Category Archives: Appetizers & Snacks

Fumiko’s Gyoza

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By Jacqueline Church

Years back, my mother took a Chinese cooking course and learned this gyoza recipe. Our family, including my husband now, has loved these dumplings for years. Napa cabbage is terrific this time of year. A vegetarian version is simple to make by subbing the pork with black mushrooms and slivered carrots. And remember, practice makes perfect, and imperfect still tastes wonderful, so have fun.

fumikos-gyoza-dumplings-recipe1/2 pound Napa cabbage, finely chopped
Sea salt
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup finely chopped scallion
2 tablespoons  minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 package round (about 2-1/2 inches in diameter) gyoza wrappers
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup hot water

Place the cabbage in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Let sit for 10 minutes, so it releases its liquid, then rinse and drain well in the colander. Roll in a clean towel to dry.

Mix the cabbage with the pork, scallion, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake, sesame oil and a pinch of salt.

Mound a rounded teaspoon of the mixture in the middle of a gyoza wrapper. Dab cornstarch and water slurry lightly around the right edge. Fold the left side over to the meet the right (like a half moon). Then, using the thumb of one hand and index finger and thumb of the other feed a pleat toward your thumb and pinch gently. Pleat about five or seven times to create a pleated crescent.

Heat the oil in a large, wide nonstick pan over medium-high heat (let the oil get nice and hot). Working in batches, arrange 6-8 dumplings seam-side up in the pan in the shape of a pinwheel (don’t overcrowd the pan) and fry for 3 minutes, until blistered and crispy on the bottom (but not burnt). Add the water, cover, and steam for 8-10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Repeat with remaining gyoza.

Serve with dipping sauce. (Find our recipe for All-Purpose Asian Dipping Sauce here.)

Makes 50

Garlic Parsnip Fries

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Let the parsnip stand in for the potato in these healthy oven fries. Parsnips have an earthy sweetness, making them an interesting alternative to same-old, same-old spud fries. These, with sliced garlic and Parmesan, are downright addictive.

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Guatemalan Guacamole Avocado Salad

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This take on guacamole comes from a Guatemalan recipe for avocado salad. There’s nothing quite like the buttery flesh of an avocado, made even better by the fact that it’s loaded with healthy fats. Do be aware, though, that those same fats make this a calorically dense dish . . . so just be conscious of your bites.

guacamole-avocado-salad-recipe2 large, ripe avocados
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and coarsely mashed
1/4 cup jicama, peeled and cut into a 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup lime juice, divided
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh hot chiles
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Scrape the flesh from the avocados into a bowl and roughly mash them with the egg. Mix in the jicama, 2 tablespoons lime juice, onion, oregano, chile and salt and pepper to taste. Mix enough to blend the ingredients, not so much so that it becomes smooth. This should be a chunky guacamole.

Serves 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Chicken Pate with Brandy (Chopped Liver)

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This recipe is based on chopped liver — a k a “Jewish pate” — but combines liver with skinless, boneless chicken thighs and substitutes heart-healthy canola oil for traditional chicken fat in a version that’s much lower in saturated fat than my grandma’s specialty. I’ve also added a touch of brandy and toasted walnuts to take this a little upmarket. Spending a few minutes thoroughly cleaning and trimming the chicken of excess fat and sinew ensures a smooth pate; sharp kitchen shears make quick work of this task. Serve as an appetizer with crackers, toasted rye or French bread, along with cornichons, a robust mustard and dry white wine.

chicken-pate-chopped-liver-recipe2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 pound chicken livers, cleaned and trimmed
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle livers and chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add livers to pan and cook 2 minutes on each side or until seared on the outside and light pink on the inside (do not overcook). Transfer livers and onions to work bowl of a food processor.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan. Add thighs to pan and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add thighs to food processor with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and brandy.

Process until smooth and stir in walnuts. Spoon pate into a shallow 2-cup dish or individual ramekins. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves 6

Manchego and Nutmeg Gougeres

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Gougeres (“goo-zhehr”)–little mini cheese-puffs about as light as air–are the classic nibble with Champagne. (Here, we give them a Spanish spin with manchego cheese . . . try them with a glass of cava.)

manchego-nutmeg-gougeres-recipe4 ounces (1 stick) butter, cut into small cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated manchego cheese, divided
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine butter, salt, pepper and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and remove from heat immediately.

Pour in flour and stir with a mixing spoon (mixture will be stiff) for 3-5 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan.  Stir in eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition, then stir in 1 cup cheese and nutmeg.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer dough to a pastry bag and pipe 2-inch mounds 2 inches apart onto both sheets. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake for 25 minutes, switching pans half way through.

Serve warm or at room temperature, or cool completely and freeze in a freezer-safe zip-top storage bag. (Reheat frozen gougeres in a 375 F oven for 5 minutes.)

Serves 18

Endive Spears with Roquefort Mousse and Walnuts

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These little endive spears are crowd pleasers; packed with flavor despite their diminutive appearance. The cheese mixture keeps for up to five days, so you can prep everything ahead of time and then pipe the mousse into the endive leaves just before people come to the door.

endive-roquefort-spears-recipe6 ounces Roquefort cheese
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons snipped chives
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 heads endive, 96 leaves
24 walnuts, toasted and broken into pieces

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. Chill for 20 minutes. Transfer Roquefort mixture to a pastry bag and pipe a teaspoon mound onto the end of each endive spear. Top each with a toasted walnut piece.

Serves 24 (4 spears each)

Candied Bacon

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I first encountered candied bacon while working in pastry kitchen, and the combination of salty, smoky and sweet was alluring. Center-cut bacon is a bit leaner than other types of bacon, but any kind of smoked bacon will work in this recipe. Blanching the bacon in simple syrup enhances its texture, while threading the bacon onto wood skewers creates a sort of Candied Bacon “lollipop”. Depending on the size of your broiler pan, you may need to bake the bacon in two batches. You can also jerry-rig a good setup by placing a cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet. This bacon is great in our Chocolate Chip Cookies with Candied Bacon, and leftover bacon will keep up to two weeks in an airtight container. This bacon candy also is tasty crumbled over vanilla bean, butter pecan or maple ice cream, and makes a great savory-sweet nibble with cocktails (especially bourbon-based sippers).

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Noemi’s Remixed Party Mix

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Use an extra-large roasting pan for this update on the classic Chex mix recipe, or split the party mix between two smaller ones. The more contact the mix has with the bottom of the pan, the more yummy, crispy, savory crusties there will be.

noemis-remixed-party-mix-recipe

4 cups Barbara’s Multigrain Shredded Spoonfuls
4 cups Nature’s Path Organic Heritage Heirloom Whole Grain Bites
2 cups mini pretzel twists
2 cups Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons Canola oil
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Mix together cereals, pretzels and Cheddar Bunnies in a large roasting pan (or, if splitting it between two smaller roasting pans, a large mixing bowl).

In a small bowl, whisk together butter, oil, spices and salts.

Pour spiced oil mixture over cereal mixture and toss, thoroughly but gently, with your hands until every piece is coated somewhat evenly. Spread mixture evenly in roasting pan(s) and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, stirring with a spatula every 20 minutes.

Stores for several days in an air-tight container.

Makes 12 cups (24 servings)

Big City Lamb Souvlaki

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When I lived on Corfu, souvlaki meant skewers of grilled, marinated pork. But on a trip through Athens seeking out the best street food and mezedhes, we found this version of souvlaki to be utterly addictive. These Greek kebabs are moist and tender with just the right amount of spice. Serve these lamb skewers on platters with tzatziki, or in pitas with chopped tomato and onion.

big-city-lamb-souvlaki

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Umami Stuffed Mushrooms

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Mushrooms and Parmigiano-Reggiano are the kings of umami, amplifying one another’s flavor exponentially. Spinach and prosciutto add even more to the mix to make this hors d’oeuvre simply irresistible.

stuffed-mushrooms-recipe

1 1/2 pounds white or cremini mushrooms (sometimes called “baby bella”)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large shallot, minced
2 ounces prosciutto, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1/3 cup frozen spinach, chopped (thawed, squeezed of excess water)
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup dry sherry (or dry Marsala)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375.

Wipe mushrooms clean, carefully snap out stems and chop them finely (you should end up with roughly 1 1/2 cups of minced stems). Toss mushroom caps with garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Place mushroom caps stem-side down on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and reserve liquid.

While mushroom caps are cooking, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Add shallots, minced mushroom caps, prosciutto, thyme and rosemary and sauté until the shallots have softened and mushrooms have released their liquid, 6-8 minutes.

Add spinach, pour in sherry and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until liquid has evaporated, 2-3 minutes, and turn off heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in parsley, panko crumbs and cheese. Pour any liquid from the mushroom caps into the stuffing mixture (it’s umami-rich).

Stuff about 1 teaspoon into each mushroom cap and arrange stuffing-side up on cookie sheet. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden and warmed through.

Serves 8

Recipe by Jacqueline Church