Veggies and Dip in Wine Glasses

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Please do not go searching for a recipe.  I'm just posting this as an idea.  I tried it for the first time on Christmas Eve...lots of good feedback.  Who wouldn't love individual servings of veggies and dip?  You don't have to worry about double dipping, you don't have to worry about cold dip running into your other warm appies on the plate...it's really just a win win.

I bought veggie dip because I had so much other things to do, making dip from scratch wasn't my concern.  Put it in wine glasses and added the cut up veggies.  I did celery sticks, carrot sticks and red peppers....nice colour variety.

Boom.  Done.  

And so pretty looking on your buffet table...who doesn't love pretty?

Caprese Skewers

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There is no recipe for this.  Well...there probably is, but you don't need one.  Actually...please don't go looking for one.

Toothpicks

Cherry Tomatoes

Basil Leaves

Small Bocconcini (fresh mozzarella)

To add some extra flavor there are so many options,

Salt and Pepper

Drizzle with Balsamic

Brush mozza with pesto

and so on.

Super easy, perfectly bite size, so much flavor....not to mention really pretty to serve up.

Toasted Ravioli

source same as recipe

I made these a few years ago, loved them but forgot about them.  When I made them the first time I did make the sauce too and it was delicious.  This time when I made them, I got lazy and just bought a jar of marinara.

I would quite possibly say these were the favorite of the night.  Everybody loved them.

I used a cheese stuffed ravioli...you don't have to use what the recipe says....use whatever kind you want.  

You can always count on Rachael Ray!  Go to Food Network to get the printable recipe.

Avocado, Cream Cheese and Salsa Stuffed Pastries

source same as recipe

Avocados make my heart sing.  I love them.  I'm pretty sure I could eat them daily.  The night I made these, I thought...hm...they're okay.

Then I had them for leftovers.  Oh my....now...I must make them again.  I must make them, not eat them fresh, and then eat them day after day as leftovers.  I loved them.

I didn't do squares.  I used a cup as a cutter and just cut rounds.  I didn't measure the filling part of it.  I forgot to season with salt and pepper and I think I should have...that was missing.

And DO NOT forget them in the oven...not that I would ever do that, but I'm just saying...it could happen.

Go check out Averie Cooks for the recipe.

Twice Baked New Potatoes

source same as recipe

Time consuming.  Tedious.  But....oh soooo delicious and another huge hit!  It was worth slaving in my kitchen for.  The best part is they can be made ahead of time and just put in the oven before serving.  

Perfect little bite size potatoes.  

They made my heart sing.

The only thing I didn't follow was the red potatoes...I used white skinned new potatoes.  Red might have looked prettier, but other than that...doesn't really matter.  Use what you have/want.

You can get this one at Taste of Home.

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

source same as recipe

Another Christmas Eve appetizer I served up ....and it was a huge hit!  The best part...easy peasy!! They were so much better than those frozen food aisle versions.

I followed the recipe.....except for the cheese brand.  I just got Kraft ones, but did make sure they were reduced fat or partly skim whatever.  Also...listen to her when she says freeze them....it's important to freeze before breading and after breading them....you don't want a gooey cheesy mess on your cookie sheet.

I just bought a jar of marinara to serve up with mine.  

Thank you, Skinny Taste for making me look so good!

Bloomin Onion Bread

source same as recipe

My sister has been making a version of this for a couple of years now.  It's always been a huge hit with no leftovers.  I decided to give it a whirl, since I was hosting Christmas Eve.  

I followed the recipe, didn't make any changes.  It really is too easy, but your guests will love it.

Check out The Girl Who Ate Everything for the recipe and make sure you include it in your next appetizer based party!

Cucumber Feta Rolls

picture source same as recipe source

These were a fail...for me.  I think the fail was my own fault and if these are flavours you enjoy, I encourage you to try it anyways.  They look pretty on a tray all ready to serve up.  They are easy to make but look so fancy.



I made the filling the night before.    I think my first mistake was adding too many olives.  It had an overpowering olive taste and for me...that wasn't good.....my mom liked that though, so that's a personal thing.  I used black olives because I didn't have the Kalamatas.  I don't know much about olives so maybe the Kalamatas would have had a different flavour?  Next time, I would just omit the olives.


I added the dill and oregano...not just one or the other.  I chose to use sundried tomatoes instead of red peppers just because I love sundried tomatoes more.


I don't have a mandoline anymore, so I actually used a cheese slicer thing I have.  It worked perfectly!!  This is maybe where I failed as well.  I don't think I let the sliced cucumbers sit on the paper towel long enough because the rolls were very watery when I served them up...liquid everywhere.


So that's that.


Check out Good Life Eats for the recipe.  Let me know how it works for you!

Vietnamese Spring Roll

Right after I had my wisdom teeth pulled, I posted a recipe I wanted to try called Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Hoisin Peanut Sauce.


I tried them.  I loved them!   They were exactly how I imagined they would be!  They were a bit hard to roll up....rice paper is sticky stuff,  but overall...easy peasy recipe.


I made a couple of changes...


- I used frozen raw peeled shrimp and boiled it.
- I forgot the mint.
- Instead of rice vermicelli noodles, I just used white rice.
- I did not use organic peanut butter.

Asparagus and Gouda In Phyllo

Okay...so this was delicious!!  So good!  I loved it, if I may say so myself.  It was even good leftover, cold, straight out of the fridge.


No recipe...just an idea I thought up.  I'm sure there are recipes out there, but you really don't need them.  All you need to know are flavours you like together and give it a shot.


What I did was I took one sheet of phyllo and brushed melted butter on it, then put another sheet on and brushed more melted butter.  Then I sprinkled a generous amount of shredded gouda along the bottom and put a few spears of cooked asparagus on it.  Fold over the sides, roll it up, brush butter on top...bake it.  I think I did 375 for about 16 or so minutes...just until golden brown.


Now here is what I'd do different next time.  Slice the phyllo in half (vertically) before rolling up so they weren't so long.  I'd, also, maybe undercook the asparagus or grill them (I did mine in the oven with olive oil).  They were a bit floppy and hard to bite.


I love phyllo.  I'm dreaming up new ideas for my left over sheets.

-cream cheese, bananas and caramel sauce
-prosciutto, asparagus and cheese
-cheese cheese and more cheese

I love cheese too.

Hot Broccoli Dip

This is so easy.  You can prepare it in the morning, cover it and keep it in the fridge until it's time to heat up and serve.


I got the recipe from Kraft Canada....so you know it's going to be simple and easy.  You can print it off from here.


There aren't really any changes I make, except I don't measure and I use whatever cheese I have on hand. 


I hope you  know you don't have to use the brand names or whatever ingredients they list.  For example...I don't use "Miracle Whip Calorie Wise Dressing", I use my mayo I have.  Keep that in mind when looking at recipes.


Anyways...I served it up with a variety of crackers.  It was a hit and there were no leftovers.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Hoison Peanut Sauce

When I am allowed to chew again and when I have someone I can share them with, I really want to make these....

Don't they look so light and refreshing?


Here is my problem, I've overdone the peanut Asian flavour so Ben no longer likes it.  He also doesn't like Hoison, so these would not be a household favorite for dinner.


I'll have to wait until I have some friends over or I go to someone's and we make them.


In the meantime...you make them and let me know how they turned out and what changes you made.


The recipe is here.


UPDATE:  I made these and blogged about them.  They were so good!!


Enjoy!

Saganaki

Saganaki - This is sooo freakin' easy to make and so delicious. You will totally impress your guests with it. Saganaki is definitely not a "healthy" appy, but it's worth every calorie and gram of fat! Rendezvous in Abbotsford makes a delicious version of this...that's where I had it for the first time, but now I can make it at home..mmmmm. I'm sorry there are no quantities, I don't measure.

Cheese - but not any kind of cheese...you need Kefalograviera, Kefalotiri or Kassen. Where I live we lack places to buy fancy cheeses, however, I have found at Save On Foods they have a cheese called "Saganaki"...it's what I use. I know in Vancouver you can buy the properly named stuff. I've heard of people using Feta, but I'm not to sure how that would work or taste. You'd want to make sure it was a harder feta you can cut into a good size cube.
Egg
Oregano
Flour
Olive Oil

Cube cheese into desired size (not too small though). Mix egg and oregano. Dip cheese in egg mixture and shake off excess then coat in flour.

Heat olive oil in frying pan on med-high heat. Fry cheese pieces on each side once until golden brown. You want the heat high enough to get the golden brown without completely melting all the cheese out.

Serve with lemon wedges and warm pitas.

Again...feel free to ask any questions and let me know how they turn out for you!

Go here to print it off.

Spanakopita

I love Greek food! A couple of years ago I went on a mission to learn to make some good Greek dishes for at home. I've found some good recipes and lately have been sharing them with friends. Now more and more people are asking for them so I've decided to post them up here so you can just print it have it...it also saves me from typing out the recipes again and again. I'll be separating each recipe into it's own post so there isn't one long one and you don't need to print what you don't want.

Spanakopita - I've never had to double this one...I find the recipe makes quite a bit. It's very time consuming and a lot of work, but oh so worth it. Most people I've served this too have said it's better than the restaurants. I should also mention...I almost never measure, I eyeball most things.

1/2 cup olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 (10oz) pkgs frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry (tip: put the thawed spinach in the middle of a clean dark coloured tea towel and pull the edges up around the spinach and twist it so all the liquids squeeze out...makes it way easier)
2 tbsps chopped fresh dill (I just use dried)
3 tbsps all purpose flour
2 (4 oz) pkgs feta, crumbled
4 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper
1 1/2 (16oz) pkgs phyllo dough
3/4 pd butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly cook and stir onions until softened. Mix in spinach, dill and flour. Cook approximately 10 minutes or until most of the moisture has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Mix in feta, eggs, salt and pepper.

Here is where it gets tricky and takes some practice. Lay phyllo dough flat & brush with butter. (If you like lots of phyllo dough, I know some people will stack 3 sheets at a time, just don't forget to brush in between the layers....I only use one sheet at a time). Don't forget to keep your stock pile of phyllo covered with a damp tea towel...it dries out very fast. Depending on the size of sheet you have you might need to do this (I have to everytime, I have yet to find thing strips of phyllo precut and ready to go). I put it down infront of me so it's landscape not portrait (I only know photography terms for this...I don't know how to describe it in cooking terms...haha) and I take a pizza roller cutter thing and cut 4 or 5 strips, depending on the size of your dough and the size you want your spanakopita to be. Some packages will actually have a diagram for you on how to set it up, so look on your packaging. Place a small amount of spinach mixture onto each piece of dough. Fold phyllo into triangles around the mixture. (Again...refer to packaging for directions on how to do this...way to hard to explain how...but don't stress about it, my first few turned into little packet square things...they looked horrible). Brush triangles with butter and place on a large baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven 45min - 1 hour or until golden brown (please don't just put the timer on and walk away...check at like 20 minutes or half hour).
And that's it! If you have any questions or if I was unclear, please ask. Also, please let me know if you have tried this and how it turned out!

Good Luck!!


You can go here to print it.