One can never have enough favorite appetizer recipes. Here are a few of ours – enjoy!
Bruschetta with Roasted Tomato, Pesto and Mascarpone
Makes 24
2 pints cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette, cut on the diagonal into 3/8” thick slices
8 oz marscarpone or whipped cream cheese
½ cup basil pesto
Preheat oven to 425. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes until they collapse and are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
Preheat the broiler. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Place 6 inches under the broiler and brown on both sides (3 to 4 minutes total).
Spread a liberal amount of mascarpone on each slice of toasted bread, top the mascarpone with a thin layer of pesto, spoon a dollop of the roasted tomatoes in the middle of each slice, making sure not to completely cover up the pesto.
Apple, Pear & Walnut Brie Bites
Makes 10 -12
1 8 oz wheel of brie, some rind removed, cut into 1 ½” pieces
1 package puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
½ cup Apple Cranberry Chutney
1 egg plus 2 tablespoons water, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 375. Cut the puff pastry into 4-5” squares. Place one piece of brie in the center of each piece of pastry and top with 1 tablespoon of chutney. Gently gather the edges of the pastry up around the brie and twist at the top. Brush with egg wash and place on parchment on a baking sheet. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with crackers and apples slices.
Warm Rosemary Olives
Makes 2 Cups
12 oz kalamata olives
Zest of 1 lemon, grated or cut into fine slivers
Zest of 1 orange, grated or cut into fine slivers
Several sprigs of fresh rosemary
½ cup extra virgin olive
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fennel seed
Place olives, lemon and orange zest, rosemary sprigs, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and fennel seed in a saucepan and heat until the herbs sizzle. Remove from heat and let sit at room temperature for about 5 hours. Before serving, remove the browned herbs and replenish with fresh, serve garnished with Rosemary Sprigs.
- Make ahead – this will keep for 2 weeks in refrigerator. Allow the olives to come to room temperature before serving.
- For a bit of Spanish pizzazz, serve these olives with Almonds and a medium bodied dry sherry.
Karyn’s Broiled Shrimp with Cherry Tomatoes and Green Olives
Serves 6 – 8
1 # med shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 large green olives, pitted & sliced
8 oz sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
2 T garlic, minced
1 T fresh or dried thyme
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
1 T lemon juice
4T olive oil
Preheat broiled to high. Place all ingredients in mixing bowl and toss to coat. Place ingredients in a baking dish (safe for the broiler) and broil for 5 minutes. Remove dish from oven, stir ingredients to expose uncooked portions of shrimp and return to oven for 2-3 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.