Holiday Appetizers

Lisa's Mini Canape:

2 Tablespoons Italian Dressing
1/4 cup of Roasted Red Peppers
2 Cups Broccoli Florets (cut to bite size pieces)
1/4 cup Red Onion, chopped finely
2 Tablespoons of of Parsley, chopped
1 Package of  Garlic-and-Herb or white cheddar spreadable cheese 
(I use Boursin)
Mini Pitas or Round Crackers ( I use the Harris Teeter Round Snack Crackers)
Salt & Pepper to taste

In bowl, broccoli, chopped red onion, roasted red pepper and Italian dressing; set aside. 
Spread tops of crackers or pita with cheese.  Top pitas or crackers with broccoli mixture. Sprinkle with parsley.  Arrange on platter. and Eat Tastefully! 

Panko Crusted Crab Cake Bites - Southern Living

Panko-crusted Crab Cake Bites with Roasted Pepper-Chive   

These crab cakes crusted with panko - coarse Japanese-style breadcrumbs - are super easy, elegant appetizers perfect for any occasion.

Sunset JANUARY 2002

• Yield: Makes 24 crab cakes; 8 servings

Ingredients

• 12 ounces shelled cooked crab
• 1/4 cup finely diced celery
• 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 large egg

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 1/4 cups panko (see notes) or fine dried bread crumbs
• Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli (recipe follows)
• Fresh chives, rinsed and cut into 1-inch lengths

Preparation

1. Sort through crab and discard any bits of shell.
2. In a large bowl, combine celery, minced chives, mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and hot sauce; mix well with a fork. Add crab and 1/4 cup panko; stir gently just to mix.
3. Put remaining 1 cup panko in a shallow bowl. Shape crab mixture into 24 cakes, each about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Turn each cake in panko to coat on all sides, pressing gently to make crumbs adhere. Place cakes slightly apart in an oiled 12- by 17-inch baking pan.
4. Bake in a 475° regular or convection oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. With a spatula, transfer crab cakes to a platter. Spoon a dollop of Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli onto each cake. Garnish platter with fresh chives. Serve hot.
Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli. In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped drained canned roasted red peppers, 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Note: Notes: The Japanese-style coarse bread crumbs called panko are available in many well-stocked supermarkets and in Asian grocery stores. You can make the aioli up to 2 days ahead and the crab cakes through step 3 up to 4 hours ahead; in both cases, cover and chill.

Shrimp Martinis with Nappa Cabbage Slaw - Southern Living Magazine

Shrimp Martinis with Napa Cabbage Slaw

Impress your guests by serving coconut shrimp over slaw in festive martini glasses. You'll be the talk of the town.

Southern Living NOVEMBER 2002

• Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 24 unpeeled, large fresh shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup soft breadcrumbs
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

• 4 cups vegetable oil
• Napa Cabbage Slaw
• Garnish: lime wedges

Preparation

Peel shrimp, leaving tails on; devein, if desired.
Dip shrimp in egg. Stir together breadcrumbs and coconut; dredge shrimp in mixture.
Pour oil into a Dutch oven; heat to 375°. Fry shrimp, in batches, over medium-high heat 2 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels.
Spoon Napa Cabbage Slaw evenly into 8 martini glasses. Top each with 3 fried shrimp. Garnish, if desired.

Holiday Entertaining Recipes - Cream Cheese-and-Olive Biscuits With Olive-Parsley Spread

Cream Cheese and Olive Biscuits  

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose baking mix
• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup green olives, chopped
• 1 (6-ounce) jar pitted kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained

• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (3-ounce) log goat cheese or package cream cheese, softened

Preparation

Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food pro-cessor 3 to 4 times or until combined.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough to a 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 2-inch fluted cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake biscuits at 425° for 10 minutes or until golden.
Pulse kalamata olives and next 6 ingredients in a food processor until combined.
Split biscuits in half, and spread cut sides evenly with goat cheese; top with olive mixture.
Note: To make ahead, bake biscuits as directed. Cool completely on baking sheets on wire racks. Cover and freeze until firm. Place biscuits into zip-top plastic freezer bags; freeze up to 2 weeks. Remove from freezer; place on baking sheets, and let stand 30 minutes. Bake at 325° for 7 to 10 minutes. Prepare olive-parsley mixture as directed. Place in an airtight container; freeze up to 2 weeks. Thaw in refrigerator 24 hours. Stir before serving.

Kaplan Catering Holiday's

If you are planning an Holiday Party contact Kaplan Catering to provide your catering!

Collard Green Dip

Lisa's Collard Green Dip!

Ingredients                                 

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 5 slices of pork bacon
• 2/3 cup  grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar 
• 1 container of cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Dash hot sauce
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 (10-ounce) cans of Glory Collard Greens
• 1 (14-ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

Microwave 5 slices of bacon.  Reserve bacon fat.

Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Saute, garlic and red onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.  
Add the Parmesan and Cheddar. Stir until the cheese has melted. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Fold in the collard greens and artichoke hearts.
Add mixture to a casserole dish. Bake for 15 -20 minutes until golden brown.
Serve this dip with baked pita chips.

Apple Bread Pudding

• Bread Pudding
• 4 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• 6 Cups of stale white bread
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups  milk
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•  1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  Caramel Sauce

Procedures

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the apples, milk, brown sugar, egg  vanilla and cinnamon. Fold in bread cubes and apple; let stand for 15 minutes or until bread is softened.
• Pour into an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped topping and caramel topping. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.