Archive for the ‘Appetizers’ Category

I knew that I wanted to grill this summer so I started looking for a grill in March. It took me a while to find one that wasn’t a million bucks or tiny. Thanks to a friend, I got one! Thanks to another friend I got a band new tank, so, I was ready to go and excited to find new things to cook. There were several benefits to my wanting to grill more. First was of course that it  was healthier and second to keep the electric bill down any amount possible. Since trying to eat healthier the past year. We are big chicken eaters in my home and nothing beats grilled chicken. I came across this recipe and it looked so yummy. Sweet and juicy grilled pineapple and onions are delicious with this the World Harbors Caribbean sauce making a mildly spicy jerk chicken. YUM!

INGREDIENTS
1 large orange
1/3 cup World Harbors Caribbean Jerk Sauce and Marinade
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. finely grated ginger
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp. salt ( I used sea salt)
1/2 tsp. pepper (I used white pepper)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. chicken tenders (I used cut up Chicken breast and it was fine)
1 small pineapple
2 medium red onions

DIRECTIONS
Finely grate orange zest; juice the orange. In a small bowl, mix together the zest, juice, Jerk Sauce, garlic, ginger, pie spice, salt, and pepper; whisk in the oil. Cut chicken tenders in half, crosswise. In a non-reactive dish; pour marinade over chicken, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours.

Peel and core pineapple; cut into large bite-sized pieces. Cut each onion into 8 wedges. Alternate chicken, pineapple and onion wedges on skewers. Brush with marinade; discard marinade. Grill over medium high heat, turning as needed, 10 to 12 minutes.

If you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water at least 1/2 hour before cooking so they don’t burn.

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Since I am Italian, we eat a lot of pasta. You just can’t have spaghetti without meatballs in my house! I honestly never gave it much thought to how I could make them differently so it was still the same great dinner but with a variation.  Have you seen the Ultimate Party Meatballs? This is a fantastic and simple recipe the family will love! I will admit that I was a bit “ewww” at first but they are so good!

So if you are having friends over to watch a game,hosting a dinner or just want a kick to an old favorite, with just three ingredients, Ultimate Party Meatballs are bound to be a hit with your guests.

(also check out this cool little video)

Ingredients
(1) 14 oz can Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce
(1) 12 oz bottle Heinz Chili Sauce
(1) 2 lb bag frozen, pre-cooked, cocktail size meatballs

Combine sauces in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Add meatballs. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally.

Makes 30 appetizer servings.

Slow cooker Preparation: Place meatballs in a slow cooker. Combine sauces and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook 4 hours on HIGH.

Want some other great party planning recipes and entertaining ideas? Check out the Ultimate Party Meatballs site for any of your upcoming parties this holiday season.

Disclosure: I provided with Heinz Chili Sauce and Cranberry Sauce to assist in creating this recipe. In addition, Mom Central has promised to send me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate. All opinions are my own, are based on facts through my experience with this product and may or may not be shared by you. See my full disclosure policy here.

Category: Appetizers
Makes: 6 to 8 appetizers
Product: Alouette® Elégante®

Ingredients
1 jar (7 oz.) roasted red peppers
2 tsp. olive oil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Alouette Elégante (recommend Roasted Garlic & Pesto or Roasted Sweet Peppers & Olive Tapenade)
paprika
fresh chopped chives or parsley

Directions

Make a red pepper coulis: drain roasted red peppers and add to food processor with 2 tsp. olive oil. Puree until smooth and no lumps remain.

Pour coulis into the center of an 8″ rimmed salad plate. (Hint: a plain white plate works best)

Position Alouette Elégante in the center of the coulis.

Sprinkle paprika and chopped chives or parsley around the rim of the plate.

Serve with your favorite crusty bread.

SOURCE

Photo from FamilyFun.com

Partying in costume calls for easy-eating fare, and these cheesy monster digits fit the bill.

INGREDIENTS:

Mozzarella string cheese
Green bell pepper
Cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wearing plastic gloves or sandwich bags over your hands to keep the cheese as smudge-free as possible, use a paring knife (parents only) to cut each string in half and then carve a shallow area for a fingernail just below the rounded end of each half.

2. Mark the joint right below the nail as well as the knuckle joint by carving out tiny horizontal wedges of cheese, as pictured.

3. For the fingernails, slice a green bell pepper into 3/8-inch-wide strips. Set the strips skin side down on your work surface and trim the pulp so that it’s about half as thick. Then cut the strips into ragged-topped nail shapes and stick them in place at the ends of the fingers with dabs of cream cheese.