Archive for the ‘APPETIZERS / SNACKS’ Category
Crispy Sardines & Garlic Mayo
These are very good. Serve as an appetizer or with a nice pasta salad or vegetables for a light dinner. I made this on 30 Aug 2017 and is highly recommended if you like sardines in olive oil. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 tin sardines in olive oil, (120 g / 4¼ oz), Shortcut
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, Shortcut
- cooking oil, for frying
- chili powder, for garnish
For the Garlic Mayo
- ½ cup mayo
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 tablespoons oil from the sardine can
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Drain the tin of sardines and reserve the olive oil, this is the 120 gram tin, then split each sardine in half lengthwise. Or use 3-4 pieces of homemade sardines in olive oil.
- For garlic mayo, mix all the garlic mayo ingredients. Season to taste with salt and leave it in the fridge to let flavors to build.
- Lightly coat sardines in flour, followed by egg, then breadcrumbs. Heat oil in pan and pan fry till golden brown and crispy. (I did not have breadcrumbs, totally forgot that so I used tempura flour after the egg wash, that works well too.)
- Serve hot with garlic mayonnaise and a sprinkle of chili powder.
Notes
One tin of sardines in olive oil, Ayam brand costs 59 Baht. For 2 servings, this is about 87 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Sardines in Olive Oil, Breadcrumbs.
Green Chile & Cheese Wontons
Unique but looks good! On my to cook list for sure.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Gouda cheese, shredded
- 2/3 cup large green chilies, roasted, skinned, seeded, diced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 500 grams wonton skins
- 1/2 avocado, mashed
- cooking oil, of your choice
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Combine cheese, chiles, onion, avocado; mix well. Working with one wonton skin at a time, spoon about 1 1/2 tsp. cheese mixture in center of each wonton. Moisten edges of wonton lightly with water. Fold wonton in half to form a triangle, pressing edges together to seal. Repeat procedure with remaining wonton skins and the remaining mixture of ingredients. Chill 20 minutes in the fridge.
- Fry wontons in a small amount of hot oil (375) until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with guacamole if desired.
Notes
I cannot price this until I locate the wonton skins. This will fair priced just based on the amount of cheese used.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Jerry Juliana.
United States.
United States.
Son-in-Law Eggs (Khai Luk Khoei)
These are very good, the sauce has a unique flavor to it and goes well with the eggs. Very glad I made this. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 8 hard boiled eggs
- 1/2 cup fried shallots, make from a shortcut
- 1 tablespoon shallot oil, make from a shortcut
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 Bird's Eye Chilis, seeded, slivered lengthwise
- fresh cilantro
- vegetable oil, as needed for frying
Instructions
- In wok or deep heavy skillet, add some vegetable oil to about 2-3 inches deep and heat to almost 180 C but not smoking.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place it next to the stove.
- When the oil is ready, gently add eggs with a slotted spoon and fry, stirring them as needed to ensure even browning, until they are thoroughly and evenly browned, about 3 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to the towel-lined baking sheet and let them cool down. Let them cool while you make the sauce.
- To make the sauce, in a small saucepan, combine the shallot oil, sugar, fish sauce, tamarind, and water over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has fully dissolved, check the consistency of the mixture. It should have the consistency of warm pancake syrup. If it is too thin, reduce it a bit more. If it is too thick, add a little more water. When the desired consistency is achieved, remove the pan from the heat.
- Slice the deep-fried eggs in half lengthwise and arrange the halves, cut sides up, on a serving platter.
- Pour the warm sauce over the eggs and sprinkle the shallots over the top. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.
Notes
Low cost.
For the sauce, as stated will work perfectly. Now every region in Thailand has their own ways to prepare the sauce, as long as the tamarind, sugar, and fish sauce is used the results will be very similar.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Pull-Apart Pizza Bites
Sounds good and easy to make these. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 1/4 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Pepperoni, chopped
- 1 pizza dough crust, OR make from a shortcut
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220 C. Lightly grease with a butter a pie baking dish.
- Mix together the tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni in a small bowl.
- Shape the pizza dough into a large rectangle, and with a sharp knife or dough cutter, cut into 24 even squares.
- Add a small spoon of filling to a square, then pull the corners up to the top and pinch together to seal, to make a round ball, place the ball in the pie dish seam side down. Repeat for the all the squares.
- Once all the balls are in the pie dish, brush on the melted butter.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve with additional tomato sauce for dipping, enjoy.
Notes
The cheese would cost about 140 Baht. For 24 bites, as an appetizer, say for 6 servings, this is about 69 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Tomato Sauce, Pizza Dough.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Pulls
Sounds like a great appetizer. Not a cheap appetizer based on the cheese and bacon. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread, unsliced
- 250 grams Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
- 200 grams smoked bacon, chopped, fried crispy
- 1/2 cup butter, melted, 1/2 standard block
- 1 tablespoon dry ranch dressing mix, OR make from a shortcut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C.
- Using a sharp bread knife cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust. Place slices of cheese in between cuts. Sprinkle cooked bacon on bread, making sure to get in between cuts. Mix together butter and Ranch dressing mix. Pour over bread. Wrap loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Unwrap. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Notes
The cheese would cost about 180 Baht/250 grams, the bacon would cost about 130 Baht/200 grams. I will take a guess at 6 servings, this would cost about $1.52 per serving, not cheap but but sounds really nice for a once in a while appetizer for visiting family and friends.
Shortcut: Ranch Dressing Mix.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
Stuffed Mussels (Relyenong Tahong)
This recipe is from the Philippines, and sounds very good to me. Mussels are inexpensive here, make sure you clean any grass they have been feeding on if getting local. I am looking forward to making this. You can serve these as an appetizer or as a main dish with rice on the side.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 16-20 fresh green mussels
- 500 grams ground pork, (1 lb)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 strips bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the mussels by soaking them in hot water for a few minutes, this will open the mussels and then spread the shells apart, the shell with nothing on it, take out and discard, the only shells you want remaining will each have a mussel attached to it, swish the shell will the mussel attached in the water a bit to clean it off and remove any impurities. If there is any grass tufts showing, remove those from the mussels as well. Set these aside.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Get out a baking sheet.
- In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except the mussels, mix well to combine.
- Scoop up around 1 to 1½ tablespoons of pork mixture and using your hands, stuff it into the shell and onto a mussel. The shell will look like a rounded mound. Repeat until all the mussels have stuffing. Place each mussel on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until starting to brown, you want to make sure the pork is cooked through.
- Remove from the oven, arrange on a serving plate, serve with a dipping sauce of your choice if desired. Enjoy.
Lumpia aka Spring Rolls
Many Asian countries have their versions of Lumpia or Spring Rolls, these are great appetizers.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground pork
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 1/2 cup carrot, shredded
- 1/4 cup spring onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
- lumpia or spring roll, wrappers, as needed
- 3 cups cooking oil
Instructions
- Add together pork, onion, and carrots in a large bowl and mix well. Add green onions, parsley, salt, pepper, egg, and soy sauce and mix.
- Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of lumpia mixture in the wrapper about two inches from the top of the roll. Fold the top of the roll once to the mixture. Fold in both sides to the center. Continue rolling tightly until you reach the end of the wrapper.
- Heat the oil in a large pan, cast iron would be perfect, on medium heat. Fry the lumpia, flipping regularly until lumpia is golden brown. Place finished lumpia on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve hot.
Notes
The ground pork will cost about 60 Baht/500 grams. For 4 servings, this is about 37 cents per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Garland Davis, US Navy Cook (Ret).
United States.
United States.
Easy Crab Bombs
Sounds delicious! On my to cook list. I would use fresh crab cooked yourself and picked, prep time does not reflect this step. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 500 grams crab meat, (1 lb)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup butter crackers, crushed, like Magic or Ritz
- 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, Shortcut
- 1 tablespoon Worcherstershire sauce
- butter, melted, for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a baking sheet and line with parchment paper.
- Place crab meat in a mixing bowl, remove any stray shell fragments. Add crushed crackers, Old Bay seasoning, and parsley, gently toss together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Pour mixture over the crab meat and gently mix, careful not to break up large lumps of crab meat.
- Shape into golf ball sized balls and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Drizzle with melted butter and allow to cool before serving.
Notes
I cannot price this until I make it in order to get the amount of crab needed. For now I will say fair value.
Shortcut: Old Bay Seasoning.
Garlic Bread
This is always good, I have made this many times, and so easy, great side dish for any pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
- 1/2 cup butter, softened, this is 1/2 standard block
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C.
- Mix the garlic powder and parsley into the softened, room temperature butter to make a paste. Spread butter paste on each slice of bread and place the bread on a baking sheet.
- Bake for about 10 minutes until the bread is lightly toasted.
Notes
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Grilled Pork on a Stick
This is a Filipino recipe for the familiar grilled meat on a stick for anyone who has visited the Philippines. I look forward to making this. No servings or times given, this is a make what you want, think large crowd like family visiting, or when having friends visit, would be a good meal in itself while sitting around and chatting.
Ingredients
- pork butt, OR pork shoulder
- 1 1/2 cups soy sauce
- 2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon banana ketchup, OR, sweet chili sauce
- 10 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- wooden skewers, as needed
Instructions
- Take the pork and cut into thin strips.
- Mix the marinade ingredients together and add the pork. Refrigerate over night, or if pushed for time, marinate for at least 2 hours prior to grilling.
- Soak the skewers in water to prevent burning. Light your grill, charcoal would be preferred, when the coals are ready, no more flames, skewer the pork strips and grill until done, turning as needed. Serve as an appetizer or main meal with sides of your choice.
Notes
For pricing I will use pork shoulder at 103 Baht/kilo, A kilo would make a lot of sticks of meat! For an estimate of say 8 people (an average Thai family get together), this is about 38 cents per person. Great value.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Edward Coleman.
Philippines.
