Entertain with Delectable Hors D’oeuvres (Part 2)
This article was written by Kristel Matousek and was featured in our January issue of Home By Design magazine. Recipe and photographs by Kristel Matousek from www.photoricalfood.com. To visit the original Home By Design article, click here.
BE OUR GUEST
SEAFOOD-STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Makes 15
- 15 medium-sized whole mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons oil
- ½ cup (2 ounces) green bell pepper, fine dice
- ½ cup (2 ounces) onion, fine dice
- ½ cup (2 ounces) mushroom stems, fine dice from original whole mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (4.25-ounce) can crab leg meat
- 2 ounces frozen shrimp, thawed
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Crystal hot sauce
- ¼ cup panko
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the stems from the mushroom caps, finely dice them, and retain for later use.
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, place the mushroom caps stem-side down. Bake for 7 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and set aside to be stuffed with filling.
In a skillet, preheat the oil over moderate heat. Add the bell pepper, onions, mushroom stems, and garlic, cooking until soft. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Then add the crab meat and shrimp, cooking until slightly browned. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, Parmesan, hot sauce, and panko with the warm seafood mixture.
Flip the mushrooms stem-side up on the parchment-lined baking sheet and stuff them with the seafood mixture. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.
PESTO DIP & GRILLED VEGETABLE CRUDITES
Makes 16 ounces
Pesto
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts or cashews
- 3 cloves roasted garlic
- 2 cups basil leaves
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt to your tastes
Pesto Dip
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup (½ ounce) diced sundried tomato
- ⅓ cup prepared pesto
| FOR DIPPING. Prepare crostini and grilled vegetables (carrots, zucchini, eggplant, and asparagus). |
MULLED WINE WITH ORANGE & HONEY
Serves 5
- 1 (750-ml) bottle red wine
- ¼ cup brandy
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 orange sliced, additional for garnish
- 3 whole star anise
- 3 cinnamon sticks, additional for garnish
- ¼ cup honey
Pour the wine and brandy into a saucepot. Push the cloves into the rind of the orange slices and add them to the pot along with the star anise, cinnamon sticks, and honey, stirring to combine. Slowly bring up the temperature of the wine until it steams. Maintain the temperature for 15 minutes to 1 hour, but do not boil. Serve warm.
| DID YOU KNOW? The alcohol content of the wine decreases with the increase of temperature and duration of mulling. Plan accordingly. |