Appetizers

Collection of Appetizing and mouthwatering recipes that would make anybody look forward to the maincourse! Take some few bites but reserve some space for the Main Course! View my other blogs on maincourse and desserts! click: MAINCOURSE and DESSERTS

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Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Money Bags















Money Bags

This entails a detailed job but it’s worth every bite! I think it would have been easier if I have a short pastry but unfortunately, I can’t find it in the grocery store here, so for pastry needs, I’m doing it at home. I wouldn’t mind though.

Here’s how:

Meat Filling:
½ Kilo ground meat
1 white onion (Finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
Salt and pepper
Red pepper (finely chopped)

Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl making sure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Do this ahead while making the pastry.

Pastry dough:
3 cups flour
Pinch of salt
100 g butter, chopped

2-3 tablespoons iced water

Procedure:

In bowl of flour add knobs of butter and a pinch of salt. Work on the butter by pressing them with your finger tips; coating the butter with the flour, until the butter is well mixed with the flour. This will give a crumbly mixture. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing each addition until it forms a soft dough. Turn mixture into floured board. Knead until the dough becomes fine. Add more flour if necessary. Shape the dough into a log. Cut into 3 portions. While working with 1 portion, refrigerate the other two portions. Flatten each portion as flat as possible using a rolling pin. Cut into 3 inch square. Put 1 teaspoon meat mixture into each square and gather the ends at the top of the meat. Do this by lifting the diagonal opposite sides of the dough; seal partially by pressing just before the edges and do the same with the other two sides. Carefully press the edges all together to seal, forming a sack of money with a little handle.

Optionally, cut ½ cm of the edge of the dough, forming like a string and use this to seal each pack of meat by pressing the meeting ends. Leave an extra string to it would look more realistic like a pack of money tied with a string.
Place the packed meat in a flat plate lined with plastic to avoid the dough from sticking to the plate. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before frying. This allows the dough to be firm.

Deep fry few at a time until golden brown with a moderately fire, but not very slow. The dough absorbs a lot of oil if the oil is not so hot. Heat up the oil first and turn the fire moderately slow after adding the money packs.


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Friday, November 18, 2005

Spicy Star Mini Pizza > Entry for Blog Party #4 "The Holiday Edition"


The party blog


The thought of joining the blog party, hmmm made me scan my new Jamie Oliver’s book, he got no finger foods in it but he got “beavies” one of his items is Margarita, luckily I have the ingredients! (I think its d first time I am making something complete with the required ingredients, I admit). I don’t have margarita glass, just take this wine glass okay?

Anyhow here is Oliver’s recipe of Margarita.

2 shots of Tequila
1 shot Cointreau
1 shot of freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt and lime wedge to serve.

Here, I added a sprig of fresh mint leaves from our garden.


So, what to make for finger food?

At first I was looking to make a mini pizza for finger foods. Thinking about the theme of the party, I think it would be nice to have some fancy shapes like stars instead of plain circle. Instead of putting tomato sauce at the base, I put thin slices of tomatoes to have a vibrant red color. To satisfy, I need something to put at the center. Something that would contrast in color. I think black olives would look great. When I put them on top, I thought of its flavors. They are all mild and maybe another red dot of chili sauce at the center of the olives would give a bang of flavor to contrast the mild tastes! Aha! Now I don’t have a name! Can u name it for me please?

Ingredients:

Meat mixture
Black pitted olives
Hot sauce
Small tomatoes
Pastry

Meat Mixture
2 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
¼ cup bread crumbs

Preparation:
Dice the chicken breasts as small as you can. Add bread crumbs and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside while making the pastry.

Pastry dough:
1 ½ cups flour
Pinch of salt
50 g butter, chopped
2-3 tablespoons iced water

To make the pastry:

In bowl of flour add knobs of butter and a pinch of salt. Work on the butter by pressing them with your finger tips; coating the butter with the flour, until the butter is well mixed with the flour. This will give a crumbly mixture. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing each addition until it forms a soft dough. Turn mixture into floured board. Knead until the dough becomes fine. Add more flour if necessary. Shape the dough into a log. Divide into 2 then flatten the down as flat as you can; using a rolling pin.

With a cookie cutter, press it into the sheet of pastry dough and carefully lift the formed dough into a baking tray.

Place a slice of tomato on top; add a tiny ball of meat mixture on top of the tomato. Place a cut of olive on top and bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees C or until the sides of the base turn slightlybrown. When done, remove from the oven and add a dot of hot sauce into each olive whole. Voila! Please pass it around.
Enjoy! Happy Holidays everyone!

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Saturday, November 12, 2005

Cheese Puffs


Cheese Puffs

I got this recipe from an appetizer mini cookbook, but as usual, I deviated from the original recipe due to unavailability of ingredients. Apart from that, I have changed its proportion as the original recipe seems too plenty for two. I added some flavor like nutmeg and pepper which were not included from the original recipe.

I love every bite these cheese puffs! It’s cheesy, soft and elastic in the inside but crisp on the outside. Great contrast of texture. Best served while still hot.

Ingredients:

2 Cups grated tasty cheese (flamingo or Gouda preferably)
or any cheese that melts when heated.
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Extra bread crumbs for coating
Separate egg yolk from white. Mix egg yolk with cheese, breadcrumbs, paprika, and nutmeg. Beat egg white until stiff. Slowly fold in into yolk mixture. Add black pepper. Form into small balls and coat with bread crumbs. Deep fry few at a time in30 seconds or until golden brown. Drain in kitchen paper and serve immediately.