SWEETLY SPICED PECANS (1 lb)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 TBL cold water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 lb pecan halves
Combine all ingredients except pecans in a large bowl; add pecans, stirring well. Bake in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet in a preheated 250° oven for 1 hour. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.~~From Thymes & Pleasures.
CHEESE STRAWS (makes 5 dozen)
1 scant cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Dash of cayenne
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
5 1/3 TBL butter
2-3 tsp water
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne & cheese. Add the butter & rub in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle in enough water to make a stiff dough. Roll out about 1/8" thick & cut in 3x1/4" strips. Bake on a cookie sheet in a preheated 400° oven for 10 minutes or until slightly brown. (May make ahead & store in airtight container.~~ From Company's Coming.

HERBED PEA PODS (serves 12)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 tsp tarragon wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 lb pea pods
Process the cream cheese, butter, vinegar, pepper & garlic in a blender or processor until blended. Combine the mixture w/the parsley in a mixer bowl & mix well. Add the cream, beating until creamy. Chill, covered for 2 hours. Steam the pea pods for 3-5 minutes. Drain & pat dry. Make a slit in the top of each pea pod. Fill each pod with 1 tsp of the cheese mixture using a pastry tube. Arrange on a serving platter. Chill, covered for up to 8 hours before serving.~~

ITALIAN PEPPERONI CHEESE PUFFS
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups flour
4 eggs
3/4 cup finely chopped pepperoni (3 oz.)
3/4 cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (3 oz.)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 450 °. Grease 2 large baking sheets; set aside. In a large saucepan combine water and shortening. Bring to boil. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. Stir in pepperoni, cheese, parsley, garlic powder and pepper.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm. (room temp is fine) Makes 48
SAVORY SPINACH BALLS - from Ruthanna
2 packages frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1 large onion, chopped fine
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned stuffing mix
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl; chill 1/2 hour.
Roll spinach mixture into small balls (rounded teaspoons or tablespoons). At this point, you can freeze the unbaked balls on cookie sheets, then transfer to plastic freezer bags and bake when needed.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Bake balls for 15 minutes.
Note: I like to serve these with a dip of mayonnaise or sour cream mixed with mustard and some dill.
Makes about 4 dozen.

Habanero Lime Cheesecake
Crust:
1 1/2 cups wheat-meal biscuits (or about 26 graham cracker squares) ground to crumbs
Pinch salt
1/3 cup melted butter
Filling:
3 habanero peppers
2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 cup
24 ounces cream cheese
Pinch of salt
4 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 lime, zested
1 very juicy or 2 less juicy limes, juiced
1 lime sliced thinly, for garnish
1whole habanero, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Position top rack in the center of the oven. Place a baking pan on the rack below this. Boil water.

Make crust: Mix the crumbs and salt together in a small bowl, then add butter and stir to mix. Set aside 1/cup for topping. Press the rest into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Turn on kitchen or stove exhaust fan. Skewer and roast the habaneros over an open flame (gas burner is fine) and set them to steam under a towel. When they are cool enough to handle, put on plastic gloves if desired. Peel and deseed habaneros, then pound in a mortar with the 2 tablespoons of sugar until a coarse paste results.

Cream the cream cheese, then add remaining sugar and salt. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time until incorporated. Add the cream and blend. Beat the zest and lime juice into this mixture. Add the habanero paste last and beat until well mixed. Pour into the crust, then gently tap the pan to level the filling. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top.

Pour boiling water into the pan on the oven's lower rack. Place the cheesecake on the rack above it. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until the cheesecake pulls away from the edge of the pan. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 20 minutes. Wrap and keep in the refrigerator overnight, or if rushed, place in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours. Garnish, if desired, with slices of lime and place a whole habanero in the center.

Raspberry Wings
1-1/2 c seedless raspberry jam
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
3 T soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 pkg (5 lb) frozen chicken wings, thawed
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients, except the wings, over medium heat, stirring until smooth. In a large bowl, toss
the wings with half of the jam mixture. Place on the baking sheets and
bake for 50 minutes. Turn the wings and brush with the remaining jam
mixture. Bake for 8 to 10 more minutes, or until no pink remains in the
chicken and the sauce glazes the wings. Serve immediately.
NOTE: If you substitute boneless, skinless chicken tenders for the wings, just reduce the baking time to about 15 minutes. And, for a change, you might even want to try this with apricot jam instead of raspberry.
Serves: 4 to 6

Blue Cheese Cocktail Wafers
2 ¼ cups flour
½ cup sifted confectioners sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
½ pound butter ( 2 sticks) 1 cup crumbled Maytag Blue ( about 6 Ounces)
¼ cup milk
1 ¼ finely chopped pecans or walnuts, divided
Sift the dry ingredients
Cut in the butter and cheese
Sprinkle with the milk
Mix to create stiff dough
Mix in ¾ cups of the nuts
Shape dough into two rolls 2 inches by 10 inches
Coat the rolls with the rest of the chopped nuts
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours
Pre heat oven to 400 degrees
With a sharp knife, slice into ¼ inch slices and place on ungreased cookie
sheet
Bake about 8 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool on wire racks
Makes about 100

Black Olive Tapenade
====================
Olive Tapenade
2 large garlic cloves
1 3/4 cups pitted Kalamata olives
4 anchovy fillets
1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers
2 to 4 Tablespoons fresh basil
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
. Finely chop the garlic cloves in a food processor. Add olives, anchovies,
capers, basil . Process until almost smooth. Add lemon juice. With machine
running, gradually add the olive oil. Blend mixture until smooth. Season
tapenade to taste with pepper. Transfer to a small bowl. Serve on slices of
french bread.
Options:
Use some or all green olives
add small can of quality tuna
add 1 to 2 tablespoons brandy
add more anchovies

Snackers
1 ring Dutch Balogna ( about a pound )
2 medium yellow onions ( about the size of a baseball)
Slice and layer in a crock or straihgt sided bowl
In a sauce pan place 1 c. cider vinegar, 1 cup water and 3/4 c sugar and 1 tsp mustard seed ( whole). Bring to a boil and pour over meat and let stand un refigerated for 24 hours. Serve with cocktail rye

PARMESAN BLACK-PEPPER BISCOTTI
These savory biscotti are ideal for a soiree. Their crisp texture is accented by the richness of parmesan and the bite of black pepper — perfect for nibbling in between sips of wine.
1 1/2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (2 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
appetizer biscottiPut oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
Pulse peppercorns in grinder until coarsely ground.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, 2 cups cheese, and 1 tablespoon ground black pepper in a large bowl. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 3 eggs with milk and add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork until a soft dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and quarter dough. Using well-floured hands, form each piece into a slightly flattened 12-inch-long log (about 2 inches wide and 3/4 inch high). Transfer logs to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging logs about 3 inches apart.
Whisk remaining egg and brush some over logs, then sprinkle tops of logs evenly with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and 1/2 tablespoon ground pepper. Bake, rotating sheets 180 degrees and switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until logs are pale golden and firm, about 30 minutes total. Cool logs to warm on sheets on a rack, about 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
Carefully transfer 1 warm log to a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife. Arrange slices, cut sides down, in 1 layer on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining logs, transferring slices to sheets. Bake, turning over once, until golden and crisp, 35 to 45 minutes total. Cool biscotti on baking sheets on racks, about 15 minutes.
Cooks' note: Biscotti keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks.
Makes 5 to 6 dozen biscotti.

Phile cream cheese w/salmon spread
chopped chives
pimento bits
shaved smoked salmon

Cut cukes in 1/8 or 1/4 inch slices--lay on paper toweling so bottom side dries.

Fill a pastry bag w/the cream cheese spread & a #32 tip & squeeze the spread in a circle around the top of the cuke, making sure the top of the cuke is dried off, so topping will stick.. Sprinkle chives, pimento bit over the cuke, then top with a tiny heap of the smoked salmon.

Becky

* Exported from MasterCook *

Thai Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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4 Boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons Orange juice
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon Sesame oil
1 large clove garlic -- minced
SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
2 tablespoons Finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons Warm water
3 tablespoons Chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon Brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

Cut each chicken breast half into 8 cubes. Thread
4 cubes onto each of 8 skewers. Place in an
ungreased shallow dish or 13X9" baking dish.
Combine orange juice, soy sauce, oil and garlic;
mix well. Pour over chicken; let stand at room
temperature 15 minutes, turning once.

Combine sauce ingredients and set aside.

Line broiler pan with foil; broil chicken 4-6"
from heat 6-8 minutes or until chicken is no
longer pink, turning once. Serve immediately with
sauce.

If desired, longer skewers can be used. Alternate
chicken with cut up vegetables such as red or
green peppers and mushrooms. Marinate and broil as
directed above.

Source:
"http://www.hugs.org/Thai_Chicken_Sate_with_Spicy_Peanut_Sauce.shtml"

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* Exported from MasterCook *

SWEET & SOUR CUCUMBER RELISH (TAENG KWA BRIO

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 large Cucumbers -- peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
1 small Red onion -- peeled, halved and sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon Dried red chili flakes (or more, to taste)
4 tablespoons Granulated sugar
1/2 cup Water
5 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
chopped cilantro -- to taste

Toss the cucumber, onion and chili flakes together in
a bowl. In a small saucepan, over low heat, dissolve
the sugar in the water. Remove from heat and stir in
the vinegar and salt. Pour this mixture over the
veggies. Stir and refrigerate until served.

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