Tag Archives: appetizer

Appetizer, recipes, seafood

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

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Crab-stuffed mushrooms recipe
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients:

16 big mushroom caps, (called stuffers),
1 single package cream cheese,
4 oz crab meat, diced,
1 Tbsp. chopped onion,
1 handful fresh baby spinach,
3 garlic cloves, chopped,
1 Tbsp. butter,
1 Tbsp. chopped red pepper,
16 thin slices of aged cheddar,
salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe:

  1. Heat the butter and saute the mushroom caps. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. In the same pan saute the pepper, onion and garlic for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the crab meat and baby spinach, and cook for about 1 minute more, until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.
  4. Add the softened cream cheese and mix well.
  5. Fill the mushroom cups with the mixture and top with the aged cheddar.
  6. Bake the stuffed mushrooms in the oven until the cheddar cheese is melted.
  7. Serve four stuffed mushrooms with a little salad in each plate, as appetizer.
  8. (Optional): Panko bread crumbs can be added to the mushroom stuffing mixture.

Appetizer, recipes, Vegetarian

Potato Croquette Recipe

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Potato croquettes

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato,
2 large baking potatoes,
1/2 tsp. garlic powder,
1 tsp. salt,
1/2 tsp. black pepper,
2 tsp. chopped fresh dill,
1 cup panko breadcrumbs,
1 cup regular breadcrumbs,
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese,
2 eggs,
1 oz. heavy cream,
1 cup all-purpose flour,
vegetable oil for frying.

Recipe: Peel and cut the potatoes to large chunks. Boil the potatoes, strain and mash them. Add the garlic powder, fresh dill, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Mix the panko and regular breadcrumbs with the Parmesan cheese and put the mixture in a shallow bowl. Beat lightly the eggs with the cream and pour the mixture in a bowl. Put the flour in a third bowl. Form oval shaped croquettes from the potato mixture and dredge them in the flour, then dip them in the eggs and roll them in the breadcrumbs to coat them completely. Deep-fry the croquettes for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Put the croquettes on tissue paper for 1 minute after frying to remove any excess oil. Serve the potato croquettes with cucumber-dill sauce for dipping, or another sauce you desire.

Appetizer, Italian, recipes

Italian Escargot Recipe

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Escargot in mushroom caps
Italian Escargot

Ingredients for 4 appetizers:

20 large escargots from a can,
20 small mushrooms, stems removed,
3 tablespoons butter,
3 garlic cloves, chopped,
1 oz. white wine,
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley,
1/4 cup grated mozzarella,
chopped chives or lemongrass (optional),
salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe:

This escargot recipe is similar to the Escargots à la Bourguignonne recipe with the major difference of using mushroom cups for serving it instead of the snail shells.

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy pan and saute the garlic for 1 or 2 minutes.

2. Add the mushrooms and the escargot and cook until the mushrooms are soft.

3. Deglaze with the white wine and add the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve the escargots in the mushroom cups, top each one with a little grated mozzarella cheese and drizzle the butter-garlic sauce from the pan over the escargots.

5. Broil each bowl under the broiler briefly until the cheese is fully melted and serve with garlic bread.

Did you know that some people consider the escargot as seafood, therefore suitable for vegetarians?

Italian, recipes

Arancini – Italian Rice Balls Recipe

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Arancini Italian rice balls

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked risotto rice,
1 roasted red pepper, chopped,
1/3 cup chopped Kalamata olives,
1 tbsp. “Italian Herbs” mix,
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella,
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder,
1 tbsp. chopped onion,
3 large eggs,
1/2 cup all-purpose flour,
2 tbsp. softened cream cheese,
1 cup each, Italian and panko breadcrumbs,
salt and white pepper to taste.

Recipe: Mix all the ingredients, except the eggs, breadcrumbs and flour, in a mixing bowl and season to taste. Use the mixture to make balls the size of a small lime. Beat the eggs lightly in another bowl. Pour the flour and the breadcrumbs in two separate mixing bowls. Bread all arancini balls by dipping them in the following order: flour-egg-breadcrumbs. Deep-fry the arancini until golden and crispy on the outside. I served the Arancini di Riso with roasted red pepper and garlic mayo for dipping. Enjoy.

The arancini are a great choice for a party appetizer and can be passed around on trays as finger-food.