Hors D’oeuvres and Finger Foods – Part 3 “Elegant Bites”

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 6 c water
• 2 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 1 1/4 c instant polenta
• 1/2 c finely grated Parmesan
• 2 Tbsp butter.

Preparation

1. Bring the water to a boil with the cubes of bouillon
2. Slow pour in the polenta
3. Stir until it thickens 3-5 min
4. Remove from heat
5. Stir in the butter and Parmesan
6. Grease a square pan and pour in the polenta
7. Let it cool
8. Refrigerate for 1-2 hrs until it sets
9. Cut small circles with a cookie cutter
10. Heat olive oil in a skillet
11. Sauté the discs until golden brown on both sides
12. Top with a dollop of ricotta
13. A drizzle of pesto
14. 1/2 cherry tomato

Ingredients

• 1Tbsp Olive oil
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 Tbsp red wine
• 2 c mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a skillet
2. Add butter
3. Add the mushrooms and wine
4. Add rosemary and garlic
5. Stir until mushrooms are soft about 6 min
6. Turn heat down and simmer for about 10 more min
7. Add cream
8. Stir until it thickens a bit 2-3 min
9. Place a small spoonfuls on warm polenta disks

Ingredients

Adjust the amounts for the number of guests

• 1 bunch of fresh asparagus, cut off the ends to leave 3-4 inch spears including the tip
• 1 sheet of phyllo dough thawed
• 4 Tbsp melted butter
• 2-3 Tbsp grated Parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Boil the cut asparagus spears for about 3 min. Still firm but tender
3. Remove the asparagus
4. Dry it and let it cool
5. Cut the sheet of phyllo to the length of the spears
6. Peel off 1-2 thin sheets. Phyllo dough is layered 1 sheet should be thinner than paper
7. Lay a damp towel over the dough while you work
8. Brush the sheet with melted butter
9. Lay one spear on the sheet
10. Sprinkle lightly with salt and Parmesan
11. Roll the asparagus in the sheet of dough like a jelly roll
12. Place it seam down in a lightly greased oven pan
13. Brush the top lightly with butter
14. Once they are all wrapped, bake for 10- 15 min until golden brown

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork or beef
• 1/2 c finely chopped onions
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp curry powder
• 1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1-2 tsp sugar
• Options
• 1 Tbsp shredded fresh basil or mint.
• 1 tsp lemon grass

Preparation

1. Sauté everything up to the fresh cilantro in a skillet
2. Stir periodically
3. Make sure that the meat is fully cooked 15-20 min
4. Drain the excess fat
5. Stir in sugar and cilantro and/ or other fresh herbs
6. Incorporate it all thoroughly
7. 2-3 min
8. Taste the flavor and adjust to suit your taste
9. Remove from the heat and cool
10. Wrap just like the asparagus using about 2 Tbsp of meat per 4-inch roll.
11. You don’t need to brush the inside of the sheet with butter. Even though you’ve drained the fat, the meat will still have enough for the dough
12. Do lightly brush the top with butter so that the dough turns golden and crisp.

Ingredients

• 20 crisp small endive leaves
• 1 c crumbled Gorgonzola
• 8 oz cream cheese at room temp
• 3 Tbsp half and half
• 1/2 c toasted, chopped walnuts. (chop them and toast them on foil for a few min in the toaster oven or oven)
• 1-2 c dried apricots or cranberries, dates or figs. Mix and match
• Slices of pear or apples are a fresh option

Preparation

1. Mix the Gorgonzola, cream cheese and half and half in a food processor until smooth
2. Put it in a bowl and stir in the nuts
3. Use either a pastry bag or a zip lock bag with an edge cut off, to pipe the cheese into the endive leaves
4. Top with fruit
5. Delicious!