Appetizer Suggestions?

Here's three Tried and True suggestions. My mother makes them all the time to serve to her guests.

7-Layer Dip - served with Tortilla chips

1st layer - 1 can jalipeno bean dip

2nd layer - 2 avocadoes mashed with a little lemon juice

3rd layer - Combine 2 T sour cream, 3 T mayonnaise and 1/2 pkg Taco mix

4th layer - 2 cups (1 each) cheddar and jack cheese

5th layer - 3 Roma tomatoes - diced

6th layer - 3 green onions chopped fine

7th layer - 1 can chopped ripe olives

Cover with saran and refrigerate. Best when made that morning or the night before so it can meld.

CRAB MOLD - served with butter crackers

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup - do not dilute

2 (3 oz) pkgs of cream cheese

1 pkg Knox gelatin

1/4 c cold water

1/2 c green onion - chopped fine

1/2 c celery - chopped fine

1 can crab meat - drained

1 c mayonnaise

1/4 tsp curry (optl)

Heat and mix together the soup and cream cheese on low heat. Dissolve the gelatin in the 1/4 c cold water. Remove the mushroom/cheese mix from the burner and add the gelatin mix. Add the onion, celery, crab, mayonnaise and curry (optl). Pour into a mold and chill until well set. Delicious!!

Sweet & Sour Cocktail Weiners (this recipe sounds strange but is very very good and easy)

1 pkg cocktail weiners (not the kind with cheese in them)

1 (7 oz) jar raspberry preserves

1/4 c white vinegar

Place the vinegar and preserves in a pan. Cook over medium heat until the preserves have melted and are bubbling. Add the cocktail weiners and cook until all is hot. Serve with toothpicks.

Enjoy!

Here's one everyone likes, Artichoke parmesan dip. It's a hot dip you can serve with crackers, tortilla chips or I like to broil up thinly sliced baguette bread with a little garlic butter and italian seasoning for a special treat with it.

Mix one 15 ounce can of non-marinated artichoke hearts (chop them up first), one chopped bunch of green onions, one cup of grated parmesan cheese, one 4 ounce can of chopped green chilis (I also add some chopped jalapeno to give it some extra kick on occasion, canned or fresh is fine. Just be careful not to add too much. Using canned, I probably wouldn't add more than half a can). Mix this all up with about 1 1/4 cups of mayonnaise. Spread in a medium baking dish, use a 9 X 9 or smaller and heat at 350 degrees until slightly brown on the top and heated through.

To make mine special and the reason everyone wants me to bring it to parties is, if you have it, add about 3/4 to 1 cup of crab meat. You will need to increase the mayonnaise a little if you add the crab, but it's really good. You can also easily double or more the recipe, just put it in a bigger baking dish.

Another good thing about this recipe is you can modify if slightly depending on whether you like green onion or whatever, the basic ingredients are the artichokes, mayonnaise, green chilis and parmesan.

If you need to reheat the dip, be prepared for the mayonnaise to seperate some and the dip to get some oil in it. Not a big deal, just dab it out with a paper towel.

Hope you give it a try, I know it would be a hit!

Sardine Factory Famous Calamari Puffs Appetizer

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

1 1/4 pounds squid, cleaned tubes only

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 egg

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

2 tablespoons superfine cracker meal

Lemon wedges, for serving

Chili Lime Salsa, recipe follows

Heat at least 4 inches of oil in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven or a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. (Oil should not come more than halfway up the sides of the pan.)

Chop the squid fillets into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the chopped onion, scallions, cheese, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Add bread crumbs into the mixture and form into 1 1/2-ounce balls. Dredge the balls in the cracker meal and lay on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan to firm. Carefully drop squid balls into the fryer and fry until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Arrange them on a platter with lemon wedges and serve with the chili lime salsa on the side.

Chili Lime Salsa:

1 1/4 cups chili sauce

2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup horseradish cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 ounces lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Dash hot pepper sauce (recommended: Louisiana Gold)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl, mix chili sauce and ketchup together until well blended. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Spicy Watermelon & Corn Salsa (serve w/corn chips)

2 cups diced watermelon (about 1/2-inch), seeds removed

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

2 jalapenos or 3 serrano chiles, stem and seeds removed, chopped fine (or to taste)

Juice of 1/2 lime (2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place the watermelon, corn, and chiles in a medium bowl.

Mix together the lime juice, brown sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the watermelon mixture.

Gently toss until everything is coated with the liquid.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for the flavors to meld.

Enjoy!

Roasted Artichoke Pesto

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3 large cloves garlic, quartered lengthwise

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon gray salt (or your favorite salt)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 packages frozen artichokes

1/2 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a deep ovenproof pan, combine 1/2 cup olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Add the frozen artichokes and mix to coat. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the oven, and cook until the artichokes are browned in spots and tender when pierced, about 35 minutes. Allow the artichokes to cool in the liquid. Remove the bay leaf. Put the cooled artichokes with the liquid into a blender. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and basil leaves and process until smooth.

Serve with crostinis, french bread, crackers, or flat bread etc...

********Marmalade Meat Balls

Ingredients

2 pounds fully cooked frozen meatballs

1 bottle (16-ounce) Catalina salad dressing

1 cup orange marmalade

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

Place frozen meatballs in the insert of a slow cooker. In a bowl, stir

to combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs and stir to coat. Cook on high setting for

2 to 3 hours.

spinach and artichoke dip with asiago cheese

fresh veggies with baba ganosh, hummus and tzatziki sauce serve with nan bread, pita chips and the veggies

stuffed mushroom caps with cream cheese, crab, shrimp and then bake with grated cheddar.

cold prawns with cocktail sauce or sear them with tequila, crushed chiles and lime wedges (squeeze the juice out of the wedges first)

8oz cream cheese room temp. add garlic powder and onion powder then pickles of your choice we use dill chopped fine. Mix all together and spread onto thin ham or Salomi slices and roll up cut little rounds and serve alone or on crackers. YUMMY and you will get raves.

The following appetizer recipes are family favorites:

Spinach Balls:

-2 10-ounce pkgs frozen spinach, chopped, thawed & squeezed dry

-2 cups herb stuffing mix, crushed (Pepperidge Farm works well)

-1 cup firmly packed grated Parmesan cheese (or a 5-ounce wedge)

-1/2 cup butter, melted

-4 scallions, finely chopped

-3 eggs

-Dash (1/8 teaspoon) nutmeg

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1. If using fresh Parmesan, cut the cheese into cubes and grate in a food processor.

2. With machine running, finely chop scallions.

3. Add stuffing mix to the processor and chop with 3 or 4 on/off turns.

4. Add remaining ingredients and mix well in the food processor.

5. Shape into 1-inch balls, cover and refrigerate (or freeze) until ready to cook.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Put spinach balls on an ungreased baking sheet and cook 10-15 minutes.

7. Serve warm with Sweet/Spicy Mustard Sauce.

Mustard Sauce:

-1/2 cup dry mustard

-1/2 cup white vinegar

-1/4 cup sugar

-1 egg yolk

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1. Combine the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Cover the bowl and let it stand at room temperature for 4 hours.

2. Mix sugar and egg yolk in a small saucepan (after the four hours).

3. Add the mustard-vinegar mixture to the sugar-egg mixture and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. (Note: don't stand directly over the pan...the mustard is spicy and the fumes will make your eyes water)

4. Cover and chill.

5. Serve at room temperature over spinach balls (or even ribs, beef or chicken).

Tuna Pate

(makes about 2-1/2 cups)

-1/2 small onion, peeled and quartered

-3 to 4 sprigs fresh parsley

-2 tablespoons chili sauce

-1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

-1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

-2 cans (6 ounces each) tuna, drained

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1. Using the steel blade, place onion and parsley in a food processor and process at medium speed for about 7 seconds or until finely chopped.

2. Add the chili sauce and chunks of cheese. Process at medium speed for about 10 seconds or until well blended.

3. Add pepper sauce and drained tuna; process at high speed until well blended.

4. Put in a bowl (or a 2-1/2 cup mold) and in the refrigerator for several hours to chill and solidify slightly.

5. Serve with crackers of your choice (triscuits are very good with it) or fresh vegetable sticks.

Olive Filled Cheese Balls

(makes around 3 dozen)

-4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (or 1 cup grated)

-2 tablespoons softened butter

-1/2 cup flour

-1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

-1/2 teaspoon celery seed

-4 - 8 ounces stuffed olives (depending how much of the mixture you use around each)

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1. Add butter and grated cheese to the bowl of a food processor. Process at medium speed until smooth, pushing down from sides of bowl.

2. Increase the speed to high. While processor is running, through the tube on lid, add flour, cayenne and celery seed. Process until well blended.

3. Shape about 1 teaspoon of dough around each olive to form a ball.

4. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15 minutes.

Note: can be served either hot or cold.

There is cheese in each, but they aren't too cheesy (the major taste, in each case, isn't the cheese). I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and friends do.

Anything by ina Garten.