Appetizers Galore

My Aunt Carlen came to visit this afternoon. Whenever I am in town, we usually stop by her house near Orlando at some point or another and she always has this amazing spread out... My Aunt Carlen prepares the best brunches and appetizers and everything is always so classy and perfectly put together on beautiful plating. So today, I tried to follow in her footsteps and serve her some delicious appetizer snacks.

Antipasto Bowls:

Who doesn't like an edible bowl? And one that is made of meat???? Well, if you have salami, a cupcake tray and some Italian fixings, you can throw this together easily.

You can make this as simple (or not) as you like it. I chose to marinate the tomatoes in the Balsamic and then set aside. I cleaned the asparagus, diced the cheese and made thin strips of basil. Then I made the salami bowls.

Simply place the salami into the cupcake tray and form a little bowl. There is no reason to spray the pan because the salami will produce enough grease to avoid sticking. Place your tray in a pre-heated (350 degree) oven and let it cook for 7 - 10 minutes. Watch that it doesn't burn.

Remove your bowls and allow them to cool. Then fill them with your Italian fillings. Customize! It's delicious, eye-pleasing, and fun.

Check out those meaty bowls!

Crab Ragoons:

I make crab Rangoon in wonton when I am at home in Japan. Wonton wrappers seem to be easy to find. I must not have know where to look at Publix, so I ended up Phyllo pre-made shells. Oh... Score!!!! Now this is a recipe I just made on the fly and really didn't think to chronicle. I wasn't sure how it would turn out. In fact, I had a script prepared when they turned out horribly.

I did not need the script. They were the hit.

Ingredients:

1 block of cream cheese
1 bag of faux crab sold in the seafood section
2 TBsp garlic salt
Handful of chives
Phyllo cups (I am soooo going to miss these babies when I go back to Japan)

I mixed together the first four ingredients and spooned it into the Phyllo cups, then baked them for 15 minutes in the same 350 degree oven that my antipasto bowls had just warmed in.

Finally, I threw together a few more ingredients to make some mini cheese balls. Another box of cream cheese, some prepared pimento and cheese, a handful of chives... then rolled them in some bacon. A pretzel became the serving device and crackers were set out to compliment. 

If you're wondering about the white cupcake holders in the back, that is simply kielbasa warmed and placed in a bowl of sauerkraut.

So, yes... this was a super simple spread and everyone enjoyed. I was glad to please my Aunt with an eye-pleasing, tasty appetizer spread as she so often creates for me.

Chicken Parm and then some...

Let's start this blog post with this fun fact... I'm in Florida for the summer, so time spent in the kitchen is 100 times easier (and prettier) than the days spent in my Japanese kitchen. So, know that these are still my photos, but this is my Mom's granite kitchen counters. I haven't moved! 

With that said, I am indeed visiting my Mom for the summer months and she has a list of favorite items for me to cook. One is chicken Parmesan. Before heading to Publix to buy my ingredients, I had to check what she had and I found two items of interest... a container of fresh Pecorino Romano cheese and a packet of Tuscan Farmhouse Blend with Sea Salt. My wheels started churning... how could I doctor up my already delicious meal with these two gems? Insert my new summer staple ingredients and the meal transformed:

Normally, I make my breading with Italian flavored bread crumbs, shaker parm, and a sprinkle of Good Season's Italian salad dressing spice. Well, today, I used these finds instead, and it was so super good that I've been using the mixture in so many ways! First, let's look at the chicken.

When looking at your coating, consider your salty preference. I used about 1/4 C of bread crumbs along with a TBsp of the cheese and 1/2 TBsp of the herb mixture per chicken breast. I mixed my breading, added flour to the plate (separate... not mixed with the breading), and then made an egg bath (whisked an egg in a bowl). It looks like this:

Start a frying pan of olive oil (just a bit... maybe 1/4 C) on the stove. Pre-heat your oven to 375. Then dust your chicken in the flour, dip in the bath, and coat generously with your breading. As long as the oil is hot, you may gently place it in the pan and brown each side. Watch it carefully. You won't want to cook it in the pan... just get it crispy.

After you have crisped up your chicken, the tedious part is over. Put it in a baking dish (sprayed with olive oil) and cook it for about 10 minutes and then check. It's so important to keep an eye on your chicken because you can't undo overcooking! Once it appears to be mostly done, you will top it with your favorite tomato sauce and, of course, mozzarella cheese and return your dish to the oven for its final five minutes. If your chicken breasts are bigger, you will want to cut them in half if the middle isn't cooking quite evenly enough.

I served this dish with zucchini slices and a pasta and you guessed it!!!! I used the cheese/herb mixture as the seasoning for the veggies and as a topper on the pasta and (again) on the chicken. This stuff is so good!

How might you get this herb mix? Well, I think my friends in America and abroad can enjoy this just as easily. This mix is made by the Salt Sisters and you may order the mix online at Salt Sisters Online. I have linked to the Tuscan blend, but there are so many other items! Dips, rubs... even drink mixes!!!!!! I will be putting in a serious order while I am visiting the states this summer, and those salts are coming home in my suitcase with me. This took my very awesome chicken parm to a new level.

And wait till you see how I've used this herb blend in my other recipes this summer. It doesn't stop here.