Holiday Appetizers

I was in charge of the appetizers at this year's Thanksgiving celebration with the McNamee clan. I wanted to make something that was tasty and unique, not too terribly filling, and somewhat healthful. I also wanted appetizers that were visually appealing, likable by all palates, and fun to eat. I decided on the following items:

Spiced mixed nuts

Smoked almond and goat cheese olives

Zesty deviled eggs

Bacon roll-ups

I took step-by-step photos of the nuts and the olives, as these are the healthier and more interesting items.

Note: I tripled this recipe for the large group (and to have leftovers!).

Emeril's Spiced Nuts

Yields 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 T butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 T water

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground cayenne

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups mixed nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts)

Directions:

Mix spices and reserve.

Heat nuts in a skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to toast, about 4 minutes.


Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.


Add butter, sugar, water and spices to the hot skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until a glaze forms, about 1 minute.

Return the nuts to the skillet and toss to combine with the glaze.


Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.

Remove from heat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with foil, separating with a fork.





Let rest until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container. Serve in a decorative bowl for some extra pizazz.

Smoked Almond Goat Cheese Olives

Yields 32 olives

Ingredients:

2/3 cup smoked almonds

8 oz goat cheese

32 Spanish green olives, stuffed with pimiento

Directions:

Assemble ingredients.



Add almonds to a small food processor or chopper and pulse briefly to chop. Pour into a small bowl.

Cut the goat cheese into 8 equal pieces, and then cut each piece into 4 equal pieces. Each piece will be about 1/4 ounce.

Wrap each olive with 1/4-oz piece of goat cheese and shape into a ball.

Roll into chopped almonds and place in a container.

Repeat with the remaining cheese, almonds, and olives.

Once the container is filled, cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve on a tray with a toothpick placed in each olive.

Zesty Deviled Eggs

Yields 24

Ingredients:

12 hard boiled eggs

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Dirty sea salt, pepper

Cayenne pepper

Directions:

Slice all 12 eggs in half and place the yolks in a bowl. Combine the yolks with mayo and mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to smooth out yolk clumps. Add small amounts of cayenne to achieve desired spiciness. Place the yolk mixture in a plastic bag, cut the corner of the bag, and fill the egg white halves with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle paprika on top.

Bacon Roll-ups

Yields 40

Ingredients:

20 pieces of white whole wheat bread, crusts removed

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

20 slices of bacon

Directions:

Flatten each piece of bread with a rolling pin until very thin. Combine cream cheese and shredded cheese in a bowl. Spread cheese mixture over each slice of bread. Roll each piece of bread up into a tight roll. Cut bacon slices in half, length-wise. Wrap 1 bacon piece, spiraled, around each bread roll-up. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is fully cooked and the bread is lightly browned.

We served these on a personalized McNamee Thanksgiving platter I gave my inlaws as an early Christmas gift.


Happy holiday feasting!

*M*