As Labor Day nears, we continue to see numerous visitors hoping to fit in some time at the beach before summer is over. Even if we decide to enjoy some of the area's great restaurants with our company, it's good to have some new appetizer recipes to try prior to an evening out, especially when they can be made ahead of time. All of these keep in the refrigerator for at least two days, or in the case of the Rag Mops, indefinitely, in the freezer. We hope you will enjoy the recipes we've included.
This is an excellent version of hummus, the taste of which is dependent on the quality of tahini you are able to find. Some of the better brands are available through mail order.
Ingredients:
Place all ingredients in food processor work bowl. Mix until smooth. Serve with pita bread which has been brushed with butter and lightly toasted. Makes 3 cups. Keeps 3-4 days tightly covered in refrigerator.
Recipe supplied by Ms. Bobby Cox, St. Louis, MO
Ingredients:
Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, soy sauce and Worcestershire. Beat until smooth. Stir in bean sprouts, soup mix, mushrooms, shrimp and water chestnuts.
Drop by meager teaspoonful into hot oil (about 1" peanut oil in small saucepan) and fry 2-3 minutes on each side (until golden). Drain on paper towels. To freeze, place cooled rag mops on cookie sheet or foil in freezer until firm. Place in plastic freezer bags. Reheat on cookie sheets about 10 mins. at 375°. Makes approximately 100 pieces. Serve with sweet and sour sauce (see recipe below).
To speed up the process, with the exception of the bean sprouts, we chop all the ingredients (individually) in the food processor prior to combining.
Ingredients:
Mix sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sherry and ketchup in small bowl, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Dissolve cornstarch in water and add sesame oil. Heat oil in medium-sized skillet over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and stir for one minute. Slowly add sugar mixture, stirring until the liquid comes to a boil. Turn heat to low, add cornstarch mixture, stirring, until sauce begins to thicken. Slowly add remaining water while stirring. When mixture is smooth, remove from heat. Makes 3/4 cup sauce. Can be refrigerated 4-5 days or frozen for up to two months.
Ingredients:
Combine the cheeses, garlic and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Prior to serving, add basil and nuts. Mix and season to taste. Serve at room temperature with crackers (melba toast is particularly good) or use the spread to stuff cherry tomatoes. This also makes an attractive appetizer when spread on thin slices of ham, rolled, chilled and cut into pinwheels. Makes 1lb.
Ingredients:
Cook shrimp in boiling water until firm (3-5 minutes). Drain and cool. Place shrimp in food processor and process just until fine. Remove from work bowl. In work bowl, cream butter, then add remaining ingredients. When thoroughly mixed, add shrimp and combine, by hand, just until mixture holds together. Chill at least 4 hours and serve with crackers or lightly toasted French bread. Makes 3 cups.
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