by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
New Year’s Eve is time for heavy drinking and finger foods. Here’s my collection of some of my favorite snacks to ring in the New Year!
These are super easy, I love stuffing biscuits with whatever I can think of at the time, using ingredients that are already basically cooked. Don’t just limit yourself to crab and salmon---get creative with your biscuits. My Crab and Salmon Biscuits pair well with a white wine, like a Pinot Grigio or even a Riesling.
1-can of flaky biscuits (10 biscuits)
¼ cup of smoked salmon cut up small
2 tablespoons finely diced sun-dried tomatoes
1 finely diced green onion
dash of garlic salt
½ tablespoon mayo
4 ounces of pasteurized crab meat
1) Preheat oven to whatever temperature the biscuit directions indicate.
2) Mix tomatoes, onion, garlic salt, mayo and crab meat together in a bowl.
3) Make a hollow in the tops of the uncooked biscuits, by bringing the sides up and pressing the middle down.
4) Place smoked salmon in all the hollows and put the crab mixture on top of that.
5) Bake as you normally would (about 8-12 minutes) and serve.
Every party needs a dip, and a New Year’s Eve Party is no exception. Most artichoke dips have a base of parmesan cheese, but I wanted to put a bit of a twist on it by going with Asiago. This pairs nicely with the sweetness of a port or a dry white like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc or Pinot Grigio
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
1 can or jar (12 to 14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained, not marinated
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup minced roasted red pepper
1) Combine all ingredients and spread in a pie plate or shallow baking dish.
2) Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve cold or heat in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350° You can reheat this in the microwave if you use a really low setting and stir as you heat. Otherwise, it tends to separate.
I’ve printed peanut sauce recipes before, but usually I opt for the simplest, using on-hand ingredients like peanut butter. This is the real deal and can make the plainest chicken skewers shine. The sauce is also great with fresh veggies and other meats.
2 pounds stir-fry cut chicken strips
skewers
dried lemon grass
sesame oil
peanut satay sauce:
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/3 cup water 1 minced clove of garlic
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 tsp. tamarind paste
2 tsp. red chilli sauce
1 tsp lime juice
1) Cook up your chicken strips with sesame oil and put them aside.
2) Place all the peanut sauce ingredients in a blender. Blend until sauce is smooth. It’s a thick sauce, but it’s good.
3) Skewer your chicken, drizzle dried lemon grass over them and use a spoon to coat the skewers with the sauce. Serve right away or refrigerate.
These pork meatballs are very middle-of-road and great if you have guests that don’t like dishes that surprise. They’re savory faire that can be served with the traditional tooth picks.
1 pound ground pork
¼ cup red onions finely chopped
¼ cup carrots finely chopped
¼ cup baby Bella mushrooms finely chopped
1 egg
1 tablespoon teriyaki
1 tablespoon red wine or sherry
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon grape jelly
3 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1) Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly (except for the ginger and hot sauce), taking to blend the jelly well, prior to adding pork and veggies.
2) Roll the mixture into ½ inch balls, brown them quickly on all sides so they hold together, set aside as you do so.
3) When you’ve browned all the pork balls, toss them back in the pan with about a cup and a half of water, the ginger and hot sauce. Place a lid on your skillet and let it simmer for about 13 minutes. Check to make sure the water hasn’t all boiled out and ad more if needed. Serve with tooth picks.
New Years Eve is the last day of the year that you can drink egg nog. In honor of that sad fact, I present my Rum Runner Egg Nog. (Not for those with little tolerance for alcohol).
6 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
2 ½ cups select dark rum
1 1/2 quarts whole milk
3 cups whipping cream
nutmeg
1) Beat egg yolks until thick. Beat in sugar and rum. Chill for about an hour.
2) Add milk while stirring.
3) In separate bowl, beat whipping cream until thick then set aside. Beat egg whites in yet another bowl until just stiff. Fold egg whites and whipping cream into egg mixture. Let egg nog chill overnight. Serve with a dash of nutmeg.
|
