You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Appetizers & Dips & Snacks’ category.
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I made these for the first time a few weeks ago, when I just had some white and orange sweet potatoes hanging out in my house, leftover from the fall produce sales. They were starting their own mini sweet-potato-reproducing-factory in my cabinet, and I needed to get rid of them. Naturally, I decided to make some fries. It’s the default thing to do with leftover sweet potatoes, right?
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But you can’t just serve fries on their own… and for me, ketchup/catsup/catchup isn’t what you serve with a big platter of sweet potato fries. Sweet potato fries are the sophisticated older sister of regular fries. You need something to woo her with…
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Like intense garlic breath, of course.
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Thus, roasted garlic aioli. An aioli is much like mayonnaise… except hopefully homemade, and with a fancier name.
Honestly, you probably just want to invite all your friends over for these fries. You want to make sure all the people you know are eating this, lest you see a friend or five out and about later… because they won’t want to be within 10 feet of you. (Unless that’s what you’re going for… in which case, I applaud you for your creative strategy.)
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Sweet Potato Fries
From the Kitchenette
Serves 8 as an appetizer or side
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Gather:
4 sweet potatoes, orange or white or both, scrubbed clean
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more if needed
coarse salt
fresh cracked pepper
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch sticks. (Note: I’m not too concerned about getting each fry the perfect length or width. Perfection is BORING. Plus, having some fries be more crispy than others is quite tasty, honestly.) Toss sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper, adding more oil until fries are just barely coated. Roast at 425 degrees for approximately 40-50 minutes, tossing each 15 minutes or so.
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Roasted Garlic Aioli
From the Kitchenette
Yields about 3/4 cup
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Gather:
1 head garlic
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 egg
salt
fresh cracked pepper
Prepare:
To roast the garlic, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off the head of garlic, and place on a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over top the head. Wrap the aluminum foil around the garlic, and roast at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until garlic is translucent and soft inside.
To make aioli, put 3 cloves of roasted garlic (you can squeeze them out of the head with your thumb) in a food processor or blender. Add in the egg, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and turn on the food processor/blender to high. Add in the olive oil in a VERY slow stream, as slowly as possible. Check the texture of the aioli intermittently while adding the olive oil; you are looking for a texture akin to a thin mayonnaise, and you may not need all the oil, or you may need a bit more. Once the appropriate texture is reached, transfer to a serving dish.
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Warpaint / Undertow
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So I actually meant to post these in time for Christmas, but as you probably remember, I went home to Virginia…
and accidentally disappeared off the face of the earth for approximately 30 days.
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As you can probably tell, the red ball is covered in chopped dried cranberries. It’s filled with delicious mango chutney and shredded cheddar, along with some other delicious things. The green one is covered in chopped parsley, and is filled with heavenly, creamy goat cheese and scallions. (If you start drooling, I won’t say anything. I’m totally drooling just writing this.)
These cheese balls are a staple at any of our family gatherings. My cousin Grayson, and my brother Jeff, have been known to request them at Thanksgiving and Christmas. But I see no reason you can’t serve them for Superbowl Sunday… or even just a Tuesday afternoon. I mean, honestly… who can resist a cheese ball???
In fact, if you are able to resist a cheese ball, then I’m unsure you have a soul.
And I’m positive we can’t be friends. It’s just a requirement to friendship.
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This is another Martha Stewart recipe, because I swear, that bitch can do no wrong. (I tried a banana bread recipe from her the other day, and I swear I saw angels with the first bite. Damn her and her perfect, perfect recipes.)
Martha suggests serving the parsley-goat cheese ball with slices of cucumber, but clearly that’s for people who are trying to ignore the fact that they are eating a large ball made entirely of dairy fat. Own it, and serve it with water crackers.
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Base for Cheese Balls
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes one 4-inch ball
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Gather:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons lemon juice
scant 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes hot sauce
pinch salt
pinch white pepper
Prepare:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth and combined. Proceed with variation chosen below. (Base may be multiplied if making more than 1 variation; just divide evenly between separate bowls before proceeding.)
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Cranberry-Cheddar Cheese Ball
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes one 4-inch ball
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Gather:
1 recipe Cheese Ball base, above
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons mango chutney (or other complimentary flavor)
3/4 cup finely chopped cranberries
Prepare:
Combine the cheese ball base, cheddar, and mango chutney, and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pull out a sheet of cling wrap and lay on flat surface. Shape cheese into a ball, and wrap in cling wrap. Chill in fridge 1 hour.
Scatter chopped cranberries on a cutting board or other flat surface. Unwrap cheese ball from cling wrap and lightly press into cranberries, until dried fruit clings to surface. (Cheese ball can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate, and let sit at room temperature approximately 1 hour before serving.)
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Scallion-Chevre Cheese Ball
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes one 4-inch ball
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Gather:
1 recipe Cheese Ball base, above
8 ounces goat cheese, softened
2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
1/3 cup curly parsley, finely chopped
Prepare:
Combine the cheese ball base, goat cheese, and scallions, and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pull out a sheet of cling wrap and lay on flat surface. Shape cheese into a ball, and wrap in cling wrap. Chill in fridge 1 hour.
Scatter chopped parsley on a cutting board or other flat surface. Unwrap cheese ball from cling wrap and lightly press into parsley, until herb clings to surface. (Cheese ball base can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Do not roll in parsley more than an hour or two before serving; the parsley will wilt in the fridge. Let cheese ball sit at room temperature about 1 hour prior to serving.)
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I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect granola bar for the past… five, six months? I like loose granola just fine in my yogurt, but I wanted a chewy, not rock-hard, not-too-sweet granola bar. I wanted it to be full of oats and nuts, but I wasn’t so enamored of the idea of a granola bar full of dried fruit. And I finally found it, through multiple Google searches, which finally led me to 101 Cookbooks’ Big Sur Power Bars. I should have known that Heidi would have exactly what I was looking for, being the harbinger of great, whole-foods-based vegetarian recipes, that she is.
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I made these to take with me to Austin City Limits last weekend, but unfortunately, you’re not supposed to take any food into the festival grounds. (Ugh, stupidest rule ever.) The original recipe calls for twice as much brown rice syrup as below, which yielded a very sticky bar, too sticky for me. For the second batch, I halved the amount of brown rice syrup, but kept everything else the same. The result is a nutty, sweet (but not cloyingly so), chewy-but-not-sticky granola bar. I joked to B about these being the rolled oats-version of a cup of coffee, but unless you’re super sensitive to caffeine, I doubt these will affect you much. The espresso is a great unexpected upgrade on flavor, though, which is all it’s there for in the first place. The brown rice cereal and the oats have great interplaying textures, too, so you get the whole crispiness associated with a Rice Krispy bar, but it’s still chewy and hearty from the oats, coconut, and nuts.
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The recipe definitely introduced some new ingredients for me. I had never used brown rice syrup before, and at first I didn’t know where to look for it (it’s in the baking aisle next to honey, at least at my grocery store). The brown rice cereal was even harder to locate, but I found it in the Whole Foods cereal aisle. If you can’t find the brown rice cereal, then just use Rice Krispies.
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Oh, and just let me point out… for all the hard work we do around Case de Kitchenette… making fresh pasta, canning whole tomatoes, and making butter from scratch… this recipe doesn’t require any cooking at all. Unless you count toasting the coconut and nuts. (Which you could skip if you are suffering from Terrified-of-the-Oven Syndrome.)
Can I get a hell yeah for easy recipes?
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Espresso-Laced Chewy Granola Bars
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
Makes 12 bars
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Gather:
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter)
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds
2/3 cup (unsweetened) shredded coconut
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup turbinado or light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 tablespoons ground espresso beans
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups rolled oats (not instant oatmeal)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened crisp brown rice cereal
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub a baking sheet with coconut oil or butter. Toss pecans, almonds, and coconut on baking sheet, and cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until toasted and fragrant. Keep a good eye on the nuts and coconut, tossing a few times if necessary, to make sure the nuts down burn.
Line a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with parchment paper.
Combine the rice syrup, sugar, salt, espresso, and vanilla in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the toasted nuts and coconut with the rolled oats and rice cereal in a large mixing bowl. Pour the brown rice syrup mixture over the rolled oat mixture, adding in batches, and stirring in between additions of syrup.
Spread the sticky granola mixture into the parchment-lined baking pan. Let sit until cooled and stiff, about 2 hours. Cut into pieces as small or large as you like.
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Surfer Blood / Floating Vibes
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Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.
So, I’m all for the Daring Cooks, because it forces you to try things that you’re not familiar with. Sometimes it’s a hit, sometimes it’s a miss… but you try it anyways.
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This month was stuffed grape leaves. I wasn’t really feeling the idea of stuffing them with pork or beef, so instead I opted for something simple and easy to make. This recipe is great because it’s mostly assembly-only, other than a bit of prep. These are great tapas for a party — which reminds me, it’s almost time for holiday parties! You could even make these a day in advance, and just heat them up in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, to melt the goat cheese.
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Grape Leaves Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Figs
Adapted from Honest Fare
Makes about 48
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Gather:
1 jar grape leaves (about 48 leaves)
8 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup dried figs, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped
2 cups cooked white rice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
fresh cracked pepper
Prepare:
Unroll the grape leaves, and separate carefully. Lay lightly on top of one another in a large shallow bowl. Pour boiling water over the leaves, gently shake the bowl to make sure the water gets in between the grape leaves. Let soak for about 20 minutes. Drain grape leaves, then repeat with 2-3 changes of cold, fresh water. Lay on kitchen towels.
Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Make sure they do not burn.
In the bottom of a mixing bowl, combine the goat cheese, figs, and walnuts. Stir to combine. Add the rice and stir gently to combine. Add red wine vinegar and cracked black pepper. Feel free to adjust seasoning to taste.
Place 1 tablespoon filling in the middle of each grape leaf. Fold in the sides, then roll up (like you would a burrito.) If you need further instruction, see this video, at about minute 3:30.
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Au Revoir Simone / Another Likely Story (Aeroplane Remix)
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The weekend before Memorial Day, my dear friend Emily married her sweetheart Carl. My mom and I were honored to bring the bride and her gaggle of bridesmaids some yummy treats for lunch on the day of the wedding. We ended up bringing these biscuits, a caprese salad (of sorts), the ever-popular wild rice salad, and cupcakes.
Oh, and we brought mimosas. Duh. I thought those were required for any bridal activities… yes?
Anyhoodle, the caprese salad and the cupcakes will come later… when I recreate them in my own house. Because due to some unforeseen circumstances involving a foot-long piece of fake hair and a bride who looked like she might cry, I was busy creating the Updo Of a Lifetime on the blushing bride, so I wasn’t able to snap any pics of the finished plates.
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That being said, I think these biscuits are perfect for a ladylike bridal party involving copious amounts of orange juice and champagne. We chose to leave out the chives so that there would be no hesitation on the part of the groom when he was able to finally kiss the bride.
Depending on the strength of the chives, these could end up having only a slight “herbiness” to the biscuits, or they might have a delicious onion-y whiff to each one. Feel free to leave them out if chives aren’t your thing. We served these with dijon and thin slices of a dry smoked ham. I used applewood-smoked ham when I made these at home, and then I used a Spanish Jamon ham when we made them for the bridal party. As long as it’s a dry ham (rather than a moist boiled ham), these will be delicious.
But be careful… it’s easy to tell yourself it’s okay to eat 12 in a row because “they’re mini biscuits.” (Ahem. Not that that happened to me. I swear.)
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White Cheddar, Black Pepper and Chive Biscuits with Ham and Dijon
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes 36 bite-size or 12 regular-size biscuits
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Gather:
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1/8 cup minced fresh chives
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk
1 pound applewood smoked ham, thinly sliced, for serving
dijon mustard, for serving
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using food processor or box grater, shred cheese. Remove (from food processor if using) to a bowl and set aside.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a food processor. Pulse for 5 seconds or until mixed. Add butter to food processor, and pulse until butter is pea-sized. Transfer flour mix to a large mixing bowl. Add shredded cheddar, fresh chives, and black pepper to bowl, and toss until cheddar is coated with flour. Add buttermilk to bowl and stir until combined. Knead lightly in the bowl to pick up any extra flour at the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be very sticky.
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“sticky dough” = understatement of the year
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Divide dough into four equal parts. Each fourth of dough should yield approximately 9 bite-size biscuits. Carefully pull apart a 1 1/2-inch piece of dough, and place biscuit on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
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Bake at 425 for 11-12 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Remove to a wire cooling rack, and let stand until cool enough to slice. Slice in half, and add one or two slices of ham to each biscuit. Serve slightly warm or room temperature with dijon mustard on the side.
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Now Playing: Janelle / Tightrope – This is so catchy… it makes my knees wiggle. But not in the way her knees wiggle in the video… because she’s way more talented than I in the dancing department.
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So, because I mentioned winning in the post title, some of you may assume that I’m referencing the Superbowl.
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Some of you may be grievously wrong.
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This is not even remotely like Superbowl food. Brie is way too classy for Superbowl Sunday. Superbowl Sunday is made for wings that will burn your tongue off. Potato skins filled with more bacon than potato. Dips containing a year’s worth of sour cream.
This brie is like the classy older sister of the sour cream-based dip. This brie went to Harvard. She’s marrying a Kennedy, dude. This brie is too good for you and your Superbowl party!
Well, she’s too good for me too… since I didn’t make this for my party today. I totally made this for Thanksgiving. (Yep, as in 2 1/2 months ago, procrastination is awesome!) But, it’s baked cheese and mustard… two of my favorite things, and probably yours too, if you’re smart. I figured you would forgive me.
In the true tradition of snack food, this is crazy easy to make. I mean, RIDICULOUSLY EASY. This recipe is idiot-proof. I’m not even sure it deserves to be called a recipe. I feel like a recipe requires more than 2 ingredients and more than 2 steps, but… it’s too delicious not to post. Seriously.
I’m thinking of renaming this recipe “Mustard + Brie = Foodgasm.”
What do you think?
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Baked Brie with Mustard
From the Kitchenette
Serves 4 brie-lovers (or 8 weenies) as an appetizer
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Ingredients
1 6-inch wheel of brie
3 tablespoons of sweet-hot mustard
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slather (there really is no other word to use here) the top and sides of the brie with mustard. Place the brie on a baking sheet covered with parchment or aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes or until the brie is soft to touch of a knife. Serve with toasted baguette slices.
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Now Playing in the Kitchenette: The National / Mistaken for Strangers
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I wish I could pick something that meshed better with baked brie… but I can’t. Because I’m obsessed with these dudes. They sound like the Editors, or maybe Interpol. I love a good baritone lead, that’s for damn sure.
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So, I know this guy who really likes Hot Pockets. You know, the microwaveable pockets of bread filled with delicious stuff? Meal in your hand? Yes, he likes them a lot. But I worry about him… his favorite foods are Hot Pockets and beer, and I can’t bring myself to approve of that diet! Trans fat, saturated fat, preservatives… Hot Pockets, and freezer food in general, are full of chemicals and artery-clogging cholesterol. But I know he loves them, so I wanted to prove that you can have an on-the-go bachelor food for cheap, made from wholesome ingredients.
So, because I know he loves them, I want to offer my homemade hot pocket to him. I know he usually uses butter in his cooking, and here I used oil… but regardless of which one you choose, some butter or oil is needed for the dough. Hot Pockets usually taste better with butter, he’ll say, but I say, olive oil is better for you.
Now, this guy I know, he doesn’t cook much. Apparently he can make a mean pot of beans (but I’ll believe it when I see it), and likes to microwave carrots. So I’ve made the following recipe extra easy for him – you can either make the dough yourself, or you can just buy refridgerated biscuit dough and put in your own filling. Regardless, these can be frozen; just wrap in a paper towel and heat up in the microwave until hot.
Friend – I made your favorite! Pepperoni and cheese. I left a dozen frozen in a cooler on your doorstep, along with a case of Heineken. One step at a time. (Your next step is to give me a special hug to thank me.)
