Fun with Friends....Appetizers for Lunch!

This past week we had the honor of hosting a fabulous luncheon with some wonderful ladies from Tellico Village who are in a group titled "Fun and Friends".   The group came aimed with great questions and seemed to really enjoy their class on making different appetizers.   We made 5 different appetizers, CHEDDAR CHEESE SAUSAGE BALLS WITH A HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE, BACON WRAPPED DATES STUFFED WITH ALMONDS, CARMELIZED ONION AND MUSHROOM TARLETS WITH GRUYERE CHEESE, CHICKEN SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE, AND GRILLED BRUSCHETTA.

here are the recipes we went over in our class:

CHEDDAR CHEESE SAUSAGE BALLS WITH A HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE!

ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• (OR YOU CAN USE A BAKING MIX)
• 2 Cups Cheddar cheese (or any fave cheese such as pepper jack
• 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage  
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions

1. 
   

   1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Add cheddar and toss to coat. Add sausage.  With your hands, mix until well combined and roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place balls, 1/2 inch apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until balls are golden and cooked through, 25 minutes. Serve warm.
   
   Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
   1/2 cup Mayonnaise
   5 tablespoons mustard
   1 tablespoon honey 
   
   mix all ingredients. serve with sausage balls
   
   
   
   BACON WRAPPED DATES STUFFED WITH ALMONDS
   
   
   

   ingredients

   
   

   • 35 to 40 pitted dates
   • 70 to 80 salted roasted almonds 
   • 2 pounds thin bacon, cut in half

   
   

   
   
   

   
   
   

   Directions

   
   
   Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
   Stuff each date with 1 to 2 almonds. Wrap each date with half a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
   Bake, turning the dates halfway through so the bacon is evenly cooked, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 
   
   
   
   CARAMELIZED ONION MUSHROOM TARTLET WITH GRUYERE CHEESE 
   
   
   

   Ingredients:

   • 1 tablespoon olive oil
   • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
   • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
   • 16 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
   • 1 clove garlic, chopped
   • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
   • Salt and pepper, to taste
   • ¼ cup white wine (can substitute chicken or vegetable broth)
   • 2 sheets puff pastry (thawed according to directions on package)
   • 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (can substitute any variety of Swiss cheese)
   • 1 egg + 1 tablespoon cream, beaten together (for the egg wash)

   Directions:

   1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
   2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes.
   3. Add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until they are completely soft and all of the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes.
   4. Add the garlic and the thyme and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
   5. Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to pull up all of the browned bits, and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
   6. Unfold the thawed sheets of puff pastry and cut 9 squares  from one sheet of  dough, placing them evenly spaced on the baking sheets.
   7. Top the squares of puff pastry with a small spoonful of the onion and mushroom mixture.  bring the corners of the dough together. Top with the shredded Gruyere cheese. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash.
   8. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 to 25 minutes. 

   
   CHICKEN SATAY WITH PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE
   
   

   • 2 pounds chicken tenders
   • zest of two limes
   • juice of two limes
   • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
     
   • 2 cloves garlic, minced
   • Kosher salt 

   PEANUTS SAUCE:

   • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced 
   • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 
   • 1/4 cup soy sauce 
   • 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
   • 1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil 

   
   
   

   Directions

   . Whisk together the zest, juice, ginger, garlic and salt and cover and marinate, refrigerated, for 1 to 2 hours. When ready to cook the chicken, heat a grill pan over medium heat.
   Remove the chicken from the marinade  Grill the chicken until cooked through with nice grill marks, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate.
   For the peanut sauce: mix all ingredients
   
   
   
   BRUSHCHETTA
   
   

   Ingredients

   • 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
   • 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
   • 1/2 red onion thinly sliced and diced
   • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
   • 6-8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced* or chopped
   • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste
   • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste

   • 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
   • 1/4 cup  olive oil

   *To thinly slice basil leaves, stack the leaves on top of each other and roll up like a cigar. Then make thin slices from one end of the basil cigar to the other.
   
   Dice tomatoes, add garlic, onion olive oil salt and pepper to bowl, set aside.
   
   brush olive oil on bread cut into 1/4 inch slices, put on grill pan and grill.  Remove.
   
   Place a heaping tablespoon of tomato mixture on grilled toast.  Sprinkle basil on top  
   
   
   The Ladies all enjoyed the delicious appetizers they prepared and then made some room for dessert...a berry trifle! 
   
   If you're interested in booking a private cooking lesson for 15 people or more contact us at Christina@cookncrafts.com