mayonnaise, basil, lemon zest and juice, anchovies, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours before serving

For the shrimp

Put the prepared prawns into a large bowl with the grated lime zest (not the juice at this point, as it will cook the prawns) with some olive oil (enough to moisten all the prawns) and some salt and pepper.
Mix well and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
30 minutes before cooking the prawns, add the lime juice and mix again and set aside.

Heat a heavy ridged cast iron pan, preferably, to hot and sear the shrimp on each side until the
raw, grey color goes away, but be careful not to overcook them as they will continue to cook when you remove them from the skillet.  probably about 3 minutes each side, max.
The ridged cast iron skillet cooks them with lovely brown lines on them.
Remove the prawns and put onto a platter and set aside till cooled down a bit, even refrigerating for a couple of hours if you have to.
Put the sauce on a dish on the side of a platter and serve the succulent prawns alongside.
Enjoy!!

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegetable-related

Gorgeous cranberry salsa

Belinda

Thanks to my friend Bella Guam for this recipe! This also works very well if you freeze it and use at a later date.

This is gorgeous ladled over goat or cream cheese on a cracker or toasted baguette.

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Ready in 15 mins.  Serves about 12 people

2 (12 oz) bags cranberries, fresh or frozen
2 bunches cilantro, chopped
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4 limes, juiced
1-1/2 cups white sugar
2 good pinches of salt

Combine cranberries (frozen ones defrosted!) cilantro, green onions, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
Process to a medium consistency, maybe using the pulse for a while
Put into a nice bowl and refrigerate if not using immediately.
Serve at room temperature and people can spoon it over goat or cream cheese that has been made into a flat round on a cracker or piece of toasted baguette.

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Do-ahead

Thai Garlic Bread

Belinda

And now for something completely different!  Thanks to Daniel Green (UK) for this recipe

 

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Serves 4 – 6

3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 stalks lemongrass, inner tender white pale only, roughly chopped
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
good handful of fresh cilantro (coriander for the Brits) stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
1 ciabatta or baguette
I don’t think you need any salt in this, but you might want to taste the mixture and see.

1/  Preheat the grill

2/ Using a pestle and mortar, grind all the ingredients, except the bread, to a chunky paste

3/ Slice the bread horizontally in half, all the way through

4/ Spread the spice mixture evenly over the two pieces of bread

5/ Place under the preheated hot grill for 1 minute until heated through

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Gluten Free · Nuts · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Sauted asparagus with melted gorgonzola and toasted pine nuts

Belinda

Divine!!
Makes 4 servings.

1lb  fresh asparagus, thin spears are preferred but if you use thicker ones, peel the stalk ends.
1 tbsp olive oil, or more if you want
4 large cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 to 1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
2 – 3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts (toast them in a high temperature skillet or oven)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. You may not need too much salt due to the gorgonzola cheese being salty.

Snap off a piece of asparagus to see where to cut off the tough ends, then trim all the asparagus to that length and cut into 2inches long
. Cutting on a diagonal looks prettier!

Put the olive oil into a large frying pan, turn the heat to medium, add garlic and saute about 1 minute or until you start to smell garlic and the cloves are barely starting to get some color.
Don’t let the garlic brown or it will make your oil taste bitter rather than delightfully garlicky.
Take the pan off the heat and remove the garlic and discard.

Put the pan back on the heat, add the asparagus and saute for about 5 minutes, turning frequently, until the asparagus is barely starting to soften and brown slightly.
Timing will depend completely on how hot your stove burner is, but I cooked mine exactly 5 mins and it was perfect.

While the asparagus cooks, toast the pine nuts. When the asparagus is done, turn off the heat and sprinkle the crumbled Gorgonzola over the asparagus in the pan.
Let it sit for a minute until about half the cheese is starting to melt and the rest is still in firm pieces.
Plate the asparagus and sprinkle with the pine nuts.

Season with salt and pepper. (I didn’t need any salt) and serve immediately!

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Gluten Free

Roasted butternut squash with sweet spices,tahini, lime and green chili

Belinda

This is the most amazing mouthful of flavors! A great way to start a meal. Make sure you serve it cold and follow it with a light main course.
Thanks to chef “Yotam Ottolenghi”

Serves 4-6

2 whole limes
4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium butternut squash (about 1 3/4 lbs to 2lbs)
2 tbsp cardamon pods
1 tsp ground allspice
4 oz Greek-style yoghurt
1 oz tahini paste
1 tbsp lime juice
1 green chilli, finely sliced,
a good handful picked cilantro leaves
sea salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Trim off the limes’ tops and tails using a small sharp knife. Stand each lime on a chopping board and cut down the sides of the fruit, following it’s natural curves, to remove the skin and white pith.
Quarter the limes from the top to bottom and cut each quarter into thin slices. Place them in a small bowl, sprinkle with a little salt, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive, stir and set aside.

Next, cut the butternut in half lengthwise scoop out the seeds and discard. Cut each half in half,and then into 1 cm thick slices, cutting away the peel and lay them out on a large baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper.

Place the cardamon pods in a mortar and pestle and work with a pestle to get the seeds out of the pods.
Discard the pods and work the seeds to a rough powder.
Transfer to a small bowl, add the allspice and the remaining 3 tbsp of oil, stir well and brush this mixture over the butternut slices.
Sprinkle over a little salt and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until tender when tested with the point of a knife.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yoghurt, tahini, lime juice, 2 tbsp of water and a pinch of salt. The sauce should be thick but runny enough to pour; add more water , if necessary.

To serve, arrange the cooled butternut slices on a serving platter (I prefer individual dishes as it’s neater and prettier) and drizzle with the yoghurt sauce.
Spoon over the lime slices and their juices and scatter the chilli slices over the top.
Garnish with the cilantro and serve.