Easy Appetizers

Hassle-free gourmet appetizers

McNeil House’s Geri Harper put together for Tempo Toronto four really different hors d’oeuvres to make your entertaining hassle-free, healthy and a little unusual. Here are two in a series of four appetizers (look next week for the other two).

Goat cheese Tartlets with Onion Cranberry Orange Confit

These are equally good served at room temperature, or warmed gently for a few minutes before serving.

18 tart shells (supermarket freezer section) , 3” inch
Small roll of plain goat cheese
Pack plain cream cheese
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup and a splash of orange juice
1 large red onion, chopped finely
1 small jar orange marmalade, and zest of one orange
Chives to garnish

Bring tart shells to room temperature, and cut off just the crinkled edges from each (less pastry, and it just looks better). Bake them ‘blind’ (empty), according to directions on package.

Simmer together the cranberries, sugar and orange juice to make the cranberry sauce. Leave it to cool and thicken.
Saute the onions gently in an ounce of butter with a spritz of oil, until softened
Add the cranberry sauce and two heaping tablespoons of the orange marmalade to the onions with the orange zest, allow to simmer gently for a long time until thickened (it should have a jammy consistency)
Let the confit cool. (You can store this in in the fridge for a few days, and it freezes really well too.)
Mix together the goat cheese and the cream cheese until smooth. Use a spoon, or even better a piping bag, to get the cheese mixture into the baked pastry cases, and spoon on the cranberry. Add a small snip of chive or green onion to decorate (if serving warm, add the garnish just before serving).

Roasted proscuitto-wrapped asparagus

These are so simple yet so impressive – a real crowd pleaser.

12 slices of prosciutto
24 asparagus spears (the thick ones)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Freshly grated black pepper

Cut each slice of prosciutto in half lengthways
Snap off the woody bottom inch or so of the asparagus spear, and peel the remaining end with a vegetable peeler
Wrap the prosciutto in a spiral around each asparagus spear, leave the tip and bottom showing
Lay the asparagus on a lightly oiled baking tray, sprinkle with a little parmesan (if using) and a twist of black pepper (do not add salt, as the prosciutto is already salty enough)
Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 6 minutes. Serve warm.

Coming next … quail eggs with a middle eastern flair, and an unusual watermelon appetizer.

McNeil House: www.mcneilhouse.ca

(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

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