Holiday Hors D'oeuvres

Here are a few ideas for your next holiday gathering. A few little nibbles to get the meal started off, all very easy and delicious. The Marinated Mushrooms are raw and tasty, use leftovers in a salad or sauté quickly to add to some grilled chicken or steak. The Goat Cheese with Lemon and Thyme was something I had at my friend Terry’s house once and is super easy and pretty. Any leftovers would be good in an omelet! Grilled Shrimp are always a crowd pleaser. If you don’t feel like grilling just quickly sauté them and serve with the complimentary sauces…one spicy and one cool.  You can choose the size of shrimp. Don’t go too small or too big, they should be a 1-bite deal. Crostini are one of my favorite party foods. You can top them with anything and they are easy to eat. One, standard sized baguette can yield about 45-60 crostini. I would count on 2-3 per guest. We are suggesting some nice toppers as well as a healthy twist with the cucumber in place of the bread for the Trout. You could also top a cucumber with a piece of sushi grade tuna, a bit of wasabi, pickled ginger and a drop of soy…YUM. The amounts are suggested for 6-8-ish servings but any of them can be easily doubled for more! Enjoy and Happy Holidays!!!

Marinated Mushrooms:

Serves 6-8 as an hors d’oeuvre

1 pound small cremini mushrooms

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 cup minced shallot

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 lemon, zest and 1 tablespoon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Pinch of dries marjoram

Pinch of cayenne, optional

If there are larger mushrooms mixed in cut them in half or quarters to be uniform with the average size of your whole shrooms. Whisk together all the other ingredients. Add the mushrooms and allow to sit at room temperature for at least a few hours (or overnight in the fridge) stirring occasionally. Serve at room temperature.

Goat Cheese with Lemon and Thyme

 Serves 6-8 as an hors d’oeuvre

 4 ounces log of fresh goat cheese

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons lemon zest

Extra Virgin olive oil for drizzling over the log

Fresh cracked pepper

Crackers to serve with

On a sheet of plastic wrap combine the thyme leaves and lemon zest in the shape of the cheese. Lay the goat cheese, topside down into the thyme and zest. Pull the plastic wrap up and around the log pressing the plastic wrap to the cheese to affix the thyme and lemon. When ready to serve, remove the wrap and place on serving plate. Drizzle with olive oil and top with some fresh cracked pepper. Serve with crackers.

Grilled Shrimp with Remoulade and Spicy, Smokey Cocktail Sauce

Serves 6-8 as an hors d’oeuvre

Shrimp:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Remoulade:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon capers, chopped

1 teaspoon grainy or Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 clove of garlic, minced

Cocktail:

1/2 cup ketchup

1-2 tablespoons prepared or fresh grated horseradish

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Hot sauce, as many shakes as you prefer

Cayenne, pinch, plus more if you wish

Cracked black pepper

Heat a grill to medium. Toss the shrimp with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on each side for about 3-4 minutes until they turn opaque.

To make the sauces, mix all of the ingredients until well combined and refrigerate until ready to serve. Place 1 shrimp on a toothpick and serve with the sauces.

Crostini: Pimento Cheese, Roast Beef, and Smoked Trout

Serves 8-10 as an hors d’oeuvre

Crostini

1 baguette, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

Olive oil

Heat your oven to 375°F. Brush 1 side of the crostini with some olive oil. Toast in the oven until crisp and golden, about 10-15 minutes, flipping half way through the cooking time.

Warm Pimento Cheese Crostini

2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 a small Vidalia onion grated, about 1/4 cup

1/4 tsp salt

3 tablespoons chopped pimentos or jarred roasted red peppers

1/4-cup mayonnaise

Heat your oven to 350°F. Put all of the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Pulse until blended to desired texture.  Should be a little chunky.  Spread on crostini and warm in the oven until melty and delicious. Serve immediately. You may have some pimento cheese left over…just refigerate and enjoy in some scrabbled eggs or on top of a burger!

Roast Beef, Brie, and Horseradish Crème Fraiche

12-20 slices top round roast beef about 1/4 #, (I used Boars Head Londonport)

1 small wheel of Brie (put the rest out on a cheese platter), sliced into thin wedges

1/4 cup very thinnly sliced red onion

1/4 cup crème fraiche

1 tablespoon prepared or fresh horseradish

pinch of paprika

parsley leaves for garnish

Combine the crème fraiche,horseradish, and paprika. Place 1 small wedge of brie on each crostini. Roll up the roast beef into a cylindar and place on top of cheese. Top with about a 1/2 teaspoon horseradish sauce. Place a few slices of red onion and  a parsly leaf on each one and serve.

Smoked Trout with Lemon Pepper Cream Cheese on Cucumber

1 hot house cucumber, sliced into 1/4 inch thick,  on the bias

4 ounces Smoked Trout, flaked

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

3/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

pinch of salt

Fresh chives, cut into 1/2 inch batons, for garnish

Combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Spread a bit of the cream cheese on each cucumber slice, top with a bit of trout then garnish with a few chives. Serve cold.