Category Archives: Appetizers & Party Foods

Holiday Glögg and Easy Holiday Smorgasbord

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holiday_glogg_smorgaboard

Glögg is a popular hot punch served throughout Scandinavia on cold winter evenings. During the holiday season it is a refreshing change from the omni-present eggnog. The ingredients for the smorgasboard listed below have been selected from convenience foods (canned and deli foods) easily found at supermarkets.

Select from the following list according to number of guests expected; arrange food on plates or platters and place on buffet table, or, for small parties, arrange dishes on large platter or antipasto tray. SErve a variety of homemade or bakery-fresh dark breads and dinner rolls, along with side dishes of mustard, mayonnaise, and horseradish.

Marinated herring
Herring in sour cream
Deli potato salad mixed with sliced or Harvard beets
Smoke salmon fillets
Canned or fresh (cooked) lobster, crabmeat, or shrimp salad
Picked Eggs
Canned reindeer meatballs (heated)
Canned Scandinavian fish balls (heated)
Sardines
Egg salad
Sliced ham
Sliced turkey
Sliced tongue
Sliced smoked eel
Cheese (Brie, blue, and assorted Scandinavian cheeses available at delis)
Cucumber Salad
Pickles (dill, gherkins, bread-and-butter)
Sliced tomatoes

Copyright© 1977 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Three Cheese Ball

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three_cheese_ball

Make this cheese ball the day before for holiday entertaining and serve it with assorted crackers and/or crisp breads.

For 1 1-lb cheese ball you will need:
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1.3 cup crumbed Roquefort or blue cheese
1 container (5 oz.) processed hickory-smoked flavor or sharp American cheese spread
2 Tbsp. whipping cream
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. each minced onion and stuffed olives
2 Tbsp. finely minced parsley
Shredded lettuce
Dried summer savory or caraway seeds, optional Stuffed olive slices.

Preparation:

1. Combine cheeses and cream in mixing bowl or food processor work bowl and process until smooth.

2. Add Worcestershire sauce, onion, olives and parsley, mixing well. Cover and chill overnight.

3. Shortly before serving, shape mixture into a ball. Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce. Sprinkle with savory or caraway seeds, if desired. Garnish with olive slices.

Tips: If cheese ball must be stored for any length of time, substitute onion powder for the minced onion.

© MCMLXXXIV My Great Recipes. All Rights Reserved. Printed In Holland.

Christmas Punch and Christmas Sausage Cake

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christmas_punch

Christmas Sausage Cake

1 pound pork sausage
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cardamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup strong coffee (cold)
1 cup currants
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine meat and sugar in mixing bowl and mix well. Stir in eggs and beat well. Mix flour, baking powder, and spices together. Stir baking soda into cold coffee. Add flour-spice mixutre and soda-coffee mixture to mixing bowl alternately, beating vigorously.

Pour boiling water over currants and let stand until currants soften, about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Fold currants and walnuts into sausage cake batter and mix well.

Grease 9-cup bundt pan or charlotte mold and dust with flour; tap lightly to shake out excess flour. Turn batter into pan.

Bake 1 1/2 hours or until cake begins to leaves ides of pan and wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 20 minutes; unmold. Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving. If desired, garnish with dried fruits chopped (Dates, apricots, citron, etc.)

Note: Good served with cream cheese.

Copyright ©1977 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Eggnog & Shrimp Christmas Tree

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shrimp_christmas_tree

3 pounds shrimp
2 quarts boiling water
1/2 cup salt
2 lemons, sliced
4 large bunches curly endive
1 Styrofoam cone (2 1/2 feet high)*
1 Styrofoam square (12″ x 12″ x 1″)*
Cocktail sauce (below)

Place unshelled shrimp in large kettle of boiling water; add salt and lemon slices; cover and cook over low heat 4-5 minutes or until shrimp are pink and tender; do not overcook or shrimp will be tough.

Drain and peel, leaving on last section and tail; devein. Place in bowl and refrigerate, covered, until needed.

Separate endive leaves and rinse well under cold water; drain and chill in plastic bags with paper towels to absorb moisture.

*Prepare Christmas Tree base: Place Styrofoam cone in center of Styrofoam square and trace with pencil; cut out circle and lodge cone firmly in square.

Cover base and cone with curly endive leaves, overlapping leaves to resemble evergreen leaves, and fastening leaves to Styrofoam with toothpicks. (Work from bottom to top.)

Decorate tree with shrimp, attaching to the Styrofoam with toothpicks and arranging them in spiral manner; if desired, decorate tree with additional nibblers (olives, pimiento stars, cherry tomatoes, radish roses) and top tree with red ribbon. Serve with Cocktail Sauce.

Cocktail Sauce: Mix 1/2 cup prepared horseradish with 2 cups chili sauce; for creamy cocktail sauce, fold in 1/2 cup mayonnaise.

Copyright© 1977 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

American Thanksgiving Menu

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This menu is also ideal for any special occasions. The quantities given serve 6-8 people.

Prawn and Citrus Fruit Cocktail
Remove the pulp from 2 large oranges and 1 grapefruit. Blend with 2/3 cup sour cream or whipped cream plus the juice of 1/2 -1 lemon. Add 3 tablespoons mayonnaise. 1 teaspoon tomato ketchup and 2/3 -1 cup peeled prawns or shrimp. Put into glasses, top with prawns and a little tomato ketchup.

Roast Turkey with Celery Herb Stuffing
Mix 4 cups fresh soft bread crumbs from a brown or wholewheat loaf with 8 stalks finely chopped celery, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon chopped lemon thyme, grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 cup shredded suet or melted margarine and 2 eggs or 3 egg yolks. Put into an 8-10lb turkey; either cook in a 325-350°F oven allowing 30 minutes per lb and 30 minutes over or in a 425-450°F oven allowing 15 minutes per lb. and 15 minutes over. Baste well with melted fat or butter unless using the special self basting turkey (Illustrated). ALWAYS ALLOW FROZEN TURKEYS TO DEFROST BEFORE COOKING. Serve with roast potatoes, corn and beans and cranberry and applesauce.

Cranberry and Apple Sauce
Simmer 1lb peeled apples and 1/2 lb cranberries with 2/3 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar until tender.

Coffee Chiffon
Make 2 1/2 cups strong coffee. Soften 3 envelops gelatin in a little cold coffee, stir into the hot coffee and heat until dissolved. Allow to cool and begin to stiffen then fold in 1 1/4 cups lightly whipped cream, 1/2-3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts. Beat 3 egg whites (left from stuffing) very stiffly, gradually beat in 2/3 cup sugar, fold into the coffee nut mixture. Pile into a dish, serve with cookies.

Printed in Canada. ©Copyright The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd 1972

Hors D’Oeuvres

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Avocado Spread: Mix 1 avocado, mashed, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon paprika. Toast bread strips, 3 x 1 inch, on one side; cover other side with spread. Dip edges in finely snipped parsley.

Cornucopias: Roll salami slices into cornucopias; secure with wooden picks. Fill with potato salad or softened cream cheese seasoned with horseradish.

Stuffed Cream Cheese Balls: Molded softened cream cheese around cocktail onion, sweet pickle chunk or stuffed olive; shape into balls. Roll in snipped parsley or chopped dried beef. If you wish, season cheese with snipped chives, horseradish and pepper before molding.

Garlic Olives: Add cut clove garlic to bring of ripe olives; let stand several hours.

Savory Dill Franks: Spread 2 thin crosswise slices frankfurters with mixture of mustard, mayonnaise and horseradish. Put slices together in pairs with dill pickle slice between; secure with wooden picks.

Triple Treat Kabobs: Thread 2 or 3 of these combinations on wooden picks: cocktail onion, sautéed mushroom, Swiss cheese cube; stuffed olive, pickled onion, Swiss cheese cube; maraschino cherry, pickled onion, sweet pickle chunk.

©Copyright 1971 by General Mills, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Hallowe’en Punch and Party Fare

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Cooking time: 10 mins.
Preparation time: 10 mins.
Main cooking utensils: saucepan, punch bowl

For 12 servings you need:

2 2-in cinnamon sticks
6-8 cloves
little ground nutmeg
grated rind of 2 oranges
1 1/4 cups concentrated lemon drink
1 1/4 cups concentrated orange drink
5 cups cider
soda water (optional)

Decoration:
2 apples, thinly sliced
1 orange, thinly sliced

Savory boats:
2 French loaves
1 lb ham, 1 head celery
4 dessert apples
1 green sweet pepper
1 red sweet pepper
3 firm tomatoes, mayonnaise

Garnish:
orange slices, grapes

1. Simmer cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and orange rind in mixed concentrated fruit drink for 10 minutes

2. Strain through cheesecloth, add the cider

3. Add soda water if used.

TO SERVE: In a punch bowl on ice, decorated with apple and orange slices

Savory boats: Scoop out some of the center crumb from the loaves. Dice the ham, celery, apple, peppers, tomatoes. Mix with the mayonnaise. Fill the loaves. Garnish with slices of orange and grapes.

Party cake: Sandwich two layer cakes together with jam; cover top and sides with your favorite frosting. Decorate with crystallized orange and lemon slices and walnut halves.

Party ideas: Cut faces in rosy apples, top with witches’ hat and candles; fix black paper cat onto punch bowl.

Printed in Canada © Copyright Paul Hamlyn Ltd. 1967

Beef Burgundy Balls – Hot Ham Puffs

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Beef Burgundy Balls

1 pound round steak, ground
1 egg, well beaten
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
4 teaspoons minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Burgundy wine
Fine cracker crumbs
Fat or cooking oil

Combine first 8 ingredients; mix well. Form into small balls; roll in crumbs. Melt fat or pour cooking oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1 inch; heat to 375°. Fry meat balls 4 minutes or until brown. Serve hot on wooden cocktail picks. Makes about 24.

Hot Ham Puffs

1 can (4 1/2 ounces) deviled ham
3 tablespoons Burgundy wine
Bread, cut in rounds
1 egg white
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

Combine ham and wine; mix well. Spread on bread rounds. Beat egg whites until stiff; fold in mayonnaise and mustard. Spread on deviled ham. Arrange on a baking sheet and place in broiler 4 inches from heat until brown. Serve at once. Makes about 12 to 14 puffs.

Publishd by -COOKINDEX- Division of H.S. Stuttman Co. Inc., New York. ©Copyright 1958 Tested Recipe Institute, Inc. New York.

Pigs-In-A-Blanket Crepes

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10 Yellow Cornmeal Crepes
3 tablespoons dijon-style mustard
50 cocktail frankfurters
3/4 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon onion salt

Prepare crepes. Spread a scant teaspoon of mustard on unbrowned side of each crepe. Cut each crepe into 5 strips. Place 1 cocktail frankfurter at one end of each strip. Roll up as for jelly roll. Arrange appetizers seam side down in a shallow baking pan. Bake in 425° oven about 15 minutes or till heated through. Meanwhile, for sauce, combine chili sauce, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and onion salt. To serve, spear hot appetizers using wooden picks and dip into sauce. Makes 50 appetizers.

Yellow Cornmeal Crepes

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cooking oil

In bowl combine all ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon salt; beat with rotary beater till blended. Heat a lightly greased 6-inch skillet or crepe pan (don’t use an inverted crepe pan). Remove from heat. Spoon in about 2 tablespoons batter; lift and tilt skillet to spread batter evenly. Return to heat; brown one side only. Invert pan over paper toweling; remove crepe. Repeat to make 16 to 18 crepes, greasing pan occasionally. Stir batter often to keep cornmeal from settling. Don’t freeze these crepes as they crumble when frozen.

©Meredith Corporation, MCMLXXX. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Crab-Stuffed Ham Rolls

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2 packages (6 ounces each) frozen cooked crabmeat
12 thin slices boiled ham (about 1/2 ound)
Curry Sauce (below)
Hot cooked rice
Sliced green onions or capers

Heat oven to 350°. Cut each block of frozen crabmeat into 6 sticks, each 1/2 inch wide. Place frozen stick of crabmeat on narrow end of each ham slice; roll up and secure with wooden pick. Place seam side down in ungreased baking pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Cover; bake 20 minutes or until heated through. 4 or 5 servings.

Curry Sauce

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon sherry or sherry flavoring

In saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Blend in flour, salt, curry powder and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in milk and sherry. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. 1 cup sauce.

©Copyright 1971 by General Mills, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.