Category Archives: Appetizers

Appetizers, Cheese, Vegetarian

Basil Cheddar Cheese Ball

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1 cup fresh basil, loosely packed 
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese 
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup walnut halves, finely chopped
In a food processor, combine basil, cream cheese, cheddar & parmesean cheeses and black pepper.  With slightly wet hands, roll into a ball; coat with walnuts.  Chill before serving.
24  Servings
Appetizers, Dips, Seafood

Baked Creamy Seafood

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4 tablespoons butter
1 cup baby scallops, rinsed and drained (about 8 oz.)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cup asiago cheese
2 cups medium, peeled, shelled and deveined cooked shrimp
6 oz. can chopped clams, well drained
1 to 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Oil for deep frying
1/2 of a 12 ounce package won ton skins
In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add scallops and stir fry over high heat until just cooked through; set aside in bowl. In same skillet, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
Whisk in flour until smooth and bubbly. Cookand stir 1 minute. Whisk in half-and-half and continue whisking until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil 1 minute, whisking, until bubbly. Turn off the heat. Add asiago cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in the scallops, shrimp and  clams. Spoon into a 9 inch glass pie plate. Sprinkle with the  Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Meanwhile, heat plenty of oil in a wok or deep fryer to 375F. Fry 3 or 4 won ton skins at a time, a few seconds on each side, until just golden. Drain on paper towels. Use wantons as chips for dipping into baked seafood appetizer.
4  Servings
Appetizers, Bacon

Bacon and Green Chile Roll-ups

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8 slices bacon
1 (9-oz.) container (1 cup) bean dip
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 (4.5-oz.) can Old El Paso® Chopped Green Chiles
1 .   Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon; set aside.
2 .   In medium bowl, combine bean dip and cream cheese; mix well. Spread each tortilla with bean dip mixture. Sprinkle each with bell pepper, green chiles and bacon. Roll up each tortilla. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.
3 .   To serve, cut each roll into 8 pieces. If desired, secure each piece with toothpick. 
Appetizers, Dips, Vegetarian

Artichoke Spinach Dip

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2 fresh artichokes
1 lemon, juice squeezed
1 tsp salt
OR
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1 lb cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5 green onions, chopped
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 6-oz pack fresh spinach, chopped
8 slices crusty Italian bread
Extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle)
Preheat oven to 325ºF.
PREPARATION WITH FRESH ARTICHOKES
Boil artichokes in 3 quarts water with 1 tsp salt and lemon juice.
Cool artichokes. Clean, peel, remove center “choke” and slice artichoke.
Follow Dip Preparation steps below using fresh artichokes.
DIP PREPARATION
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, except bread and extra virgin olive oil.
Coat a large non-stick baking pan with pan spray; fill pan with mixture. Bake at 325ºF for about 25 minutes or until bubbling and center is hot.
Drizzle both sides of bread with extra virgin olive oil. Grill bread on both sides.
Sprinkle top of heated dip with parmesan cheese. Serve hot with grilled bread.
4  Servings
Appetizers, Seafood

Bay Crab Cakes

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2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 c. Japanese Bread Crumbs
1 1/4 lb Fresh Lump Crab meat
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
1/4 c. Dijon Mustard
1/4 c. Mayonnaise

Gently break up crab meat into a mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients except olive oil, butter and 3/4 cup of bread crumbs to the bowl. Gently mix all ingredients by hand. Do not over mix. The mixture will be lumpy.

On a flat plate add remaining bread crumbs. With your hands, shape the crab mixture into 12 equal puck-shaped cakes. Dip both sides of each crab cake into the bread crumbs to coat it well. Place the crab cakes on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Place crab cakes in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve Immediately.