Cheesy Shrimp Canapes

10 slices white bread flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon thyme
6 ounces cooked shrimp, clean and chop
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
dill weed

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Using a 2-inch round fluted pastry cutter, cut 2 circles from each bread slice. (Reserve scraps for crumbs).

In small saucepan, melt butter and and add thyme. Brush bread circles with this mixture. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes, until golden.

Meanwhile, combine shrimp with cheese, mayonnaise, bread crumbs and salt. When circles are cool, put a rounded tablespoon of shrimp mixture on each.

Sprinkle with a pinch of dill and place under broiler for about 3 minutes.

Serves: 20

Bacon Cheese Cups

2 packages cream cheese (3-ounce) softened
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (2 ounces)
1 green onion chopped
1 package refrigerated flaky biscuits (10-ounce)
5 bacon slices cooked, crumbled, and divided

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until combined. Stir in shredded Swiss cheese and chopped green onion.

Separate biscuits, and pat into 5-inch circles.

Press circles into greased 3 1/2-inch muffin cups, leaving a 1/4-inch border at top of each cup. Sprinkle evenly with half of bacon; top with 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture.

Bake at 375ºF for 22 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining bacon, gently pressing into filling.

Bacon Olive Cracker Melt

1 jar process-cheese spread (5-0z) any type
1/4 cup chopped pimento-stuffed green olives
3 bacon slices crisp-cooked, crumbled
1 Dash red (cayenne) pepper
24 melba-toast rounds or crackers
Olive slices for garnish optional (but they look pretty)

Place cheese spread in a 1-quart bowl. Microwave at 10% (low) 1 minute or until soft. Stir in olives, bacon and cayenne.

Place Melba toast or crackers in a circle on a round 12-inch microwave platter.

Spread about 1 teaspoon cheese mixture on each cracker. Garnish each cracker with an olive slice if desired.

Microwave at 100% (high) 45 to 60 seconds or until cheese melts; give plate a half turn after 30 seconds.

Makes 24 appetizers.

Goat Cheese and Spinach Tart

1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups spinach, stem and wash
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups fresh goat cheese
2 cups heavy cream
1 prebaked tart shell 9"
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons fine diced red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a skillet cook onion in oil until tender, 5 minutes; add spinach, a handful at a time, stirring. Cook until spinach wilts, releases its liquid, and liquid evaporates. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

In another bowl beat eggs with goat cheese to blend thoroughly, add cream and stir in cooled spinach mixture; season with salt and pepper. Fill tart shell.

Bake 30 minutes, until custard is firmly set on sides, but still slightly moist in center. Cool on a rack about 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve garnished with snipped chives and diced red pepper.

Yield: 8 to 10 first course servings

Source of Recipe: Emeril Lagasse

Taco Crescent Rolls

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pound ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
green onions, chopped
1 diced avocado
1 cup sour cream
salsa

Brown ground beef and follow taco seasoning directions on back of package. Add the cheese and place aside for the time being. Unroll the two packages of crescent roll.

On a cookie sheet, place the crescent roll wedges in a circle, wide side of wedge towards the middle. pointed end towards the outside.

Place the ground beef on the crescent rolls and wrap the pointed ends of the rolls around the meat mixture, so that it forms a ring.

Bake at 375ºF for approximately 12 minutes. When baked remove from oven and place on a large platter.

On the inside of the ring place lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and avocados. Dollop sour cream and salsa over all. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Coconut Chicken Bites

1 pound chicken breast, cut 2" or 3" pieces
1 cup flaked or shredded coconut
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup melted butter

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Mix flour, coconut, salt, pepper and garlic powder together. Dip chicken bites in the egg then in the flour mixture.

Place the chicken bites onto a greased cookie sheet or baking pan. Drizzle with melted butter.

Bake approx. 25 minutes or until the chicken is browned and cooked through.

Turn once during cooking.

This is good served with an apricot or plum dipping sauce.

Beef Greek Meatballs (Keftdes)

3 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 pound minced beef or lamb
1 large egg
1 large onion, grated
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, fine chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
mint, chopped
sunflower oil for frying

Soak bread in water and squeeze it dry. Mix all ingredients except flour and sunflower oil together and work together with your hands for about 5 minutes until it has a soft, dough-like consistency.

With wet hands, form mixture into walnut sized balls then flatten them slightly.

Flour keftedes twice, so as to get a good crust. Heat oil in a large frying pan until it sizzles.

Fry keftedes for 5-6 minutes, do not overcrowd pan. Turn them once so they are crisp and brown. Drain and serve hot.

Piroshkis with Herbed Mushroom Filling

Herbed Mushroom Filling:
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, minced
4 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound mushrooms, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon thyme flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sour cream

Saute together butter, onion, shallot and garlic until the onion is transparent. Add mushrooms and lemon juice, and continue sauteing until mushrooms are tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Add seasonings and flour, and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add sour cream and cook and stir for 2 minutes or until mixture is very thick. Allow mixture to cool.

For Pastry:
1 package Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry (2 large sheets)
1 egg, beaten
12 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Cut pastry sheets in thirds on the fold. Cut each third in half crosswise (you should have 12 pieces). On a floured pastry cloth, roll out each piece to measure 4x8 inches. Place a few tablespoons mushroom mixture along the 8" side, fold dough over and press edges down firmly with the tines of a fork to seal tightly. Scallop the edges.

Place piroshkis on a greased cookie sheet, brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with cheese. Pierce tops with tines of a fork. Bake at 400ºF for 25-30 minutes, or until tops are nicely browned. Allow to cool on brown paper.

To reheat, place piroshkis on a cookie sheet, cut each into 4 pieces, and heat in a 350ºF oven for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 48 piroshkis.

Onion Triangles

1/4 cup butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions
1/4 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg yolk

Preheat oven to 425ºF . Grease a 13x9x2" pan.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, mushrooms and rosemary; saute 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk and parsley. With floured hands, pat dough into prepared pan, spread onion mixture on top.

In bowl, blend sour cream and egg yolk; spread over onion mixture. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden. Cut into 2-inch triangles.

Makes 40 triangles, about 12 servings.

Mini Crabmeat Tarts

CRUST:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine
cold water

FILLING:
1/2 cup margarine
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
2 cups chopped shallots
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup water
2 pounds lump crabmeat
salt and red pepper

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Cut margarine into flour mixture with a fork. Slowly add cold water to make dough. Place dough on floured board and roll out until thin. Cut into circles and place in tart pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Do not turn off oven.

In a skillet make a golden brown roux with margarine and flour. Add onions, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and cook until limp. Add water and simmer five minutes. Add crabmeat and stir. Simmer until crabmeat is heated through.

Spoon into tart shells and place in oven for about ten minutes to brown top. Watch carefully.

Yield: 20 tarts.

Chicken Nacho Appetizer

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup seeded and chopped tomato
1 4 ounces can green chiles, drained, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
36 tortilla chips
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
4 ounces sour cream

Place chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, reserving the broth. Place chicken in food processor; add 1/2 teaspoons cumin; process until coarsely ground. Set aside.

In a medium heavy skillet over medium-high heat, saute onion in butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, 3/4 cup of reserved chicken broth, tomatoes, green chile peppers, remaining cumin, remaining salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Place tortilla chips on an ungreased cookie sheet; spoon 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture onto each chip.

Top with Monterey Jack cheese and jalapeno. Broil until cheese melts.

Serve topped with sour cream.

Italian Stuffed Mushrooms

4 slices bacon, diced
24 large mushrooms
1/4 pound fully cooked ground ham
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup garlic and onion croutons
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 teaspoon oregano

In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp.

Meanwhile, remove mushrooms stems from caps; set caps aside. Mince half the stems and discard the rest. Add minced stems to bacon and drippings, saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

Firmly stuff into mushroom caps. Place in a greased jelly roll pan.

Bake at 425ºF for 12 to 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.