Tag: appetizers
Chorizo Tapas
A smoky and slightly spicy style Spanish sausage poached in red wine, flambéed in brandy and sprinkled with garlic and parsley!
What are Tapas?
Tapa actually means lid
Back in the early days of Spain, bar keepers would lay a slice of bread to act like a lid over drinks to keep any unwanted guests out of the liquid
As time progressed the “lids” started to get elaborate with different types of food to keep the patrons happy and thus Tapas were born
We are going to make these great chorizo tapas which are simple and great as a starter
First up we will need Spanish style chorizo
Using a fork, poke holes all around the sausage through the casing
Next, we will need 1/12 cups of dry red wine (like a Cabernet)
Add the sausage to a saucepan and cover with the wine
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer
Cover and allow to cook for 20 minutes
Halfway through cooking, turn the sausage
After the 20 minutes are up remove the sausage from the heat and allow to cool
We have poached them and now we are going to marinate them in the wine that has the chorizo flavor imparted in it
Refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor
Remove the chorizo from the wine and set aside
Slice the sausages on a bias
Strain the wine and discard any of the fats while reserving the liquid in a bowl
We will also need 2 tablespoons of brandy
Add the brandy to a saucepan over medium heat and start to slowly simmer
Carefully ignite the brandy to flambé and cook off the alcohol
As the flames start to die down, add in the chorizo and toss to coat with the reduced brandy
Pour in the reserved wine
Bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer
Cook until the wine sauce is reduced by half
Chop a tablespoon of fresh parsley and grate 1 garlic clove
Toss the chorizo sausage in the reduced wine sauce and serve sprinkled with parsley and garlic!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Chorizo Tapas
Ingredients
5 fresh Spanish chorizo sausages
1 1/2 cups of dry red wine (like a Cabernet)
2 tablespoons of brandy
1 grated garlic clove
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley
Directions
Using a fork, poke holes all around the sausages through the casing on both sides. Add the sausage to a saucepan and cover with 1 1/2 cups of dry red wine (like a Cabernet).
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking turn the sausage. After the 20 minutes are up remove the sausage from the heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor
Remove the chorizo from the wine and set aside. Slice the sausages on a bias. Strain the wine and discard any of the fats while reserving the liquid in a bowl
Add 2 tablespoons of brandy to a saucepan over medium heat and start to slowly simmer. Carefully ignite the brandy to flambé and cook off the alcohol. As the flames start to die down add in the chorizo and toss to coat with the reduced brandy
Pour in the reserved wine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Chop a tablespoon of fresh parsley and grate 1 garlic clove. Toss the chorizo sausage in the reduced wine sauce and serve sprinkled with parsley and garlic
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
NuWave Flex Precision Induction Cooktop
ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch
© Simply Sundays 2020
All rights reserved
Crab Cakes
Delicate and sweet lump crab meat mixed with herbs, scallions, garlic, lemon zest and just enough fillers to bind them, then cooked until golden brown
Whether you make these for a main dish or an appetizer who doesn’t love crab cakes?
Let’s start off with 1 pound of lump crab meat
Now even though the package states that it is picked crab meat I recommend picking through it yourself to feel for any little pesky shell remnants
Next we will need 2 eggs whisked, 1 cup of panko (Japanese bread crumbs), 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Add these to the crab
Next we will need 2 scallions chopped, 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley 2 grated garlic cloves and the zest of 1 lemon
Add these to the crab
Now it’s time for some seasonings
We will need 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional) and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
Note: Old Bay seasoning has salt in it which is why we have omitted adding salt into the crab cakes
Add the seasoning to the crab
Gently fold all the ingredients together
At this point you can feel if the mixture will hold together or if you need anymore panko to bind it
I like to chill the mixture for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and also make it easier to form the cakes
While the crab mixture is chillin’, let’s make a Remoulade sauce
Remoulade is a mayo based sauce so you can let your creativity flow here
I’m basically making a jacked up tartar sauce
We will need 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 2 tablespoons of chopped pickles (or pickle relish), 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
Add all of these into a bowl
Mix to combine and place in the refrigerator to chill
Now that the crab mixture has had some time to meld we can start forming some cakes
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and give it a spray of oil
Using a 1/3 measuring cup start scooping out the crab mixture
If your making these for appetizers you can use a smaller measuring cup
After the mixture has been scooped out gently form them into crab cakes
We were able to get 8 crab cakes out of this mixture
I like to place this back into the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes
This will help them stay together through cooking
Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a pan over medium heat
I’m using my flat top which allows me to cook all 8 at the same time
If using a pan on the stove top cook the crab cakes in batches so you don’t overcrowd them
Cook 3-4 minutes and then flip them and cook 3-4 minutes more or until they are golden brown and cooked through
Remove them from the heat and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt
Remember to share with your friends afterall you don’t want to be shellfish!
Serve with the Remoulade Sauce!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Crab Cakes
Ingredients
For the crab cakes
1 pound of lump crab meat
2 eggs whisked
1 cup of panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley
2 chopped scallions
2 grated garlic cloves
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 pinch of kosher salt
For the Remoulade
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
2 tablespoons of ketchup
2 tablespoons of chopped pickles (or pickle relish)
1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
For the crab cakes
Place the lump crab meat in a large bowl and pick through it to ensure there are no remnants of shell. To the crab add in 2 whisked eggs, 1 cup of panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Next add in 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley, 2 chopped scallions, 2 grated garlic cloves and the zest of 1 lemon. Add 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
Gently fold all the ingredients together. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper that has been sprayed with oil
Using a 1/3 measuring cup scoop out the crab mixture onto the parchment paper. Come back and gently form the mixture into crab cakes. Chill for 15 minutes
Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium heat. Cook the crab cakes for 3-4 minutes then gently flip. Cook 3-4 minutes more or until golden brown and cooked through
Remove from the heat and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt
For the Remoulade
In a bowl add 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 2 tablespoons of chopped pickles (or pickle relish), 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
Mix to combine and chill in the refrigerator
Tools used to make this recipe
Blackstone 28 inch Outdoor Flat Top Griddle
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper
Royal Classique 10 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set with Silicone Handles
Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece
© Simply Sundays 2019
All rights reserved
Tsukune – Japanese Meatballs
Tsukune which is pronounced ‘sue-koon e’ is a form of Japanese meatball that gets a lot of flavor from ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, ginger, garlic and soy
We are preparing this dish as an appetizer but these are so good they can definitely be a main
Make them a bit bigger and serve them with some steamed rice and salad and you have a full meal
You can use any protein that you want, beef, pork, even seafood but we are taking a more traditional approach and using ground chicken
So let’s start prepping
First off, we will need 4 ounces of shiitake mushrooms
Shiitake stems are woody so let’s twist them off and give the caps a slice
Discard the stems
Repeat until they are all sliced
Next we will need 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and 2 tablespoons of dry sherry
Heat the sesame oil in a pan over medium heat
Add in the mushrooms, garlic and ginger
Cook stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms and garlic start to soften
Deglaze the pan with the sherry and cook another 2-3 minutes or until the sherry is mostly absorbed
Remove the mushrooms from the heat and allow to cool
Once cooled you will need 2 teaspoons of red miso which is a fermented soybean paste
Add the mushrooms and miso to a chopper or blender
Pulse until finely chopped
Time to start making some meatballs!
We will need 2 pounds of ground chicken
We’ll need the miso mushroom mixture, 3/4 cups of panko (Japanese bread crumbs), 2 scallions chopped, 1 egg white, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
Add all of these ingredients to the ground chicken
Sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper
Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients all together
Since we are using these as starters, I’m going to use a 1/8 cup as a scoop, you can the increase the size of the scoop and change the size of the meatball
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and give it a light spray of oil
Start scooping the meat, we will come back and roll them later
Once they are all scooped, start rolling
I find that wetting my hands a bit makes rolling easier
We actually made a perfect 30 meatballs out of this mixture
Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow them to meld and solidify
You can also do these a day ahead
Preheat the oven to 350 F
You can also grill or pan fry these
Place in the oven and cook 18-20 minutes or until lightly brown and firm to the touch
While the meatballs are in the oven doing their thing, we are going to make a sauce
To start we will need 1/3 cup of mirin, 1/3 cup of soy, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
Place these four ingredients into a sauce pan and whisk together
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 6-8 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly
To finish the sauce we will need the juice and zest of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and 1 serrano pepper sliced thinly
We will also need a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds for a garnish
Add the lime, ginger and pepper to the sauce
Mix to combine
I believe in full transparency… I’m going to admit to a blog blooper
Remember those toasted sesame seeds from a couple pictures back?
The ones I labored to toast perfectly myself, the ones that would have added some extra flavor and texture to these meatballs?
Well, they remained in their bowl behind a roll of paper towels on my counter after we completed our photo shoot!
That’s right folks, I left a basket ingredient off the plate
I guess I’m chopped!
You, however, don’t have to be chopped so feel free to add some toasted sesame seeds as a garnish!
To serve, we are using flat skewers with 2 meatballs on each
Place the meatballs on a serving platter and spread the sauce over them
We also served this with extra serrano peppers and slices of lime!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Tsukune - Japanese Meatball
Ingredients
For the mushroom mixture
4 ounces of shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
2 grated garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of dry sherry
2 teaspoons of red miso paste
For the meatballs
2 pounds of ground chicken
mushroom mixture (see above)
3/4 cup of panko (japanese bread crumb)
2 scallions chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
2 grated garlic cloves
1 egg white
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
kosher salt
ground black pepper
For the sauce
1/3 cup of mirin
1/3 cup of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
1 lime zested and juiced
1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
1 thinly sliced serrano pepper
For garnish
1 lime sliced
sliced serrano
toasted sesame seeds (apparently optional, see above)
Directions
For the mushroom mixture
Remove the stems from 4 ounces of shiitake mushrooms and slice the caps. Heat 2 tablespoon of sesame oil over medium heat and add in the sliced mushroom caps along with 2 grated garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
Cook stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms and garlic start to soften. Deglaze the pan with the sherry and cook another 2-3 minutes or until the sherry is mostly absorbed
Remove the mushrooms from the heat and allow to cool. Add the mushrooms and 2 teaspoons of miso to a chopper or blender. Pulse until finely chopped
For the meatballs
Place 2 pounds of ground chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add the miso mushroom mixture, 3/4 cups of panko (Japanese bread crumbs), 2 scallions chopped, 1 egg white, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, then sprinkle with kosher salt a ground black pepper
Using your hands gently mix the ingredients all together. Use 1/8 cup as a scoop for the meatballs. You can use larger scoops for larger meatballs
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and give it a light spray of oil. Start scooping the meat. Lightly wet the palms of your hands and start rolling the meatballs. I find that wetting my hands a bit makes rolling easier
We actually made a perfect 30 meatballs out of this mixture. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow them to meld and solidify. You can also do these a day ahead. Preheat your oven to 350 F. You can also grill or pan fry these. Place in the oven and cook 18-20 minutes or until lightly brown and firm to the touch
For the sauce
In a saucepan add 1/3 cup of mirin, 1/3 cup of soy, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar and whisk together
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 6-8 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly
To the sauce add the juice and zest of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger and 1 thinly sliced serrano pepper. Mix to combine
Serve the meatballs covered in the sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Garnish with more serrano peppers and slices of lime
Tools used to make this recipe
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
NuWave Flex Precision Induction Cooktop
Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper
Royal Classique 10 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set with Silicone Handles
Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece
ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch
© Simply Sundays 2019
All rights reserved
Jalapeño Poppers
So… we get invited to parties. We love parties
“What can I bring?” I say. “Can you make your Jalapeno Poppers??” they say.
Yes, of course I can.
I’ll show you why this 4 ingredient appetizer is so highly requested
I have 8 jalapeno peppers, 8 slices of bacon cut in half, 4 ounces of cream cheese, 4 ounces of pepper jack cheese and a teaspoon of garlic powder
First off, we need to seed these peppers
The seeds and membranes are what make them spicy and while we want some heat, we also want to be able to eat them without calling in the fire department
I generally choose to wear a disposable glove on my pepper-touching-hand. Just a precaution, but I cannot tell you how many times I’ve cut jalapenos and then rubbed my eye with soul burning agony
Maybe a little dramatic, but it’s better to be safe, right?
Slice the peppers lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and membranes
Using a spoon makes de-seeding the peppers an easy job
Let’s mix up our cheese stuffing
Add 4 ounces of room temp cream cheese, 4 ounces of shredded pepper jack cheese and a teaspoon of garlic powder to a bowl and stir to combine
It’s stuffing time. Divide the cheese mixture equally between the 16 pepper halves
I’m sure these jalapenos would be delicious if we cooked them right now
But, uh… bacon
Wrap each pepper with a bacon strip and now we’re ready to rock and roll
I’ve lined a sheet pan with foil for easy clean up. I’m using a wire rack so the bacon cooks evenly and doesn’t sit in it’s own fat
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until the bacon is cooked to your liking. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes to crisp up. Let rest for about 10 minutes (the hardest part of this recipe) and serve!
Enjoy!
Simply Sundays ~ Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
8 jalapeño peppers
8 slices of bacon cut in half
4 ounces of cream cheese
4 ounces of pepper jack cheese
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
Directions
Slice the peppers in half lengthwise; scrape out the seeds and membrane
Add 4 ounces of room temp cream cheese, 4 ounces of shredded pepper jack cheese and a teaspoon of garlic powder to a bowl and stir to combine
Divide the cheese mixture equally between the 16 pepper halves; Wrap each pepper with a bacon strip
Line a sheet pan with foil for easy clean up. I’m using a wire rack so the bacon cooks evenly. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until the bacon is cooked to your liking. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes to crisp up. Let rest for about 10 minutes and serve!
Tools used to make this recipe
Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood
Pyrex Bakeware Scalloped Pie Plate
Simply Bamboo Maui Bamboo Cutting Board
Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece
ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch
© Simply Sundays 2019
All rights reserved