Appetizer #10 - Onion Tartlets

The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #10 - Onion Tartlets

    Betty Crocker's New Choices Cookbook published in 1993 is the first cookbook I bought myself. I believe I bought the book in a Waldenbooks store at White Flint Mall (closed) in Maryland. This recipe is based on the Creamy Onion Tartlets in this book. The original recipe calls for turkey bacon; I used pork bacon and added a dab of cream cheese in the bottom of some of the tartlets (to see how I liked that). So, the biggest issue I had is that the recipe calls for 8 cups chopped onions (about 4lbs). I had four large onions and actually weighed them. None even weighed a pound, so I figured I was good. When chopped there was a huge mound of onion, but I figured "That's okay. I don't have 4lbs of onion." But, the onion did not cook down into a marmalade consistency as the recipe says it will.  I'll give you the recipe and note modifications in Italics. Even though they didn't turn out how they were supposed to, they still tasted fine. I served them with Appetizer #9 - Lemonchick's Sun-Dried Tomato & Cheese Tartlets this weekend.

Ingredients:

1 15-piece package of Athena phyllo shells

8 cups chopped onions (about 4lbs) *Note - This was way too much onion; I had a lot leftover and want to figure out what to do with it.

1 cup beef broth

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 diced, cooked bacon (Orginally 2 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped)

6 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese

Softened Cream Cheese (Optional)

Directions:

Cook onion, broth, pepper and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low and cook uncovered for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. *Note: The original recipe says cook until all liquid is absorbed and the onions are the consistency of marmalade. This did not happen for me. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place phyllo shells on a cookie sheet. Spoon onion mixture into shells and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each tartlet.  If desired, add a dab of softened cream cheese into the bottom of the phyllo shells, before adding the onion mixture. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until cheese is light brown. You may need to cook a couple minutes longer to ensure that phyllo is crisped.

Appetizer #10 - Onion Tartlets with Appetizer #9 - Lemonchick's Sun-Dried Tomato & Cheese Tartlets      

Appetizer #9 - Lemonchick's Sun-Dried Tomato & Cheese Tartlets

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #9 - Lemonchick's Sun-Dried Tomato & Cheese Tartlets

    I had a friend over to my house this weekend and made appetizers for us to enjoy. I had this idea in my head to do something with sun-dried tomato and this is what I came up with. This is 100% my creation. You will have more filling than needed for the shells, so use it as a spread on crackers or toasted bagels. I ended up leaving them in the oven a little too long, so they turned out darker than I wanted. But, they still tasted great. I will definitely make these again. 

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup, plus about 2 tbsps shredded mozzarella, divided use

1 1/2 oz sun-dried tomato, moistened in water for a few minutes, drained and chopped *Note: This is just how I did this making them for the first time; I may try not moistening them the next time.

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 package phyllo mini tart shells (I used Athena brand; there are 15 shells in the package)

Directions:

Place softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and sun-dried tomato, stirring well before adding the mozzarella. Ensure ingredients are thoroughly combined. Place phyllo shells on a cookie sheet. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, gently fill the phyllo shells. Using the back of a small spoon, lightly press the filling into the shell. If desired, sprinkle a pinch or two of mozzarella cheese on top of the stuffed shells. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 375 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes. You need the shells to be a little browned (and crispy), but you don't want the sprinkle of cheese to brown.

Lemonchick's Sun-Dried Tomato & Cheese Tartlets
Pictured with Appetizer #10 - Onion Tartlets

 

Appetizer #8 - Carrot Puffs

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #8 - Carrot Puffs

    Okay, so I sometimes will take a picture of a recipe in a cookbook, so I can easily refer to it in making grocery lists. This time around, I did that and then put the cookbook away. I know it was the Waring Blendor Cookbook, but I do not know for sure which year it was published. I "googled' and I believe that the cookbook I have is the one that was published in 1955. This is not the only Waring cookbook which spelled blender as "blendor", but I am pretty sure of the one I have. 

    These puffs were good. They were of a lighter texture than hush puppies, but you fry them just the same (I actually used about two inches of oil in a large cast iron skillet). There are a number of variations you could do with this recipe. Substitute sweet potato for the carrot, add more nutmeg or substitute cinnamon. I am also curious how this would turn out using spinach. I used avocado oil instead of regular vegetable oil, so it was a little "better". Still fried in oil, but better. Lol. 

    My verdict is that these were tasty and I would make them again if I wasn't being careful with fried foods (I don't know what possessed me to make something fried). They were not difficult to make, so if you like fried things, try this!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg or cinnamon

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup cooked carrots (cut up in small pieces)

2 tbsp oil

Directions:

Into a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg/cinnamon and salt. Into your blender or food processor, add the egg, milk, carrots and oil over and blend until smooth. Pour your liquid mixture into the dry flour mixture and stir, thoroughly combining. Drop spoonfuls into hot oil and fry for 3 to 5 minutes. You want them golden. Remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet or plate and sprinkle with salt. Serves 6.

Carrot Puffs

Sour Cream Cocoa Cookies

 Sour Cream Cocoa Cookies

    Mmmmm.  This recipe comes from Hershey Chocolate's Hershey's Recipes recipe booklet, published in 1940. I needed something to take to my church ladies group potluck and wanted to take something for dessert. I chose these cookies and I'm glad I did, because the cookies (2) which I sampled, were yummy. The recipe booklet says this makes about 4 dozen. I used a cookie scoop and got 4 3/4 dozen. My original thought was to make these and then do a drizzle of white chocolate over the top, but I decided not to do that. The recipe booklet also says to bake for about 10 minutes and I feel they need closer to 12 minutes at 375 degrees F. The recipe calls for sifted flour and then to sift with the cocoa, spices, salt, but I didn't pre-sift the flour. These cookies have nuts, but feel free to leave out the nuts, substitute pecans in lieu of walnuts or maybe add mini chocolate chips. Whatever you decide to do, you should make these. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa powder (or your favorite brand)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream shortening, then add sugar gradually and cream until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla and walnuts. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream (I forgot to alternate, but they turned out fine). Mix thoroughly, then use a cookie scoop or spoons to drop onto greased baking sheets (I used un-greased stoneware pans). Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. This recipe will make at least 4 dozen cookies. 

Hershey's Recipes booklet

Sour Cream Cocoa Cookies

Appetizer #7 - Coconut Chicken Bites

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #7 - Coconut Chicken Bites

    This recipe comes from 2007's The Taste of Home Cookbook, from Reader's Digest. I had to modify the recipe, because I once again, did not have all of the correct seasonings. I'll list what I used in italics and what the original seasonings were that I did not use. Even with my substitutions, I really liked these little bite-sized nuggets. They would be yummy with a hot honey sauce or a hot orange marmalade sauce. Instructions for the sauces will be below. 

P.S. Sorry for my plain-jane photo. 

Ingredients:

2 cups flaked coconut

1 egg

2 tbsps milk

3/4 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into nugget-sized pieces

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp celery salt (If you don't have this, use regular salt like I did)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin (I used chili powder)

Oil for frying

Directions:

Finely chop coconut in a blender or food processor (This took awhile for me, because I tried using a blender and it did not work great). Pour coconut into a bowl and set aside. Combine egg and milk in a separate bowl until well combined. Pour flour into a small bowl and toss the chicken a few pieces at a time, in the flour. Dip floured chicken pieces in the egg mixture and then in the coconut. Place chicken pieces on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Fry a few pieces of chicken at a time in 2 inches of oil (heated to 375 degrees) for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. They should be golden brown. Drain fried chicken bites on paper towels and place in a bowl. Combine seasonings and sprinkle over chicken bites. Toss to coat chicken bites and serve warm with or without a dipping sauce. I actually opted to mix my seasonings in with the flour, before coating in the egg mixture and coconut. 

Dipping Sauce #1 - Hot Honey Sauce:

Heat 1/2 cup honey in a microwave until it is a little bubbly. Remove from the microwave and add sriracha sauce to taste.  Add more or less honey and sriracha. It really depends on how much sauce you want and how sweet or hot you want it. 

Dipping Sauce #2 - Hot Orange Marmalade Sauce:

Follow directions above, only use orange marmalade. 

Coconut Chicken Bites

Appetizer #6 - Chinese Barbecued Ribs (Shao Pi K'u)

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #6 - Chinese Barbecued Ribs (Shao Pi K'u)

    The original recipe comes from Betty Crocker's International Cookbook published in 1980. I'll start off by saying I did not get 42 appetizers from a little more than 1 1/2 lbs of pork spareribs and I did modify the recipe a tiny bit. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 to 2lbs of spareribs. I got a small rack from a meat shop and had them cut in half. When I sectioned the pieces, I thought they were a perfect size, so that worked out. I also want to say that I did not have sake or dry sherry as called for in the recipe; however, I looked up what I could substitute and found I could use white rice wine vinegar (I had that ingredient). I also used a low sodium soy sauce. This sauce was easy to put together. There's a least two hours that you marinate the ribs in the refrigerator, one hour of cook time, covered and 45 minutes cook time uncovered. I basted the ribs twice during the uncovered cook time and once right after I took them out of the oven (I cooked the last of the marinade before that final basting). I really enjoyed this appetizer. I liked that you could easily use it as the meat/protein portion of a meal, with steamed rice and veggies. Try this recipe as an appetizer or meat/protein portion of a meal; I think you'll like it. I know I did!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 lbs - Fresh pork spareribs

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium soy sauce)

1/4 cup hoisin sauce or chili sauce (I used hoisin sauce)

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons sake, dry sherry or rice wine vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)

1 small clove garlic, crushed (I diced my garlic)

green onions chopped (optional)

Directions:

Cut spareribs crosswise into 1 1/2 inch pieces or have your butcher cut it for you (that's what I did). Place ribs in a shallow glass or plastic dish. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Pour sauce over ribs, cover the dish and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours. When you are ready, pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove spareribs from the refrigerator and place meaty side up in a baking dish (The original recipe says to put them on a rack in a foil lined broiler pan, which I did not have). Set marinade aside in a bowl. Cover with foil and bake for one hour. After one hour, remove the ribs, uncover and baste with marinade. Return to oven for 45 minutes, basting at least twice during that cook time (I did go ahead and put a cookie rack over a large baking sheet for this step). Right before removing the ribs at the end of the 45 minute cook time, microwave the last of the marinade for at least two minutes in a microwave safe bowl (You're cooking the marindade/sauce, because you did have it on raw meat).  Brush the ribs with the now cooked marinade sauce once more and remove to a serving plate. Sprinkle with green onions if desired. 

Chinese Barbecued Ribs (Shao Pi K'u)

Chinese Barbecued Ribs (Shao Pi K'u)

Appetizer #5 - Cheese Puff Surprises (Olive Stuffed Cheese Puffs)

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #5 - Cheese Puff Surprises (Olive Stuffed Cheese Puffs)

    This is the very first recipe in Hearts and Flours, published in 1988 by the Junior League of Waco. The Junior organization aims to improve communities, as well as the social, cultural and political fabric of society. They are a non-profit organization that places women in volunteer positions in a variety of charities.  I have known several Junior League members through my own volunteer work and my first match with Big Brothers Big Sisters benefited from their generosity when we attended several events that were sponsored and/or lead by Junior League members. 

    I am not a fan of olives, but I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone and make these for my church ladies group gathering; I tasted though and I like them! Yummy. You can substitute ham, jalapeno, bacon or you could just make plain un-stuffed puffs. You could also try replacing the paprika with spicy seasoning or garlic powder. There are so many options! 

Try these out, because I think you'll like them. I'm definitely going to make these again, using at least one of the possible substitutions. 

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (or try using your favorite, like Monterrey Jack)

1 stick softened margarine

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

48 green olives, well drained (I used a 10oz jar of pimento stuffed queen olives and had several leftover)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend flour, salt and paprika. Blend cheese and softened margarine in a mixing bowl. Mix in the flour mixture. Flatten a teaspoon or a little more (You'll figure out the amount that works best for you)  into a tiny patty in your hand. Pick up an olive and wrap the cheese "patty" around the olive, ensuring that it completely covers the olive. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes. 

*I ended up with 46 puffs. I could have had 48, but I used to much cheese mixture on a lot of them early on.

Cheese Puff Surprises
(Olive Stuffed Cheese Puffs