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MaryM
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| Posted: May 13 2011 at 1:30am | IP Logged
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Help...I volunteered to do some hors d'oeuvres or appetizers for a dinner for the families a few of our soon to be ordained seminarians. I'm looking for ideas of tasty and elegant options - nothing too complicated though.
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Mary M. in Denver
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stellamaris
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OK, there's one I make here that everyone loves. It came from an upscale restaurant in the Northwest, so it has that touch of elegance.
Basically, stuff deglet noor dates (pitted) with small chunks of Parmesan cheese. Wrap each date in 1/2 slice maple flavored bacon. Bake at 350 until bacon is crisp (trying to remember how long...maybe 20-30 mins or so?). Sounds sort of strange, but tastes fantastic!
I think you ought to try to make one or two ahead just to check on the length of time and make sure you like them (although everyone who has ever eaten them here has loved them!) I never really got a recipe for these, but I usually make them a Christmas time.
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amy soper
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| Posted: May 13 2011 at 7:20am | IP Logged
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For several years I put together a gathering in the rectory before 40 hours which was mostly for priests and staff. These items were always a hit. I didn't necessarily have all these the same year.
bruschetta on small garlic toast-store bought
store bought chicken salad in mini premade phyllo cups
mini crabcakes-they have them at Costco here
shrimp platter on ice
pigs in blanket-always a fav.
fruit kebobs sticking out of a pineppple-makes a pretty presentation
mozzerella and cherry tomato kebobs in a glass bowl with a layer of vinegrette on the bottom for dipping.
cheese and cracker platter
Yes, the crabcakes and shrimp are expensive. they are nice but certainly not necessary.
You could have the kids help with the pigs in blanket. making them by rolling mini dogs in crescent rolls.
I love this kind of thing.
Enjoy!
peace,
amy
fresh vintage
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Chris V
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Mary, I don't often have to make appetizers, but when I do, I actually enjoy the *search* for new and interesting ideas (that are both easy and elegant. Here are a couple of websites that might inspire some ideas in you!
Party Appetizer Recipes
Divine Dinner Party
Fine Dinings - Easy Appetizers
Personally, one of my very favorite things to serve is Kalamata Tapenade with Chevre and Toasted Crostini bread. Soooo easy, yet when you put it all together it is beautifully elegant. I think homemade tapenade tastes best. You can buy a large jar of kalamata olives (pitted) and put them in the cuisinart, add some freshly chopped or minced garlic (to taste), and olive oil. Blend it up to a nice smooth texture. Then you can put some chevre on a plate (it usually comes in a tube-shape) so I slice it (as best I can - it will crumble a bit). And buy a couple of long bagettes at the store, slice, slather with butter and broil in the oven until nice and golden brown. You can arrange the tapenade, chevre, and crosini on a platter to serve. Delicious and beautiful (insert emoticon of licking lips and rubbing belly while clapping and giving a thumbs up) 
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stellamaris
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| Posted: May 13 2011 at 9:27am | IP Logged
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ChrisV wrote:
| Kalamata Tapenade with Chevre and Toasted Crostini bread. |
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JennGM
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Mary,
Three easy stand-bys I suggest. Presentation is what makes them "fancy" and elegant, but they are always eaten and appreciated.
Vegetable crudite tray
Deviled Eggs (use a icing bag and tip to insert into eggs, makes a very pretty presentation)
Shrimp Cocktail
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CrunchyMom
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I LOVE fancy cheese and crackers, with grapes and sliced apples or pears. It is my favorite thing ever, and I think it always looks elegant (especially with the grapes).
We also like to splurge and buy fancy stuffed olives from the local Italian market.
And Cornichons.
I think that fancy condiments look so elegant just dumped in a pretty bowl or arranged on a pretty dish.
Chutney to pair with the cheeses is nice. Also, baked brie with either honey and walnuts or preserves on top is easy and yummmy.
Some type of cracker/cheese/smoked salmon/touch of parsley thing would be really tasty and pretty and simple.
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JodieLyn
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brie cheese served with sliced baguette (the small diameter slightly firmer french loaves)
Another nice cracker or bread spread is braunschwager (liver sausage) mixed 50/50 with cream cheese.. save a bit of cream cheese.. mold the mix in a bowl invert and smooth the top.. then use the rest of the cream cheese, thinned with milk just a bit, in a cake decorator to add a bit of decor to the mold. looks nice and tastes good.. and I don't like liver sausage
One of our favorites probably wouldn't be good since it's very heavy on garlic.. but we mix cream cheese with garlic and spead it on tortilla.. roll and slice into pinwheels.. but you can flavor the cream cheese in other ways even add thinnly sliced ham or such.
hmmm I think I use a lot of cream cheese in my hor d'oeuvres 
a small jar of jalepeno jelly over cream cheese makes a pretty spead/dip for crackers (my favorite with it is wheat thins)
a fruit platter with a yogurt dip can be pretty
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MaryM
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| Posted: May 13 2011 at 10:18am | IP Logged
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Thank you ladies for the great ideas. I'm getting hungry just reading about them. 
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Mary M. in Denver
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guitarnan
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My mom's super-easy standby:
Take a block of cream cheese. Put it on a plate. Pour some cocktail sauce over it (cover most of the block but don't have it swimming in the stuff). Top the block with a generous helping of shredded crab meat. Serve with crackers. Parsley garnish optional.
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JodieLyn
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and while we're talking about smothered cream cheese.. I make a green tomato salsa that is just lovely over cream cheese served with the big frito scoops corn chips. But it's not as elegant as other options.
ETA: you can also use a sweet chili sauce that you can buy.. the one i know of is in an almost ball shaped glass jar.
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MaryM
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| Posted: May 20 2011 at 3:09pm | IP Logged
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stellamaris wrote:
ChrisV wrote:
| Kalamata Tapenade with Chevre and Toasted Crostini bread. |
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I did end up trying a tapenade. In googling recipes I found the traditional olive ones, but also some with variations. This one with sun-dried tomatoes sounded delicious as it combines two of my favorite flavors - kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes . Anyway...it was delicious and went over really well. Thanks for the idea.
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Mary M. in Denver
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Chris V
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| Posted: May 21 2011 at 4:39pm | IP Logged
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MaryM wrote:
stellamaris wrote:
ChrisV wrote:
| Kalamata Tapenade with Chevre and Toasted Crostini bread. |
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I did end up trying a tapenade. In googling recipes I found the traditional olive ones, but also some with variations. This one with sun-dried tomatoes sounded delicious as it combines two of my favorite flavors - kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes . Anyway...it was delicious and went over really well. Thanks for the idea. |
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That recipe looks *fabulous*! I must try it with the sun-dried tomatoes . So glad that it all went over so well! Wonderful!
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Chris
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MaryM
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Bumping...since I found a new one this week that I love.
Needed something for our mom's night out where we were discussing Mary Garden's and was looking for an hors d'oeuvre with rosemary since it was a Marian herb I had on hand.
Cranberry Goat Cheese Crostinis
A combination of flavors I would not have come up with - yummy!
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Mary M. in Denver
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Topic: hors d'oeuvres ideas?
