Asian Meatballs

Just about every month a group of friends and I take turns hosting a potluck dinner. The hostess gets to pick the theme and since this month was my turn to host, I picked appetizers. I love appys! I love grazing on lots of small plates rather than committing to just one main dish. I went a little overboard and made four different appetizers, all of which turned out pretty darned yummy!

I wanted to make something meat-y so I decided on meatballs but I wanted something different than the traditional meatball recipe. I stumbled upon this Rachael Ray recipe for Asian Meatballs and went with it. The meatballs were very moist and flavorful and a unique take on the ordinary meatball!

Asian Meatballs

adapted from Rachael Ray's magazine

4 scallions, green and white parts, coarsely chopped
One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 serrano or jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 c soy sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves (a handful)
Zest of 2 limes
1 pound ground sirloin

1 pound ground pork
1 to 2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the scallions, half of the ginger, the bell pepper, half of the chile pepper, the garlic, the 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, the cilantro leaves and the lime zest. Pulse for 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl and process 1 minute more, or until finely ground. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add the meat and mix gently until thoroughly combined. Roll the meat into 32 balls the size of golf balls.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the sesame oil. Add the meatballs and don't move them until they are brown on 1 side, about 3 minutes. Turn the meatballs and continue to cook, browning them on all sides, until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more.

Place the finished meatballs on a serving platter, with toothpicks on the side.

Here's a link to the original recipe: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/appetizer-starter-recipes/Asian-Meatballs-with-Spicy-Lime-Dipping-Sauce

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Crab Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit

So fresh and delightful! I used a recipe from Gourmet magazine that I found on Epicurious to make this but I made a couple of changes. Here is what I did:

Crab Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit

1 large shallot, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 pink or ruby-red grapefruit
2 firm-ripe California avocado
Coarse sea salt to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper

16 oz fresh cooked lump crab meat

2-3 chives, snipped

In a small bowl, stir together shallot, lemon juice, and table salt in a small bowl and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Add oil in a stream, whisking to emulsify.

Cut peel, including all white pith, from grapefruit with a sharp knife. Cut segments free from membranes and transfer segments to paper towels to drain.

Halve each avocado lengthwise, discarding pit. Cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and remove from skin with a large spoon.

On a large platter, place avocado slices and grapefruit segments in an alternating pattern, leaving some open space in the middle. Squeeze grapefruit juice from the grapefruitmembranes over the avocado slices to prevent browning. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over avocado and grapefruit. Combine crab and dressing and toss gently. Place crab mixture in center of platter and garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Here is a link to the original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lobster-Avocado-and-Grapefruit-Salad-109004

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Pigs in a Blacket with Chile Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

From the impressive, and vast, appetizer buffet that we put together, nothing was eaten faster than the good ole standby Pigs in a Blanket. I'd been hoping that there would be some left over for breakfast the next day, but the entire platter was devoured quickly. Always a crowd favorite, especially with the men! It's such an easy, simple appetizer, but I've tried to make it a little bit more gourmet than the standard recipe.

Pigs in a Blanket with Chile Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Pigs:

1 pkg cheddar lil smokies sausages

1 pkg crescent roll dough

1 egg, beaten

1 t poppy seeds

1 t sesame seeds

1 t dried chives

Sauce:

2 T mayonnaise

2 T honey

2 T Dijon mustard

1 t ancho chile powder

1 t garlic powder

1 t white wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Meanwhile unroll crescent dough and press seams together to form one large square. Cut in half vertically and then cut each half into half again vertically to create four rectangles. Cut each rectangle into thin strips horizontally. Wrap a strip around each sausage. Place on baking sheet. Repeat until you used all the dough and/or sausages.

Add a bit of water to the beaten egg and brush each dough wrapped sausage with a bit of the egg mixture. In a small bowl, mix poppy seeds, sesame seeds and chives together. Sprinkle herb mixture evenly over the 'pigs'. (You can easily omit this step or use just about any mixture of seeds and herbs.) Bake for about 15 minutes, or until dough is golden. Serve hot or warm.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Bacon and Blue Cheese Palmiers

I love puff pastry's yummy butteriness, and when it's paired with blue cheese and bacon, it becomes really out of this world! I prepped all of the components for the recipe the day before, and then just threw them together in the evening. There are a few steps to this recipe, but it really is scrumptious!

Bacon and Blue Cheese Palmiers

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

4 oz. blue cheese,crumbled

4 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

5-6 slices of bacon

1/3 cup finely chopped shallots

1/3 cup peach preserves

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 pkg puff pastry dough

1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped and toasted

In a small bowl, beat cheeses on medium to high until fluffy. Set aside.

In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp; drain and crumble. Reserve 1 Tablespoon drippings in skillet; cook and stir shallot in drippings over medium heat until tender. Remove pan from heat; stir in preserves and vinegar. Set aside.

Unroll both dough squares . On each square spread half of the cheese mixture to within 1/4 " of one long side. Top cheese with bacon. Roll up the left vertical side inward, stopping in the middle of the dough. Roll up the right side of the dough. The two rolls should be meeting at the middle and touching. Press the two sides together gently. Repeat with second dough square. Wrap each in plastic wrap and let the dough chill in the fridge for at least half an hour. With a serrated knife cut each roll in 8 to 10 slices. Place cut side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Brush onion mixture on palmiers. Top with walnuts. Remove from baking sheet . Serve warm.

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Giada's Carbonara

As soon as I saw this recipe, it had me intrigued - a fried egg on top of pasta and asparagus?! It was also the first time I made my own homemade aioli, which was so simple that I know I'll do it again. But back to the recipe, I thought it was only okay and I probably won't be making it again. To me the egg and basil-y pasta didn't pair well together and the aioli became really oily when heated from the cooked pasta. To me, it just wasn't very appetizing. That being said, the recipe was very highly rated on the Food Network website, so maybe I did something wrong. This blog is supposed to chronicle my cooking triumphs and failures afterall...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/giadas-carbonara-recipe/index.html

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Creamy Cucumber Salad

This recipe was simple and could be made ahead of time. It was pretty tasty but I think next time I'll cut down on the dressing a bit or add another cucumber so it won't be quite as saucy. I also added a tablespoon of white wine vinegar just for a little added tang.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1743,156181-251204,00.html

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Pork and Chickpea Chili

My friend Jennifer introduced me to this dish and I really love it. It's fast to make, inexpensive, far different from your ordinary beef chili, freezes well and it tastes great - what more could you ask for! My one recommendation/warning about this recipe is to be careful what kind of green salsa you buy because some of them can be pretty spicy. I served it with Creamy Cucumber Salad and that helped to combat the spiciness of my chili a bit too.

http://www.womansday.com/Recipes/Pork-and-Chickpea-Chili-Recipe

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