Spicy Holiday Appetizers

The Holiday season is a time for parties and entertaining; Thanksgiving, Christmas, and football parties. Spicy dips and appetizers are all the rage these days. Here's an eclectic collection of recipes sure to be a hit at your party!

Hot Taco Bean Dip
Southern Living Online

• 2 (16-ounce) cans refried beans
• 1 (1.25-ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups (8 ounces) Mexican-style shredded cheese, divided

STIR together first 4 ingredients and 1 cup cheese; spoon into an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.
BAKE at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is thoroughly heated. Yield: 4 1/2 cups.

Creamy Mexican Dip
Southern Living Online

• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
• 1 (8-ounce) package Mexican blend shredded cheese
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained

STIR together all ingredients in a 1-quart baking dish.
BAKE at 375° for 15 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips. Yield: about 3 cups.

Chicken and Shrimp Dumplings with Soy Dipping Sauce

Soy Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sweet hot chili sauce
• 2 slices fresh ginger root

Filling

• 1/4 pound ground chicken
• 6 shrimp , peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon sweet hot chili sauce
• soy sauce to taste
• 24 wonton wrappers
• 1/2 cup chicken stock

To make the sauce, place all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring up to a boil. Remove from the heat then allow to cool before serving. In a small bowl combine chicken and shrimp and mix well. Add ginger, garlic, onion, basil and chili sauce and mix well. Season with soy sauce. In the middle of a fresh wonton wrapper place a heaping teaspoon of the shrimp mixture. Bring the sides up around the filling pleating the sides. Continue with the rest of the filling. In a large sauté pan heat oil until very hot. Gently place the dumplings in the sauté pan and brown. When the dumplings are brown, add stock and steam about 2 minutes or until tender. Remove and serve hot with soy dipping sauce.

Cheese Ring

• 1 (8 oz.) block Monterey jack cheese
• 1 (8 oz.) block Colby cheese
• 1 (8 oz.) block Jalapeño cheese
• 1/4 onion, grated
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• Raspberry seeded preserves

Grate cheeses and mix with sour cream and mayonnaise. Add cayenne pepper to taste. Spray mold, ring-shaped, with a non stick cooking spray and mold into ring. This is better if done a couple of days ahead of time. To serve, turn mold over onto serving platter and place seeded raspberry preserves in center. Garnish and serve with crackers.

Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms with Bacon

• 4 slices bacon
• 24 medium mushrooms (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 1 tbs butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tbs dried

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet, chop, and drain fat from skillet.
2. Remove stems from mushrooms. Reserve and finely chop 2/3 of stems. Discard remaining stems.
3. Cook mushroom caps in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain on paper towel.
4. Heat butter and add mushroom stems, onion, and garlic. Cook five minutes. Add peppers and cook three minutes longer. Cool and then stir in bacon, cheese and parsley.
5. Spoon into caps. Bake on baking sheet at 350o for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Chile Roll Log Appetizer
Yield: 12 Servings

• 1/2 lb. American Cheese
• 1 lb. Smoked Cheese
• 1/2 lb. grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 (8 oz) Pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 1 small onion chopped Fine
• 2 cloves garlic chopped Fine
• 1/4 Tsp. seasoned salt
• 2 Tbs. Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire Sauce
• Chile Powder (medium to hot)

1. Mix all of the above except Chile powder in a large mixing bowl and then form into logs. Roll in Chile powder.
2. Wrap in saran wrap and place in refrigerator, chill at least 1 hour before serving.
3. Serve with a variety of crackers.

Meatballs In Chipotle Sauce

Meatballs

• 1pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic -- chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• salt and pepper -- to taste

Chipotle Sauce

• 6 chipotle chiles -- pickled or en adobo
• 6 medium tomatoes -- roasted & peeled
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons lard
• salt and pepper -- to taste

Combine the pork, beef, ground cumin, garlic, eggs, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. shape the mixture into medium-size meatballs. Cook the meatballs in the Chipotle Sauce for about 25 minutes. To make the Chipotle Sauce, puree the chiles, tomatoes, broth, garlic, cumin seeds, and oregano. Strain. Saute' the puree in light lard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring sauce to a boil.

NOTES : From: Frida's Fiestas, Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo by Guadalupe Rivera and Marie-Pierre Colle.

MEXICO NUTS
Southern Living online

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 cup pecan halves
• Vegetable cooking spray

COMBINE first 7 ingredients.
WHISK egg white lightly; add 2 tablespoons water, whisking mixture until blended.
DIP pecan halves into egg white mixture. Drain well with a slotted spoon. Dredge in sugar mixture. Place nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
BAKE at 250° for 1 1/2 hours. Yield: 1 cup.
Prep: 10 min.; Bake: 1 hr., 30 min.

HOT JALAPENO CRAB DIP
Recipe from Everyday Is A Party Cookbook, by Emeril Lagasse, with Marcelle Bienvenu and Felicia Willett, published by William Morrow, 1999

• 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapenos
• 1/4 pound Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos, grated
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
• 1 recipe Toasted Croutons, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the crabmeat, garlic, jalapenos, Monterey Jack, Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt, and mayonnaise in a medium-size mixing bowl. Toss gently to mix. Spoon the mixture into a medium-size mixing bowl. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly on the top of the crabmeat mixture. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving with the croutons.

TOASTED CROUTONS: 1 loaf French bread (about 8 inches in diameter and 15 inches long), ends trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices 5 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bread slices on the baking sheet and brush them with half of the olive oil, then sprinkle them with 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper. Turn the slices over, and brush them with the remaining oil, and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Bake for about 6 minutes, then turn the baking sheet around in the oven to ensure even browning. Bake until the croutons are lightly browned, about 6 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving.

Yield: about 32 croutons
Yield: 8 appetizer servings

ARTICHOKE NIBBLES

• 2 6 oz. jars marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 c. fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 or 3 dashes of pepper
• 2 or 3 dashes of oregano
• 2 or 3 dashes of liquid hot pepper seasoning
• 1/2 lb. (2 c.) sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

Drain marinade from 1 jar of artichokes into frying pan. Drain other jar, and discard marinade. Chop all artichokes, and set aside. Add onion and garlic to frying pan. Saute until onion is limp. In medium bowl, beat eggs with a fork; add crumbs, salt, pepper, oregano and hot pepper seasoning. Stir in the cheese, parsley, artichokes and onion mixture. Mix well. Turn into a greased 7 x 11 baking pan. Bake at 325 F for about 30 minutes or until set when lightly touched. Let cool in pan. Cut into 1 inch squares. Serve cold, or reheat for 10 minutes.

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