Smoked Salmon Appetizer

My friend Ann introduced me to this delicious combo and my daughter and I have been eating it for lunch once a week. I also made this as my Christmas night dinner because I was feeling too lazy and content to take on lasagna. So good....

Smoked Salmon Appetizer

 

Smoked salmon

Tablewater crackers

Cream cheese

Capers

Fresh squeezed lemon juice

Rosemary Cashews

 

These are the cashews we included in the sack lunch for the Terp Invitational so many years ago at Chambers Bay. It's a Barefoot Contessa recipe so of course it's good. My friend Julianne's mom made them and all the golfers raved about them. This year I made several batches to give to friends. 

Watch the temp and cook time. One of my batches burned. It makes a difference if you buy roasted or raw. 

Rosemary Cashews

1 1/4 pounds cashew nuts

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 T melted butter

Preheat oven to 375. I would do 275 and warm for longer just to make sure they don't burn.

Place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until they are warmed through. Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, pepper, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl. Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until the nuts are completely coated. Serve warm.

Seared Salmon w/ Za'atar & Sumac Tzatziki - Plus Sides

My cooking group took several classes from Carol at The Gourmandise School in Santa Monica and one lesson in a private home. Carol is the best! Our group loves her so much. She's a great chef, super knowledgeable and so fun. These are the recipes she taught at the private class. They are really simple recipes but you wouldn't know it by the flavor profiles. They are so delicious!

You can follow Carol on Instagram at carolcotnerthompson.

Seared Salmon

8oz piece of salmon

1/4 cup Za’atar (store bought or recipe below)

salt

Grapeseed or canola oil

Rinse the fillet and dry well. Press the za-atar and salt into the fillet. 

Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat until hot. Add oil. Sear salmon top side down, cooking 10 minutes per inch. 

Serve with Sumac Tzatziki.

Za-atar 

There are a million versions but this is the recipe I used

1 t dried thyme 

1/2 t oregano

1 t toasted sesame seeds

1 t ground cumin

1 t sumac

Small pinch of kosher salt

Sumac Tzatziki

1 clove of garlic, minced and smashed into a paste

1/2 t salt

1 T lemon juice

1 t sumac

1 cup whole milk yogurt (I used less because it’s all I had. Maybe 1/2-3/4 cup.)

Cucumber Tomato Salad

1 Persian cucumber, cut into rounds

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup fresh mint

1/4 cup fresh dill

2 T olive oil

1 T red wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and serve. 

Jasmine Coconut Rice

3/4 cup jasmine rice

1 cup water

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 t salt

Rinse rice. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pot. Heat and cook on low for about 25 minutes. 

Makes about 3 servings

Weekly Staples

I make garlic crostinis almost every week because they are good with cheese, pasta, or just on their own. George eats them as fast as I can make them. 

Garlic Crostinis

Baguette - French baguette preferably
Olive oil
Garlic clove 

Preheat oven to broil. Slice the baguette on the diagonal and place on a cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil. Broil until just golden brown. The bake time will depend largely on how long your oven was on. If it's been on broil for awhile then they brown super fast. They can go from golden to burnt in a matter of seconds under the broiler. Watch closely. I set the timer for 30 seconds at a time, until the last few seconds when I just watch them. 

Remove from oven and quickly rub the edge of a garlic clove all over the top.

I love to top with cambozola cheese or Dubliner cheddar and salami. I also include these when I have time on a cheese board or antipasto plate. 

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Every time I make white rice my kids ask, "Is this Mimi's rice?" and if it's not they protest. I make this almost every week too. 

Mimi's Butter Rice

Cooked white rice
Several tablespoons of butter (more than you would think!)
Chicken bouillon powder

Optional (my kids wouldn't allow it but good for adults)
Toasted pine nuts
Sliced green onion

Delicious Dip Recipe

My friend Courtney makes this sauce that her kids call "ice cream sauce" because it's so good. She served it with naan bread, lamb, and a faro salad. She also serves it on sandwiches, with pita and rotisserie chicken, or on a crudités platter. I made it last night and gobbled it up with warmed naan bread. It's delicious!

These measurements are rough so adjust as you like...

Ice Cream Sauce

1 7oz container of Greek yogurt (I used Fage whole milk)
2 T pomegranate molasses
1/2 t cumin
salt & pepper, to taste

Garnish with fresh pomegranates

Carrot & Halloumi Patties

Photo credit: The Spice Peddler

My friend Marion made these Carrot and Halloumi Patties for me and they were SOOOO good. Great paired with a salad. Delicious, fresh, light and flavorful. 

I used a bag of grated carrots and eyeballed the rest so my consistency was off and they didn't stick together. Next time I will follow the recipe better. They still turned out great though. 


Carrot & Halloumi Patties

4 large carrots - grated
4 spring onions (40g)
30g coriander
1 lemon
100g hallumi - grated
1 clove garlic - minced
20g red onion - minded or grated
40g rice flour (I used regular white flour)
1 egg white
2 T fennel seed
2 T olive oil

Combine all the ingredients except the fennel and olive oil. Put olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add fennel seeds and cook for 3 minutes. Add to bowl with all the other ingredients. Squeeze out all the liquid and make into little patties. Saute in a pan until golden brown on each side. 

Serve with tzatziki or any other creamy sauce.

Easiest Appetizer

My friend Marly made this up and now it's a staple at our gatherings:

Mt. Townsend Truffle Flavored Fromage Blanc
Dalmatia Orange Fig Spread
La Panzanella original crackers

Assemble them right before guests arrive or let people do their own. Cracker, cheese, spread. Yum! 

Something Different

Photo Credit: Sparkling Ink

My friend Marion made this appetizer and we all loved it. It's something new and different. I made it for Thanksgiving and it was a hit with everyone.

Grape Salsa on Goat Cheese Crostini

We used jalapeño and skipped the red onion. Delicious!

These are a few of my favorite things....

I have no self control at Delaurenti so this is the appetizer I brought for our father's day dinner at the in-laws (along with a second tray of open-faced prosciutto sandwiches). You can buy everything you need at Delaurenti for a great appetizer platter. There are so many more things to include but I was getting "the look" from hubby so I had to speed it up.

Some faves:

Garlic rubbed crostinis
Fra'mani Nostrano Salami
Kerrygold Dubliner
Roasted garlic (make or buy)
Fresh chevre
Lesley Stowe Cranberry Hazelnut Raincoast Crisps
Olives
Cornichons

Walnut Pomegranate Dip w/ Pita Bread

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I took a cooking class from Maria Hines and learned a recipe for one of her delicious dips served at Golden Beetle. I've made it several times as an appetizer or snack. It's easy and delicious.


Muhummara
Walnut Pomegranate Dip with Pita Bread

1/4 cup water
whole wheat pita
3 T walnuts, toasted
1 T tomato paste
1 T pomegranate molasses (available at Whole Foods)
1 t harissa
1/2 t ground cumin
1 t red pepper flakes
1 t sugar
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cut a pita in half and pour water on one half. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften. Place water and bread in a food processor with walnuts, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, harissa, cumin red pepper flakes and sugar. Puree until smooth. Add water if needed to achieve a good consistency. While the machine is running, drizzle in olive oil to emulsify and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut pita into triangles and brush with olive oil. Season with a sprinkle of sea salt and broil until warmed and very slightly toasted (a minute or two). Serve pita triangles with dip.
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Ricotta Binge

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I've been kind of freaking out over ricotta lately. Not the regular pre-packaged ricotta that you find near the sour cream and cottage cheese at the grocery store to use in lasagne, but the real deal ricotta. I have been buying a container of it every time I'm within a few miles of Pike Place. I feel like if I'm close enough, I will make the effort to park and run in to DeLaurenti to get some fresh ricotta (and my favorite salami Fra' Mani's Salame Nostrano). The only thing better than buying fresh ricotta from a great deli would be to make it yourself. That intimidates me, but if you're up for the challenge I'm sure that would be even more delicious.

While on my weekend ricotta binge I made Pasta with Tomato Sauce & Ricotta for dinner, my revised Orange Ricotta Pancakes both Saturday and Sunday morning (to which my husband said, "I'm really not a pancake guy but these are the best pancakes I've ever had!") and a new ricotta gem of a recipe... Smitten Kitchen's Ricotta Crostinis.

All of the crostinis were good but the toasted bread with ricotta, honey and sea salt was amazing. I think the key is using both a good quality ricotta and honey.

A note on honey: I buy Fireweed Honey from Golden Harvest Bee Ranch, sold at the farmers market in Ballard every Sunday. It's delicious.

Have you made ricotta before? It's easy, right? I should not be intimidated?
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The Way to a Man's Heart...

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I needed to bring an appetizer for a cocktail party this past weekend and couldn't settle on what to make. The host mentioned that her husband always wished there was more guy food for the men at the party. Mission accepted. A man appetizer it is.

I couldn't settle on what to make so I asked around for some ideas. My friend Ali suggested little sandwiches like mini BLTs or roast beef with horseradish and arugula. Genius. I also thought little pork tenderloin sandwiches would be good, and since I'm crazy(!) I made all three versions (plus a brie appetizer because I was craving it). The sandwiches were a hit. I had two huge platters of mini sandwiches and every last one was gone by the end of the night.

I bought Marination's Nunya Sauce at Delaurenti in Pike Place for the BLTs. It was a great twist on a classic BLT. I also did some BLTs with homemade garlic aioli sauce. Those were good too but the Nunya Sauce was the best.

These recipes would be good for dinner, Superbowl parties, tailgates, cocktail parties or any other type of entertaining, especially where men will be circling an appetizer table looking for something more than cheese and crackers.


Party BLTs

Good bacon
Tomatoes, as good as you can find this time of year
Butter lettuce
Good bread (I bought Grand Central sliced Como bread)
Nunya sauce or garlic aioli

I like to cook bacon in the oven on a wire rack atop a cookie sheet (thanks to Ina). I cook it at 425 for 15-25 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the slices.

I slice my tomatoes, then lay them out and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I think it adds a little to the flavor of the sandwich.

Toast the bread slightly and cut off the crusts. Slather with Nunya sauce or garlic aioli. Then top with bacon, tomatoes, and butter lettuce. Cut sandwiches in thirds and stick with a toothpick.


Ali's Roast Beef Sannies

Baguette
Roast beef
Horseradish mayo *
Arugula

Slice the baguette in half. Slather with the horseradish mayo. Top with roast beef and arugula. Put the top piece of bread back on and cut into 1.5-2" slices. Stick with a toothpick to keep them together.

* I bought a horseradish sauce and mixed it with mayo, salt and pepper.
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Mini Grilled Pork Sliders

Follow this recipe for Pork Sandwiches. You can use pesto or the Nunya sauce. Of course I tried both and both were great. I skipped the tomato. Assemble the sandwiches and cut in half. Stick with a toothpick and serve.
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Brie with Roasted Garlic and Honey

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My aunt Jadine makes this appetizer all the time and it's so good. I made it yesterday and was thrilled with how easy it was. I'll be making it a lot more often now that I know it's a cinch to make.

Brie with Roasted Garlic and Honey

Round of good brie cheese
3 heads of garlic
olive oil
brown sugar
1/2-1 cup honey
Plain water crackers

Roast the garlic (this can be done a day or two before)

Preheat oven to 250. Cut off the top of the head of garlic. Sprinkle with a touch of olive oil, then brown sugar. Place on a small pan or cookie sheet and roast for 2-3 hours. You want the cloves to be soft, but not too mushy. Remove and allow to cool. Squeeze out garlic cloves.

When ready to serve

Throw roasted garlic cloves in a small pan with honey. Warm over medium heat, then reduce to low until you're ready to serve. Cut off the rind on the side and top of the brie round (bottom too if you want). Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pour the honey garlic mixture over the brie and serve with crackers.
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Veganize It

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Over two years ago I posted a recipe for a great asparagus appetizer I learned from my mother-in-law. It's been a hit every time I've made it. Last night I decided to veganized it by using Follow Your Heart Organic Veganaise instead of Best Foods Mayonnaise. You would never know the difference. Still just as good. Still a hit at the party.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly, so these are rough estimates for the veganized version. Start with the measurements below, then adjust to your liking. You don't want any one ingredient to stand out too much.

Veganized Asparagus Appetizer

3/4 c organic veganaise
3 t soy sauce
2 t wasabi paste
½ - 1 t sugar
3 t fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 or 2 bunches asparagus
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Boil water and cook asparagus for 2 minutes. Remove and let cool. Mix other ingredients together to make dip. Serve asparagus cold or room temp with sauce.
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Simple & Delicious Appetizer

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My friend Amanda made this delicious appetizer. I can't wait to make it for myself, either for a light lunch or the next time we entertain, especially now that strawberries are in season and in abundance at the farmers market.
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Amanda's Strawberry-Balsamic Goat Cheese Crostinis

plain goat cheese
1 pint strawberries – chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, enough just to coat the berries (use your good stuff)

1/8 cup fresh basil chopped

1 baguette, sliced and toasted

Cover the strawberries with balsamic vinegar but don’t drench. Let it sit for about an hour, then mix in the basil about 20 minutes before you assemble. In a pinch you could assemble it all at once but it really tastes the best if you have time to let the flavors come together. Toast the baguette slices, spread each with goat cheese and put the strawberry mixture on top. .
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Holuakoa Pizza: Poached Pair, Mac Nuts, Gorgonzola and Pesto

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Before...

After...

With pesto drizzled...

My friend Tara told me about the Holuakoa Gardens & Cafe on Hawaii's Big Island. We went last year for brunch and loved it so much that I convinced (begged) the hubby to go again this year for dinner. It was a hidden gem on an island full of tourist traps and heavy fried foods. Everyone loved their meal, and I have been obsessing about mine. I got a "Pizzetta" with poached pear, Gorgonzola, and macadamia nuts with a little side salad of arugula and pesto drizzled over everything. It was so good that I was determined to re-create it. Last night I did and it was as good as I remembered. This would even make a great appetizer to serve hot or room temp the next time you have friends over.

If you want to serve with the arugula as they did, toss with a light vinaigrette and serve on the side. Sprinkle with a little of the pesto as well. Delish!


Holuakoa Pizza
Inspired by the pizzetta at Holuakoa Gardens & Cafe
Dough
Olive oil
2 pears, poached and sliced (my poaching recipe below)
Macadamia nuts, chopped small
Gorgonzola
Pesto (I bought PCC's vegan pesto because it was all they had and it was fantastic)

Place pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500. Sprinkle a work surface, rolling pin and pizza dough with flour and roll out dough to thin pizzas. (I never worry about the shape of the pizzas. I don't know that I've ever rolled out a circle. They're usually rectangle, triangle, or a big blob - but they all taste great!) Sprinkle the bottom side of a cookie sheet with cornmeal and a little flour (to prevent the dough from sticking) and transfer rolled-out dough onto it. Brush dough with olive oil. Top with slices of pear, then sprinkle with macadamia nuts and top with Gorgonzola crumbles. Carefully remove pizza stone from oven and reduce heat to 450. Sprinkle pizza stone with cornmeal and then slide pizza onto the stone CAREFULLY. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove and carefully transfer to a wood cutting board to slice. Mix pesto with a bit of olive oil and then sprinkle over the pizza. Serve hot or room temp.

Cider Poached Pears

2 pears, peeled, quartered, and cored
2 cups apple cider
juice of 1/2 orange
1 cinnamon stick

Bring cider, orange juice and cinnamon stick to a light boil. Add pairs, reduce heat and simmer for roughly 15 minutes until fork tender (check after 10 minutes and then adjust time as necessary). Remove and let cool.
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As long as you're poaching pears, maybe do an extra one or two and use for dessert. Just Google a bit and find something delicious to create.

Simple App

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I went to a wedding Sunday night and one of the passed appetizers was a date stuffed with Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin and topped with a marcona almond. It was so easy that I made it tonight for a quick app to tide myself over until dinner. Pretty darn good. It won't be the best three-ingredient appetizer you've ever had, but it's sure to be the fastest. Something great to throw together if you're entertaining a large group and need some easy appetizers.

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Corncakes With Caviar

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At the book tour event for Amanda Hesser's new cookbook, The Essential New York Times Cookbook, they served an assortment of delicious recipes from the cookbook. I went crazy for the Corncakes With Caviar. They were so good. For the event they prepared them in large bite-sized pieces which made the perfect appetizer. I might have to try these for my next dinner party.

Easy as 1-2-3

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My friend Amanda had us over the other night for an amazing Russian themed dinner: perogis, cabbage rolls, and borscht soup with sausage. Stay tuned for the recipes. I'm dying to make all of it. She started the dinner with the simplest appetizer that I assembled with one hand while stealing my husband's dirty vodka martini with the other. Because really, with a dinner like this, only vodka seemed fitting. These little cracker numbers were going as fast as I could make them so please forgive the sad picture at the bottom.

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Great Holiday Appetizer

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My aunt is a great cook but she doesn't have a ton of time so she's always coming up with recipes that are super quick to prepare but very good. She served this appetizer at her house a few weeks ago and I loved it so much that I made it for Thanksgiving day. It was a hit. I also love the presentation and think it's perfect for the holidays.

Jadine's Cranberry Goat Cheese Spread

2 packages of plain goat cheese
1 container "Cranberry Celebration" (available in the specialty cheese section at QFC)
3 T Grand Marnier
pinch or two of cayenne pepper
lots of freshly ground black pepper
herbs for garnish (I used oregano)
french baguette, sliced

Put goat cheese packages in the freezer for 10 minutes. Wile you're waiting, put cranberry sauce in a bowl and mix with Grand Marnier, pepper and cayenne pepper. Remove goat cheese and slice into 1/4 inch coins. I like to use an old school egg slicer like the one shown below. It makes perfect little coins. Put coins on a platter and cover with sauce. Garnish with something green and serve with baguette.