Easy Appetizers - Serve-A-Bunch and Make-It-A-Meal

You might consider these tasty toasties as a Sicilian version of falafel or a motza ball without the chicken soup. But you can fancy them up if you think they need it by building the balls around something tasty.

3 cups brown rice, quick cooked
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup plain dried bread crumbs
olive or canola oil

Mix together the first 5 ingredients and half the bread crumbs. Form them by hand, using about 1/4 cup for each. (If the rice doesn’t want to stick together, mash it and it’ll be fine). Roll each rice ball in bread crumbs to coat it thoroughly.

If you want something inside, poke a hole with your finger, and insert a cheese cube, or some sauce, a piece of sausage or that old standby, “whatever” (don't forget to seal the hole).

This sort-of-classic item is really good and even impressive, but since you’re mixing the crab meat here with cheese spread, don’t waste your $$$ on the expensive stuff; just buy the tuna-size cans and don’t worry about claw or lump designations.

3 small tins crab meat
1 (16 oz) jar processed cheese spread
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (12 oz) package English muffins
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to broil.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix together first 4 ingredients. Spread heaping tablespoon on each muffin. Sprinkle with paprika.

Cut muffins into quarters, place the pieces on a cookie sheet and broil until the crab mixture is bubbly and golden brown - almost but not quite burned - say, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Just to avoid any uncertainty here, the pitas are separated into a top and bottom...that is you open them up along the edge...what I mean is... hey, it's clear to me. Good luck.

1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp each salt & black pepper
2 (6-inch) pitas with pockets, halved horizontally

For crab mixture:
1/4 lb jumbo lump crab meat
1 & 1/2 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp finely chopped scallions
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Dash of Tabasco

Preheat oven to 425F.

Stir together oils, cumin, and salt & pepper and brush on the cut sides of pitas. Cut each half into 8 wedges and arrange, cut sides up, on a large baking sheet.

Bake pitas in middle of oven until edges are crisp, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the crab mixture by stirring all the crab mix ingredients together.

When done, transfer the toasted pitas to a rack to cool (as they cool they'll get crispier).

Spread crab mix on each pita wedge and serve.

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While the toasted slices are still warm, rub them with garlic, drizzle them with olive oil on one side and put a blob of the caramelized onions on each slice. Top with half an olive just to show off.

A pepper stuffed (with a shrimp) and wrapped (with bacon). Now, that’s cool. Really, it’s hot but still cool, get it?

12 peeled medium-size shrimp
12 jalapeño peppers
6 bacon slices, halved lengthwise

Cut a slit in each jalapeño pepper; remove seeds and membranes – unless your family and/or

Place in a jellyroll pan (a cooky sheet with sides) and broil 6 inches from heat about 5 minutes per side, or until bacon is cooked. Serve warm.

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here’s a “plain-old” fried cheese that’s ready to devour in about ten minutes.

1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp each: salt, pepper
1/2 lb Swiss cheese. cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp milk
¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs
3 cups oil for deep-frying
Parsley, for garnish

Mix flour, salt, and pepper then coat each cheese cube in flour mixture, then in beaten egg. Roll in bread crumbs. Not you, the cheese cubes.

Heat oil to 375F in medium saucepan and deep-fry cubes, 2 or 3 at a time for a minute, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Keep fried cubes warm in a 200F oven until all are fried. Serve immediately with lemon slices and garnish with parsley.

If you've ever been to the Greek Island restaurant on Halsted Street in Chicago you heard a waiter holler, "Opa!"

and you knew someone was about to enjoy this great Greek appetizer. And if the waiter wasn't careful he might have lost his eyelashes. Please don't try this one near the Christmas tree.

4 oz melting cheese, such as kasseri
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp brandy (Greek ouzo is the authentic liquor but what can you do with the rest of the bottle; to me, it tastes like a licorice Twizzler.)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Crusty bread, optional

Cut the cheese into 1/4-inch slices, dip into egg and dredge through flour to coat evenly.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat; when oil is hot, fry cheese until golden

about 2 minutes per side.

Remove hot pan from flame - don't forget aa pot-holder - pour brandy into pan and ignite carefully with a long match. If you won't feel silly, holler. "Ho-Pah!".

Once the flame burns itself out or is really small squeeze two lemon wedges over the cheese and serve immediately with thick bread, if desired.

but these mushrooms get "crabby" when the're stuffed.

1 lb fresh mushrooms - big ones
7 oz crabmeat(fresh,canned or faux-ney)
5 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground savory
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp paprika

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, combine crabmeat, green onions, herbs, and pepper. Mix in mayonnaise and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until well combined.

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel (Unless you're making 'shroom soup DO NOT clean them under water.) Remove stems and fill the caps with rounded teaspoonfuls of the yummy filling.

Place them in an ungreased shallow baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan and paprika. Bake for 15 minutes and serve 'em hot.

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and 25 or 30 to bake. You'll knock their socks off with this easy appetizer.

3 eggs
1 lb. small curd cottage cheese
3 Tbsp. sour cream or sour 1/2 and 1/2
4 oz.sharp Cheddar, (pre-shredded in a bag)
1/2 Cup Bisquick
1/4 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
4 Tbsps. melted butter

In large bowl combine all ingredients and blend just until mixed. Spray miniature muffin tins liberally with vegetable spray or use non-stick tins. Fill each cup almost full.

Bake in preheated 375° oven 25 to 30 minutes.

OK, it's not the easiest easy appetizer but the result is worth the little extra effort.

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