budgetsmartgirl

Posts Tagged ‘appetizers’

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Five Quick Appertizer Favorites

In Budget Smart Girl's Guide on December 20, 2012 at 6:06 pm

I thought I’d use my last post of the year to share with you five of my favorite quick appetizers that are perfect for holiday entertaining, the New Year’s Day buffet, and perfect when you’ve eaten too much and lighter fare is all you crave-

Mediterranean Herbal Cream Cheese Spread
I use this recipe on crackers and sometimes cucumber slices too-

(Makes ½ cup)

•4 oz. cream cheese, regular or low fat
•2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes in oil
•1 tablespoon chopped oregano
•1 tablespoon chopped thyme

*Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before you plan to make this spread.

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and stir in sundried tomatoes, then mix in the oregano and thyme. You can also add some of the oil from the sundried tomatoes to thin it out and boost the flavor.

Put the spread back into the refrigerator, but take it out again about 5-10 minutes before you eat it so it spreads more easily.

You can also use this as a base for sandwiches and wraps. It’s also a tasty treat served on toast.

Chicken Salad
One of the fillings that always seem to get people coming back for more is curried chicken salad. (This is also a good filling for sandwiches and stuffed tomatoes too).

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon curry powder, your choice of mild or hot
¼ cup chopped celery,
¼ cup chopped toasted cashews
½ cup chopped seedless red grapes.

Simply mix everything together and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour, more if you have time. The combination also works well with tuna too, just leave out the grapes.

Mini Quesadillas
Most people think of chicken as the ideal filling for quesadillas but when holiday season is in full swing, canned salmon is always on sale and makes a great filling when it’s mixed with some pepper jack cheese and cooked as usual. You can either cut them into wedges or cut them in circles with a cookie cutter for bite size snacking. Or even just plain cheese quesadillas with some salsa for dipping are perfect too.

Pesto Coated Drumsticks
Many years ago I saw a recipe for cooked shrimp and pesto but as shrimp can get pricey, especially if you’re serving lots of people, a less expensive option is chicken drumsticks. Cook them and while they’re still warm toss them some store bought pesto sauce.

Mini Versions
I make up a batch of regular size sandwiches and use a cookie cutter to make smaller ones. I’ve also used this method with pizza and made pizza fingers.

Watch for Things on Sale
Besides being Christmas, next week begins the sale season. If there’s something you’ve been holding off buying it’s the best time of the year to go shopping. I always buy cards for next year too. And don’t forget red and greens items that can be used throughout the year, like red for Valentine’s Day which will be upon us before you know it.
Foodwise, I’m seeing great deals on grapes, apples and pears are still bargain priced and citrus fruit. Yesterday I was at the local Wal-Mart store and brought a 10 lb. Box of oranges for $6.98. Great for a filler item for the stocking or snacking on when you’ve over-indulged which we all do this time of the year.

Holiday Wishes
Next year I have lots of good things planned for Budget Smart Girl. The blog turns five in February and 2013 will see the release of the Budget Smart Girl book. I’m taking a break over the next couple of weeks and I’ll be back posting January 7th with a new meatless recipe.

Thank you for reading my posts throughout the year and for your kind comments. I appreciate all of you. Here’s wishing you and your families the happiest of the Holiday season and my best wishes for a wonderful New Year.

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Appetizers and Quick Gift Ideas

In Budget Smart Cook on December 13, 2012 at 7:10 pm

One thing I really dislike is serving the same appetizers every year. Deviled eggs are always a strand by but last week I thought of something a little different.

Curried Veggie Eggs.
6 eggs, hard-boiled and shelled
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Sprinkling of salt and pepper
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
½ small onion, peeled and finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 teaspoons curry powder, more if you like more heat
1 tablespoon oil

Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet and sauté the onion, carrot and celery until lightly golden brown and soft. Add these to a bowl.
Cut the eggs in half and scoop out the yolks, adding them to the bowl of vegetables.
Mash the two together and then add the mayonnaise and curry powder. Mix together and taste. Season with salt and pepper.
Take about 1and ½ tablespoons of the curried egg mixture and pile them back into the egg white halves.

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Pate
I’ve also been experimenting with a new walnut and caramelized onion pate and thought baking it in mini muffin tins was a novel idea. I’m still working on the recipe and when I get it perfected I’ll share it with you.

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And cream cheese always come to the rescue, but never more so than during the Holidays…best thing it’s on sale too.
This is a cheese log that’s easy to put together and instead of rolling it in nuts I used leftover herb stuffing mix that I put in the blender to make breadcrumbs

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
¼ cup chopped black olives
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes that have been soaked in hot water
½ cup feta cheese
1 tablespoon basil
½ cup stuffing breadcrumbs

Soften the cream cheese at room temperature for about ten minutes. Mix in the olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, and basil and mix well.
Take two sheets of plastic wrap and place half the mixture on each one. Wrap and form into two logs and then place in the fridge for about an hour.
Roll each log in the stuffing breadcrumbs and serve with crackers.

Quick Gifts and Stocking Stuffers
And if you’re running out of ideas (or money) for quick gifts or stocking stuffers some of my favorite are fragranced Epsom Salts. I keep containers that have housed body lotion, rinse them out and add some Epsom Salts along with either a few drops of essential oils or crushed herbs. For this one I used lavender from my garden. Another one I’ve made was using dried lemon balm, also from my herb garden.

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I also look for unusual containers like this silver one. Just a dollar at a local arts and craft store. Put the salts in a small plastic bag and put it inside the container and you don’t even need ribbon or wrapping paper.

And finally the fragrance pillows you can put in closets or boxes to make your clothes smell nice. These ones I filled with Poly Fill and crushed lavender.

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Three New Recipes to Try

In Budget Smart Cook on January 20, 2012 at 5:31 pm

I always love the recipes the folks at Pringles send my way. Here are three  that look easy to make but I’m sure delicious. I’m told the chicken fingers are especially good. And with fish going on sale next month when Lent rolls around, the fish nuggets will make an ideal meal.

Chicken Pringlers 

INGREDIENTS

·   2- 6.38-ounce cans of  Pringles (BBQ, Honey Mustard, Xtreme Blastin Buffalo or any of your favorite Pringles flavors)

·   2 pounds of boneless chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into 1 1/2” nuggets

·   2 cups of skim milk or buttermilk

 DIRECTIONS

1.   Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle.

2.   Place nuggets in milk.

3.   Puree the Pringles in a food processor, and pour into a large sealable plastic bag. Place two or three nuggets at a time in the bag and shake to coat.

4.   Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, and place the well-coated nuggets in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. 

5.   Remove and let stand, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes to crisp.

Crispy Fish Nuggets

 

INGREDIENTS

·    2- 6.38-ounce cans of Pringles Salt & Vinegar flavor

·    2 pounds cod fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes

·    2 cups of skim milk

DIRECTIONS

1.   Place nuggets in milk.

2.   Puree the Pringles in a food processor, and pour into a large sealable plastic bag. Place two or three nuggets at a time in the bag and shake to coat.

3.   Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, and place the well-coated nuggets in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. 

4.   Remove and let stand, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes to crisp.

Loaded Twice-Baked Taters Appetizers

 

INGREDIENTS

·   2 – 6.38-ounce cans of Pringles Loaded Baked Potato flavor

·   1 1/2 cup skim milk

·   1 egg

·  1 slice of cheese

·   Dried chives for garnish

·    Bacon bits for garnish, optional

 DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.   Place one 6.38-ounce can of Pringles Loaded Baked Potato crisps in a food processor and puree until well crushed.

3.   Add milk, egg and cheese slice into mixture and puree until well mixed.

4.   Take Pringles from remaining can and place 48 crisps on a cookie sheet with the curve of the crisp and sides facing down.

5.    With a very small spoon, place a rounded scoop onto each crisp and sprinkle with dried chives and bacon bits.

6.   Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

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Easy Holiday Appetizers

In Budget Smart Cook on December 15, 2011 at 6:07 pm

WordPress whose site this blog appears on tells me this will be my 575th post! Thank you to everyone who’s been reading this since post number one. Here’s to the next 575.

Easy Appetizers

One thing I love about the holidays is the chance to make some appetizers or finger foods that can be made ahead of time and pulled out of the fridge or freezer when company stops by or you’re in need of a snack. Two things I always rely on are filo pastry and cream cheese.

First up is a cream cheese spread that I use on crackers or cucumber slices. Leftovers, if there are any, make the perfect spread for sandwiches…great with leftover turkey. I’ve even spread it on toast for breakfast.

Mediterranean Herbal Cream Cheese Spread

(Makes ½ cup)

 4 oz. cream cheese, regular or low-fat

2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1 tablespoon chopped oregano

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

 Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before you plan to make this spread.

 Place the cream cheese in a bowl and stir in sun-dried tomatoes, then mix in the oregano and thyme. You can also add some of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to thin it out and boost the flavor.

 Put the spread back into the refrigerator, but take it out again about 5-10 minutes before you eat it so it spreads more easily.

Filo Cups

One thing that goes on sale at this time of year are the packages of filo pastry shells. The box in the photo cost around $2.50 for 15 shells. Best thing is the neutral taste that can be combined with both sweet and savory fillings. If you can find them making your own is easy too-

4 sheets frozen filo dough, thawed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or low-fat spread, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place one sheet of the filo dough on the countertop or cutting board and brush with some of the melted spread/butter. Top with another sheet, brush with spread/butter and continue with the other two sheets, making sure you brush the top sheet with the butter/spread.

Cut the sheets into 12 squares. Take a muffin pan and mold each stack into each of the cups…you’ll get some overlap at the top, but don’t worry because it makes them look more decorative. Bake for about five minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let them cool on a wire rack before you fill them.

They can be made a couple of days in advance too.

Filling suggestions

One of the fillings that always seem to get people coming back for more is curried chicken salad. (This is also a good filling for sandwiches and stuffed tomatoes too).

  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder, your choice of mild or hot
  • ¼ cup chopped celery,
  • ¼ cup chopped toasted cashews
  • ½ cup chopped seedless red grapes.

Simply mix everything together and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour, more if you have time. The combination also works well with tuna too, just leave out the grapes.

I’ve also had success with using the filo cups for mini quiches. And another quick idea is to take a flavored cream cheese, like onion or salmon, whip it until it’s light and airy and put the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe the mixture into the cups. Maybe top with a pitted olive or a toasted nut like a pecan.

More Cream Cheese Combos

This year I thought I’d try to come up with some more good holiday combination using cream cheese which is on sale just about everywhere right now. One idea is to combine it with chopped dried cranberries and some candied orange peel. If you want it sweet, try adding honey or confectioner’s sugar. I thought these would be good rolled into balls and then rolled in chopped pecans and served on cocktail sticks.

One other sweet combination I’m going to try is adding honey or confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder (or even melted chocolate) and chopped crystalized ginger.

And a savory treat. Blue cheese always seems to add some pizzazz to just about everything so combining it with cream cheese sounds like a winner. I’m thinking this would even make a great topping for baked potatoes for a quick meal post holidays.

More Holiday Links to Check out 

People have been sending me all sorts of great holiday links to pass along to you so before I forget here they are-

More Gifts to Make

This one from Gourmet-

http://www.gourmet.com/food/gourmetlive/2011/121411/craft-fare-diy-gifts

And check out www.education.com. If you’re a parent you’ll find a ton of good stuff not only for the holidays with things like crafts and printable cards, but a winter activities book you can download too.

Christmas Dinner

If you’re still not sure what to cook December 25th, All You has some suggestions

http://www.allyou.com/food/celebrations/christmas-menu-00411000073690/?xid=recipe-121511

Wrap the Green Way

And if you’re still looking for ideas for gift wrapping this year, try this one-

http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com/diy-projects/wrap-it-green-alternative-gift-wrapping-ideas.aspx

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The Budget Savvy Cook Throws a Holiday Party

In Budget Smart Cook on December 9, 2008 at 7:50 pm

Throwing a holiday party for family and friends can be fun, but sometimes it can be expensive too. My stand by for holiday entertaining… appetizers. Here are some of my favorites. They won’t break the bank and they need no real cooking skills.

Cheese and Pineapple
I first tasted these when I was three years old and was bridesmaid at my uncle’s wedding. They served these at the reception and I’ve been hooked ever since. Simple to put together, but they look great on a buffet table. You need one block each of a red cheese and white/yellow cheese…one of my favorites is Swiss cheese. 1 can of Mandarin oranges, 1 can pineapple chunks and some tooth picks. Dice the cheese into bite size pieces, and drain both the oranges and pineapple. You’re going to pair the red cheese with the pineapple chunks and the white cheese with the oranges. Secure each piece of cheese and fruit on a toothpick. For serving, you have two options. You can either place them on a serving platter or stick the toothpicks into an unsliced loaf of bread, a baguette is perfect.

Dip
One easy and inexpensive dip that I made the other week is to combine a 16 ounce carton of sour cream and one envelope of Lipton Onion and Mushroom soup mix. Let the flavors blend together for about an hour before you eat it. A fancy way to serve the dip is to scoop out an unsliced loaf of bread and place the dip inside. Surround the dip with crackers and sliced veggies like carrots and celery or even cherry tomatoes.

Pesto Drumsticks
You can usually buy a large package of chicken drumsticks for under $5. And all you need to accompany them is some pesto sauce and you’ve got a quick and easy cocktail dish. Cook the drumsticks and while they’re still hot, toss them in the pesto sauce. About half a cup coats one pound of drumsticks.

Puff Pastry
Store bought puff pastry won’t break the bank but it will make you look like you’ve spent a fortune and been in the kitchen all afternoon. If you have leftover pesto sauce, this works great with puff pastry. Roll out the pastry, spread on pesto sauce, sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese and then roll each side of the pastry toward one another until they meet and it looks almost heart shaped. Cut them into half inch slices, place on a baking sheet, brush with beaten egg and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until they puffed and golden brown. You can even sprinkle on some more Parmesan cheese while they’re still hot. And sundried tomato spread works great for this recipe too. In fact, I sometimes use one slice of pasty using pesto sauce and the other half, sundried tomato spread. The green and red combination is perfect for the holidays.

Choux Pastry
Okay, don’t panic, this seems much harder to make then it actually is, but believe me, it’s one of the easiest pastries to put together.

You’ll need-
½ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter
½ cup water
2 eggs, beaten

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour and salt together. Place butter and water in a saucepan and heat until boiling.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the flour mixture. Return pan to the heat and cook until the mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a dough.

Once again remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool.

Next step is to add the beaten eggs, very slowly and a little at a time, making sure everything’s mixed together before you add some more.

Depending on your skill and time, you can either place rounded tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking sheet, or put the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe rosettes onto the baking sheet.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until slightly golden brown. When my grandmother made these she’d turn off the oven, open the oven door and let the pastry dry out for about 15 minutes just to make sure the inside of the pastry wasn’t soggy. Then just split them open and fill with…

For a savory filling, whipped cream cheese and chopped salmon, chives or sundried tomatoes. Or for an impressive dessert, try whipped cream or caramel topping and then drizzle on melted dark chocolate.

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