Cooking

Kick-Start Your holiday Party

Three Quick, Easy and Affordable Appetizers

    Planning a holiday party? These three hors d’oeuvre suggestions will help make your party fun for you and your guests. They allow you to showcase delicious food but don’t cost a fortune and won’t require you to work to exhaustion. The whole purpose of a party is to enjoy time with friends and family; therefore, the food must not be so complicated that you spend all your time during the party preparing it.
    When planning party appetizers, I always start with a few “musts”: The food must, of course, be flavorful and delicious; it must offer eye appeal and a variety of textures; the ingredients must not be prohibitively expensive or difficult to find; the dishes must be easy to prepare, with as much advance preparation built in as possible; and the items must be easy to eat, preferably with your fingers.
    With the above “musts” in mind, here are three recipes that are sure to garner compliments and guarantee a good time for all, along with some basic tips and techniques that I’ve found help reduce prep time. Let your imagination and taste guide you in modifying these recipes so they reflect your style and personality.


Curried Chicken Wontons

12 wonton wrappers, cut into 4 squares each
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound cooked chicken, boned and skinned
¼ cup of your favorite chutney
¼ cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon green curry paste
¼ cup chopped chives for garnish

    Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
    Place the wontons on a work surface and brush lightly with oil. Mold the wontons, oiled side down, into the bottom of mini muffin tins (1 inch). Bake until light brown (5 to 7 minutes). Cool on a wire rack.
    Finely chop the cooked chicken. Mix the chutney, yogurt, peanut butter, lime juice and curry paste in a medium-size bowl. Add the chicken and mix well. Refrigerate until chilled. The chicken mixture can be prepared one day in advance. To assemble, let the mixture come to room temperature then place 1 teaspoon of the chicken mixture in each wonton cup and garnish with chives. Makes 48.
    Note: The wonton wrappers can be prepared days ahead and stored in airtight containers until just before the party, when you’ll take them out to fill.

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Crostini of Pear and Goat Cheese

1 baguette, thinly sliced
2 pears, peeled and cored
12 ounces of your favorite goat cheese
1 8-ounce jar of your favorite chutney
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

    Toast the baguette slices in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool the slices and brush with olive oil. Slice each pear into 15 to 20 pieces. Place one slice of pear on each baguette slice, top with a thin piece of goat cheese and a teaspoon of chutney. Makes 30 to 40.
    Note: You can toast baguette slices in advance. After toasting, cool and store them in airtight containers for up to three days. Use these bite-size pieces as a base for many incredible toppings.

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Endive Appetizers

4 heads of endive, 2 each red and white
1 pound lump crabmeat
1 8-ounce jar remoulade

    Cut the endive into separate leaves of equal length. Arrange the leaves, alternating red and white, around the edge of a serving platter, positioning the wide end of the leaves pointing toward the center. Place ½ teaspoon remoulade on the wide end of the leaf and 1 teaspoon of crabmeat on top. This can be made 3 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes 24 (depending on the size of the endive).
    Note: The endive leaves can be cut in advance, placed in a resealable
plastic bag and stored in the
refrigerator until you’re ready to add the toppings the day of the party.