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Fourth of July? We Have an App For That!

Looking for something great to bring to that big Fourth of July cookout? We can hook you up with some great appetizers, like these fancy deviled eggs from behindtheburner.com. These are great because they have some different ingredients: cottage cheese and horseradish, specifically.  

You'll need 12 hard-boiled eggs, with yolks separated after they're cooked. Use your food processor to mix yolks with 1/3 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 3 tbsp scallions, 1 tbsp horseradish, 2 tsp mustard and 1/8 tsp salt. Blend and fill the eggs, topping with cayenne pepper or a sprig of parsley.  

Or, if you want to get fancy and bypass the normal cookout fare, try these ham and goat cheese canapes. Built on a French baguette, these are quick and easy appetizers that will get you a lot of fans. Combine 1 cup cooked, chopped ham with 2 tbsp goat cheese, 2 tbsp cream and Cayenne pepper to taste. Fry your pieces of bread with butter until brown, then top with the mixture and brown in the oven for a few minutes. Top with your favorite herb and off you go! 

Picnic Favorites.

Okay, so you want options for your picnic basket. Maybe some lighter fare, like some hummus and veggies, or specialty salads?Real Simple has got you covered. From Five Minute Hummus to Roast Beef Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette, the contents of you picnic basket will steal the show.

To make hummus, you'll want a food processor, a can of chick peas, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and paprika. You can add tahini if you choose. Blend all ingredients except olive oil and paprika - you'll drizzle those after. Pack in some tupperware with your favorite veggies and pita chips, and it's a perfect snack for the beach or the grass.

For the roast beef salad, you'll need 12 ounces of sliced deli roast beef, Boston lettuce, a tomato, red onion, and crumbled goat cheese for your salad. Mix olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and seasonings as you prefer for the dressing, and transport in your basket separately. Drizzle when you're ready to eat. 

Even if you don't want a really sweet dessert, you'll want something to snack on later in the day. Try these oatmeal raspberry bars, made with rolled oats, raspberry jam and fresh raspberries. Delicious, healthy and just sweet enough to chase away that sweet tooth. 

This menu is perfect for an afternoon out for a hike or bike ride, or some lazing around on the beach. Add some fruit for snacks, and don't forget to bring lots of water. Have a great picnic!

Pack Your Picnic Basket. It's Summertime.

 What did you do over Memorial Day weekend? I always consider it the first weekend of summer so usually eat outdoors -- as many meals as possible. 

As a BBQ alternative, how about packing a good old-fashioned picnic basket, your family, and the dogs and head out to a state park?

Picnics are the perfect occasion to cheat a little, and The Food Network's Southern-Fried Memorial Day Picnic has the perfect party food to keep your picnic basket at the top of its game. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Shrimp and Deviled Egg Salad Rolls are the main course, but there's plenty more in this basket. You'll want to choose a place where you can spend some time, because you'll never eat all this at once! I packed this picnic for a group of six and there was still food left over. 

For appetizers, French Onion Dip with your favorite chips or crackers and Parmesan Puff Pastry will keep your hunger at bay while you find the perfect spot. Pair those with some refreshing Cherry Cooler, an awesome combination of cherries, hibiscus tea, and sugar to keep your thirst quenched.

Polish off your fried chicken and sandwiches with a side of potato salad or broccoli slaw, then take a few minutes to digest. A hike will top this meal off nicely! The only thing missing is dessert - but that's okay. Surely there's an ice cream stand on your way home! Enjoy summer!

Spice Up Your Cinco Fest - Salsa and Guacamole

 

So we covered the margaritas, and we’ve had a drink or two to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We’ll be getting hungry soon, so let’s make sure the food is covered! You need appetizers to accompany the margaritas, and chips and salsa seems like a natural for this particular celebration. Salsa is one of the healthiest appetizers you can serve, and it’s simple to make. 

 

I like Alton Brown’s recipe on the Food Network. It’s a little bit spicy, which works for me. If you like a milder salsa, skip the chili powder and/or the dry chiles or jalapenos.

 

You’ll need tomatoes, garlic, a red pepper, red onion, olive oil, lime juice (fresh from a juicer if you have one), and fresh scallions. The scallions can be substituted with cilantro or parsley. Add your hots and mix it up, then let it chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours. 

 

I thought I’d try my hand at guacamole to complement my salsa, something I’d never made before. It’s also simple, and tastes amazingly better than anything store bought.

 

Serve with tortilla chips, rye crisps or your favorite cracker. If you’re doing real nachos, grab some shredded mozzarella cheese and bake on the tortilla chips in the oven until it melts, then serve with your salsa and guacamole. It’s a popular dish on ordinary days, so it can’t help but be a hit for your Cinco party!

The Cheese Experience.

I’m planning a trip to my favorite cheese store in the near future: C’est Cheese in North Hampton, New Hampshire. This delightful shop not only offers a plethora of cheeses from all over the world, but gourmet crackers, chocolates, oils, and a number of other culinary delights -- oh, and wine. So I’m stockpiling new cheese recipes this week in preparation for my visit, so I don’t simply buy everything in sight.

I’ve been getting into goat cheeses lately, not only for the taste difference but for the health benefits as well. Lower in fat content and calories, goat cheese is touted as easier to digest than cheese made from cow’s milk. And it’s supposed to be a good source of calcium. And with goat cheddar, goat gouda, and other varieties, you’re not missing out on your favorite flavor.

Real Simple has a goat cheese bruschetta recipe that is heavenly. Soft goat cheese topped with a balsamic vinagrette made with olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, a shallot, and fresh herbs of your choice. The recipe calls for toasted country bread, but it’s your choice. I like rye toast for an appetizer, but it’s easy to make a meal out of this with whole slices of bread.

Don’t skimp on your goat cheese choices, either. I prefer to visit a specialty shop for mine, because of the breadth of the selection. Ask the expert and love your experience.

Do you have a favorite cheese shop? Feel free to "plug it" in a comment!

 

Classy Cheese Appetizers Using Goat Cheese or Brie.

Monday’s olive tapenade recipe put me in the quick and easy but yummy appetizer mode. Another get-together this weekend and not a lot of time to prepare, but cheese definitely has to have a presence.

Martha Stewart came to the rescue with a fantastic -- and fantastically easy -- goat cheese dish, conveniently titled “Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer.”

You need:

8 to 12 ounces of marinated goat cheese in chunks (feta is an option)

2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil

4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns

Simply bake the cheese in an ovenproof dish at 325 until brown (use something pretty and table worthy for serving purposes), then dress with olive oil, thyme and peppercorns. Buy some fancy cheese spreaders and a pretty plate, some hearty crackers to serve with the cheese, and you’re good to go!

If goat cheese isn’t your thing, never fear -- Martha has a Brie recipe that’s just as easy. 1 wheel of Brie, 1/2 cup pecans, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, and you have a baked Brie right out of a French bistro.

Bake cheese at 350 for 15-20 minutes, then toast the nuts in the oven and sprinkle over the cheese. Heat sugar and maple syrup in a saucepan to a boil then drizzle over cheese. Serve with crackers.

Spreading the Love with Tapenade.

I went to a writer’s gathering this weekend, and being an eclectic bunch, the food choices ranged from the typical (chocolate truffle bomb cake) to the fancy (paella with shrimp, kielbasa, and chicken). But my favorite tasting was a simple appetizer: olive tapenade.

If you like olives, definitely try this at home. It’s simple, easy and lasts about two weeks in the refrigerator, and it’s delicious with just about any kind of cracker you can imagine.

I looked up some recipes when I got home and most of them call for just one kind of olive, but the person that made this particular recipe used black olives, Spanish olives and Kalamata olives, which added quite a bit of flavor. I found the following recipe at About.com. I liked it because it was simple and quick. Start with 20 pitted olives coarsely chopped. Add:

1 Tbsp rinsed, drained, and chopped capers
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
Fresh cracked black pepper

Simply mix and serve. Some choose to add anchovy paste, but you don’t need it. Use less olive oil for a looser mix, but add a bit more if you want everything to stick together and not fall all over the floor when you try to eat it with a cracker or triangle of pita!

Perfect for your next get-together, fancy or casual.

Prelude to the Superbowl. Party Planning.

I have a confession to make, I hate football. Never understood the whole idea of grown men throwing each other around to try to catch a weird-shaped ball. That said, I do love get-togethers and Superbowl Sunday is a great day for fun snacks and a laid-back party, even if you’re attending without any plans to actually watch the game (me).

When it comes to appetizers, quick is better in my book. Plus, when there’s a bit of drinking going on, people love finger foods. They don’t have to be bad-for-you snacks.

I found a great recipe for ginger marinated shrimp that takes about ten minutes to prepare, and shrimp is a healthy favorite. Another easy one is jalapeno cheddar quesadillas in a broiler – done before the guys on the field even finish one of their extended time-outs.

Turkey and bean chili is a good one for the meat-eaters in the group, a healthier version of traditional beef chili. If you have a crock pot, you can simmer this recipe all day then simply unplug your pot and bring it with you so you can keep it warm during the festivities.

One of my favorite munchie foods to bring to a gathering is roasted carrot veggie dip, a gem I found thanks to Rachael Ray. This is a great one for the food processor – it gives it the perfect texture, much better than blending. I use Greek-style yogurt because it’s healthier than regular yogurt, and I like the taste better overall. This one is especially good with asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower – but skip the carrots, it might be overkill.

Check back for party drinks and desserts.... Have a great appetizer recipe? Post it here!

Snackin' Round the Turkey. Thanksgiving Day Snacks.

Within every Thanksgiving Day menu there is always a place for snacks and appetizers.  Although everyone generally works hard to save their appetite for the  main course, you should  have a few appetizers on hand to keep the natives from getting restless before dinner (especially the little ones). Think also for late nite gabbing and noshing  sessions.  

With the big meal taking centerstage in your kitchen, you don’t want to exert too much of your time and space on appetizers and snacks, so fast and easy is a plus. This is another perfect opportunity for family and friends to help with the feeding the troops. Feel free to ask guests or family to bring a favorite or turn over the kitchen to family volunteers or recruits. 

Easy Crackers/cheese, chips and crudite/dips are perfect for both appetizers and snacks. Don’t worry about matching bowls or calories; focus on family, friends, fun and delicious food.  Prep them into heat and serve dishes that can be warmed quickly in the microwave. Here are some suggestions, oldies but goodies with a few new twists:

Artichoke Dip

Horse radish crab dip

Avocado Salsa

Party pumpkin dip

Easy cheesy French onion dip