Need elegant but easy hors d'oeuvres (ingredients, vegetarian, horseradish, paprika)
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For a monthly Friday evening cocktail get-together.
Does anyone have any ideas?
The last two times, I brought bruschetta and or fresh mozzarella-type stuff with pesto or basil, so was hoping to do something different this Friday.
I do have a lot of homegrown tomatoes and basil, though.
I just keep thinking I should use that stuff, yet do not want to be stale.
I am open and enthusiastic to any ideas!
This may not be very imaginative, but done right this can be elegant and easy:
Cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp with cocktail sauce
Assorted Cheese and Crackers
Seedless Grapes
Vegetable Tray with Dip
Mini Croissants with shaved roast beef and horseradish spread
Vegetable Pizza
Fruit Tray with Dip
I saw some really wonderful recipes on Food network last week. Just like you said , easy and elegant. Check out this link. They have it online too.
TV : Everyday Italian : Great Weekend Hors d' Oeuvres : Food Network (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ek/episode/0,2763,FOOD_25716_51105,00.html - broken link)
Tonight I made these little pizzas for appetizers (the dough needs to be rolled very thin and they are almost like a crisp cracker after baking) - they was delicious and really easy - the caramelizing of the onions takes several hours but you just stir it once every 30 minutes or cook them overnight in the crockpot - this can be done ahead of time and the rest of the dish was very easy....the flavors and amazing and out of the 20 women here tonight, every single person loved this appetizer - here it is:Pizzettes with Caramelized Onions Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Recipe: Recipes: Food Network
I think mini-quiches and pizzas ( which you can use the tomatoes and basil for) also always go down really well as well as very simple Blinis with smoked salmon of Gravadlax with a bit of creme fraiche. I also love prawn won-tons and prawn toasts.
I make these won-ton appetizers called Scorpions that look like just that, little scorpions, with the shrimp tail as the scorpion tail. They are addictive.
We should have our own City Data cocktail party.
Maybe I'll start out with a mojito.
Cil, easy but nice looking plates are my specialty & it would be an easy way to use your delicious, fresh tomatoes/basil. You could layer the perimeter of a plate with something like prosciuitto, provolone, sliced pepperoni (or vegetarian "meats" if you prefer), flat slices of tomatoes with basil leaves, flat cucumber slices (sprinkled with dill), de-rined sliced lemon, various flat-sliced pickles & put a mixed salad in the center, such as artichoke hearts, variety of olives, cornicorns, capers, roasted bell pepper, cauliflower, various colorful variety of beans, etc.
Toss the salad with heartier dressing, like olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano & Kosher salt. Drizzle olive oil, oregano & cracked pepper on the tomatoes & cheese. Served on a huge gorgeous platter, it even tastes better. If you're so inclined & have a breadmaker, use your pizza setting to make dough & bake a simple flat bread sprinkled with your beautiful basil leaves, oregano, perhaps paprika or a trinity of tomato slices, for a little color, etc. to accompany your plate.
The nice thing about "plates" is you can be as expensive/inexpensive as you can afford, mixed meats/soy "meats"/cheeses are pretty when spiraled around a plate (rather than the traditional roll-ups) & pocketed by colorful veggie slices (yellow summer squash, red tomatoes, green cukes) tops it off. They can also be fixed fast, like if unexpected guests arrive. It's healthy, pretty, easy, colorful. The center salad can be whatever was on special/is very ripe at the market, like marinated mushrooms & any veggie your heart desires.
Sounds like fun & a good idea to have monthly parties. Your other selections sound great, too. Have fun. I'm sure whatever you make will taste great, especially with your home grown treats!... VV
Much thanks for your colorful ideas, dear Kitten.
I agree that a pretty platter with a variety of choices is easy, flavorful, and can be fine-tuned.
You know, I went to all this trouble to make flat bread last spring, when my breadmaker was in storage. (It actually came out pretty good, but that's not the point.)
I never thought about using a breadmaker to make flat bread dough--cool idea!
This is what I mean about me being in a rut.
The monthly parties are held at this little park pavilion in the center of our neighborhood. It's fun to try out what other people make.
During the summertime, I don't have a lot of patience for anything too elaborate, but with so many fresh ingredients available now, it just makes sense to keep it simple.
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