by Kathy Douglas | May 14, 2019 | Appetizers, Entrees
Using only the stove top and a blender, Sesame and Peanut Noodles are the perfect spring dinner. Loaded with peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger, and red pepper, the healthy wheat noodles are complemented by crunchy celery, peanuts, and green onions. As a healthy, meat-free meal, they can be served as a pasta entree, tucked into a lettuce wraps, or in Asian Spoons as an appetizer.
Sesame & Peanut Noodles
12 ounces udon noodles or whole wheat thick spaghetti
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
1 large garlic clove
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves only
½ cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
Using the directions on the package, prepare the noodles. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled. Allow to drain well and add to a large bowl.
While the noodles cook, add to a high-speed blender the peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, ginger, and garlic. Process until very smooth. Toss the celery and half the peanuts with the noodles. Pour the peanut dressing over; toss to mix in well. Add warm water as needed, up to ¼ cup, to loosen the sauce. Top with the remaining peanuts and green onions. Serve 8 or add to Asian spoons for 24 one-bite appetizers.
by Kathy Douglas | Apr 29, 2019 | Appetizers
This super easy appetizer will make you a star at any Derby Party. Using only seven ingredients, Kentucky country ham, cream cheese, mayo, and mustard, it comes together easily before topped with Stonewall Kitchen Hot Pepper Peach Jam and thinly sliced fresh green onions.
If you don’t have a food grinder you can use a food processor. Just be careful to chop the meat to an even consistency.
INGREDIENTS
8 ounce piece of Country Ham
4 ounces cream cheese, room-temperature
¼ cup mayonnaise, we recommend Dukes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Colemans hot mustard
½ cup Stonewall Kitchen Hot Pepper Peach Jam
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Crackers for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Using very cold ham, cut into strips and run through a food grinder twice to a medium grind. Mix the ground ham with the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard until thoroughly combined. Pack in a jar or bowl, then top with the pepper jelly and scallions. Serve at room temperature with crackers. Can be stored refrigerated for three days.
by Kathy Douglas | Apr 22, 2019 | Appetizers, Holiday
An ideal Kentucky appetizer for Derby Day, or any spring party, this tasty combination will disappear quickly from your dinner table or buffet. Sweet potato and buttermilk biscuits are filled with country ham, fontina cheese, and spicy sweet raspberry and jalapeño sauce.
The biscuits are best on the day they are baked but you can make the dough ahead of time, cut and freeze, then thaw right before baking.
Pickled Grape Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS:
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 ½ cups distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
6-7 whole allspice berries
2 large bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic sliced thin
INSTRUCTIONS:
One week prior to serving: Wash, dry, and remove any stems from the tomatoes. Using a toothpick, poke a small hole through each tomato, end to end. In a one quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt with 3/4 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, stirring until all sugar and salt is dissolved. Fill a clean glass container with the tomatoes. Add the peppercorns, coriander, allspice, bay leaves, and garlic to the container. Pour the hot brine over to cover completely, discard any leftover brine. Let cool completely, then refrigerate for 1 week prior to serving. Can be stored refrigerated for up to 1 month.
Mini Sweet Potato Biscuits
INGREDIENTS:
12-ounces sweet potato
¾ cup buttermilk, chilled
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, and cut into small cubes
INSTRUCTIONS:
The day prior, preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake until tender, or a fork passes easily through the potatoes, about 45 minutes. Let the potatoes cool slightly, then peel and puree in a food processor. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, measure out one cup for the biscuits.
Preheat oven to 450˚ F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the chilled sweet potato and the buttermilk. Place back in the refrigerator to keep cold. In a large wide bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of peas. Add the sweet potato/buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined and a soft dough forms; try to avoid over mixing. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Flour your hands and pat the dough carefully into a round shape then flatten the dough to 1-inch thickness. Cut as many biscuits as possible with a floured 1½” metal biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a parchment lined sheet tray. Pat the remaining dough together and cut out the remaining biscuits. Bake 13-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 30 mini biscuits.
Fresh Jalapeño and Raspberry Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole jalapeño pepper
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
¼ cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoons molasses
⅛ teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cut 6 slits down the length of the jalapeño almost to the bottom; cutting through just the skin and membrane but not completely cutting open the pepper. Be careful when preparing the pepper, the idea is to just cook out the flavor so you don’t want to cut it completely open. In a small saucepan, add the jam, sugar, vinegar, molasses, salt and jalapeño. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat; remove and discard the jalapeño. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer; set aside.
To assemble:
INGREDIENTS:
15 slices of country ham, sliced paper-thin, at room temperature
30 Sweet potato biscuits
15 slices Italian Fontina cheese, sliced very thin
30 novelty sandwich picks
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven broiler. Cut the biscuits in half and spread on the halves ¼ teaspoon per side with fresh jalapeno & raspberry sauce. Top with ½ piece of country ham, folded or torn to fit, and ½ piece of cheese. Place under the broiler to just melt the cheese. Remove from the oven and top with the other biscuit half and a sandwich pick fitted with a pickled cherry tomato. Makes 30 mini biscuit sandwiches.
by Kathy Douglas | Jan 29, 2019 | Appetizers
Superbowl and Chicken Wings go hand-in-hand. These sweet, sticky wings are loaded with ginger, chili, soy, sesame, and combined with local Kentucky soda – Ale-8-One. Yummy topped with thinly sliced scallions, then dipped in an Ale-8-One, honey, soy, and garlic butter sauce.
INGREDIENTS
1¼ cups Ale-8-One soda, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 ¼ pounds chicken wings
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup honey
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed in a garlic press
2 teaspoons grated ginger
Scallions, thinly sliced
Toasted sesame seeds
Preheat oven 425°F. Set a cooling rack inside a foil-lined baking sheet.
Whisk together seasoned salt, pepper, cornstarch, and 1 cup of Ale 8 until smooth. Using kitchen scissors, trim the tips from the wings and discard. Cut the wings in half at the joint and place in a plastic bag with the cornstarch mixture. Toss the wings to coat in the mixture and marinate for 30 minutes. Remove from the liquid. Set the wings aside and discard liquid.
Combine the oil, salt, ginger and dried chili flakes in a large bowl. Add the wings and toss to coat. Place on the rack and roast, turning once for 40-45 minutes or until crisp and 165 degrees on a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a wing piece. If the wings are not crispy, place under a broiler to crisp the skin.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan whisk in the remaining Ale 8, soy sauce, honey, and garlic. Heat over medium heat until bubbling and slightly thickened.
Toss the baked wings in half the sauce and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds on top. Place the other half in a small serving bowl and serve with the wings for dipping. Makes about 2 pounds wings.
by Kathy Douglas | Nov 21, 2018 | Appetizers
These sweet potato tarts can be a perfect Thanksgiving Leftover Makeover using cooked sweet potatoes. Great as an appetizer or snack, they are simple to make using frozen fillo dough cups filled with a quick and easy sweet potato mixture. Then finished with pecan topping and marshmallows, they are baked up to crunchy perfection in under 15 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
30 fillo dough cups
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
Topping
¼ cup flour
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
¼ cup mini marshmallows
Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Put fillo dough cups on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and egg. Fill each cup ¾ full of the sweet potato filling.
To make the topping: Combine the flour, sugar, pecans, salt, and butter, Top each with one teaspoon topping and a couple of marshmallows. Bake until marshmallows are lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.
by Kathy Douglas | Oct 22, 2018 | Appetizers
Start your Halloween party with this easy, cheesy, stuffed pumpkin appetizer. The pumpkin is filled with Gruyere, Parmesan, toasted bread, and a creamy mixture with garlic, fresh sage, and cognac. Then baked in the oven, the pumpkin serves as a serving dish as well as the walls get scraped into the delicious baked dip served on toasted baguette.
1 baguette, cut into ⅜“ slices
2 tablespoons melted butter
Kosher salt
3-lb. Pie pumpkin
Olive oil
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons cognac
¾ cup salt-free chicken stock
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup grated Gruyere
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
Brush one side of the baguette slices with melted butter and top with a pinch of salt. Toast baguette slices in one layer on a baking sheet in oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside. When cooled, cut 6-7 slices into cubes. Set aside and save the remaining slices to serve with the pumpkin.
Using a knife, cut around pumpkin stem to make a lid and remove the top. Scrape out seeds and any loose fibers from inside the pumpkin. Lightly salt the inside of the pumpkin. Place pumpkin on a foil-lined sheet pan. Brush outside of pumpkin and lid all over with olive oil.
Whisk together the cream, cognac, stock, pepper, sage, garlic cloves and ½ teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Combine the cheeses together in another medium bowl.
Start with a layer of the toasted and cubed baguette by adding ⅓ to the bottom of pumpkin, cover with ⅓ of the cheese. Continue layering the bread and cheese two more times. Whisk the cream mixture one more time, then pour into the pumpkin, stopping frequently to allow the cream mixture to soak in, until pumpkin is filled to within about ½” to the top. You may not use all the cream mixture, discard any remaining cream mixture.
Cover pumpkin with its top. Place in the oven and bake until pumpkin is tender and filling is puffy, 55-60 minutes. To serve, scoop out some of the flesh with the cheesy filling on to the remaining baguette slices.
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