Tag Archives: appetizer

Maple-Chipotle Peanuts

I’ve had so many people say to me lately, “Can you believe it’s almost Thanksgiving?” I don’t know what’s surprising about it to people but it’s no shock to me.  Maybe it’s that I think about food all the time and have been thinking about what I want to make for Thanksgiving since the calendar changed to November.  Either way, yes, Thanksgiving is this Thursday so I hope everyone is ready.  It’ll be low key for me, just me and my cousin, so I have no stress in making a ton of food.  But if you have a bunch of people coming by and wonder how you’ll get everything done, consider making these Maple-Chipotle Peanuts if you need a quick and easy, no stress, no fuss appetizer that can be made ahead of time.

Maple syrup and chipotle chile pepper are simmered together until slightly thickened and then mixed with dry-roasted peanuts.  Once cooled, the result is sweet, salty, and spicy peanuts that are seriously addictive.  Once the peanuts cool, the peanuts become ooey and gooey and it’s hard to not want to shove your face into these.  Once they’ve cooled overnight, the syrup hardens, the gooeyness is gone and the peanuts become candied.  Whichever way you prefer, these are amazing.  The smell of these peanuts reminded me of being at a carnival or my county fair as a kid for some reason.  I realized that if I continued to eat these peanuts at the rapid rate I was, there was a good chance I would have devoured an entire container of peanuts in two days.  So consider yourself warned.  If you have a lot of guests coming, you might want to make two batches.  And if you have any leftover, throw a handful on top of some pumpkin ice cream.  Yum!

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The ingredients:

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Simmer 1/3 cup maple syrup with 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder in a saucepan until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

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Stir in 2 cups salted dry-roasted peanuts.

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Pour onto a lightly oiled pan and let cool.

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Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Food Network magazine

Creamed Spinach Phyllo Cups

I think I might have a little obsession with appetizers.  I don’t know what it is about them but I just love, love, love them!  Maybe it’s because they can be deceptive little suckers and trick your brain into thinking you aren’t eating much.  Or maybe it’s just the simple laid-back ease that come with appetizers that tells your guests to sit back with a glass of whatever and relax because we aren’t formal here.  Whatever the case may be, when I had two girl friends over last weekend, I was so excited to make these Creamed Spinach Phyllo Cups for them. 

Fresh baby spinach is wilted over the stove with garlic before being bathed in cream (I used fat-free half-and-half) and reduced-fat cream cheese.  The result is a tangy creamed spinach that would be good enough on its own but is instead spooned into baked mini phyllo shells.  A quick dusting of fresh Parmesan cheese on top finished off these little bites.  These bite-sized appetizers came together quickly and didn’t take me away from drinking wine with my friends.  I will undoubtedly and happily be making these again!

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The ingredients:

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Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange phyllo shells in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly coat shells with cooking spray. Bake at 425°F for 4 minutes or until lightly browned and very crisp.

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Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until fragrant but not browned, stirring frequently.

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Coarsely chop 1 bag of spinach. Add chopped spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing frequently. Chop remaining spinach; add to wilted spinach in pan. Cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing frequently. Sprinkle spinach mixture with salt; toss well.

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Stir in cream and cream cheese; cook 1 minute or until cheese melts and sauce is thoroughly heated. Remove pan from heat.

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Spoon about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture into each shell. Top evenly with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Fat-free half-and-half

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

I think I have found my most favorite dip I’ve ever made.  Ever.  I have to admit that when I first saw the recipe for this Roasted Red Pepper Dip, I didn’t really have high expectations.  I like roasted red peppers and think they provide a fantastically bold flavor to dishes but the thought of an entire roasted red pepper dip didn’t really shake me in my shoes.  The simplicity of this dish was what drew me to it and since I’ve been sucked into catching up on Game of Thrones from the very beginning, I didn’t want anything to take me away from my iPad and another episode featuring Jon Snow.  But this dip left me standing in my kitchen chowing down scoop after scoop of this awesome dip.

Jarred roasted red peppers are blended in a food processor with toasted almonds, garlic, sherry vinegar, grated Parmesan cheese, and a little olive oil.  A small piece of whole wheat bread adds a thickening consistency and a dab of smoked paprika (my favorite spice EVER) gives the whole dip a smoky little hug.  I ate this dip with these amazing multigrain tortilla chips but this dip would be just as great with, well, anything.  Chips, pretzels, cucumbers, carrots…I even think this would be a perfect sauce for some pasta and veggies, it’s really so good.  You might already have the ingredients on hand (if you don’t have sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar can be substituted) so next time you are at the store, pick up a jar of roasted red peppers and make this when you need a quick snack or appetizer.  You won’t be disappointed.

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The ingredients:

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Place bell peppers, almonds, bread, garlic clove, olive oil, vinegar, grated ­Parmesan, water, and paprika in a food processor; process until smooth.

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Serve with multigrain chips or sliced veggies.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

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