Easy appetizers can be the cook’s best culinary friend, especially during the holiday time crunch. Whether a tidbit served before the meal or combined with other appetizers to make the entire feast, they can be true sanity-savers.
What’s more, glamorous finger foods are conducive to relaxed conversation and fun.
To my way of thinking, to qualify as “easy,” these hors d’oeuvres need to meet one of two criteria: Either they require no more than 10 minutes of preparation time (not including the baking times, which should require no special attention) or they can be made well in advance and tucked in the refrigerator or freezer (and reheated or baked if necessary).
If they are delicious and have a festive, colorful presentation without too much fuss, they move to the top of my list.
Fondue bread is made with frozen bread dough. The thawed dough is rolled into a long rectangle and filled with a combination of creamy Muenster cheese, egg and fresh rosemary. The dough is pinched to make a cheese-filled rope that forms a circle around the inside edge of a springform pan.
Rosemary walnuts make a tasty cocktail nibble. They combine the luscious flavors of walnuts, walnut oil with garlic, coarse salt and fresh rosemary; best of all, they can be prepared four days before serving.
Hot (or cold) marinated mushrooms team fresh mushrooms with tomatoes, lemon juice, dry white wine, onions, olive oil and herbs. They can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. Serve them cold or reheat.
Quick prosciutto toasties are a snap. Slices of trimmed white bread (the spongy-style works best) are topped with an herb butter and a slice of prosciutto and rolled into tight spirals. Baked to a golden brown, they make delightful appetizers or a great accompaniment to soup or salad.
This time of year, treat your guests and yourself kindly. Keep those starters on the easy side, so you can relax and spend more time enjoying the season.
FONDUE BREAD WITH SLICED APPLES
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
2 eggs
1 pound Muenster cheese, shredded, see note
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 loaf (1 pound) frozen white bread dough, thawed according to package directions
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 each: red, green apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup mango chutney, optional
Sprigs of fresh rosemary, optional
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter or margarine.
2. Reserve 1 egg white for later use. Beat 2 egg yolks and 1 egg white in a medium bowl. Add cheese and rosemary; stir to combine and set aside.
3. Roll thawed dough on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle about 6 by 20 inches. Place cheese mixture lengthwise on center of dough. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch to seal seam. Place roll seam-side down around the outside of the prepared springform pan to make a ring; pinch ends to seal. Brush with reserved egg white and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Release pan hinge and remove bread immediately. Allow bread to rest 15 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Slice apples and place them in a bowl of cold water that has been mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
5. Place cheese-filled bread in center of large round platter. Drain apples and pat dry. Arrange overlapping in small groupings around the bread. Garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary, if desired. Serve with chutney, if desired. Cut bread into wedges.
Advance preparation: Assemble and freeze, unbaked. Thaw 6 hours in the refrigerator. Increase baking time by 5 minutes.
Note: Cheese will shred more easily in the food processor if it is very cold. Place it in the freezer for 10 minutes before grating.
ROSEMARY WALNUTS
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 cups
2 tablespoons walnut oil or walnut oil with garlic, see note
2 cups walnut halves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, preferably coarse (kosher) salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Optional garnish: sprigs of fresh rosemary
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour oil on a small jellyroll pan and place in oven for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, toss walnuts, salt and rosemary. Pour mixture onto pan with heated oil. Shake pan to distribute oil over the nuts. Bake 5 minutes. Shake pan and bake an additional 5 minutes. Place on paper towel to cool slightly before serving.
Advance preparation: Can be made several days in advance, but are best served warm. Store cooled nuts in an airtight container and just before serving, reheat in a 300-degree oven. If desired, garnish plate with sprigs of fresh rosemary.
Note: Walnut oil is sold in many supermarkets. Some markets sell a walnut oil with garlic that tastes delicious in this recipe. Once walnut oil is opened it should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 4 months.
MARINATED MUSHROOMS
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 appetizer servings
Adapted from “Bocuse a la Carte” (Random House, 1987).
1 1/4 pounds small clean button mushrooms
Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon, about 1/4 cup
1 cup dry white wine
Pinch dried thyme or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 small bay leaf
10 coriander seeds
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped, see note
6 tablespoons each: chopped parsley, olive oil
1 large onion, peeled, chopped
Kale for optional garnish
1. Place mushrooms, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a large glass bowl. Add wine, thyme, bay leaf, coriander, tomato and parsley; set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat until onion is transparent. Add mushroom mixture; heat to a boil on high heat; cook 5 minutes. Pour mixture into serving bowl.
3. Drain off some of the liquid just before serving. If desired, surround serving bowl with fresh kale. Accompany with toothpicks. This dish can be served as an appetizer or a side dish with broiled steak or chicken.
Advance preparation: Can be made one day in advance and stored airtight in the refrigerator. These mushrooms can be served hot, cold or at room temperature.
Note: To peel a tomato, submerge in barely simmering water for 30 seconds. Remove from water; skin should slip off easily. To seed, cut tomato in half horizontally and gently squeeze out seeds.
QUICK PROSCIUTTO TOASTIES
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes
Yield: 12 to 16 pieces
12 to 16) slices good-quality white bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 tablespoon each, minced: fresh parsley, chives
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut crusts off bread. Combine butter and herbs. Spread butter mixture on 1 side of each piece of bread. Top with a single layer of prosciutto and roll into a tight cylinder on the diagonal starting at one corner; secure with a wooden toothpick. Top each cylinder with a generous amount of butter mixture.
2. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet or jellyroll pan. Bake until nicely browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove toothpicks and place in a napkin-lined basket. Serve immediately.
Advance preparation: Can be assembled 1 day in advance and refrigerated unbaked. Bake just before serving.
