Appetizers

Ingredients
³⁄₄ cup flour
³⁄₄ teaspoon baking powder
³⁄₄ cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes
¹⁄₂ cup pizza sauce, warmed (optional, for serving)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F.  Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.  Whisk in milk and egg.  Stir in mozzarella and pepperoni, let stand for 10 minutes. 

2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups.  Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. 

3. Serve with warmed pizza sauce if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from Noble Pig and, as far as I’m concerned, it was the best of the appetizers I made for the recent Appetizer Feast.  The puffs were moist and flavorful and full of possibilities.  I’m going to try making more this week with pineapple and ham in fact! I didn’t serve them with pizza sauce, but Art said he would have preferred them that way, so it’s worth noting for the future.

Internet - Noble Pig

Ingredients
4 large tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped fine
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
3 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
6 green onions, sliced
Juice of 2 limes
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained but not rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
³⁄₄ teaspoon chili powder
2 cups sour cream
4 cups pepper jack or cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions
1. Combine tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, green onions, and juice of ¹⁄₂ lime in medium bowl. Stir in ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt and let stand until tomatoes begin to soften, about 30 minutes. Strain mixture into bowl and discard liquid.

2. Pulse black beans, garlic, remaining lime juice, chili powder, and remaining salt in food processor until mixture resembles chunky paste.  Spread bean mixture evenly over bottom of 8-inch square glass baking dish or 1-quart glass bowl.  Wipe out food processor.  Pulse sour cream and 2 ¹⁄₂ cups cheese until smooth. Spread on top of bean mixture in serving dish.   Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese.  Spread tomato mixture over cheese and serve with tortilla chips. 

Comments
This recipe is modified from the 2007 Cook’s Country Annual.  The original recipe has more layers, but this is the amount of layers which works best for my family.  We didn’t actually get to this dip during our appetizer feast, but it made a great lunch the following day.  The only change I would make for next time is a doubling of the black bean layer.  Otherwise, perfect.

Cook’s Country 2007

Ingredients
Canola, vegetable, or peanut oil, for frying
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
²⁄₃ cup cabbage, shredded
2 large carrots, shredded
2 celery stalks, shredded
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 package wonton wrappers
Ranch dressing, for dipping

Instructions
1. Heat oil over high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Mix together chicken, cabbage, carrots, celery and barbecue sauce in a large bowl. 

2. Working one wonton at a time, brush wonton wrapper with egg.  Place a heaping teaspoon of filling into the center of the wrapper then fold over all four corners to create a little square envelope sort of shape.  Repeat until all wontons are done. 

3. Gently drop 4-6 wontons in the oil at a time, being careful not to crowd the pot. Fry until golden, about 1-3 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. 

4. Serve with ranch dressing.

Comments
This recipe is inspired by Eatin’ on the Cheap and, among the four appetizers I made that day, was the favorite for everyone except me.  The filling worked very well, the barbecue sauce was a nice flavor, and they were very tasty.  I think I just would have preferred something more.. maybe garlic or ginger? 

I shredded all of the filling ingredients with my food processor.  You could also chop everything up with a knife if you’d like.

Internet - Eatin’ on the Cheap

Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
2 pounds bacon, cut in half
1 pineapple, cut into small pieces, or 2 cans pineapple chunks, well drained

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F. 

2. Put brown sugar in a shallow bowl.  Press each side of a piece of bacon into brown sugar.  Place piece of pineapple on one end of piece and roll up.  Secure with toothpick if desired.  Transfer to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.  Repeat process until pineapple and/or bacon is gone. 

3. Bake for 25 minutes, or until bacon looks brown and crispy.  Allow to cool before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from Tasty Kitchen and I had very high hopes for it!  Sadly, it was not all that I was hoping it would be.  What a bummer!  If I try to make these again, I’ll omit the brown sugar and just wrap the bacon around the pineapple without the added sweetness.  I’ll also probably halve the recipe and just use half of a pineapple and one package of bacon.

If you wish to spare your dishwasher, remember to line the baking sheets with tinfoil before putting the wire racks inside of them!  Sorry about that, Lance.

Internet - Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients
4 large tomatoes, diced (If very wet, seed and drain a bit in a colander first.)
¹⁄₄ cup green onions, chopped
¹⁄₄ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon jalapeño pepper, minced (Optional.  Use more or less as desired)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.  If desired, process half of the salsa in a food processor or blender. 

2. Let sit, loosely covered, at room temperature, for the flavors to blend. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve within 4 hours.

Comments
I love salsa and this recipe is originally from The New Basics Cookbook.  I try to make it a few times every summer in order to take advantage of gorgeous summer tomatoes.  You can use a mix of large and small tomatoes, just experiment until you get the tomato:other stuff ratio to your liking.  This recipe is very flexible based on your own tastes.  There have been times when I’ve made it and it has been green due to the amount of green onions and cilantro I’ve added!  I love fresh salsa.  You should too.  In the winter I make this with grape tomatoes from the grocery store, but it isn’t nearly as delicious.

New Basics Cookbook

Ingredients
12 ounces center-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup green onion, sliced into small rounds

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400*F. 

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp.  Drain well.  Combine all ingredients in a 2-quart casserole dish.  Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes or until hot.  (Can also be baked in a hollowed sourdough loaf.) 

Comments
I was looking for an appetizer idea when I ran across this post in the Noble Pig blog.  What a great name for a blog!  The recipe looked great and similar to another cream cheese dip I’ve made in the past, so I decided to try it out.  I served this with sliced sourdough baguettes and thought it paired well with the flavor of the bread.  Crackers, other breads, and some veggies would also work well. 

Since there was a little dip leftover, I had it cold the next day and decided that I actually prefer it cold.  But it’s delicious either way.

Internet - Noble Pig

Ingredients
For the refried beans
¹⁄₂ cup refried beans (I prefer the vegetarian ones.)
3 tablespoons pepper jack cheese, shredded (Use regular Monterey jack cheese for milder nachos.)

For the beef
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon brown sugar
¹⁄₂ cup water
1 medium canned chipotle chile in adobo, chopped, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
2 teaspoons lime juice

For assembly
1 (9 ¹⁄₂-ounce) bag tortilla chips (A heartier chip, like Tostitoes Naturals, is recommended.)
4 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded (Use regular Monterey jack cheese for milder nachos.)

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400*F.

2. For the beans: Pulse ingredients in food processor until smooth. Transfer to bowl and cover until ready to use.

3. For the beef: Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt and cook until fragrant. Add beef and cook, breaking meat into small bits with wooden spoon and scraping pan bottom to prevent scorching, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, sugar, chile, and adobo sauce and cook until paste begins to darken, about 1 minute. Add water, bring to simmer, and cook over medium-low until mixture is nearly dry, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in lime juice and transfer mixture to plate lined with several layers of paper towels. Use more paper towels to blot up excess grease.

4. To assemble: Spread half of chips on large oven safe serving platter or 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Dollop half of bean mixture over chips, then spread evenly. Scatter half of beef mixture over beans, and top with 2 cups cheese. Repeat with remaining chips, beans, beef, and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and just beginning to brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. (Such as salsa, sour cream, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, and diced avocado tossed with lime juice.) 

Comments
I didn’t have the goal of making nachos initially, but I found this recipe in the 2007 Cook’s Country Annual while looking for a good Game Day appetizer.  The recipe seemed like a great starting point and I just toned down the heat significantly by switching to regular jack cheese and not topping the whole shebang with sliced jalapeños.  Everyone enjoyed these and I could definitely see making them again.  I think we all found them easiest to eat with forks and plates, since they are a bit on the messy side.  As nachos should be!

Note: I’ve actually started making this as a dip with the tortillas on the side instead of incorporated all together.  I will try to post a revised recipe before too long that reflects this change.

Cook’s Country 2007

Ingredients
1 ¹⁄₂ cups chickpeas, cooked from dry or canned, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cumin
¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor container fitter with a steel blade. Cover and process until pureed.

Comments
This recipe is another from 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes, one of my favorite, and most recommended, vegetarian cookbooks.  I believe that this was the first thing I ever made once I got a food processor, it’s one of those dishes that’s sort of difficult to make without one!  

Shown here with Black Bean Hummus.

1,000 Vegetarian Recipes

Ingredients
1 ¹⁄₂ cups black beans, cooked from dry or canned, drained, and rinsed
¹⁄₃ cup tahini
¹⁄₄ cup lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
¹⁄₄ cup green onion
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cumin

Instructions
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Cover and process until pureed.

Comments
This recipe is from 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes which is a fantastic cookbook that was my mainstay during my years of being vegetarian.  This is Art’s favorite version of hummus, so I tend to make it more frequently than the regular variety.  

Shown here with regular Hummus.

1,000 Vegetarian Recipes

Ingredients
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 2 tablespoons)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced (If you can’t find fresh rosemary, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried will work in a pinch.)
4 cups water
Salt
1 cup instant polenta
Ground black pepper
8 ounce goat cheese, softened
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Instructions
1. Cook the garlic and 3 tablespoons oil in a small nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring often, until the garlic is golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the rosemary and let cool until needed.  

2. Line the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper and coat lighting with cooking spray; set aside. Bring the water to a boil, covered, in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, stir in 1 teaspoon salt, and then pour the polenta into the water in a very slow stream, stirring in a circular motion with a wooden spoon.

3. Cook uncovered, stirring often, until the polenta is soft and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in reserved garlic and rosemary mixture, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the prepared baking dish and refrigerate, uncovered, until firm and sliceable, about 1 hour.

4. When the polenta is firm, use the tip of a paring knife to slice it into twenty-four, 2 by 2 ¹⁄₄-inch rectangles. Slice each rectangle in half on the diagonal into 2 bite-sized triangles. Mix the goat cheese with the oil and parsley, and then transfer to a small zipper-lock bag. (I believe that I cut mine smaller than the recipe wanted, but they were still fantastic.)

5. TO STORE: Cover the dish of sliced polenta tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the polenta and goat cheese mixture for up to 2 days.

6. TO SERVE: Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 500*F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and spray them with cooking spray; set aside. Let the goat cheese mixture stand at room temperature to soften. Transfer the polenta triangles to the prepared baking sheets (don’t crowd the triangles or they won’t crisp).

7. Bake the polenta, 1 tray at a time, until crisp and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the hot polenta triangles to a warm serving platter. Snip off the corner of the goat cheese bag using scissors and pipe about 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese on top of each polenta triangle before serving.

Comments
Oh my gosh, these were amazing.  I found this recipe in The Best Make-Ahead Recipe and, being a huge fan of both polenta and goat cheese, I knew that I had to make it.  Yet again the America’s Test Kitchen crowd didn’t let me down since these got devoured.  The polenta was nice and crispy on the outside but still soft in the middle.  The goat cheese complimented the flavors of the polenta extremely well, although I think I might have used a bit less per bite than the recipe called for, since I had some goat cheese mixture leftover.  If you face the same predicament, the cheese mixture is great with crackers.  I think it’s safe to say that I’ll be making this recipe many times in the future.

The Best Make-Ahead Recipe