Favorite Easy Party Hors Deauvres & Tapas

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

On November 3rd, I'll be hosting a party at my home called "Juan's Fall Friend-Fest" and am inviting a lot of people.

The thing is that I've let people know that in addition to coffee and wine, I'll be serving hors deauvres, tapas and snacks. Guests, in turn, are asked to bring a snack or dessert plate to pass.

Now, I've got a few standby favorite snacks and hors deauvres, but I was looking for some fresh ideas that, one, wouldn't take too much time or effort to prepare and, two, would taste pretty decent.

What are some of your favorites? I'll post up several of mine shortly.

Best,


Juan C. Ayllon

[Juan C Ayllon]

Here are several easy favs of mine:

The first is baggette slices topped with goat cheese and sun dried tomato. It's from the defunct Winnetka Grill in Winnetka, Illinois.

You take a bagette--or thin French loaf--and cut off slightly diagnonal 1/2 inch thick slices. Brush with virgin olive oil and smear the top side with goat cheese. Top off with some sun dried tomatoes and bake in the oven for maybe five to ten minutes. Yum!

Another is a basil, portobello mushroom and cheese pizza atop Boboli.

You take a Boboli premade pizza crust and brush both sides with virgin olive oil. Spinkle generous portions of shredded mozerella cheese on top of the Boboli. Sprinkle Parmesian cheese on top of the mozerella.

Next, shred some fresh basil leaves and distribute evenly atop the face of the pizza.

Then, slice up some portobello mushrooms, coat with olive oil and distribute generously across the face of the pizza. Sprinkle some garlic salt on top of the pizza.

Put the pizza in the oven at around 350 degrees and let it cook until the cheese is melted and maybe a little golden.

Remove and cut into thin wedges, maybe two inches wide at the widest point. Chances are, you will have to make several of these pizzas, as this goes fast!

Cheers,


Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

By the way, don't all jump in at once!

Here's a link to some tapas recipe I googled:


Quick and Easy Tapas Recipes Link

[Juan C Ayllon]

Here's another quick and easy tapas link:

Link to easy tapas

[Juan C Ayllon]

Here's a link to a recipe I'm planning to use with steak set atop bagette slices and perhaps some sort of cheese and maybe tomato:

Easy Chipotle Sauce Recipe Link

[GorDoom]

Whenever there's a good PPV I buy it & invite my boxing gang over for the fights. I actually was a cook for many years so I make meals.

But ... I'm into simple & easy. I usually go with Mexican food & a prawn or crab salad with either vinigrette or blue cheese dressing.

For the Mexican food I've got an easy recipe. If you don't want to make salsa & beans from scratch you can always buy some.

I get a nice, big, pork butt & stud it with garlic. Throw it in the oven at 400 deegrees for an hour or so until it gets nice & brown. pull it out & put it in a big cast iron pan or a pot. Add some chicken broth or water & cover & simmer for about another hour or so until the meat is braised until it's falling off the bone.

Put the pork, beans, salsa & tortillas on a table & let everybody make their own tacos & put on the feed bag.

Works every time!

GorDoom

[hawk5ins]

4 Avocados, Blend them up in a food processor.

1 small chopped onion.

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles.

Small can of sliced black olives

I packet of Guacamole mix found in your produce section (it calls for only 2 avocados. Ignore that. Use 4. And ignore the rest of the instrux as well.)

4 or 5 splashes of Franks Red Hot Sauce (The Green bottle with the Chile n Lime seasoning. Excellent flavor but not overpowering.).

Mix it all up and you are good.

I try and get the multi grain tortilla chips to dip with. They just have more flavor.

Hawk

[kikibalt]

Man, you guys eat good!, us here in the barrio all we can afford is chorizo con huevos and maybe a little bit of beans.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Man, you guys eat good!, us here in the barrio all we can afford is chorizo con huevos and maybe a little bit of beans.

Yeah, Frank! Sure. It's funny hearing this from a man who goes to In 'N' Out Burgers and Mr. Donut regularly, attends Hall of Fame banquets, and goes on motorcycle tours on his Harley with his beautiful wife.

From my vantage point, it sounds like you're not doing too bad!

On another note, those recipe ideas sound pretty good!

Cheers,


Juan

[kikibalt]

Yeah, Frank! Sure. It's funny hearing this from a man who goes to In 'N' Out Burgers and Mr. Donut regularly, attends Hall of Fame banquets, and goes on motorcycle tours on his Harley with his beautiful wife.

From my vantage point, it sounds like you're not doing too bad!

On another note, those recipe ideas sound pretty good!

Cheers,


Juan

LOL!!

[Phillyfan]

hey, I thought I was the only one who made those boboli pizzas. If you have a big enough pan, I like to fry the crust for just a few seconds in very hot olive oil, just to make it a little crispy. My wife has a great recipe for swedish meatballs I'll try and dig up. You can't go wrong with a crab dip and nice thick crackers. I wrote to disneyworld once and got a recipe for a nice brushetta they served. now all their recipes are on-line.

[Juan C Ayllon]

I spotted this on the net earlier:

Bruschetta with Tomatoes Recipe Link

I'm thinking I'll do a variant of this, cooking up some diced tomatoes, chopped onions, chopped basil leaves, maybe some mushrooms--Portabello?--and garlic sauteed in virgin olive oil, and serve it over slices of bagettes toasted with olive oil and garlic.

Depends on how much time I have...

[Juan C Ayllon]

Thanks, Phillyfan, for the ideas! Keep them coming.

By the way, I found this link to recipes from Disney World:

Disney World Recipe Link

On another note, at the last big party I threw, I made some makeshift wine cooler drink, mixing orange wedges, ice, and red wine with some Diet Squirt. I told some friends that it was my take on Sangria. One anal friend pointed out that it was missing apple chunks, amongst other things. So, I quickly dubbed my concoction, "Juangria!" Needless to say, it was a hit...

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey! Check out this recipe for braised beef tips at that Disney World site:

Braised Beef Tips Link

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hmmmm...

Oven-Roasted Wild Mushrooms Link

[Dan Gunter]

I just make some absolutely vicious margaritas: heavy on the tequila. Start the guests on those, and they're happy if you give 'em plain rice cakes.

[kikibalt]

I just make some absolutely vicious margaritas: heavy on the tequila. Start the guests on those, and they're happy if you give 'em plain rice cakes.

Dan;

what brand tequila do you use?

[Phillyfan]

a friend introduced me to mojitos this past summer. nice and refreshing and impressive when you add fresh mint leaves. still working on the swedish meatball recipe.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey Phillyfan,

Mojitos rock! I was introduced to those last year when someone made them at a party. Sweet! That fresh mint leaf really is a nice and tasty touch.

[kikibalt]

a friend introduced me to mojitos this past summer. nice and refreshing and impressive when you add fresh mint leaves. still working on the swedish meatball recipe.

Just what is "Mojitos"?

[Juan C Ayllon]

Here you go, Frank:



A traditionally prepared mojito, in a collins glass, garnished with lime and mint.Wikibooks Bartending has a page on the topic of Cocktails/Mojito. Mojito (Spanish) is a traditional Cuban cocktail which became popular in the United States during the late 1980s, and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity.

Mojito

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


A mojito is traditionally made of five ingredients: rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime, carbonated water and mint[1]. Its combination of sweetness and refreshing citrus and spearmint flavors are intended to mask the potent kick of the rum, and have made this clear cocktail a popular summer drink. Many hotels in Havana also add Angostura bitters to cut the sweetness of the mojito; while a popular variation, it is not the original version created in La Bodeguita del Medio[1].

To make a Mojito, juice from a lime is added to sugar and mint leaves in a tall glass. The mixture is then gently mashed repeatedly with a muddler. Crushed ice is then added, followed by rum and topped off with club soda.

The word mojito is derived from the diminutive of the word mojo.[2]

And here's a mojito recipe from Bacardi:

Mojito Recipe Link

And here's a more extensive link:

More Bacardi Mojito Recipes Link

[kikibalt]

Here you go, Frank:



A traditionally prepared mojito, in a collins glass, garnished with lime and mint.Wikibooks Bartending has a page on the topic of Cocktails/Mojito. Mojito (Spanish) is a traditional Cuban cocktail which became popular in the United States during the late 1980s, and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity.



And here's a mojito recipe from Bacardi:

Mojito Recipe Link

And here's a more extensive link:

More Bacardi Mojito Recipes Link

It looks good! think I'll have one.

[Dan Gunter]

Frank--

When it comes to margaritas, I don't worry too much about the brand of tequila. I usually just go with the Jose Cuervo gold. For the wimps, I use a 3:1:1 mixture: three parts tequila, one part triple sec, one part Rose's lime juice. (I've tried fresh lime juice, but it's a bit too tart, I think.) A friend of mine and I used to use a 5:1:1 mixture, which I thought was the best.

Nowadays, though, I stick to martinis. I like them very dry, but with some vermouth in them: up with a twist of lemon (or lime, on occasion). I used to stick with gin, but now I use vodka. My favorite is Crater Lake vodka, out of Oregon.

--Dan

[hawk5ins]

Bottle if I'm getting fancy.

And if I'm trying to show just what a Classy guy I am.....I'll even use a glass.

Hawk

[kikibalt]

[GorDoom]

Dan:

Let me tell you a little about Tequila. I grew up in Mexico & in my younger days I consumed oceans of the stuff.

1- No self respecting Mexican would EVER drink Jose Cuervo Gold. 2 reasons: While Cuervo is a big deal Tequila up here, in Mexico it's considered rot gut on a level with Ripple or Sneaky Pete here. The stuff is just pure crap.

The second reason is that Mexicans don't drink "gold" tequila OR Dos Equis. Gold tequila is just regular tequila that they've added sugar & food coloring to. As to Dos XX's You don't drink a dark beer in a hot tropical country. You do that in Ireland.

Mexicans prefer Tres (3) XXX's (a light beer) or Corona, anything but Dos XX's.

As to Tequila the top of the line is Sausa Commerativo. The other big favorite is Herradura. In fact Herradura makes a type of Tequila that's my absolute favorite but you cannot find it in the States.

it's Called Herradura Joven (young) It's made from baby plants, is clear & naturally sweet from the young Agave cactus. it's incredible stuff! The only problem is that it's so sweet & tasty that you tend to chug it like soda. let me tell ya it catches up to you & kicks you in the ass, Big Time!

Recently all these new types & flavors of Tequila are being introduced to the American market. It not the real deal. Mexicans don't drink it.

Lastly, Mescal. The stuff with the worm at the bottom of the bottle ... Again, no Mexican wants to touch the stuff. It's strictly for Indians & tourists.

[Phillyfan]

good to know about tequila. thank you

meatball recipe
2 bottles red pepper jelly
1 bottle regular barbecue sauce (hickory)
1 TBSP liquid smoke (in the mustard/ketchup aisle)
armour meatballs- tyson - regular, not italian 2 packs, 45 little meatballs

throw everything into a crockpot, put on high untill it bubbles about 15 min. simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hrs.

sounds like strange ingredients, but it makes for a great sauce.
also, to kick mojitos up a notch, use mikes hard limeade or bacardi watermelon or lime coolers instead of club soda.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Wow! I feel like I'm getting an education, here. That info on tequilla and Mexican beer is priceless! Nice visuals, Frank, as usual! And that recipe for the meatballs has me thinking of finally investing in a crockpot.

As far as Dos Equis goes, I've always enjoyed the lager version with Mexican food or now and again when I'm in a mood for beer. I never really cared for the dark beer much.

I think the first time I got into Dos Equis was when I had my honeymoon back in summer of 1996 in Nuevo Vallarta, which is just north of Puerto Vallarta. Yes, I was married once before! We had this awesome lodging package that comped our food and drink on the hotel premises for the week and, let me tell you, we took full advantage of it! It seemed like we were either sipping margaritas or the occasional Dos Equis on our beach chairs just off the surf every other hour throughout the week.

That's when we weren't pestered by the vendors that cruised the beach selling various trinkets to tourists! The vendors laughed when they inadvertently discovered that I hardly spoke a word of Spanish, but my pretty gringa redhead of a wife spoke it quite well. They'd point and laugh when they ended up talking with her instead of me. Let me tell you, I really came to appreciate that rope in the sand that vendors could not cross on the hotel compound. That and those Dos Equis.

I think my favorite breakfast that week was quesadillas served beachside with guacamole, rice and beans, topped off with a couple bottles of Dos Equis lager. Yum!

Fact is, last night, I had a couple of bottles of Dos Equis lager with my carne asada dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. This is after my van overheated by O'Hare International Airport en route to the fights in Cicero, Illinois and was towed all the way back to Round Lake Beach. Not fun!

However, I managed to redeem the time by taking in the main event at Cicero on one of the flat screen TVs on a wall. Funny, while I watched Martin Castillo and Perez mix it up, I could see Eight Count Production's publicist talking up a storm with referee John O'Brien back by the metal grate barriers about ten feet from the ring. Perez appeared the stronger of the two, but Castillo the busier one. As it turned out, Castillo prevailed by UD. Olay!

However, I digress.

Cheers,



Juan

[Todd]

I made Bacon-Wrapped Dates for the Mayweather-DLH fight. They were a huge hit, and they couldn't be easier to make. I stuff them with blue cheese or blanched almonds but you can use Parmesan.

[kikibalt]

Recently all these new types & flavors of Tequila are being introduced to the American market. It not the real deal. Mexicans don't drink it.

Mexicans will drink anything that you give them