Issue Date: December 8, 2002
Appetizer bar
Cut your work in half: Let guests have it their way.
We probably all think about having parties more often than we actually throw them. We have good intentions, but then we start to think, "Entertaining isn't cheap." Or "I can't spend the weekend planning, shopping and cooking." And then there's "How can I accommodate my vegetarian friends, high-protein enthusiasts and those counting diet points?"
I suggest presenting an appetizer bar that allows guests to create their own hors d'oeuvres. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, but it's also easy to assemble -- especially if you buy fine crackers, chips and a few dips rather than make all of the following spreads and toppings yourself.
Leftovers aren't wasted. Many of the toppings can be used in omelets and salads during the week. The spreads have a long shelf life and can be pulled out for impromptu entertaining. And isn't it easier to invite people over when you've got a few things already made?
An appetizer bar is colorful and interactive. You won't have to coax guests to partake. The abundance will draw them naturally. The best part? You get credit for an innovative party. Without even realizing it, your guests will do half the work!
Contributing Editor Pam Anderson is the author of CookSmart (Houghton Mifflin, $28).
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4 fast spreads
Each makes about 1 cup. Can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.
Oregano-Flavored Feta
1 1/4 cups crumbled feta cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano
Ground black pepper
Place 1 cup feta in the work bowl of a food processor; process until fine-textured. Add cream cheese, oregano and pepper; process until smooth. Scrape into a bowl; stir in remaining feta. Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container.
Per Tb.: 52 calories, 2g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 4g fat (3g saturated), 0g fiber, 138mg sodium.
Olive With Lemon & Thyme
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. finely grated zest (peel) and 2 tsps. juice from a lemon
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups pimento-stuffed olives from a 10-ounce jar, drained
Place garlic, parsley and thyme in the work bowl of a food processor; process until finely minced. Add lemon zest and juice, olive oil and olives; pulse until olives are chopped to fine-gravel texture. Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container.
Per Tb.: 28 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 3g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber, 255mg sodium.
Sun-Dried Tomato With Fresh Basil
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup basil leaves
8 ounces cream cheese
Place sun-dried tomatoes in the work bowl of a food processor; pulse until coarsely ground. Add basil; pulse until finely ground. Add cream cheese; process until well-mixed. Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container.
Per Tb.: 67 calories, 1g protein, 2g carbohydrates, 6g fat (3g saturated), 0g fiber, 72mg sodium.
White Bean With Garlic & Rosemary
2 Tbs. olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsps. minced fresh rosemary
1 16-ounce can white beans, undrained
Place olive oil, garlic and rosemary in a 10-inch skillet. Heat pan until ingredients start to sizzle. Add beans and their liquid to the pan.
As beans cook, mash them with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Cook until mixture is a loose spread consistency (it will thicken as it cools). Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container.
Per Tb.: 48 calories, 2g protein, 6g carbohydrates, 1g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber, 1mg sodium.
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8 easy toppings
Pickled pink onions: Drizzle 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar over a thinly sliced medium red onion. Season with a pinch of salt. Let stand until ready to serve.
Pulled chicken: Remove the meat from a store-bought roast chicken. Discard skin and bones. Use fingers to shred meat into bite-size pieces.
Cooked shrimp: Remove the tails from 1 pound of cooked shrimp. Use a small, sharp knife to split the shrimp down the vein line to yield two equal halves.
Chopped egg with scallions: Mix 2 finely chopped boiled eggs with the thinly sliced green parts of 2 medium scallions. Stir in 1 Tb. of extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sautéed peppers: Heat 1 Tb. olive oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch skillet. When oil starts to shimmer, add 1 yellow pepper and 1 red pepper, cored and thinly sliced. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. (Even easier: Just open a jar of roasted peppers and cut them into thin strips.)
Wilted spinach: Heat 1 Tb. olive oil with 1 large garlic clove, minced, in a large skillet over medium-high heat until garlic starts to sizzle. Add 1 bag (9 or 10 ounces) prewashed spinach; cook until just wilted but still green. Cool on a large plate, then transfer to a small serving bowl.
Shaved Parmesan: Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin, bite-size pieces from a wedge of Parmesan cheese.
Parsleyed artichoke hearts: Drain artichoke hearts from a 14-ounce can and pat dry. Cut into quarters or sixths. Season with 1 Tb. each minced fresh parsley and extra-virgin olive oil.
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4 Crunchy breads
Crackers are an easy base for the spreads and toppings on the preceding pages. But these breads are special. All can be cooled and stored in an airtight container for two days.
Fried Wonton Rectangles
2 cups canola or vegetable oil (or the same oil used to fry tortillas)
16 wonton wrappers, halved to make 32 rectangles
Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet to 350 degrees. Drop wonton rectangles in hot oil, 6 at a time. Fry, turning chips once or twice, until golden brown, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove with tongs or slotted spoon and drain on a large wire rack set over a shallow pan.
Per piece: 30 calories, 0g protein, 2g carbohydrates, 2g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber, 23mg sodium.
Golden Toast Rounds
1 long, thin baguette, sliced a generous 1/4 -inch thick to make about 48 rounds
Olive oil, optional
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Lay bread slices on a large wire rack or cookie sheet. If you like, brush or drizzle with oil. Bake until golden and crisp throughout, 10 to 12 minutes; if using a cookie sheet, turn midway.
Per piece: 45 calories, 0g protein, 5g carbohydrates, 2g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber, 57mg sodium.
Baked Pita Triangles
6 pitas (6-inch rounds), split, then quartered to make 48 triangles
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place pita triangles directly on rack. Bake until golden brown and completely crisp, about 10 minutes.
Per piece: 20 calories, 0g protein, 4g carbohydrates, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 40mg sodium.
Fresh Tortilla Triangles
2 cups canola or other vegetable oil
8 6-inch corn tortillas, quartered to make 32 triangles
Salt, to taste
Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet to 370 degrees. Drop triangles in hot oil, 8 at a time. Fry, turning chips once or twice, until they stop sizzling and turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack set over a shallow pan. Sprinkle with salt immediately.
Per piece: 25 calories, 0g protein, 3g carbohydrates,1g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber, 10mg sodium.
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Milk punch: the new eggnog
Homemade eggnog is rich, extravagant, irresistible. But the ingredients -- heavy cream, raw eggs, sugar and booze -- give one pause.
A few years back, I discovered a delicious high-flavor, no-risk alternative: milk punch, made with whole milk (no cream, no eggs). And it's easy to make. No cooking, no whipping egg whites and cream: Just mix and freeze. Make a pitcher today, and stick it in the freezer for the season. The spirits keep the milk from freezing; the freezer keeps the milk from spoiling. But remember, it's potent -- one of my friends calls it "the adult milkshake"!
Holiday Milk Punch
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark rum
1/2 cup brandy
2 Tbs. vanilla extract
1/2 gallon (8 cups) whole milk
Grated nutmeg (optional)
Dissolve sugar in rum, brandy and vanilla extract in a large, heavy pitcher. Add milk; freeze until very cold or even slushy, about 4 to 8 hours. (Can be frozen for a month.) Pour into glasses, grate nutmeg over each glass, if desired, and serve.
Serves: 8.
Per serving: 355 calories, 8g protein, 36g carbohydrates, 8g fat (5g saturated), 0g fiber, 120mg sodium.
Food photography by Brian Leatart for USA WEEKEND
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