Dec 7, 2007 2:00 pm US/Eastern
Rania's Recipes From Pittsburgh Today Live - 12/7
(KDKA)
This week, Rania is featuring recipes for hors d'oeuvre and appetizers this holiday season.
Barbecued Almonds
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
½ cup unsalted butter – melted
¼ cup Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup Jack Daniels Honey Smokehouse Barbecue Sauce
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
4 cups whole blanched almonds
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine all of the ingredients, except for the almonds, in a bowl and mix to combine. Add in the almonds and toss until well coated.
Transfer the coated almonds to the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Place in the oven and bake, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and drain the nuts on paper towels. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 4 cups
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
½ small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup Wylers chicken bouillon
½ cup heavy cream
1 can (15 ounces) artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
2 - 10 ounce boxes, chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1 ½ cups shredded Italian four cheese mix
Salt and pepper to taste
1 round loaf crusty bread: top removed and cubed, bottom hollowed out to use as serving bowl
French baguettes, sliced
Directions:
To a medium saucepot preheated over moderate heat, add about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Add butter to oil. When butter melts, add garlic and onions to the pot. Sprinkle in thyme leaves. Sauté 2 minutes, add chopped red pepper. Sauté mixture a minute more. Sprinkle in flour, stir to coat vegetables. Cook flour 1 minute. Whisk in wine and reduce by half. Whisk in stock and thicken sauce 1 minute. Stir in half-and-half or cream. When sauce returns to a bubble, add artichokes, spinach and cheeses. Keep stirring until cheeses melt and sauce is well combined. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasonings, to your taste.
Pour dip into hollow bread bowl on serving platter and surround with sliced multi or whole grain bread for dipping. Reserve extra dip to warm and refill as necessary. Cut up bread bowl when baguette slices are gone -- the bowl is the best part as it absorbs juices from the dip.
Yield: 8 servings
Sweet Brie for the Holidays
1 kilo Brie
Maraschino cherries – drained and blotted dry
Melted chocolate
Caramel Sauce
Directions:
Place the Brie on a silver tray. Mound a good amount of the drained Maraschino cherries on top of the Brie. Drizzle a good amount of the melted dark chocolate over the cherries. Allow the chocolate to dry just a bit and then drizzle a good amount of slightly warmed caramel sauce over the chocolate.
Serve with slices of baguette for a sweet appetizer with champagne for the holidays!
Serves: 15 - 20
Crostini With Prosciutto, Fresh Mozzarella and Black Olive Tapenade
French baguette – sliced into ½" thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the bread and for thinning the tapenade if necessary
1 garlic clove
1 jar of purchased black olive tapenade
Thinly sliced prosciutto (about 4 ounces)
½ -inch-thick slices fresh mozzarella (about 4 ounces)
Arugula leaves for garnish
High quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt
Directions:
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the bread slices on a baking sheet, brush the tops with olive oil, and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes, until they're lightly toasted and golden brown. (You can also toast the bread in a toaster, but without the oil. Then brush the toast with oil after they're done.) Rub the oiled side of the Crostini with the garlic and set them on your work surface, oiled side up.
If the tapenade is thick and paste-like, put it in a small bowl and stir in a tablespoon or two of olive oil until you obtain a loose, spoonable consistency.
Tear the prosciutto slices in half if necessary so you have four slices and crumple one piece of prosciutto onto each crostini, leaving the edges of the toast visible. Place one mozzarella slice on top of each, and spoon a teaspoon of the tapenade over each slice of mozzarella. Scatter the Arugula leaves over the Crostini and drizzle with the high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and a few grains of sea salt.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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