Appetizer night part 3

         MEATBALL SLIDERS

       Ingredients:
1 lb 80/20 ground beef
2 pieces sliced white or wheat bread
Milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese
1-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
3 slices mozzarella cheese
12 fresh basil leaves
Spaghetti sauce ( can be store bought)
Slider buns or heat and serve dinner rolls

  Remove crust from bread. Tear bread into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Drizzle with milk in small increments,  lightly tossing until bread has absorbed all it can. Do not smash bread!

   In a large mixing bowl add ground beef, bread,eggs, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning,  onion powder, salt and pepper. Combine ingredients.

  Roll mixture into 1 inch balls. Place on foil covered cookie sheet, cook at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. While meatballs cook, warm spaghetti sauce, cut sliced mozzarella in quarters, and split buns in half.

   Remove meatballs from oven, top each one with a slice of cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted.

  Place one meatball on a bun, top with a spoon of spaghetti sauce, a fresh basil leaf, and the top half of the bun.
                         Enjoy!

Appetizer night part 2

                                           Chorizo potato egg rolls

           Ingredients:

   Egg rolls
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
12 oz frozen poatoes o'brien (1/2 a bag)
5 oz chorizo (1/2 tube)
8 oz corn (about 1/2 a can)
10 oz black beans (about 2/3 a can)
1 tsp crushed garlic
vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper

   Dipping sauce
2-3 tbsp adobo
1 tsp teryaki
3 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp sour cream
1 pinch cumin
1-2 tsp sriracha hot sauce


  In a large fry pan over medium high heat, cook chorizo until rendered. Add vegetable and potatoes. Turn heat to meduim, cook stirring occasionally until potatoes are soft. Add garlic, corn, and beans. Salt and pepper to taste,  and cook 2-3 minutes more. Set aside, and let cool.

   Add, a heaping spoon full onto egg roll wrapper and roll as shown.

Add enough vegetable oil to come about 1/2 way up egg roll, and heat to 350 degrees.  Fry egg rolls 2-3 minutes a side, or until golden brown.

  For the sauce simply mix all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. The amount of adobo, and sriracha may be altered to make it more or less hot. I add a little chopped green onion as a garnish.
                            Enjoy!!

Appetizer night

  Whenever my wife and I go out to eat we always order an appetizer. And, I don't know about you, but most of the time I am satisfied and no longer care about the meal. Furthermore I find myself reading a menu and thinking the appetizers are the only creative things on it.

  Needless to say, from time to time, I do "appetizer night". Instead of a traditional meat and potatoes meal I will make 2 to 3 appetizers. This is great  for an occasion when everyone sitting at a table is not ideal. Like Sunday night football.

   I did three recipes, this is part 1, 2 and 3 will follow.


  JALEPENO POPPER EGG ROLLS

  Ingredients
       EGG ROLLS
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
   4oz shredded monterey jack cheese
15-20 jalapeños about 1/2 reserved for dipping sauce
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper

       DIPPING SAUCE
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
3 tsp corn starch slurry
   ( put corn starch in a cup with about 2 tbsp water and mix, should look like milk)

   Set cream cheese out, allow to come to room temperature.

   Remove seeds and veins from jalapeños, and dice into small pieces.

    Put vegetable oil and jalapeños in a frying pan over medium low heat. Salt and pepper lightly. Cook 15 minutes or so until soft. Add garlic, cook 2-3 more minutes.

    Place room temperature cream cheese, monterey jack, and about a 3rd of the jalapeños in a mixing bowl. Combine with a fork. Remove remaining jalapeños from heat, and allow to cool.

    After mixing cheese mixture,  fry pan should be cool. Place back on medium high heat. Add water and sugar, bring to a boil for about 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add about 1/2 the corn starch slurry, continue stirring. Sauce will begin to thicken. Add more slurry if necessary,  until maple syrup consistency is achieved. Pour into a bowl, let cool.

   
 Now, with hands form cheese mixture, and roll into egg rolls. See photos below. Tip: on last step of roll apply a little water to inside end of roll so it sticks to itself and doesn't unroll.

      In another frying pan bring enough vegetable oil to come 1/2 way up egg roll to 350 degrees.  Fry egg rolls 2-3 minutes a side until golden brown.

    Serve with sauce at room temperature.  Slice egg rolls in half on an angle.
                                          ENJOY!!