Sicilian Style Marinated Olives

Cajun Chicken Morsels

Marinated Goat Cheese with Garlic, Basil, and Orange Zest

Beggar’s Purses with Warm Fillings

Stab-Your-Own Meatballs
(For Kids)

Stuffed Mushrooms

Sweet and Spicy Candied Pecans

Sicilian Style Marinated Olives
Makes 2 cups

Serve in a shallow ceramic bowl, with crusty bread on the side. This also makes a nice gift, especially when given with the recipe written on an attractive card.

1 lb. Calamata, Niçoise, Ligurian, or Greek olives, or a combination, drained

8 cloves garlic, cut lengthwise in half

Zest of 1/2 lemon, cut into 1/4 inch julienne

Zest of 1/2 orange, cut into 1/4 inch julienne

1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3 Tbs. best-quality olive oil

Combine the olives, garlic, citrus julienne, rosemary, and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and oil. Marinate, stirring occasionally, at room temperature at least 24 hours.

Cajun Chicken Morsels
Makes 8 appetizer portions

1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped (medium fine) pecans

1 Tbs. dried oregano

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt, to taste

12 Tbs. unsalted butter

4 whole chicken breasts (8 halves), skinned, boned, and cut into 1-inch pieces

Combine the flour, pecans, oregano, cumin, thyme, cayenne, and salt in a shallow dish. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan. Dip each chicken piece first in the butter, then in the flour mixture to coat well. Melt 3 tablespoons of the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the chicken pieces, and sauté until browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and chicken. Serve the chicken morsels with toothpicks and your favorite mustard for dipping.

(The cooked chicken can be stored covered in the refrigerator, and reheated at 350degrees F for about 10 minutes.)
—The Silver Palate Goodtimes Cookbook

Marinated Goat Cheese with Garlic, Basil, and Orange Zest
Serves 6 to 10

Serve at room temperature with some fancy crackers.

12 oz. soft goat cheese

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tbs. finely minced fresh ginger

1/3 cup slivered fresh basil

1 tsp. grated orange zest

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbs. whole peppercorns, preferably a mixture of white, red, and black

1 tsp. whole allspice berries

Using a thin-bladed knife, cut the goat cheese into ½-inch thick slices. (Dip the knife blade in hot tap water after each cut.) Arrange the slices in a single layer in a shallow serving dish or platter. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, basil, and orange; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, peppercorns, and allspice, and cook over medium-high heat until the peppercorns
begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the garlic mixture. Pour the hot olive oil mixture over the goat cheese. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours. The recipe can be completed to this point up to 1 week before serving.
—Fast Appetizers by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison

Beggar’s Purses with Warm Fillings

Makes 20

Phyllo dough holds these delightful pockets of flavor. A great make-ahead appetizer, these are best if assembled and frozen, then baked frozen. The fillings will be tantalizingly warm when the phyllo turns golden brown, and your guests will be completely impressed with your culinary expertise!

4 oz. unsalted butter

3 (12 by 17-1/2 inch) sheets
phyllo dough

Melt the butter in the microwave, or in a small saucepan over low heat. Prepare filling (recipes follow). Working on a flat surface, brush a sheet of the phyllo dough with butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo, and brush with butter. Add the last sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. These sheets will become your wrappings.

Working quickly, cut the phyllo into 20 squares measuring 3 by 3 inches. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each square. Pull all the edges up to form a little purse and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate up to 4 hours or freeze. To serve, preheat oven to 400degrees F. Place the frozen or refrigerated beggar’s purses in the oven, and bake until golden, about 8 minutes if fresh and about 15 minutes if frozen. Serve warm.

Cranberry and Orange Zest Filling

4 oz. soft goat cheese

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp. grated orange zest

1 tsp. chopped fresh chives

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Ginger, Chile, and Goat Cheese Filling

2 Tbs. pine nuts, toasted

4 oz. soft goat cheese

1 Tbs. finely minced ginger

1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp. Asian chile sauce

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Goat Cheese-Chive Filling

4 oz. soft goat cheese

1 tsp. chopped chives

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Gorgonzola and Walnut Filling

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

4 oz. Gorgonzola or blue cheese

Place 2 teaspoons of blue cheese in the phyllo square. Add a few walnut pieces. Shape into purses.
—Fast Appetizers by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison

Stab-Your-Own Meatballs (For Kids)

Serves 10

You’ve probably eaten these, but perhaps your children have not. Pull out the crockpot, and use those fancy toothpicks with the frills at one end—that’s what
kids like!

Meatballs:
1 lb. bulk sausage

1 lb. lean ground beef or
ground turkey

2 large eggs

2/3 cup fine dried bread crumbs

1 tsp. sage

1/2 tsp. pepper

Sauce:
1-1/2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup grape jelly

2 Tbs. balsamic or cider vinegar

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

For the meatballs: Mix all the ingredients together with your hands in a large bowl. Shape into small meatballs. Working in batches, cook meatballs in a large skillet until done, about 10 minutes. Remove meatballs to a dish.

For the sauce: Once all the meatballs are done, remove any fat from the skillet.

Combine the sauce ingredients in the skillet and stir to combine. Return the meatballs to the skillet and simmer them in the sauce for 20 minutes. Serve hot, with toothpicks. (Remind children repeatedly that toothpicks are not weapons.)

Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes 6-8 portions

Stuffed mushrooms can be standard fare at parties, but here is a different recipe from Aron Tomlinson, Co-op Prepared Foods Operations Manager.

Béchamel:
8 Tbs. butter

12 Tbs. all-purpose flour

4 cups milk

Salt and pepper, to taste (“Not too much, you don’t want to overpower,” says Aron.)

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Stir in flour, and blend. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened. Set aside.

Stuffing:
4 Italian sweet or hot sausages
(Aron says he prefers hot)

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 cup finely minced yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

Olive oil

1/2 cup chopped parsley

2/3 cups thick Béchamel

24 large white mushrooms

Finely grated Parmesan cheese

Remove sausage meat from casings and crumble into skillet. Sauté, stirring often, until meat is cooked through. Add fennel and red pepper flakes. Remove sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet. Sauté onion and garlic (adding olive oil as needed) until translucent and tender. Add chopped parsley. Add Béchamel to mixture and combine thoroughly.

Remove stems from mushrooms. (Save for a soup or some other delightful dish.) Wipe the caps clean with a damp cloth. Fill each cap generously with the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and bake at 450degrees F for approximately 15 minutes until bubbly and well browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet and Spicy Candied Pecans

Makes 1-1/2 cups

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

3 Tbs. light corn syrup

1-1/2 Tbs. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1-1/2 cups pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 325degrees F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine corn syrup and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to blend. Add pecans; stir gently to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet, and bake pecans 5 minutes. Stir pecans to coat with melted spice mixture. Continue baking until pecans are golden and the coating bubbles, about 10 minutes. Place a large piece of foil on work surface. Transfer nuts to foil, and working quickly, separate nuts with a fork. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
—Bon Appétit September 1999

Updated weekly: