Hors D'oeuvre & Appetizer recipes by BumbleBeeBoogie

Hiya Bumblebee!

Those sound great, I LOVE wasabi!!

I do a similar appetizer that I usually pass at parties, except the filling is a mix of cream cheese and crumbled bleu cheese, after filling the cooked shrimp, I flour, egg and bread the shrimp (with Japanese "Panko" crumbs, most Asian markets carry them) and then just fry them to golden brown just before serving. They're easy and delish!

I am going to try your recipe tonight, the family I work for always like a snack before dinner, and I have all the stuff in the kitchen. I'll let you know how they go over!

I have a big dinner party here next week, and I think I'll try my fried ones, with your filling!

Would it be possible to do this recipe but instead mix wasabi powder with the cream cheese, rather than the actual wasabi? I ask because I've got a jar of wasabi powder and have been wondering what to do with it (Mr. Jespah is not a sushi fan, plus it's too expensive).

Wasabi powder will work
Jespaw, the wasabi powder should work fine. I susggest you mix it into a small portion of the cream cheese and then blend the mixture into the rest of the cheese to avoid any hot spots. Always taste the cheese mixture before filling the shrimp to see if it suits you.

Jespah,
Yeah, as long as you mix it well it'll be fine.

Mix wasabi powder with mayonaise,..it's really good. You can use it as a dip, or a spread

Wasabi-Cream Cheese Pickle Beef Roll-Ups
Wasabi-Cream Cheese Pickle Beef Roll-Ups
An original recipe by BumbleBeeBoogie.

8 kosher-style dill pickles, patted dry
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon Wasabi mustard (Japanese-style hot mustard)
2 green onions, white part, thinly sliced
2.5 ounces thin-sliced beef or corned beef luncheon meat

Cream together the softened cream cheese and the Wasabi mustard, starting with small bits of mustard and tasting after each addition for "heat" tolerance. When an acceptable amount of "heat" is achieved from the Wasabi, add the thinly sliced green onions and blend. The cream cheese mixture may be stored, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Spread or pat the cream cheese mixture around each pickle. Wrap 2 slices of meat around each cheese-coated pickle. Wrap each roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate the rolls at least three hours or overnight. Slice into one-inch thick slices before serving.

PAI CHIAO HSIA CH'IU (Shrimp Balls) by BumbleBeeBeeBoogie
PAI CHIAO HSIA CH'IU (Shrimp Balls)
Adapted by BumbleBeeBoogie

These shrimp balls are among the best appetizers I've ever tasted. I searched for years to find a recipe in English after I tried, without success, to get a translation from the woman who prepared them for a party I attended over ten years ago.

20 slices white bread, crusts removed, in 1/4-inch cubes (or the equivalent in Japanese Panko dried bread crumbs)
1-1/8 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined and rinsed
1/2 cup water chestnuts, blanches and finely chopped
1 large egg white, beaten lightly
2 tablespoons lard, finely chopped (do not substitute)
1 tablespoon rice wine
1-1/2 teaspoons ginger root, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons scallion (green onion) white part only, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
peanut or corn oil for frying

Optional dip for shrimp balls:
3 tablespoons coarse salt (sea salt or Kosher salt)
1 tablespoon Szechwan peppercorns, crushed and lightly toasted

(If using the Japanese Panko dried bread crumbs, you make skip the following: Arrange the bread cubes in one layer on a baking sheet and let them dry at room temperature overnight.)

In a food processor, puree the shrimp; transfer to a bowl, and stir in the water chestnuts, egg white, lard, wine, ginger, scallion, salt, and cornstarch. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon and compact it. Form rounded teaspoons of the mixture into balls with your hands, dipped in cold water. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs, pressing the cubes in lightly. Arrange them in one layer on a baking sheet.

1st frying: In a deep fryer, heat 2-inches of the oil to 375 degrees F. In it, fry the shrimp balls in batches, turning them, for 1 to 2 minutes or until they are golden. Transfer the shrimp balls to paper towels to drain.

2nd frying: Bring the oil up to 375 degrees F. again and add the shrimp balls. Fry again, turning until they are a deep golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Optional: In a small bowl, stir together the coarse salt and peppercorns for dipping. Serve with the shrimp balls.
Makes 30 shrimp balls

JEWISH MESHUGGAH NUTS-OR-SWEDISH NUTS
JEWISH MESHUGGAH NUTS - OR - SWEDISH NUTS
By BumbleBeeBoogie

4 cups of shelled raw nuts:
For Jewish Meshuggah Nuts, use pecan halves.
For Swedish Nuts, use any combination of blanched almonds, walnut halves, pecan halves, and cashews

2 large egg whites (or powdered egg whites reconstituted according to the package directions)
l cup granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for Swedish Nuts, you may optionally omit the cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sweet butter

Preheat oven at 325 degrees F.
In a bowl, using an electric or hand mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Beat in the sugar, cinnamon and salt until smooth and glossy and soft peaks form.
Fold the nuts into egg whites.
Melt the butter in large non-stick baking pan. Spread the nut mixture in the pan.

Bake 25 minutes, stirring half way through and at the end, until no butter remains in the pan and nuts are evenly coated and browned. Cool. Break the nuts apart with your hands. Store in a tightly covered container.

Chicken Liver Saute recipe by BumbleBeeBoogie
CHICKEN LIVER SAUTE HORS D-OEURVES
By BumbleBeeBoogie

1 pound chicken livers
1/2 cube sweet butter
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces proscuitto
1/2 cup dry white wine
Toast triangles or crackers

Clean and drain the chicken livers; remove any fatty particles; cut the chicken livers in half or chop them.

In a skillet over high heat, saute the chicken livers in the butter with the herbs and pepper for two minutes, stirring constantly. Take care not to over-cook the chicken livers or they will become tough.

Cut the proscuitto into bite-size pieces; add it to the liver mixture and cook for another minute. Remove the liver and proscuitto from the pan with a slotted spoon.

To the remaining pan juices, add the wine and reduce over high heat one or two minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and combine the reduced juices and the meats.

Serve with thin good quality toast or crackers.

Serves eight as an hors d'oeurve. Can also be served as an entree for four persons.

I also like to add any left-over refrigerated chicken liver mixture (rarely happens) to soft-scrambled eggs, served on toast for brunch.

What is Wasabi?
Wasabi, a fiery, bright green accompaniment to sushi and sashimi, is often referred to as "Japanese horseradish" though it's not really related to it. Wasabi comes from the root of a perennial herb, Eutrema wasabi, that grows wild in or on the banks of mountain streams or is cultivated in flooded mountain terraces of Japan and eastern Siberia, according to "The Oxford Companion to Food."

WOWCHOS recipe from the Garlic Festival
WOWCHOS
Adapted by BumbleBeeBoogie

This Gilroy Garlic Festival winning recipe by Leonard Brill of San Francisco is easy to make. It's from the 1997 The Complete Garlic Lovers' Cookbook.

This year's 2002 Garlic Festival will be held in Gilroy, California in July. www.gilroygarlicfestival.com. The Pacific North West's garlic festival will be held in Washington in June. Berkeley, California will celebrate Bastille Day with a garlic festival at Chez Panisse on July 14th, www.chezpanisse.com.

WOWCHOS

2 large heads fresh garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
2 tablespoon olive oil
packaged tortilla chips
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 can (4-ounces) chopped green chiles
11/3 cup sliced pimento-stuffed olives
1-1/2 cups grated pepper Jack cheese
chopped cilantro
chopped green onions, including the green tops

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F.

Coat the garlic cloves with the oil and place them in a small baking pan and bake them for 30 minutes, or until they are soft and golden.

Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

Cover a non-stick metal baking pan (approximately 9 by 12 inches) with overlapping tortilla chips. Distribute the baked garlic, red onion, chilies, and olives evenly over the tortilla chips. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the ingredients. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and green onion over the top of the ingredients, and serve.

Makes about 4 appetizer servings.

Here is a wasabi appetizer dip:

JUDY'S WASABI MAYONNAISE DIP

1 1/4 C mayonnaise
1 T. light soy sauce
1 1/2 t. sugar
2 t. lemon juice, fresh
1 T wasabi powder diluted in a little water
or fresh ground wasabi to taste.

This makes a great vegtable dip. I use if with blanched chilled snow peas that still have a crunchy snap to them. This is simple but elegant.

That wasabi mayonaise dip sounds good, couzz.

Couzz's wasabi dip
Couzz, I think your wasabi dip would also be good on thinly sliced grilled flank steak. I will post my flank steak recipe later. BBB