Hors d'Oeurves Party

Great ingredients and lots of friends are the key to any great party. Chewy wine shots, chicken dippers, smoked salmon mousse in tortilla chips, smoked salmon egg rolls, chipotle yogurt dip and savory Parmesan and thyme cookies round out this delectable cocktail party menu.

• Balsamic Syrup
• Chewy Wine Shots
• Chicken Dippers
• Chipolte Yogurt Dip
• Savory Parmesan Thyme Cookies
• Smoked Salmon Egg Rolls
• Smoked Salmon Mousse in Tortilla Cups

Balsamic Syrup

Ingredients:

Balsamic Syrup

• 2 cups balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup of sugar

Directions:

Balsamic Syrup

1. Combine and simmer until reduced by three quarters and very thick.

Chewy Wine Shots

Yield: 8

Ingredients:

Chewy Wine Shots

• 750 ml bottle of red wine
• 750 ml bottle of white wine
• 750 ml bottle of pink zinfandel
• 9 envelopes of powdered gelatin
• 3 cups of sugar

Directions:

Chewy Wine Shots

1. Pour each bottle of wine into a separate saucepan. Add 1 cup of sugar and 3 envelopes of gelatin to each pan. Stir over low heat to dissolve sugar and gelatin.
2. Pour each flavour of wine into a lightly oiled 8 inch by 8-inch pan and place in the refrigerator until set.
3. To remove, slide a small knife around the edges of the pan, dip the bottom of each pan into hot water and then invert and wine jelly will release. Cut into bite-sized cubes.

Chicken Dippers 2

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Chicken Dippers

• 4 x boneless chicken breasts, skin removed
• 1 cup of cornmeal
• 2 tsp of ground cumin
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Chicken Dippers

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut chicken breasts into long thin strips.
3. Pour cornmeal, cumin, salt and pepper into a resealable freezer bag. Add chicken strips and shake well.
4. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Chipotle Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

Chipotle Yogurt Dip

• 2 cups of yogurt
• 1 x small tin of tomato paste
• 2 x whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 3 x green onions
• 1/2 cup of chopped, fresh cilantro
• Salt

Directions:

Chipotle Yogurt Dip

1. Put everything into a food processor and puree until smooth. Adjust seasoning.

Savory Parmesan and Thyme Cookies

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

Savory Parmesan and Thyme Cookies

• 1 cup of flour
• 2 tbsp of fresh thyme (or rosemary)
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (or cheddar)
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Savory Parmesan and Thyme Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place flour, thyme, butter and salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add cheese and sour cream and pulse a few more times, until dough comes together.
3. Roll out into a log and wrap in saran wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Using a sharp knife, slice discs off of the roll and place on a lined baking sheet. Press an herb leaf into the center of each. Bake for 15 minutes, until they just start to brown.

Smoked Salmon Egg Rolls

Yield: 6

Ingredients:

Smoked Salmon Egg Rolls

• 4 x eggs
• 2 tbsp of plain yogurt or sour cream
• dash of sesame oil
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 3 x green onions, thinly sliced
• pinch of salt
• 1 pkg of smoked salmon, sliced
• 1 bunch of arugula

Directions:

Smoked Salmon Egg Rolls

1. Whisk together eggs, yogurt, sesame oil and salt.
2. To make the crepes, place a small non-stick fry pan over medium heat and add oil. Pour in a small ladle full of egg mixture and let it roll around the bottom of the pan and cook until the top has set. Repeat until all the egg mixture is gone.
3. Lay a crepe flat on a counter top. Cover with 2 slices of smoked salmon and then 4 arugula leaves. Roll up and cut in half.

Smoked Salmon Mousse in Tortilla Cups

Ingredients:

For the Mousse:

• 1/2 cup of cream cheese
• 500 g of smoked salmon
• 1 tbsp of chopped, fresh dill
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Fresh ground pepper
• Fresh dill pieces for garnishing

For the Tortilla Cups:

• 6 x flour tortillas
• 3 tbsp of olive oil

Directions:

For the Mousse:

1. Put ingredients into a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.

For the Tortilla Cups:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brush tortillas with olive oil and cut into 3-inch circles with a biscuit cutter. Press into a mini muffin cups and bake until crispy, about 15 minutes. Set on a rack to cool.
3. Fill a plastic freezer bag with the salmon mousse and squeeze it toward one of the corners. Cut the tip off with a pair of scissors to form a piping bag. Pipe the mousse into the tortilla cups and top with a sprig of dill.

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Chinese Night

• Asian Dipping Sauce
• Chicken Dumplings
• Chinese Broccoli
• Fortune Cookies
• Shrimp Toast

Asian Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

Asian Dipping Sauce

• 1 cup of orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp of soya sauce
• Splash of sesame oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Asian Dipping Sauce

1. Whisk everything together. Store in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

Chicken Dumplings 2

Yield: 2

Ingredients:

Chicken Dumplings

• 1 x boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3 x green onions, chopped
• 1 inch piece of fresh gingerroot, grated
• 1 tbsp of cornstarch
• 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 12 x wonton wrappers

Directions:

Chicken Dumplings

1. Put chicken into the bowl of a food processor. Add green onions, gingerroot, cornstarch, oyster sauce and puree until smooth and well blended. Scrape sides of food processor bowl and puree for a few more seconds.
2. Lay wonton wrappers out on a cutting board. Place 1 tsp of the chicken filling in the centre of each wrapper. Rub a little water around the edges and then fold in half forming a triangle. Press to seal. The dumpling should now be in the shape of a triangle. Bring the two bottom points of the triangle around to meet and seal them using a little more water and a pinch.
3. Heat some water in a stovetop steamer and when it’s boiling, place the dumplings into the basket. Steam for about 5 minutes, until the wonton wrapper becomes slightly translucent and the filling is cooked through. Serve immediately with soy sauce or chicken broth.

Chinese Broccoli

Yield: 2

Ingredients:

Chinese Broccoli

• 3 tbsp of canola oil
• 1 inch piece of fresh gingerroot, sliced thinly
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 heads of broccoli, cut into florets and stems chopped
• 1 tbsp of soya sauce
• dash of sesame oil
• 1/4 cup of homemade dipping sauce
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds

Directions:

Chinese Broccoli

1. Have all ingredients prepped and ready to go before starting the cooking process.
2. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add oil, and when it gets hot, add ginger. Stir-fry for 1 minute and then add garlic and continue to stir-fry until it just starts to turn golden, a few seconds longer. Add broccoli and continue to stir for a few minutes.
3. Add soya sauce, sesame oil and a splash of water, cover with a lid and let steam for about 3 minutes, until broccoli is bright green.
4. Stir in dipping sauce, and then add almonds and toss.

Fortune Cookies 2

Yield: 6

Ingredients:

Fortune Cookies

• 1/2 cup of butter, softened
• 3 x egg whites
• 1 cup icing sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• A variety of hand written or typed fortunes that are about one quarter inch by 2 inch.
• 1 x empty egg carton

Directions:

Fortune Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place the first 6 ingredients into a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in flour.
3. Let the batter rest for about half hour.
4. Drop a teaspoon of batter onto a lined baking sheet and using the back of a spoon, spread very thinly into a 4-inch circle. Repeat so there are 2 circles on the baking sheet. Bake until it just begins to get golden in colour, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven, and while still hot, place a paper fortune across the centre of the cookie. Fold up the edges so that it forms a semi circle, and almost simultaneously, fold down the sides of the semi-circle to create an upside down u. Place in an empty egg carton and let harden. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Shrimp Toast

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

Shrimp Toast

• 1 cup of shrimp, de-veined and shells removed
• 1 x egg white
• 1 tbsp of grated ginger
• 2 x green onions, chopped
• dash of soya sauce
• 1 tbsp of Chinese black bean and garlic sauce
• 12 pieces of square melba toast (or white bread toasted and crusts removed or any cracker)
• 6 x shrimp, sliced in half

Directions:

Shrimp Toast

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Puree 1 cup of shrimp, egg white, ginger, green onions, soya sauce and black bean sauce in a food processor until smooth.
3. Spread shrimp mixture onto toasts and top with a halved shrimp.
4. Bake for 5 minutes, until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.

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