Thread: Finger Foods...

Greetings All,

Below, please find a sampling of some finger food recipes. Enjoy!

Asparagus Roll-Ups
1 can (15oz) small green asparagus spears, drained
18 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons French dressing
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup highly seasoned mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional), mixed into mayonnaise
1 stick (4oz) butter, melted (for hot sandwiches only)

Spread each slice of bread with mayonnaise. Place one asparagus spear on bread and sprinkle each with salt, pepper and a few drops of French dressing. Roll up the bread from corner to corner. Secure with a toothpick. When you’re ready to serve, remove the toothpick. To serve as hot appetizer, brush each roll-up with melted butter and broil until lightly browned.

Caramel Corn
6 quarts popcorn, popped
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda

Melt butter, sugar, corn syrup and salt over medium heat, stirring constantly till dissolved. Let boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and baking soda then mix well. Pour over popcorn and mix well. Turn into baking pan and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Chicken Nuggets (Low Fat)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 egg white s
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
2 cups cornflakes, crushed

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare three bowls: one with flour and seasonings, one with egg and buttermilk stirred together, and one with crushed cornflakes. Cut chicken breasts into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces. Empty the chicken pieces into a bowl and roll in flour mixture. Piece by piece, shake off excess flour then dip the chicken into the milk mixture and coat the pieces with cornflakes. Place chicken on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until golden, turning them half way through. Serve with barbecue sauce, honey-mustard sauce or a fat free ranch dressing.

Cucumber Sandwiches
1 pound of cucumbers
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon mayonnaise
1/8 tsp seasoned salt
1 loaf multi grain bread
parsley sprigs

Cut cucumber in half horizontally. Peel, seed and shred one half of the cucumber. Measure a 1/3 cup of shredded cucumber. Slice the remaining cucumber for garnish. Cut slices in half and set aside. Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and seasoned salt, mixing until blended. Stir in shredded cucumber. Cut two 2-inch rounds from each bread slice. Spread each bread slice with 1 teaspoon of the cucumber spread. Garnish each sandwich with a thin slice of cucumber and a sprig of parsley. Recipe makes 48 sandwiches. This is the perfect recipe for a baby shower tea.

Deviled Eggs
12 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp scallions, finely chopped
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
Paprika

Cut cooked eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out yolks and place them in a bowl. Mash the egg yolks with a fork; add mayonnaise, mustard and scallions. Mix well. Spoon yolk mixture into egg halves. If you have a pastry bag with a star-shaped tip, you could pipe the yolks into the whites. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Sprinkle with a little paprika before serving.

Endive Spears with Goat Cheese
20 endive spears (1 large head endive or 2 small)
4 ounces soft goat cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried, crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Sweet paprika
In a medium bowl, cream the goat cheese with the back of a kitchen spoon. Add the cream, rosemary, thyme, parsley, chives, and pepper and mix until smooth and creamy. Add more cream if the cheese is very thick. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before assembling. Core the endive and separate into spears. Spoon the filling into 20 endive spears, filling each spear about halfway. Assemble on a plate and sprinkle with the paprika. Cover and refrigerate until your ready to begin serving.

Grilled Shrimp
1/2 cup finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoon coarse salt
4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves plus sprigs for garnish
6 tablespoons olive oil plus oil for brushing shrimp
32 jumbo shrimp (about 10 per pound)
8 12-inch bamboo skewers
lemon wedges as an accompaniment
Mash garlic and salt together in large bowl. Mix together with minced rosemary and oil. Add shrimp, cover and let stand in a refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Preheat grill. Place 4 shrimp on each pre-soaked skewer. Brush with oil. Cook shrimp on an oiled rack for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.

Pizza Crusts
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Combine water, oil, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes or until it bubbles. Mix flours and salt together thoroughly in a food processor or mixer. Add water mixture while blending. Let mix for 2 minutes. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface. Place in a large oiled bowl and let stand in a warm place for 2-3 hours. It should double in size. Once the dough has risen, lightly flour two cooking sheets. On a floured surface roll out 1/4 of the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place on cooking sheet. Repeat process until you have four rounds. Place one pizza on a clean, oiled and preheated grill. Grill for about 1 minute on until the bottom is brown. With tongs, gently flip it over and grill for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from grill and repeat with remaining pizzas. Let cool. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and return to a preheated grill for about 2-3 minutes.

Quesadillas
1pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, stripped
5 large tortillas
2 cups salsa
1/2 Spanish onion, sliced
1 green pepper cut into strips
1 package shredded cheese
Chili powder or Tabasco sauce

Cook the chicken, onions and peppers in a skillet. When the chicken is cooked completely through, set aside. Continue to cook the onions and peppers until soft. Add the cheese, chicken, salsa, onions, and peppers to the tortillas. If you want to make it spicy, you may add a dash of chili powder or Tabasco sauce to taste. Fold the tortilla in half and place on a baking sheet for 5-7 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Once the shells are crisp, cut them into small strips.

Potato Skins
4 medium baking potatoes
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
3 scallions, sliced
Canola or olive oil
Paprika

Poke potatoes with a fork. To cook, microwave the potatoes on high for up to 10 minutes, depending on size of potato or bake for 40-50 minutes in a 425 degree oven. Allow the potatoes to cool then cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out flesh, leaving a thin border next to skin. Brush the potato skins with a little canola or olive oil; you can also lightly spray them with cooking spray. Place scooped-out potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until edges are crisp. Divide cheese among eight halves. Sprinkle with some paprika. Return potatoes to oven and bake or broil until cheese is golden and bubbly. Serve with sour cream and scallions sprinkled on top or along side for your guest to dress the potatoes themselves.

Shrimp and Avocado Nacho Bites
24 large tortilla chips
1/2 cup black bean or refried bean dip from can
1/4 cup thick and chunky salsa
24 medium shrimp, cooked and de-veined
1 large avocado cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup grated Colby cheese
Bunch fresh cilantro leaves

Top each tortilla chip with about 1 teaspoon of bean dip, 1/2 tsp. of salsa, 1 shrimp, 1 avocado slice and a sprinkle of cheese. Set oven to broil. Broil about 5 inches from elements for about 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot.

Smoked Salmon Roll-ups
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
4 ounces fat-free cream cheese
Bag of Watercress or Arugula
Black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges

Spread each slice of smoked salmon with fat free cream cheese. Sprinkle with pepper if desired. Carefully roll up each slice like a jelly roll. Cut rolls into 1/2-inch slices. Chill until ready to serve. Place rolls on a platter with watercress or arugula and lemon wedges.

Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches
24 slices thin white bread
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
Ginger-Cilantro Lime Butter
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ounces (1/4 cup) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Spread all of the bread slices generously with the ginger butter. Place slices of smoked salmon in an even layer on half of the bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices. Using a 2-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut out the tea sandwiches. Remove the top slice of bread from each flower. Using a 3/4 to 7/8-inch round biscuit cutter, cut a circle from the center of each, discard the circle. Replace the slice, butter-side down, on the flower. Serve with Ginger-Cilantro Lime Butter. Place butter, cream cheese, ginger, lime juice, cilantro and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse just until ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Roll into a 1 1/2-inch wide log.

Stuffed Mushrooms
8 to 10 medium mushroom, firm, closed caps
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons minced onion or green onion
1/4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soft bread crumbs (see below)
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons water
salt & pepper to taste

Soft bread crumbs: Put bread on cutting board and use fork tines to tear off crumbs, or use food processor to make finer crumbs. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup lightly packed crumbs. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash mushrooms quickly under running water; drain on paper towels. Pull stems from mushrooms and chop finely. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat; add chopped mushroom stems and onion. Sauté until tender. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, soft bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Sprinkle salt over mushroom caps and fill with sautéed mixture, mounding over the top. At this point, you may cover and refrigerate these mushrooms for up to 24 hours. Before serving, put 2 tablespoons of water in a shallow dish and arrange stuffed mushrooms in dish. Bake for about 20 minutes and serve while still hot.

Toasted Almonds
1 cup blanched almonds
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons peanut oil
Coarse sea salt

Heat the butter and oil together in a large skillet. When the fats are hot but not brown, add the almonds in one layer. Sauté the almonds under moderate heat until they are pale gold on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and put on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle immediately with sea salt. Repeat with the remaining almonds.

Vegetarian Summer Rolls
Summer Rolls
4 ounces vermicelli noodles
16 large round rice paper wrappers
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 cup cucumber, cut into thin strips
2 medium carrots, shredded
16 2/3-inch strips of head lettuce
Sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
6 tablespoons peanut butter
6 tablespoons water

Make vermicelli according to package instructions, set aside. Soften 1 rice paper wrapper by immersing in warm water until soft (about 10-20 sec), carefully remove and place flat on a large plate or cutting board. Be careful not to let the paper fold on itself when removing the wrapper from the water. Place 1 piece of lettuce in the middle of the wrapper, add 1/8 each of the vermicelli, cucumber, carrots, and sprouts. Roll rice paper as you would a taco, tucking in the sides (it should stick easily). You may also add thin pieces of shrimp or chicken. For the sauce, mix the ingredients until smooth. Sauce can be split into small bowls for each guest to dip rolls into.

Taco Cups
1 bag Tostitos® Scoops!®
1 can refried beans
1/2 lb cooked taco seasoned meat
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sliced black olives

Set chips on a large platter and layer with beans, meat, cheddar, salsa, sour cream and black olives.

Tomato Caprese Skewers
Container of cherry tomatoes
1 package of whole milk mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil leaves
Italian dressing (your favorite brand)

Cut cherry tomatoes in half and cut cheese into cubes.
Take a half of tomato and put on a cocktail pick (cut side facing inside) then a cube of cheese, then a small piece of basil, ending with another half tomato (cut side facing in).
Arrange them all on a platter and drizzle with Italian dressing.

Brie, Turkey and Cranberry Crostini
1/2 Rye Sourdough French Stick, thinly sliced into 16 slices.
1/4 Cup Olive Oil.
125g Brie - sliced.
2 Slices Cooked Turkey Fillet - chopped in to 1cm cubes.
3 Spring Onions - Sliced.
1/4 Cup Cranberry Sauce.
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and grill, turning once until golden brown - then set aside.
Top each piece of toast with a slice of brie, chopped turkey and spring onions. To finish off put a dollop of cranberry sauce on each piece of toast and sprinkle with black pepper before serving.

I tried to include something for everyone. Don't be afraid to try some of the more unusual recipes. Good luck!