Cocktail Appetizers

A party doesn't begin without finger food. Appetizers serve the purpose of setting the mood for enjoyment; Nothing better than a bowl chips or family style buffalo chicken and blue cheese dip and a beer to get the flow of conversation started and going. But, sometimes the occasion may call for something a bit more, shall we say, sophisticated? like for a party with your colleagues or a get-together with your in-laws family or simply to accompany a different choice of spirits!

Hors d'œuvres have the unfortunate association with stuffy, stiff necked parties with little room for fun and ofcourse, the pricey tag is ever present. Perhaps because of the French connection!! However, to be fair to these little treats, they neither need break the bank nor be devoid of frivolous pleasure. Indeed, all they need is a little creativity! You can keep the atmosphere casual by using familiar and comfortable ingredients and introducing a bit of fancy by playing with the colors and presentation.

When we host a party at home, most of my time is spent on getting the main meal - soup, entree, dessert - perfect. I spend a lot of time on working the flavors in these courses leaving me with only a couple of hours or so to put together some appetizers. Of course, the easy way out is the aforementioned chips with a quickly whipped up dip. But, these small bite-sized treats offer the best opportunity to put on your creative hat and I try to make some interesting stuff.

So, for a recent house party, I made two easy appetizers that took less than 30 minutes to make, looked beautiful on the table and tasted fantastic. I made caramelized onion with goat cheese canapés and salmon and avocado pastries. The pink of salmon against the green of the avocado just brightens up the table and keeps people coming back for more.

The key to ensuring that the appetizers please is to keep the ingredients simple and the flavors balanced. Complex flavors are not well appreciated when you are distracted by all the socializing and the beer/wine in hand.

I have included recipes for both the appetizers below.The flavor combinations are what my imagination suggested. The best way to have fun while cooking is to indulge your senses and the best dishes are when you are willing to try new combinations.

Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese Canapés

1 medium sourdough baguette sliced thin
1 medium Spanish onion julienned
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 clove of garlic peeled
1 T olive oil and some more for drizzling
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (190 deg C). Place the baguette slices on a baking tray and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Toast the slices for about 15 minutes till they are golden brown. Remove the toasted slices and while they are warm, rub the garlic clove over them. Doing this will release the oil in the garlic onto toast giving it the wonderful garlic flavor. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the onions, vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper and saute until the onions are caramelised; approx 20 minutes.

Spread goat cheese onto the toasted slices. I like herbed goat cheese but plain is good too. Pile on some caramalised onions and serve.

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Pastries
(makes 12 pastries)

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed
4 oz smoked salmon slices
1 ripe avocado cored and sliced thin
1 T lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the puff pastry into 2 inch squares. Place on baking sheet and bake in the oven until puffed into layers and golden; approx 16 mins. Cool the pastry for 10 minutes. Assemble 2 slices of avocado and a slice of salmon on top of the pastry. Season with salt and pepper and add a couple of drops of lime juice. The citric acid in the lime will bring out the flavors of the salmon and round off the creaminess of the avocado. It will also keep the salmon from drying out and avocado from blackening.

Mango adds zest and flavor to seafood

Mangoes are perhaps one of nature's best creations! Where I come from (good old Madras), these delicious fruits are seasonal but, when in season, abundant. We eat the fruit all through its maturing cycle - raw, half-ripe and fully ripe. We make pickles, chutneys, milk shakes, cook it into curries, eat it raw with a dash of salt and chilli powder (ah! Bliss!). Some varieties are relished for their scrumptious, sweet pulp while some others are favored for their tangy taste that leaves your teeth tingling. Just thinking of biting into a raw mango slice makes me salivate!

In the US, where we get everything we can get year around with only the price fluctuating, we get mangoes from the down South, below the Equator that is. These mangoes can never match the flavor of an Alphonso or a Kesar ( both from India) mango. But, they do have an interesting sweet-tangy taste which make them great for making chutneys, mango dals or in any fresh preparation like a salsa.

Anyway, you must wonder why I am waxing eloquent on the fruit. Actually, one of the readers of my blog recently asked me for a recipe incorporating mangoes with seafood. I suggested grilled fish with a mango salsa. And since then, I have been craving mango. It has been playing games with my mind, making me think of ways and means I could relish this delectable fruit. So, I finally decided to give in to my mental drooling and gratify myself by making a cajun fried fish topped with a zesty mango salsa accompanied by couscous cakes. Sounds great, doesn't it?! It was perfect for Friday night dinner watching old re-runs of "House" episodes.

The sweetness of the mango works perfectly with the spice in the cajun marinade of the fish and the mild acidity from the mango and citrus dressing balances the dish. Pan-blackened fish with the mango dressing by itself makes a nice meal. The couscous cakes add just the right touch to complete it.

It's a simple meal that took me on a nostalgia trip; of me climbing mango trees and plucking the unready fruit even as my mother yelled at me to behave like a girl!

We rounded off the meal with homemade Panna Cotta and blood oranges for dessert. It was a lovely, sweet finish!

Cajun-fried Tilapia with Mango Salsa served with Couscous Cakes

2 Tilapia fillets
1 T cajun spice rub (recipe below)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

For the salsa
1 mango peeled and diced small
1 medium cucumber peeled and diced small
1 jalapeno de-seeded and diced
2 T fresh lime juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or coriander

For the couscous cakes (adapted from Giada's recipe)
(makes 4)
1.5 cups cooked couscous
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 egg
2 T all purpose floor
2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper as needed
oil for frying

Cajun Spice (makes 1/3 cup)
1 T paprika
1/2 T ground cayenne
1 T ground pepper
1 T salt
1/2 T onion powder
1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 T oregano
1/2 T thyme
Mix the everything together. Store in an airtight container

Sprinkle lemon juice all over the fillets. Rub the cajun spice on both sides and let the fish marinate in the spices for 15 minutes. In the meantime, toss all the salsa ingredients together in a medium bowl. Shrink wrap and refrigerate until serving time.

To make the couscous cake, mix couscous, egg, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and mix until incorporated. The flour and egg help to bind the ingredients. Heat oil in a shallow pan. Shape the couscous mixture into patties and pan fry for a couple of minutes on each side to get a golden brown crust.

Pan fry the tilapia fillets until you get a nice brown-black crust outside and the fish is flaky to touch. Serve the fish with a generous helping of the mango salsa and the couscous cakes.

Pasta for One :)

Pasta, to me, is comfort food. I think its a great dish to enjoy while watching TV with someone special or even casual entertainment with friends and family. And what makes a pasta dish special is really the sauce. I love making sauces from scratch and am not a fan of the bottled ones at all. Even a simple marinara sauce tastes so much better when made with fresh ingredients ... and yes, of course, all the love!

Anyway, unfortunately, my husband does not share my love for the cliched Italian meal. Hence, I end up making my favorite pasta dishes when I am alone at home. Now, I love cooking, but, cooking for one is not really as fun or satisfying. So when I am cooking for just myself, I try to keep the recipes simple, easy and something that does not take a lot of time to make but tastes great nevertheless.

This pasta recipe falls perfectly in that category. The fresh ingredients in the sauce not only makes it healthy but also accentuates the taste. The combination of tomato, garlic and fresh herbs is by itself flavorful. Adding the bacon just elevates the sauce to the next level.

The sauce is on the spicy side and hence, the carrots make a perfect side. The sweetness of the fresh carrots balances the taste wonderfully. Plus, you get your daily dose of fresh veggies too. And the best part, the meal is ready in under 30 minutes!

This is a very simple dish with a taste so fantastic, it is great for company too. Also, you can make the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it. Warm it up, toss in cooked spaghetti and serve.

Tomato and Bacon Pasta and Fresh Sweet Carrots
(serves 2)

4-5 strips of thick bacon chopped
2 medium ripe tomatoes diced, about 1.5 cups
1 medium red onion julienned
3-4 big cloves of garlic minced
1.5 tsp chili flakes
Pinch of cayenne pepper
4 T parsley minced
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/3 lb spaghetti or as much for two
1/3 cup fresh grated provolone
4 sweet carrots sliced thin or grated
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add enough salt to flavor the pasta. Remember, this is the only time you get to flavor the pasta, so don't forget the salt. Add and cook the spagetti until it is al dente.

For the sauce, start by sauteing bacon over medium heat till it becomes crispy. Remove the crisped bacon and drain on a paper towel. To the bacon fat add the olive oil, onion, garlic and chilli flakes. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add the salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Cayenne packs a lot of heat, so be careful how much you add. Add the tomatoes and cook until almost done. Toss in the reserved bacon crisps and cook for a few minutes for the flavors to infuse through.

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, so that the pasta also absorbs the flavors. Toss in the fresh minced parsley. Serve with grated provolone sprinkled on top and a generous helping of the sweet carrots.

Note: You can also use basil instead of parsley. Basil has a wonderful flavor that married very well with tomato. If you are using basil, toss it in just before serving. Otherwise, the heat will weigh down the leaves and the flavors will not come through as well.

Breakfast that makes you smile ..

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A healthy meal at the start of the day does the body a world of good by setting the metabolic pace for the day. It also increases endorphin levels in the body making you feel happier and satisfied; similar to the feeling after a good workout!

A healthy breakfast includes a protein and a complex carbohydrate. So, it is no wonder that a breakfast of eggs and toast is a simple happiness inducer. And, that is exactly what I had today.

To spiff up the breakfast, my husband made a wonderful fruit sauce. The sweet and sour sauce works well to complement the salty creaminess of the egg. The meal has a great balance of all the six tastes that makes it perfectly delicious, satisfying and nutritional. If you are a bacon lover, it would go great with this dish. A little fat is good for you!

A simple, fresh meal is by itself a great mood-booster. Why not then start the day happy?!

Eggs on Toast with Fruit Sauce

(breakfast for 1)

1 or 2 Eggs, per your appetite

1 English Muffin; or any other variety of bread for toast

Pinch of paprika or chilli powder

Pinch of lemon pepper

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt to taste

For the sauce:

2 T strawberry preserve

2 T orange marmalade

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 T dry red wine

1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 tsp corn starch

2 T cold water

To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients except the starch and water and place in a small pan on low heat. Dissolve the corn starch in the cold water and then add to the heating sauce to thicken it. Heat the sauce till it starts bubbling and continue cooking for a few minutes till the starch is fully cooked.

Prepare the eggs as you like it; I like it fried. Sprinkle salt, lemon pepper, paprika and Italian seasoning over the eggs. Toast the English muffin or bread. Arrange the eggs on the toast and pour sauce on side and serve.

Note: The choice of fruit flavors (strawberry and orange) is entirely upto you. It is important that add what you like, so it makes for a satisfying experience for you.

Crab Tarts - Justice to the crab and your taste buds!

I have mentioned it a million times on this blog - shellfish is my favorite meat. The pleasure from a shellfish's sweet and succulent flesh is, to me, unmatched by even the rarest cut of the finest red meat and I love find new ways of relishing the flavor. And happily, the meat comes alive with creativity!

The good thing about crab meat is that although the flesh itself is mild in taste, with the right ingredient pairing, the whole dish can be infused with its subtle flavor. It is, ofcourse, important to ensure that no other ingredient in the dish is individually strong enough to overwhelm the crustacean.

And, baked dishes are a great way to show case crab meat. Baking is a slower cooking process that allows the ingredients to come together and enhance the meat's flavor. And I like tarts because they add a personal touch to the meal; it is always great to serve guests individual platters of entrees - feels very made to order!

So, anyway, combining my love for the chosen meat and the baking technique, I made crab tarts recently and they sure did not last long. The cheeses and the crab's succulence work together for a melt-in-your-mouth creaminess and the scallions add a subtle flavor to the tarts. Tarts work great as appetizers as well as entrees.

Being ingredient light, the crab tart is not only an easy bake, but also lends itself to other seafood meats; the crab can easily be substituted with shrimp or any firm, white fish. If you are vegetarian, shittake mushrooms are a great substitute.

Creamy Crab Tarts

1 can (7.5 oz) lump crab meat, drained

1 T lemon juice

1/2 cup finely diced celery

3 scallions minced

2 eggs

1/4 cup cream cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1 tp Worcestershire sauce

1 T minced fresh parsley

Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper to taste

1 store bought pie sheet

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you are making individual tarts, cut the pie sheet to fit the ramekins. Line the ramekins or a 9 inch tart pan with the pastry sheet. Prick the pastry at the bottom to prevent too much rising and bake it blind for 10 minutes or until just starting to golden.

In the meantime, mix all the other ingredients and check the seasoning. When the tart shells are ready, spoon the mixture and fill upto three-fourths of each cup. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the filling is springy to touch. Cool on a rack for few minutes and serve.