Appitizers

[P_Norts]

We will be having an 80th birthday open house next month for my mom. We have decided to do appitizers and drinks since our time frame is mid afternoon. Any ideas are welcome. I am sure I want to do bacon wrapped dates, yum. Bring the recipes on, thanks in advance.

[Ebiz]

Since you have the bacon out, I'd add in bacon wrapped chestnuts as well..

[pushbutton]

Put some goat cheese/cream cheese in them first.....maybe almonds.....yum. Wish mom a happy b-day!

[Chef]

•40 whole almonds

•40 dates, about 1 1/2 pounds, pitted

•20 bacon slices, halved

green olive sauce: •extra-virgin olive oil

•2 shallots, sliced

•1 dried red chile, minced

•1/2 pound green Spanish Olives, pitted

•1/4 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

•2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Dates Wrapped in Bacon with Green Olive Sauce

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay the almonds on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, stuff an almond inside each date. Wrap a piece of bacon around the date so the ends stick together. Put them on cookie sheets and bake until the bacon is crisp, about 20 to 25 minutes. While that is happening, make the olive sauce.

In a small skillet, heat a 2-count drizzle of oil. Sauté the shallots and chili over low heat for 8 minutes until caramelized. Let them cool a bit, then scrape them into a food processor. Add the olives, parsley, vinegar, and 1/2 cup of oil. Puree a good 3 minutes until totally smooth. Serve the dates with the olive sauce for dipping and some funky toothpicks.

[Chef]

GRILLED FLAT BREAD TOPPED WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND BLUE CHEESE MASCARPONE AND CRUNCHY RED GRAPES

Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4-6

•1 bagged store-bought large flat bread (rustic style)

•extra-virgin olive oil

•2 cups mascarpone

•1 cup crumbled gorgonzola blue cheese

•3 large onions, sliced

•kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

•2 cups firm California red Grapes, split down the middle

•1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

•2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley

•1 bagged store-bought large flat bread (rustic style)

•extra-virgin olive oil

•2 cups mascarpone

•1 cup crumbled gorgonzola blue cheese

•3 large onions, sliced

•kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

•2 cups firm California red Grapes, split down the middle

•1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

•2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley

Take a large sauté pan and add a 2-count of olive oil. Add onions and slowly caramelize. When brown and creamy set aside. Heat your grill and wipe down with oiled paper towels to create a non stick surface. Take store-bought flat bread and brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and grill on both sides until warmed through and has nice grill marks.

Transfer to a platter and whilst still warm, smear with mascarpone, sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese, caramelized onions, toasted walnuts and fresh grapes. Season with a few turns of freshly ground black pepper, drizzle with some more extra-virgin olive oil and top with fresh parsley.

[harvey lee]

Here is a Jalepeno recipe I found and tried in another thread on HSO right here.

Buffalo Turds:

Slice jalapeno peppers length-wise in half and clean out seeds and cut off the stem (you basically cut the pepper into two "boats"). Fill with cream cheese using a butter knife, then set a mini-weenie in the cheese. Wrap the whole thing in a piece of bacon, then stab a toothpick through it to hold the bacon on. Smoke at 170-190 for 2 hours or so, then enjoy!

The peppers lose most of their heat in the smoking, so don't worry about that. It is a great idea to use gloves in cleaning out the peppers, and really wash them out good.

I tried 2 of them after 1:45 minutes to see how hot they were and they had a small amount of hot but not bad at all. Then I tried them after 2 hours and they were not hot at all but had a nice mellow Jalepeno flavor.

I have had a few others try them and they loved them.

They really are that good. I thought of adding a slice of almond between the creamed cheese and the little wiener to see how that tasted just to see if one can improve the flavor but they were very good just by using the above recipe.

[hitthebricks]

Wrapped Asparagus Spears,

lightly cook asparagus

spread softened cream cheese on thin slices of pastrami or corned beef (Buddig)

wrap cooled spears with meat slices

Bacon wrapped Jalapenos

slice peppers length wise

remove seeds

fill with cream cheese

wrap with a half slice of raw bacon

spear with toothpick

grill or cook under broiler till bacon is cooked

both are tasty and very easy

HTB