Category: Appetizers

Fried Risotto Balls with Classic Spicy Tomato Sauce

, Valentina Rice

 

Utterly addictive, these crispy fried risotto balls are filled with melted mozzarella and are heavenly when dipped in Jar Goods Classic Spicy Tomato Sauce. Easy to make ahead and fry at the last minute, they make for the perfect appetizer. You can also freeze the risotto balls once made to keep for impromptu gatherings.

 

Fried Risotto Balls with Classic Spicy Tomato Sauce

Makes approximately 12-14 balls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

4 cups stock (vegetable or chicken), heated

1 teaspoon saffron threads

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes

3 eggs

1 cup breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil for frying

Classic Spicy Tomato Sauce for dipping

 

Making the risotto:

 

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan and then gently sauté the onion for about 6-8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the rice and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the wine. Cook until evaporated and then begin to add the stock a ladle at a time, waiting until the stock has cooked down before adding the next. Stir frequently as you are adding your stock.  After about 10 minutes, add the saffron threads and mix thoroughly. Continue adding the stock until the rice is tender and creamy, approximately 20 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese, stir well and season to taste.  Leave the risotto to cool.

 

Making the balls:

 

Once the risotto has cooled, add 1 egg and mix in well. Whisk the remaining 2 eggs in a bowl and have another bowl ready with breadcrumbs. Make a 2” ball out of the risotto as if you were making a meatball. Add a small square of mozzarella cheese to the center and cover the risotto around it. Once you have a round ball, dip in the egg mixture and then cover with breadcrumbs and leave to rest on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you’ve used up all the risotto.  At this point, you can freeze the balls or leave them in the fridge for a few hours or go ahead and fry them.

 

Frying the balls:

 

Pour enough oil in a large Dutch oven so there’s about 2-3 inches of oil. Heat until oil is very hot but not smoking and gently add the balls in batches so they’re not overcrowded. Fry until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes and then drain on paper towels.

 

Serve immediately with Classic Spicy Tomato sauce.

Malaysian Chicken Satay

, Valentina Rice

 

Of all the things I miss about my old job, wandering the night markets of South East Asia and eating my bodyweight in street food ranks pretty high. Could it possibly be true that the Thai government has banned street food in Bangkok? It seems as unimaginable as a New York City without yellow cabs. Among my favorite street foods are the ubiquitous chicken satay and their constant companion, peanut sauce. A perfect warm weather appetizer, you don’t have to travel to the other side of the world to get it. It was my first attempt at making satay and I couldn’t believe how easy it was and how in one bite, I was transported to the sounds and smells of those bustling street markets. The chicken in this recipe is incredibly tender from the coconut milk and packed with rich flavor from Spice Tree Organics’ new Malaysian Curry blend and The Saucey Sauce Company’s fish sauce.

 

Malaysian Chicken Satay
Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (you could also use breast but thigh grills up nicer)
1/2 cup of coconut milk
1/4 cup of fish sauce
1 tablespoon Malaysian Curry blend
1 tablespoon light brown sugar (if you want to be authentic get your hands on palm sugar)
Sliced scallions, lime, red onion and cucumber for serving

Peanut sauce for dipping

 

Method:
1. Clean the chicken thighs from excess fat and cut into strips of desirable length (4″ x 1.5″).
2. In a large bowl mix the coconut milk, fish sauce, curry blend and sugar. Mix well. Add the chicken strips and make sure well coated in marinade. Let sit for at least one hour, ideally overnight for best flavor.
3. Soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes pre cooking to make sure they don’t burn in oven/on grill. Remove skewers from water.
4. Preheat oven to broil or heat grill. Remove chicken from marinade and skewer each strip lengthwise. Broil/Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
5. Serve hot alongside peanut sauce and enjoy!

Shrimp and Scallion Shumai

, Valentina Rice

 

When the woman outside NYC’s hottest new Dim Sum place, Tim Ho Wan, told us the wait would be 3 hours, I actually thought she was joking. Going for Dim Sum on a weekend is one of the joys of living in the city but nothing is worth waiting 3 hours for! Learning to make my favorite dishes at home has been a goal of mine and I’m always surprised at how simple it is. We added just a teaspoon of One Culture’s Southwest Asian Sweet Chili sauce to the filling and I couldn’t believe the extra flavor it gave each dumpling. Give them a try for Chinese New Year!

 

Shrimp and Scallion Shumai

Makes about 24 

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 lb. uncooked shrimp

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/3 cup roughly chopped scallion whites, chop the greens for garnish

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon Southwest Asian Sweet Chili plus more for dipping

1 package of wonton wrappers (found in the freezer section at Asian supermarkets)

Savoy cabbage for lining the steamer basket

 

Method:

1. In a food processor, puree garlic, ginger, half of the shrimp, soy sauce and scallions until it forms a smooth paste.

2. Dice the remaining shrimp and combine in a bowl with the paste.  Mix in the rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and fill a small finger bowl with water.

4. To assemble the shumai, fill each wrapper with a dessert spoon of shrimp filling. Bring the sides of the wonton wrapper to the center, pleating them together as you go and pressing to the filling until the sides come together. The shrimp mixture should peak out of the top. Flatten the shrimp top and repeat until filling is used up.

5. Freeze or refrigerate shumai for 1 hour.

6. When ready to cook, steam in a cabbage lined steamer basket for  8-10 minutes until the exposed filling turns pink and the wonton wrappers are tender.

7. Serve shumai with extra Southwest Asian Sweet Chili sauce for dipping.

Green Chile ‘Turquitos’

, Valentina Rice

 

Plagued by insomnia of late, I’ve been spending the wee hours of the morning contemplating everything from the big questions in life to the incredibly mundane. Mulling over new ideas for turkey leftovers (which obviously fall into the ‘big life questions’ category) resulted in a 4am stroke of genius: Turquitos. I’m planning on selling the idea to Taco Bell for millions.

 

Even better than the genius name is that they’re incredibly easy to make and are absolutely delicious thanks to Bunches and Bunches’ vibrant Green Chile Sauce which packs such a punch, you don’t need to add anything else. Now I can go back to worrying about the state of the world in the knowledge that I’ve solved this year’s turkey leftover quandary.

 

Green Chile ‘Turquitos’

Serves 4 

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded turkey (you can substitute chicken)

1 1/2 cups Green Chile Sauce

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

12 small corn tortillas

1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Sour cream, avocado, lime and cilantro for serving

 

Method: 

1. In a large bowl, mix the turkey and green chile sauce.

2. In batches, wet the corn tortillas on both sides and microwave for 15 seconds between damp paper towels.

3. Put 2 tablespoons of turkey filling down the center of a softened tortilla, top with some cheese and roll tightly. Secure seam with a toothpick. Repeat until all tortillas are filled and rolled.

4. In a large frying pan, heat oil until bubbling and then fry turquitos in batches, approximately 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with sour cream, chopped avocado, lime and cilantro.

 

Cairo Falafel

, Valentina Rice

 

Doaa and Freda are very serious about their research as they set about creating a new spice kit. Falafel was no exception. Eaten throughout the Middle East, each region makes it a little different. Doaa and Freda decided to go to the source after discovering that falafel originated in Egypt. They combined the influences of both Egypt and the Levant to come up with their unique spice blend. The cumin and coriander are typically the only seasonings used in Egypt. Egyptian falafel is also characterized by the heavy use of spices and herbs, whereas Levantine falafel is less heavy-handed with both. Traditionally, Egyptians would use dried, split fava rather than chickpeas to make their falafel and if you can find them, I would definitely recommend it. Either way, these fried balls of deliciousness are packed with flavor incredibly easy to make at home.

 

Cairo Falafel

Makes approximately 18 balls

Ingredients:
1 cup dried split fava or chickpeas, soaked for 8 hours in a bowl of cold water
1 medium onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves
4 sprigs of parsley
2 tbsp Spice Tree Organics Cairo Falafel
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp water, or more if needed
3-4 cups of oil, for frying

 

Method:
1. Drain the fava or chickpeas, and place them along with the other ingredients and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor. If your food processor bowl is small, pulse the chickpeas first, remove them, and then pulse the onion, garlic, and parsley.
2. Add the chickpeas back to the bowl, along with the spices, salt, baking soda, and water. Run the food processor until the mixture is well combined and finely chopped.
3. If the mixture is not coming together, add more water, a little at a time, until it does.
4. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F.
5. Take a tablespoon of the falafel and roll it between your hands to form a ball. Press firmly so that the ball holds together and squeeze off any excess water so that you are left with compact falafel balls. Repeat until all balls are made.
6. Carefully deep fry falafel until golden brown, about 2 minutes each (fry in batches of 4 at a time to prevent over-crowding). They will puff up significantly, so do not shallow-fry these!
7. Serve hot, with tahini sauce, hummus and tabouleh salad.

Black Bean, Hatch Chile and Cheddar Flautas with Avocado Cream

, Valentina Rice

 

There are so many great Mexican dishes, so choosing a menu for a Cinco de Mayo party is always fun. We have posted a lot of great recipes over the years and even included A Mexican Fiesta and Tex-Mex Brunch chapters in our cookbook, Recipes from Many Kitchens.

 

It’s easy to create when we have producers like Rancho Gordo who supports small farmers to grow their indigenous beans in Mexico as well as Zukali Mexican Gourmet and Zia Green Chile Company who source small batch pepper to make their delicious products ranging from hatch chiles like we used in these flautas to fire roasted poblanos which we used in our chicken tortilla soup.

 

So to kick-off your own fiesta, we wanted to do a lineup of some of our favorites. We hope you enjoy.

 

Starters:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chile Rellenos

Mole Beef Nachos

 

Tacos:

Baja Style Fish Tacos

Mexican Pulled Beef Tacos

Red Chicken Tacos

Skirt Steak Tacos

 

Drinks:

Agua Frescas

Hot Cilantro Margarita

 

Black Bean, Hatch Chile and Cheddar Flautas with Avocado Cream

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

15.5 oz can black beans, drained

½ cup roasted green hatch chiles

½ cup diced yellow onion (about ½ onion)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen chopped spinach

2 tablespoons green salsa

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon lime juice

Canola/veg oil to fill a pot 2 inches high with oil

1 cup grated cheddar

1/2 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese

5, 6 inch flour tortillas (the small size makes for better frying so if you can’t find 6″ flour try corn or cut your tortillas down so they just overlap when rolling)

 

Avocado Cream:

1 Hass avocado

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons milk

1 lime, juiced

Sea salt, to taste

Tomato, as a garnish

 

Method:

1. In a food processor or blender, puree your black beans and Zia Green Chile until smooth.

2. Next, in a sauté pan on med-high, add your olive oil and onion and cook until onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 min. Season the onion with salt and pepper.

3. Then add in your garlic, spinach, green salsa and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes or until the spinach is soft and cooked through.

4. Combine your with bean puree with onion mixture and season to taste with salt.

5. Then mix in lime juice, cheddar and jack cheese and set aside.

6. Fill a thick bottomed pot with oil to reach 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Heat to frying temp (360F).

7. Fill each tortilla with ½ cup of the black bean mixture and roll tightly. Secure each rolled tortilla with 3 toothpicks.

8. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding. The oil is just right when it ripples as small little bubbles around the tortilla as it cooks. Each flauta should cook about 1 minute. They have a tendency to bob, so make sure you turn with tongs to make sure all sides cook fully and brown to golden. Once cooked, remove toothpicks and set flautas on a paper towel to drain off excess oil.

9. Mix the ingredients of your avocado cream in a food processor and season to taste with salt.

10. Cut flautas in half and serve with avocado cream and chopped tomatoes as a garnish.

Sugar and Spice Pecans

, Valentina Rice

 

 

I love the combination of the sweet and salty with a touch of heat from this recipe. The roasting and the blend of sugar and spices elevate the already tasty Pecan to a special snack. Fill a mason jar with these Pecans and they make a wonderful hostess gift. Tony Bonomolo and Gabriel Senette got the idea to smoke Louisiana cane sugar over pecan shells to get the flavor infused. They started their company with Pecan smoked sugar to such success that they went on to include lavender and then ginger.

 

Sugar and Spice Pecans by La Canne Sugar Products

Taken from Recipes from Many Kitchens

 

Makes approximately 2 cups
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons (30g) butter, melted
2 tablespoons (25g) Pecan Smoked Sugar (or you can substitute coarse brown sugar)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2lb (227g) whole pecans

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a large bowl combine melted butter with brown sugar, salt and spices. Mix well then add pecans and stir until they are fully coated. Bake pecans on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with a dash of extra sea salt. Allow to cool then serve.

Saucey Sauce Game Day Wings

, Valentina Rice

 

Saucey Sauces sauces are the perfect accompaniment to wings. They’ve given us their signature recipe that works will all their sauces but for these ones we’ve chosen the Spicy Garlic Wings.

 

Game Day Wings
Serves 6-8

 

Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken wings
Frying oil, such as peanut oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of finely ground black pepper
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Sweet Ginger Sauce

 

Method:
Pour oil into a medium sized heavy bottomed pot – adding enough to create a 4 inch deep layer. Heat the oil over medium heat till the oil is hot, about 375 degrees.

 

Wash and prepare the wings. Add the salt, pepper, and flour to a sealable tupperware container. Dredge the wings in flour a few at a time, shaking the container to coat thoroughly.

 

Working in batches, fry the wings until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked through remove from the pan and dry on a sheet tray lined with paper towels. To keep the chicken warm while frying the remaining wings store the sheet tray in an oven set to 100 degrees.

 

Add the Sweet Ginger Sauce to a medium sized bowl and toss with wings until throughly coated. Serve warm.

Crab Cakes with Hot Pink Mayonnaise

, Valentina Rice

 

My friend Ben always says that September feels more like the start of a new year than January and I know just what he means. After two beautiful weeks in Italy, I’m enjoying that back-to-school feeling filled with resolutions. Fueled by jet lag, I’ve already resumed my early morning walks on the high line and started planning the fall in my head. I had forgotten how much I love to start the day watching the city come to life on the streets below with the sun bursting through the high rise buildings in the east and the breeze off the Hudson from the west.

 

I tend to arrive home starving as the ideas I come up with are naturally food related and centered on what I plan on cooking. We’ve got a lot of wonderful new products that we’re going to be launching on Many Kitchens and coming up with recipes for them is one of my favorite past times. The utterly charming Victoria Amory has added a Hot Pink Mayonnaise to her growing collection of condiments and it’s a new favorite already. I used it both in, and on top of, these crab cakes making them incredibly succulent and flavorful. 

 

Crab Cakes with Hot Pink Mayonnaise

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 egg

1lb jumbo lump crab meat

2 tablespoons Hot Pink Mayonnaise (plus more for serving)

2 tablespoons chopped chives (reserve a few for serving)

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon cayenne peppe

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup canola oil

lemon wedges for serving

 

Method:

1. Whisk the egg in a bowl and then add all the other ingredients except for the oil. 

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Divide the mixture into 8 patties about 1″ thick.

4. Heat the oil in a large skillet until shimmering.

5. Add the crab cakes (if they don’t all fit, you can do in batches) and cook for about 3 minutes on each side – they should be nice and browned on both sides. Flip them very gently.

6. Serve topped with Hot Pink Mayo, a sprinkling of chives and lemon wedges.

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts

, Valentina Rice

I’ve been making these little beauties for so many years that I don’t remember where I first got the recipe. They are so simple to make that you barely need a recipe and you can make a large quantity very easily so they’re a perfect appetizer for a big Easter lunch. It’s all my favorite flavors in one mouthful; flaky pastry, sweet onions and cheese with a little kick. 

 

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts

Serves 8 as an appetizer

 

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 red onions, cut lengthwise and sliced thinly

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus extra sprigs to save as garnish

Salt 

Frozen puff pastry, defrosted but still cold

1 (8 oz.) log of goat cheese, put in freezer for approximately 30 minutes

 

Method:

1. Heat oven to 425° F.

2. In a large frying pan, melt the butter and olive oil. Add the onions and thyme and season well.

3. Fry on low heat for 20 – 25 minutes until the onions are soft and caramelized. Then turn the heat off and allow to cool.

4. Cut the pastry into approximately 4″ squares and lay on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper. You will need 8 squares

5. Add a small spoonful of the onion mixture to the center of each square, leaving a small rim of pastry.

6. Slice the goat cheese into 8 slices and put one slice on top of each of the onion tarts.

7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the pastry has risen and browned.

8. Serve warm with a bed of greens and top with fresh thyme.