Chicken & Waffles Appetizer

A couple of months ago as we were traveling home from Florida, we stopped in Charleston, South Carolina for a few days.Of course, I loved the regional food! When I got back home, I needed to bring an appetizer to a gathering but I didn't have much time to put it together. I got a flash of inspiration from my southern food sampling and with the help of convenience food, was able to put together these yummy morsels very, very quickly. All of the ingredients could be made from scratch and if there were, I imagine the results would be spectacular. But I didn't have time to make 10 waffles from scratch of fry up a batch of homemade chicken! Instead I used frozen waffles, boneless chicken wings from the grocery deli, and store bought pimento cheese spread. I have included a recipe for pimento cheese in this post just in case someone was curious, but if pre-made is used, this appetizer is a snap to put together! In fact, it was part of the spread we served at Caroline and Adam's engagement party.

Ingredients for 40 Appetizers

10 pre-made frozen waffles such as Eggo brand

Enough popcorn chicken to cut into 40 (1/4 of waffle size) pieces, Tyson brand or from deli

1 1//2 cups pimento cheese spread, recipe below or from local grocery store deli

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Pimento Cheese Spread

Pimento Cheese Recipe from Cook's Illustrated Magazine - yields three cups

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 (4 oz.) jar pimentos

1 (8 oz.) package finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 (8 oz.) Package regular shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 (or less) teaspoon cayenne pepper

Procedure:

With an electric mixer, gently combine all ingredients together just until spreadable.

Use as a sandwich filling or cracker spread.

Procedure for Assembling Chicken & Waffles Appetizer:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If using pre-made frozen popcorn chicken such as Tyson's, follow the package directions for cooking except cut off five minutes of the baking time. Set aside. If using pre-made chicken from the grocery store deli, just set aside. Line baking sheet with foil. Cut each waffle into fourths and place on baking sheet. Spread each waffle piece with two teaspoons of pimento cheese. Top with a chicken piece and bake for 5 minutes. The cheese spread on the waffles should be melted, bubbly, and beginning to brown. Remove from oven and place on serving platter. Drizzle each appetizer with 1/4 teaspoon of maple syrup and serve.

White Bean Salsa &Toasted Pita Wedges

     This yummy little recipe was born several years ago when I had to bring something to a school pitch-in and was either too tired or out of time to make a run to the grocery store.  I am a firm believer that oil & vinegar makes everything taste great.  Back then, I threw a mixture of salad dressing and spices over drained & rinsed cans of corn, chopped tomatoes, and kidney beans.  Everyone raved about it and asked for the recipe! It eventually morphed into the salsa posted here, but any kind of beans could be used: black, pinto, kidney, etc.  Likewise, you could throw in cilantro, red onions, even avocado - the possibilities and variations are endless.  I love the mixture here with these toasted pita wedges.  You could be healthy and use whole wheat ones, but I enjoy the white flour pitas because they pair so well with the taste of tomatoes. This is also wonderful in a salad.

Ingredients:

1 package pita bread

cooking spray

1 tablespoon chili powder

Any 2 (15 oz.) cans white beans such as Butter, Cannellini, or Great Northern

1 medium tomato (1 cup chopped)

2 green onions (2 tablespoons sliced)

1 medium jalapeno pepper

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350.  Cut each pita "loaf" in half and separate the top of the pockets from the bottoms by cutting through the edges that hold them together. Then cut the pieces into triangle shaped wedges.  Each separated half will yield four wedges.

Cover two baking sheets with foil and spray them with cooking spray. Distribute the wedges between the two baking sheets so there is a single layer of pita pieces on each sheet.  Spray the wedges with cooking spray and sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of chili powder over the wedges on both baking sheets.  Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  

While the wedges are baking, prepare the salsa. Using a colander, drain and rinse any two cans of white beans. I love to use butter beans and Great Northern beans.  Chop up the tomato and slice enough of the green onion to make 2 tablespoon full. Discard the seeds and membrane of the jalapeno pepper; then finely dice the pepper.  Place all in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In another mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Whisk it well so that the dressing is well combined.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and then gently stir to combine all the ingredients and coat with dressing.  Put the mixture into a serving bowl and serve with the toasted pita wedges.

More Holiday Bites

     For some people, serving a bag of chips and salsa out of a jar is enough to make a gathering a party.  I agree that when surrounded by people who love to be together, that might be all that is required. However, the holidays are times when a little extra pizazz and dazzle make occasions memorable.  Even just one out-of-the-ordinary appetizer makes an event seem more special.  The foundations of these little bites are made of dough I snagged out of the freezer section in the grocery store.  It is so easy to make these morsels ahead of time, freeze them, and then bake them right before they are served. Each is not more than just a couple of bites -  so enjoy! 



Vegetables such as peppers in all colors, red and green cabbages, and even cucumbers can be used as clever dip containers.  Slice off the tops, hollow out the insides, and spoon in the sauce.

 Baked Ham Sliders with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

1 dozen bake & serve yeast rolls (or refrigerated biscuits cut in halves)

1 tablespoon country style Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

 

¼ cup butter, softened

 

12 slices deli ham

 

 With a serrated knife, split each roll in half so there is a top and bottom. Brush the mustard over the top of each roll. Mix the green onion and butter together and lightly spread the mixture on the inside top and bottom of each roll. Fold the ham slices so they will fit and place each one between the top and bottom slices of each roll.  Place on cookie sheets and bake at oven temperature indicated on the roll package for at least 10 minutes or until the rolls are brown.  These sliders can be assembled and frozen until ready to be baked in preheated oven.

 

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Mix together:

3 tablespoons country style Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons honey

Individual Italian Pies

 

 

Ingredients:

2 ready-made pie crusts

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

½ cup store bought pesto (plus 1 tablespoon for top of pies)

2 tablespoons pine nuts

 

 

Using a small juice glass as a “cookie cutter” cut out small circles from the pie crusts.

 

 

 Spread the pesto on half of the pieces, distribute the cheese on each one, then top with the other half of the pie crust rounds. Brush the top of each individual pie with the remaining 1 tablespoon of pesto and top with a few pine nuts.  This can now either be frozen until party time or bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Puff Pastry Mini Tarts

 

 

 Slice each sheet along the three fold marks and then cut each third into five pieces.  Then top with goat cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes or asparagus tips, and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  If pastry starts to become too brown before cooking time is over, cover loosely with foil.

Little Holiday Bites

Our family friend Dianne is great at entertaining.  After years of having a houseful full of boys, she has recently had the opportunities to host events for ladies.  I picked up this cute little idea from her that I think men would like as well.  She serves appetizers in small glassware such as vodka shot glasses and mini martini stemware.  I extended this concept to serving a couple of minature meatballs in some small juice glasses that I have. Great places to find interesting glass pieces are Goodwill or Walmart.  I initially got a dozen of the vodka shot glasses at a garage sale but just found some more at Target's dollar bin. 

Ranch dressing would work well with any vegetables you stick in to the shot glass.  However, I found that 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons country Dijon mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder all whisked together tastes great if you choose to use thin, young, tender asparagus as one of the veggies.

 

I added a bit of jazz to the shrimp cocktail by putting a white lemon dill sauce next to the traditional red.  Mix 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon dried dill together.  Pour or spoon about a tablespoon of the red sauce to one side of the glass, then spoon in the white.

Since the meat balls are resting on a "bed" of sauce, I figured it needed to be nice and thick to support them.  I combined 1 (15 oz). can of tomato sauce 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon red wine (optional), 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a microwave safe bowl.  I microwave the sauce for 5 minutes and spooned it in the bottom of the small juice glass. I made the meat balls a little smaller than I usually do so I could fit two in the small juice glass. Then I sprinkled the top with a bit of chopped flat leaf parsley, but I think fresh basil would work even better.  There are three different types of meatballs in this post:  "Meatballs and Moving" (2011) or, they can be found  in the freezer section of the grocery.  When I made these, I assembled them ahead of time, and then just before serving I microwaved several of them for 20 seconds.  However, even at room temperature, they are yummy!



Sweet Potatoes - Beyond Mini-Marshmallows

    A few months ago, the extended Yates family had a pitch-in type meal together.  I was lucky to be seated at a table with one of my nieces, Madison, and my nephew Dustin who happens to be her brother. Their dad, Uncle Russell, is super fit and into healthy eating in a big way. He had brought a sweet potato casserole to share and it was really good, but the kids didn't have any of it on their plates. When I asked them why, Dustin said, "I just can't do it.  Ever since Dad heard Dr. Oz say that sweet potatoes are one the healthiest vegetables, he has made them every night. He only knows two ways to do it, plain or with marshmallows." Maddie agreed saying, "We just can't take it anymore!"  Since then, it's been on my mind to come up with some varied sweet potatoes recipes that would make Uncle Russell happy and that Maddie and Dustin would love.  I eagerly took the challenge of coming up with yummy dishes where sweet potatoes were the most important ingredient and the steps were quick and easy. I have been trying these out and testing them on Roy and the girls.  My favorite is the Spicy Sweet Potato Tacos. They are great on a Friday night with a beer - or in my case a non-alcoholic malt beverage! Roy loves the The Sweet Potato Side Salad is also in Easy Autumn Meal post. It received good reviews from all who tried it- no one refused to put it on their plate :)!

Smoky Sweet Potato Soup - serves 4

2 sweet potatoes                                                                  
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 (15 oz.) cans of chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.  Set them aside.  Rinse, drain, and set aside the beans.  Saute the onion and celery in the olive oil until they are soft.  Add the sweet potatoes, beans, and the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer until the sweet potato pieces are done.  Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Side Salad-serves 4 to 6

2 large sweet potatoes
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 tart green apples, diced
2 stalks of celery diced
1/4 cup of finely diced purple onion
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes.  Cook them in salted water until tender but not overdone.  Cook the rice according to the package directions.  Put the sweet potato cubes, rice, apple, celery, and oinion in a bowl.  Whisk the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together. Pour the vinegar and oil mixture over the ingredients in the bowl and gently toss.  This is refreshing chilled or equally as good at room temperature.

Spicy Sweet Potato Tacos - makes 12 tacos

2 large sweet potatoes 
1 pound package of bulk chorizo
1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 corn taco shells
16 oz. package of queso fresco cheese
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.  Cook in salted water until tender, but not mushy! Drain and set aside. Brown and thoroughly cook the chorizo, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain any grease from the chorizo. In a large bowl, gently combine the sweet potatoes, chorizo, black beans, and cilantro. Spoon the mixture into taco shells and top with crumbled queso fresco cheese.  If desired, provide lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream on the side.

A Slice of Sunny Spain

 Pablo, with Vanilla

  

    Earlier this month,  Allison invited her friend Pablo,an exchange student from Spain to stay with us for a few days.  The semester was over and Pablo's plane ticket wasn't until the next Monday, so Allison thought he might enjoy seeing what average American family life was like.  Of course we were all charmed by him and even Vanilla gave Pablo his heart!  It was so interesting to hear from him about Spanish eating habits.  We learned that breakfast in Spain was almost nothing - just a cup of coffee and maybe a piece of toast at most.  Lunch, the main meal, is no earlier than 1:30.  Dinner is served at 9:00, but can often be even later.  Pablo, however, was very gracious and fit right into our three square meals a day schedule.  While he was staying with us, I didn't attempt to serve him anything "Spanish" - I knew I would fall far short of the real thing! Although after he left, I couldn't resist cooking up some "Spanish" dishes our family has enjoyed in the past.  The olive recipe is fabulous as part of a tapas spread and just delicious with some warm, crusty bread to soak up the olive marinade sauce.  The salad is a bright and light side dish that would compliment any meat, but goes especially well with the chicken recipe given below.

 

Marinated Olives - Refrigerated, this will keep for a week - serve at room temperature

Mix all the ingredients together - very yummy!

1 can whole pitted black olives, drained and rinsed

1 small jar Spanish style green olives, drained

2 cloves of garlic, put through a press

2 teaspoons dried rosemary                                                                        

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon of salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup sherry vinegar

½ cup olive oil

             Sunny Salad                                                                              

Peel and slice the oranges

2 to 3 oranges

2 avocados

2 to 3 tomatoes

½ cup whole pitted black olives, drained and rinsed

1 small onion, sliced

Seed and chop tomatoes, avocados

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons
 olive oil

Mix everything together - Yum!

Chicken with Paprika and Peppers

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons Spanish style paprika

2 cloves garlic, put through a press

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Combine the paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper to make a paste and rub it onto both sides of the chicken breasts.  Put the chicken breasts in an oven safe pan and arrange the pieces of the sweet red peppers around them.  Shake a little bit of paprika, salt, and pepper over the red peppers.  Sprinkle the lemon juice over the chicken and peppers and drizzle a bit of olive oil over it as well.  Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.  Serve by putting some of the baked red peppers over each chicken breast.  It is really good with a dollop of Greek yogurt or low fat sour cream on the side.

Sangria (and Fauxgria) & Sweets

Jenn With Her Fellow Cookie Artists!

  I love the month of December since the girls come home and bring all their friends over for cookie decorating, dinners, and edible gift making.  It is also a great time to get together with my teacher buddies and other special aquaintances.  From past experience, I know my educator friends enjoy a glass of wine or two when they get together, so when several were coming over to my house for a pitch in, I thought sangria might be fun to serve.  I googled sangria recipes and found tons and tons of variations.  All had some type of red wine as the base, and then the variations were endless.  Some had white sugar, some had brown, some had orange juice, and some had ruby port.  I knew I wanted peaches as part of the fruit, so I opted to include a peach juice blend as an alternative to the ingredients I saw in the other recipes.  The ladies all seemed to enjoy the recipe noted here. However, our family's speed is more like fake sangria, which we call"fauxgria" and the recipe for that is here as well.  Also included in this post are some delicious holiday treats - White Chocolate Party Mix and Rolo Pretzel "Turtles".



Great Gifts!

Super Easy Sangria

2 cheap bottles of red wine like “Two Buck Chuck” Cabernet

1 can frozen condensed peach blend juice such as Dole’s Orange Peach Mango

A mixture of 4 to 6 fruits such as apples, peaches, or oranges, sliced if citrus or cut up in chunks

Mix all ingredients together in a glass pitcher.  Pour sangria into glasses, spoon some of the fruit in, and toss in some ice cubes.  Enjoy!

 

 

Fauxgria

6 cans of Fresca

½ can frozen condensed grape juice

½ can frozen condensed peach blend juice such as Dole’s Orange Peach Mango

 A mixture of 4 to 6 fruits such as apples, peaches, or oranges, sliced if citrus or cut up in chunks

Mix all ingredients together in a glass pitcher; the fizz in the carbonated drink will cause “foam”, so it’s best not to add it all at once.  Pour fauxgria into glasses, spoon some of the fruit in, and toss in some ice cubes.  Enjoy!

White Chocolate Party Mix

1 1/2 pounds white chocolate                                                

3 cups Rice Chex

3 cups Corn Chex

3 cups Cherrios

2 cups thin pretzel sticks

2 cups peanuts

1 (12 oz.) package of M&Ms

Put the white chocolate in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave in 15 second increments, stirring each time until smooth.  Pour melted white chocolate over the other ingredients and gently stir until all is evenly coated.  Spread the mixture on foil until cool.  The mixture will naturally break apart into pieces as it is placed into containers.

Rolo Pretzel "Turtles"

1 package of Rolo candies (chocolate covered caramel candies)

1 small bag of mini pretzel twists

1 package of pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with foil and place a Rolo on top of each pretzel you place on the cookie sheet.  Bake for 3 minutes.  Upon taking out of the oven, immediately press a pecan on top of each Rolo covered pretzel.  Allow the "turtles" to cool before storing in a covered container.



Food for Fun Times



Walnut Yogurt Spread                                                                     
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
2 tablespoons finely diced purple onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Mix ingredients together and serve with warm pita bread that has been cut into wedges.


Mexican Egg Rolls

2 (10 oz.) pkg of frozen spinach
1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed                                          

1 (15 oz.) can of whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed                         
1 onion, finely diced
12 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 pound package egg roll wrappers (there are 20 in a package)
Cook the spinach on high in the microwave for 6 minutes and drain the water off. Mix with everything else except the wrappers. Put 3 tablespoons of the filling in each wrapper and roll according to the wrapper package directions as shown in the pictures below. Either fry in oil until each side is brown or spray with Pam or brush with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cut on the diagonal and serve with ranch dressing and salsa.


Place wrapper on the diagonal and spread the filling lengthwise across the middle



Pull the wrapper up and tuck the bottom corner into the filling

Moisten the sides with a little water and fold them in

Flip the bottom up

Moisten the top corner and fold it down

Avocado Egg Rolls
 ( The dipping sauce is really good! To the recipe given below, I add 1/4 teaspoon each of coriander and cardamom to this - also I use tamarind concentrate but lemon juice could be substitued.  I leave out the sugar and never mess with the beaten egg.)
Avocado Eggrolls Recipe from http://www.recipesecrets.net/blog/recipes/copycat-cheesecake-factorys-avocado-eggrolls/
"These are incredibly delicious!! Just like the ones at Cheesecake Factory! For a low fat version, drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil and bake them in a 400 degree oven".

2-4 servings

Egg Rolls

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, & diced
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onions
1/2 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 dash salt
4 egg roll wraps (can also use won ton wraps)
1 egg, beaten
Oil for deep-frying

Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp
1/2 cup honey (I use slightly less)
1 pinch turmeric
1/2 cup chopped cashews
2/3 cup fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves
2 green onions
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Egg Rolls
Stir together avocado, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and salt.
Distribute filling evenly on the center of each egg roll wrapper.
Fold one corner up, 1/4 of the way over the filling.
Brush the remaining corners and edges with beaten egg, roll up the left and right side, then fold top corner over all and press to seal.
Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
Deep-fry the egg rolls in 375 degree oil for 3-4 minutes, or until browned.
Drain on paper towels.
Slice egg rolls diagonally in half and serve with the prepared dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce
Combine vinegars, honey, tamarind in a microwave safe bowl. Stir until tamarind is dissolved completely.
Microwave for 1 minute.
Using a blender, Puree tamarind mixture, cashews, cilantro, garlic, onions, sugar, pepper, and cumin.
Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in oil.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use


 Any Kind of Bean Dip!
1 (15 oz.) can of beans (garbanzo, great northern, black

 - what ever you have on hand)                                                               
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (depends on how lemony you like it)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
Mix all the ingredients up in a food processor (or mash them with the bottom of a glass). Drizzle with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of something red like paprika or chili powder. Serve with warm pita bread cut into wedges.