Archive for the ‘Appetizers’ Category

YRG Guacamole Dip

Compliments of Chef Jennifer Hill Booker

Yields  2-4 servings

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados

1/2 red onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 jalapeno or Serrano chili,  minced

1/4 cilantro leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1firm- ripe tomato, diced

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

A dash of freshly grated black pepper

Directions:

• Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
• Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, garlic, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary in their hotness.
• Start with a half of the chili peppers and gradually add more to your desired degree of hotness.
• Add the diced tomatoes. Serve immediately with tortilla or pita chips
• Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to slow down oxidation and discoloration of the YRG Guacamole Dip.

Enjoy!

Photo credit: puregoodness com

Chef Jennifer Hill Booker
Your Resident Gourmet
Host-Basil MAGAZINE Radio Show
www.YourResidentGourmet.com 
www.blogtalkradio.com/BasilMagazineRadio

Fore more great recipes,  log onto http://www.basilmagazine.com/recipies/

Sweet Corn & Mussel Chowder

Compliments of Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Olive oil

2 rashers higher-welfare bacon, chopped

1 small white onion, finely chopped

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped

4 ears sweet corn

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

900 ml organic vegetable or fish stock, hot

1 handful fresh, live mussels, from sustainable sources, ask your fishmonger, cleaned and drained

4 tablespoons single cream

1 small handful chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

• Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat.
• Add the bacon, onion, celery and chili and sweat down for 5 minutes, stirring, until soft but not browned.
• Peel the husk from the corn and slice off the kernels with a sharp knife.
• Add the sweet corn and potato to the saucepan, along with the stock.
• Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until the potato is soft.
• Blitz very roughly with a hand blender (or cool slightly, then blend in batches in a food processor, returning the chowder to the saucepan).
• Add the mussels and cream, bring quickly to the boil and cook for a few minutes until the mussels have opened – discard any that remain closed. You can take the mussels out of their shells, if you like.
• Remove from the heat and season.
• Divide the chowder between bowls and serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley.

The temperatures are changing; fall is coming and bringing the cooler weather along for the ride! Our beautiful summer flowers are brown and quite stalky. Actually I am over them and sick of watering every night. Every time we walk by them it’s hard to believe they were once so gorgeous! But wait, off in the distance, in the backyard I see bunches of red, big beautiful red balls like Christmas tree ornaments.

The tomato plants are flourishing!! What the heck are we going to do with all of them?? Joy mentioned canning them, UGH….not me. If she wants to do that she can do it alone. However, I will think of making several batches of sauce for Sunday sauce and freeze in dinner size portions for those nights when I come home late. I just love them in any salad combination, a simple spicy bruchetta and my mom’s favorite butter and tomato sandwiches on fresh white bread…more

Get this amazing recipe by clicking here.

Rosemary-Lemon Marinade

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Chicken and Vegetables

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium red onion, cut into wedges

2 dozen cherry tomatoes

Directions:

• In shallow glass or plastic bowl, or re-sealable food-storage plastic bag, mix all marinade ingredients.
• Add chicken, stirring to coat with marinade.
• Cover dish or seal bag; refrigerate, stirring occasionally, at least 30 minutes but no longer than 6 hours.
• 2 Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.
• Remove chicken from marinade; reserve marinade.
• Thread chicken, bell pepper, zucchini and onion alternately on each of four 15-inch metal skewers, leaving about 1/4-inch space between each piece.
• Brush vegetables with marinade.
• 3 Cover and grill kabobs over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, turning and brushing frequently with marinade, until chicken is no longer pink in center.
• Add asparagus to grill for last 5 minutes of grilling, turning occasionally, until crisp-tender.
• You can discard any remaining marinade.

For more kabob ideas, click here.

In honor of National Hot and Spicy Day, we thought we’d share a great spicy chickpea recipe…

Bland chickpeas are a distant memory with foodie Amy Sherman’s Spiced Chickpea recipe. Amy recommends roasting them in the ActiFry for a crunchy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside texture.  Using the ActiFry is also the healthiest way to prepare them.  And…if you haven’t heard, an inside source reveals that the Executive White House Chefs also uses the ActiFry to whip up his spicy dishes for the First Family!

A little pinch of chili and cumin powder (more if you’re brave!) with a hint of garlic pack these protein nibblets with flavor for a satisfying snack that you will feel good about serving to friends or family. For a light lunch or snack buffet, Amy recommends serving spiced chickpeas alongside raw vegetables, dips, guacamole and chips. They even make a great appetizer alongside cocktails, beer or wine!

Enjoy!

Maureen

Spiced Chickpeas

Compliments of Amy Sherman

Ingredients:

115 ounce can garbanzo beans

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 scoop olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

Salt to taste

Directions:

Rinse, drain and dry the garbanzo beans with paper towels. Add the garlic, olive oil and garbanzo beans to the Actifry and cook for 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and discard the garlic. Add the chili and cumin and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt. They are best served fresh, either hot or warm.

For more information about the ActiFry and more great recipes, log onto: http://tfalactifry.com/

National Hot & Spicy Day is Sunday, August 19^th.  Try these Spicy Mustard Stir-Fry Bites on for size!

Spicy Mustard Stir-Fry Bites

Compliments of Better Homes and Gardens

Makes approx. 25 appetizers

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

1 pound packaged chicken, pork, or beef stir-fry strips

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup spicy brown mustard

4 teaspoons fajita seasoning

5 7 to 8-inch flour tortillas, warmed*

1 medium red, green, and/or yellow sweet pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

Snipped fresh cilantro and/or sliced green onion (optional)

Directions:

• Lightly coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high; add stir-fry strips. Cook and stir until browned. Drain off fat.
• For sauce, in a 1-1/2-quart slow cooker combine water, mustard, and fajita seasoning. Add browned chicken, pork, or beef, stirring to coat with sauce.
• Cover and cook on low-heat setting, if available, for 6 to 7 hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat from cooker. Use two forks to shred meat. Discard juices in cooker.
• Divide meat mixture evenly among the warmed tortillas. Top with sweet pepper strips and, if desired, cilantro and/or green onion. Roll up tortillas. Using a serrated knife, cut filled tortillas crosswise into bite-size pieces. If desired, skewer with decorative toothpicks.
• Note: To warm tortillas, stack tortillas and wrap tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until heated through.
• Note: Some 1-1/2-quart slow cookers include variable heat settings; others offer only one standard (low) setting. The 1-1/2-quart slow cooker recipes in this book were only tested on the low-heat setting, if one was present.

Spiced Raw Garbanzo Beans

Compliments of Chef Joumana Accad

When garbanzos get harvested, one can find them in Lebanon sold from street vendors on the side of the road, in big bushy bunches with their tender husks; people will buy them and spend a leisurely afternoon peeling them and eating them with a glass of arak or beer.

Here in the US, raw garbanzos are found in Middle-Eastern stores or hispanic stores, maybe even at farmer’s markets; since they are produced in the US, they can also be obtained from local producers.

Raw garbanzo beans are light and crunchy; no trace of starch here. Peel the beans and wash them; then simply squeeze a lime on them and toss them in your favorite spices; paprika, cumin, turmeric, dry mustard, salt, black pepper, could all be used. Eat as a snack anytime or as part of a mezze.

Figs Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

20 ripe figs

4 oz soft goat cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh rosemary

Type of fire: Direct

Grill heat: medium

Directions:

• Cut off the stem of each fig, and then cut two slits from the top of the fig to 3/4-way down in an X-pattern, creating a pocket in the middle of the fig.
•  Stuff each fig with about 1 teaspoon of goat cheese.
• Light one chimney 3/4 full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate.
• Set cooking grates in place, cover gill and allow preheating for 5 minutes.
• Clean and oil the grilling grate. Lightly brush figs with olive oil and place on grill.
• Cover and cook over medium heat until figs are softened and brown slightly, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Remove figs to serving tray; drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with rosemary. Serve immediately.

Recipe compliments of Good Eats!

POM Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates or POM POMS fresh pomegranate arils
1 8-oz. package cream cheese or 1 cup cottage cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

POM Salsa
Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 6.5-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
fresh vegetables for dipping

Directions:
• Score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water.
• Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs).
• The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl.
• Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.).
• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Mix together cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, Swiss cheese, chopped spinach, mayonnaise, artichokes and arils.
• Spread into a 1-quart baking dish or 9-inch glass pie pan.
• Bake until bubbly around the edges and cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.
Serve with fresh vegetables to dip.

Are you hosting a get together this weekend and looking for the perfect appetizer to compliment your meal?  Well try this great recipe from the Food Network.  It’s one of my favorites!

Chef Jennifer

Tea Smoked Chicken

Compliments of the Food Network

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup white rice

3 tablespoon Chinese black tea

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Shao-sing wine or medium-dry sherry

2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably dark (See Cook’s Note)

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

5 scallions (white and green), thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

1/2 head iceberg lettuce

Sriracha sauce or other Asian chili sauce, to taste

Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions

Toast the Szechuan peppercorns in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly, and then crush in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle with the salt and five-spice powder until very fine. Rub seasoned salt all over the chicken thighs. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Bring the chicken to room temperature about 30 minutes before cooking.

Line the bottom of a wok, skillet or heavy pot with a double layer of aluminum foil. Mix the rice, tea and brown sugar together and mound on the foil. Set a steamer on top, and evenly space the chicken on the rack. Cover and cook over high heat. Hot smoke the chicken until smokey-brown colored and cooked through, about 12 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, whisk the Shao-sing wine or sherry, soy, ginger, and sesame together in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes. Brush over cooked chicken.

To serve: Dice the chicken into very small pieces. Toss with the scallions and peanuts in a medium bowl. Cut the lettuce leaves into 40 squares or triangular scoops. Place a drop of Sriracha on top of each lettuce cup, and top with about 2 teaspoons of the diced chicken. Squeeze lime juice over the top, and drizzle the remaining soy-ginger sauce over the chicken. Serve.

Cook’s Note: Dark soy sauce is thicker and lightly sweeter tasting than other soys. It adds a depth of flavor that is great with the chicken. It can be found in Asian markets or supermarkets with a good Asian section.

For more great recipes from the Food Network, log onto: http://www.foodnetwork.com.