Wednesday, December 17, 2003

A few simple ingredients can keep you in the mood

By KATHLEEN PURVIS
Knight Ridder Newspapers

Listen — do you hear that rumbling? It’s the New Year’s party machine, cranking up and backing you into a corner.

Sounds ominous, doesn’t it? You think it’s so innocent when you accept those invitations. Suddenly, there you are — with a list of obligations, right at the time of year when you have the most demands on your time.

Potlucks, drop-ins, “drinks-and” parties. The people down the street have had you over three times and if you don’t invite them over soon, you’ll have to wear a disguise to walk the dog. The book club thinks a party would be swell, if you could just bring a little plate of something. And there’s that office party tomorrow — what, you didn’t get the e-mail?

There is a way to control the party machine: Tame it.

What you need are a handful of really simple party recipes. We put together a few appetizers, all made with four or fewer ingredients. Make one and you’ve got that potluck under control. Put a bunch of them together and it’s a party.

Quick cheese rounds

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 envelope onion soup mix

2 cups all-purpose flour

Beat the cheese and the butter together with an electric mixer. Blend in the onion soup mix. Work in the flour with a pastry blender or your fingers, forming a crumbly dough.

Place on a sheet of waxed paper and form into a roll about 2 inches in diameter. Roll up in the waxed paper and refrigerate overnight or for several days.

Slice about 1/4 inch thick and place on a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until slightly browned. Makes about 40.

Pesto roll-ups

1 (8-serving) package refrigerated crescent rolls

Pesto

Unroll dough and separate into triangles. Spread each with pesto. Cut each triangle in half, making 16 long triangles. Roll up triangles and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.Serve warm.

Herbed goat cheese

2-3 short logs of Montrachet goat cheese

2 to 4 tablespoons Herbes de Provence

Fresh parsley, rinsed and patted dry

Cut the cheese logs into thin slices. (Turn the log between cuts to keep the bottom from getting flat. If the slices get ragged, pat them back together.)

Spread the dried herbs in a shallow bowl. Mince the parsley and add to the dry herbs, tossing to mix.

Place each slice of cheese in the herb mixture, turning to coat all sides. Place on a tray and refrigerate up to 8 hours before serving. Makes 15 servings.

Note: Herbes de Provence is a dried herb mixture that usually contains basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme. If you can’t find or want to vary the mixture, use any combination of dried herbs you like.

Baked cheese spread

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup grated Colby cheese

1 cup chopped onion

Combine all ingredients. Spread in a glass pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until it’s bubbling and starting to brown in spots.

Serve hot, with crackers for spreading. Makes 3 cups.

Brie kisses

1/2 to 2/3 pound brie cheese (wedges are fine)

1 (17.3-ounce) box frozen puff pastry

Hot pepper jelly

Cut the brie into 1/2-inch squares (leave the rind on if you like). Place on a dinner plate and put the cheese in the freezer while you thaw the puff pastry for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Unfold the thawed pastry, press together seams and roll lightly with a rolling pin to smooth it out. Cut each sheet into fourths, then cut each fourth in half. Cut the halves in half to make 16 squares per sheet.

Lightly spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray. Fit a piece of dough into each cup, pushing into the cup but leaving the edges sticking up. Place a dab of pepper jelly in each cup, then top with a piece of cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Serve warm. (Can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake, or you can bake them and rewarm about 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven before serving.) Makes 32.

Hearts of palm spread

2 to 4 cloves garlic

2 (14-ounce) cans hearts of palm, drained

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Smash garlic with the flat side of a chef’s knife to peel. Place in a food process and process to a paste. Add hearts of palm and process to a rough puree. With motor running, drizzle in oil in a thin stream until mixture forms a fluffy, velvety puree. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. Makes about 4 cups.

Salami chips

Salami, sopressata, pepperoni or ham

Parchment paper

Get the cured meat in the deli, so you can request it sliced very thin.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange meat slices in a single layer. Cover with parchment paper. Add a second layer of meat, then cover with parchment paper.

Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the slices are crispy and curling a little around the edges. Remove from oven and blot excess fat if needed. Peel crispy slices off the paper. Serve warm.

Bacon-wrapped dates with almonds

24 whole almonds

24 whole pitted dates

8 thin slices bacon, cut crosswise into thirds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Stuff each date with an almond. (We used the end of a chopstick to open the hole wider. Keep an eye out for bits of pit left when the machines cleaned them.)

Wrap each date with a piece of bacon, securing it with a toothpick. (Can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated until ready to bake.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place dates on the baking sheet. Bake until bacon is crisp, 20 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Drain on paper towels and serve warm. Makes 2 dozen.

It only takes a few ingredients such as these cheeses, olives, almonds, dates and onions to make easy appetizers for the party season. Photo/Special.

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