Mozzarella Sticks

Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs they are super light and flaky and absorb less oil than regular breadcrumbs! 

This recipe is super easy and a crowd pleaser for sure! 

You'll Need - 

Panko 

Mozzarella String Cheese

Flour 

Egg

Oil 

Salt & Pepper

Start by scrambling two eggs in a small bowl and pouring a little bit of flour and a pile of panko onto two separate plates. Quarter each cheese stick and roll in the flour. 

Next, dip the floured cheese into the scrambled egg, then roll in the panko until fully coated. Deep fry until they are golden brown and ooey gooey! 

Set them on a paper towel to pull off any excess grease and season with salt and pepper.... Enjoy!! 

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Jalapeño Poppers

12 Jalapeño Peppers
4.5 oz Light Cream Cheese 
2 oz Shredded Low Fat Sharp Cheddar 
2 Eggs Beaten
1 Cup Panko Crumbs
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour 
1/2 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper


Wearing rubber gloves, cut peppers in half lengthwise (I found this was much easier than cutting them the other direction) and scoop out the seeds and membrane.


Grab four bowls...in the first combine the cheeses, in the second beat the two eggs, in the third combine panko, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and in the last add the flour. 

Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture...

Dip the stuffed peppers in flour and refrigerate for about 10 minutes - or until the cheese is set.

Next, dip the floured peppers in the egg and then into the panko mixture...

Deep fry for a few minutes or bake in a 325 degree oven for about 20! 


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Frickles (Fried Pickles)

The beer batter makes these frickles nice and light! 

They are super easy to make and a great (unhealthy!) snack while watching football! 

You'll Need - 


Pickles (cut into chips)
3/4-1 Cup of Beer
2 Eggs Yolks
1-2 Cups of Flour
1 Teaspoon of Old Bay
2-3 Tablesoons of Hot Sauce 
Salt & Pepper
Vegetable or Canola Oil (for frying)

Heat your fryer or pot of oil to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk the yolks, hot sauce, and 3/4 cup of the beer. Slowly whisk in enough flour to form a batter. If the batter gets too thick just slowly add in the remaining beer. We like ours lightly breaded so our batter is comparable to a pancake batter in consistency! Next season the batter with old bay, salt, and pepper. 

Place a small handful of pickle chips into the batter. Using tongs make sure they are coated evenly and individually place them into the heated oil. Fry for about 3 minutes. Place the fried pickles on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Season with a touch of salt on top. Repeat until all of the pickles chips are fried and enjoy!

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Thanks Elizabeth...saw this on pinterest and just added a little extra spice!!
ELIZABETH'S EDIBLE EXPERIENCE

Devilish Deviled Eggs

If you like your deviled eggs on the devilishly spicy side…this recipe is for you!

6 large hard boiled eggs

1 Tablespoon Jalapeño Mustard

1 Tablespoon of Franks Red Hot (or to taste)

Paprika

Peel the eggs and cut each in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and place in a small bowl. Place the whites on a plate and set aside. 

Mash the yolks with a fork and add the mustard and hot sauce. Stir with a rubber spatula, mashing against the side of the bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Take a spoonful of the yolk mixture and fill in the egg whites mounding the filling above the edge of the whites. Sprinkle with paprika and serve immediately.

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Mint & Lime Edamame

You'll Need -

Frozen Edamame
Limes
Fresh Mint


I first had mint and lime edamame when dining at the Kuma Inn. I eat edamame all of the time with just salt and had never thought about flavoring it in other ways! I loved the mint and lime combination and decided I had to try and recreate them at home. This recipe is super easy and makes a great side dish to any Asian meal! I use Trader Joe's frozen edamame. Start by preparing them according to the package directions.

While the edamame are boiling squeeze the juice from two limes and add freshly chopped mint leaves.

Pour over the edamame and enjoy!

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Swedish Meatballs

A LeRoux family favorite...if you've ever been to a party at our house, you've had these amazing meatballs! Everyone who has tried them, has loved them!!!!

You'll Need -

2 Lbs Lean Ground Beef or Turkey

1 Egg

1 Package of Onion Soup Mix

1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese

Sauce:

1 Can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup

2 Cans of Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup

In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, egg, cheese, and onion soup mix. Mix well and then form into small meatballs. With two pounds of meat I make 60. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Flip meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes.

 

In a separate oven safe bowl combine the soups. Once meatballs are nice and brown add them to the bowl and gently stir them into the soup, cover the bowl and bake on 375 for about 40 minutes.

Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving -

Calories - 379
Fat - 17 (Sat 7)
Carbs - 12
Fiber  - 1
Protein - 36

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Teriyaki Beef Skewers

You'll Need-

Steak (cut into super thin strips)
Teriyaki Sauce
Soy Sauce
Fish Sauce
Minced Garlic
Crushed Red Pepper
Sriracha

If you can’t find pre-sliced steak, buy a flank steak and use a very sharp knife to slice the meat into thin strips. Cut against the grain and on a bias to maximize the surface area of each slice! Traditional teriyaki sauce is made with soy sauce, mirin and sugar. For my marinade, I use store bought teriyaki and then doctor it up with a little bit of extra soy sauce, fish sauce, minced garlic, crushed red pepper and sriracha for a kick! Start by adding just a little of each and season to taste! Once you are happy with the flavor of your marinade, add the beef and refrigerate for one hour!

Then skewer each piece and grill them! Make sure to soak the skewers beforehand so they do not burn. We have a Cuisenart counter top grill and it is GREAT for our apartment...they take about one minute on there! You could also grill outside or on a grill pan…cooking times will vary based on your grill!

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Steamers

Cooking seafood can be intimidating especially if you live in a tiny apartment. In my first place I refused because I was scared the whole place would smell like fish for days! I've since learned it's all about what type of fish you choose and how you prepare it. The great thing about shellfish is that it barley smells when you cook it BUT you need to get the shells in the garbage and outside ASAP!!

My lovely sister taught me the "rules" of steaming with her beautiful New England shellfish!

You'll Need -

Fresh Littleneck Clams (hard shell clams)
2 Tbsp of Cornmeal
1/3 Cup of Salt
Butter
A Lobster Pot

To prepare the clams you'll need to add the salt and cornmeal into a large bowl. Scrub the shells and then add the clams into the bowl and cover with water. Soak for at least an hour. The cornmeal will cause the clams to expel any sand in their shells. Rinse them after soaking.

Boil about 2 inches of water at the bottom of the lobster pot and add the clams. Cover the pot and steam for about 7 minutes or until all of the shells are open. Discard and clams that do not open!

At each place setting provide a mug or bowl of warm water and a small ramekin of melted butter.

Pull each clam out if it's shell and remove the dark membrane from it's neck. First dip the clam in the warm water to make sure there aren't any last stubborn grains of sand attached! Then dip into the melted butter and...ENJOY!!

They make a great appetizer and in the summer and we always share a big bowl of these before cooking fresh Maine Lobster at home!

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Chicken Wings

You'll Need-

Wing Sauce -

1/2 Stick of Melted Butter
1 1/4 Cup Franks Red Hot
1 Cup BBQ Sauce
1 Tbsp Dried Onion
1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Chicken Wings -

2-3 Lbs of Raw Chicken Wings
Celery Salt
Black Pepper
Paprika


To Make the Sauce -
Add the melted the butter, hot sauce and BBQ sauce to a small saucepan. Add in the worcestershire and dried onion and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.

To Cook the Wings -
If the wings you bought are pre-split simply season each side of the wings with celery salt, black pepper, and paprika. If you bought wings that need to be split you'll have to use a butcher knife or kitchen sheers to cut the joints in between the wing and the drumstick and also between the wing and wing tip. Once the wings are split, discard the wing tips and you'll be left with wingettes and drumettes! Season each side with celery salt, black pepper, and paprika.

The wings can be baked in a 425 degree oven (on a greased broiler pan) for 40 minutes flipped over and then baked for an additional 40. I like my wings nice and crispy so cooking time may vary based on your preference!

You could also deep fry the wings but make sure the wings are super dry before seasoning them, you don't want them wet when they go into the hot oil...yikes!!  Place a few of the seasoned wings into the frier at a time. We have a small frier so each batch should take about 8-10 minutes for regular and 10-12 minutes for extra crispy!

Place the cooked wings on a papertowel to dry and then coat or dip wings into the sauce...Enjoy!!



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Assorted Baguette Hors D'oeuvres

These are some quick and easy ways to turn a simple baguette into delicious hors d'oeuvres!

For each of these ideas slice the baguette into small pieces and toast lightly in the oven. Then pile on the following toppings!

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

You'll Need -

6 Plum Tomatoes

2 Garlic Cloves (minced)

1 Tbsp EVOO

1 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar

6 Fresh Basil Leaves (chopped)

1/4 Cup Onion (red or while, chopped)

Salt & Pepper

Dice the tomatoes as small as you can and place in a mixing bowl, add freshly minced garlic, onion and basil and stir to combine. Drizzle in the EVOO and balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt & pepper. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and spoon mixture onto the toasted bread

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Fresh Basil Pesto

You'll Need -

2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves

1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan-Reggiano

1/2 Cup EVOO

1/3 Cup Pine Nuts

3 Garlic Cloves (minced)

Salt & Pepper

Add basil and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add Salt & Pepper to taste.

First coat the toasted baguette slices with a little bit of cream cheese and then add a little bit of the pesto spread on top!

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Cheese and Veggies

This one is super easy! Coat the toasted baguette slices with your favorite soft cheese and top with either a tomato or cucumber slice!

I really like using herbed goat cheese or laughing cow cheese wedges (awesome light cheeses!), or Boursin and Alouette both make a variety of spreadable cheeses!

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Super Easy "No Cook" Appetizers

I love the delicious meats and cheeses that I can find right in my neighborhood. Both the Westside Market and the Garden of Eden have fabulous artisanal cheese selections and impressive high end deli counters.

After a long day of work I LOVE to unwind with a big glass of wine and a quick gourmet snack! Here are two of my most recent creations...

Antipasto

From the Garden of Eden...left to right...the first cheese is a light Havarti...best at room temperature and very good for a light cheese! The second cheese is a soy jalapeno...yuck...this was my first try with soy cheese and I hated it! The Garden of Eden 

also has a wonderful olive bar stocked with spanish, cerignola, tunisian, sicilian, and moroccan olives (to name a few).

 The bar also features olives stuffed with garlic or cheese or almonds...soooo good! All of the olives I selected were great, I especially liked the spicy spanish and garlic stuffed! To the right is some delicious peppered salami. The softness of the cheese, the saltiness of the olives and the peppering on the salami really worked well together and made a great snack...the wine was a delicious addition too (:

Approximate Nutrition Facts Per Serving-

(1 oz light havarti, 1 oz soy, 7 olives and 1/2 oz of salami)

Calories - 315

Fat - 23 (5.5 Sat)

Carbs - 7

Fiber - 2.5

Protein - 17

Caprese

For the caprese, I shopped at the Westside Market and found nice big vine ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and fresh part skim mozzarella. I sliced up the cheese and tomato drizzled them with balsamic vinegar and seasoned with freshly ground salt & pepper. Super easy and delish!

(1/2 of a medium tomato, 1oz cheese, balsamic and basil)

Approximate Nutrition Facts Per Serving-

Calories - 93

Fat - 4.5 (3 Sat)

Carbs - 5

Fiber - >1

Protein - 7.5

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