CHILLED DIJON PRAWNS
In the Pacific Northwest prawns are a very popular appetizer. This recipe is easy to do and delicious to eat.
Ingredients
½ C. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch small green onions, minced
Dash of ground red pepper
¼ – ½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
Sea salt (to taste)
1 lb. medium prawns, already cooked, shelled, and deveined
Directions
Mix the garlic, onions, mustard, and ground peppers in a small bowl. Stir in the mustard. Add the white wine vinegar. Blend well. Add salt, if needed. Place prawns in a shallow dish and pour marinade over them, making certain the prawns are well coated. Cover. Refrigerate at least two hours, preferably overnight. Place on a plate or shallow dish
to serve.
CURRIED CHEESE SPREAD
This delicious mildly curried cream-cheese spread is wonderful on crackers. It’s also addictive. If you like curry, you’re going to love this spread.
Ingredients
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. curry powder
1 bunch of small green onions, finely minced
½ C. raisins
1 jar Major Grey’s chutney
½ – 1 C. shredded coconut
crackers
Instructions
In a blender or food processor, mix together these ingredients: cream cheese, curry powder, green onions, and raisins. Wrap the mixture in wax paper and refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Form the mixture into a ball, mound, or brick. Place on a serving dish. Spread the chutney over the form. Then cover the chutney with shredded coconut. Place crackers around the curried cheese form on a plate. Have a spreading knife available for guests to place spread on their plates or to spread on individual crackers.
DANIELLE’S YUMMY GUACAMOLE DIP
Oh my goodness, if you like guacamole dip, you’ll LOVE this one! I could eat the entire bowl without chips, if need be. However, I never have, as everyone else is eagerly devouring it too.
Ingredients:
2 large ripe avocadoes, mashed
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
1 medium sweet onion (Walla Walla, Vidalia, or something similar, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of ½ lime (about 2 tablespoons)
½ tsp salt
dash of pepper
Directions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or some other snack. It makes about 2 ½ cups.
DIANA’S TOMATO SALSA
September is the time when vine-ripened tomatoes are abundant. Even if you do not grow your own, you can find exquisite tomatoes at your local farmer’s market. Take advantage of this tomato season by making your own fresh tomato salsa. You will love it. You can use tomato salsa with many of your favorite meals, such as fajitas, tacos, grilled white fish, chicken breasts, etc. Or, you may just serve chips and fresh salsa for a snack. It’s a real treat and so delicious! When making the salsa, I chop some of the ingredients by hand and other ingredients by food processor. A blender can be used, too.
Ingredients
1 can black olives, chopped
1 cup green onions, chopped finely
1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, finely chopped (e.g. Walla Walla Sweet)
2-3 cups fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-6 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
3-6 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 tablespoons rice vinegar (use cider vinegar, if you prefer)
Optional: 2-3 tablespoons canned green chiles, diced
Directions
Mix together all of the ingredients in a medium-size bowl. After the ingredients have been well mixed, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours. This allows the flavors to blend together. Bring to room temperature before serving. If your tomatoes are extra juicy, you may wish to discard some excess juice before serving. Also, adjust the amount of these ingredients to your own liking.
DUNGENESS CRAB DIP
Dungeness crab is a delicacy in the Pacific Northwest. It has a very mild taste, so it is best not to blend it with anything too strong in taste. I prefer to buy fresh (or flash-frozen) Dungeness crabmeat from my seafood market. If that is not available, I will purchase frozen Dungeness crabmeat. The winter months are the best crab months. I never use canned crabmeat or snow crab. Alaska King crab is very sweet and delicious, but I have never used it with this dip. I think blue crab legs would taste good with this dip.
Ingredients
2 eight-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup cream or milk
3-4 teaspoons lemon juice or juice from half a lemon
2-3 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 – 1 pound Dungeness crab
dash salt and pepper (optional)
Directions
Beat the softened cream cheese. Add the cream or milk to the cream cheese. Blend these ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire Sauce, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cream the mixture until well blended. Stir in the crabmeat. Chill the dip until you are ready to serve it.
Prior to serving, add a bit more milk or cream to the dip to make it a good spreading consistency. Place the dip into a bowl. Serve with vegetables, crackers, or potato chips.
FINGER-LICKING NUTS & BOLTS
This “nuts and bolts” snack recipe is unlike any other I have tasted. It is my favorite. With its buttery, smoky flavor, it is very addictive! “Finger-Licking Nuts and Bolts has become a holiday snack tradition at our home. It is much loved by everyone here. To keep enough on hand, I double the recipe. If you are expecting lots of family and friends to gather at your home during the holidays, you may wish to make this recipe and have dishes of “Finger-Licking Nuts and Bolts” strategically placed around your home.
Adapt this recipe to your own taste by adding other dry cereals, using mixed nuts, or using additional dry ingredients. Feel free to increase the seasonings you like most and/or lessen or eliminate any seasonings you do not like.
Ingredients
Sauce:
1 – 1 1/2 cups butter (two or three cubes/sticks; 8-12 oz.)
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 -1 teaspoon garlic salt OR 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons celery salt
Dry Mixture:
1 – 2 quarts Cheerios
1 quart Rice Chex
1 quart Wheat Chex
1 quart Corn Chex
1 -2 cans Spanish nuts
1/2 box pretzels
Directions
Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add liquid smoke. Stir. Add remaining sauce ingredients. Stir well. Set aside. Mix cereal, nuts, and pretzels in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven. Pour the seasoned sauce over the dry mixture. Stir so the buttery sauce is well mixed throughout the dry ingredients. Cover the pan with a lid or foil. Place pan in a 250 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Stir the mixture every half hour. Do not overcook, so that it becomes dry.
TANGY SHRIMP DIP
This shrimp dip is quick to make. It tastes great with a salty companion, such as crackers or potato chips. It has a unique flavor with the combination of shrimp meat and Miracle Whip. It is important to use fresh shrimp meat or shrimp that has been flash frozen.The shrimp should taste. If it smells, it’s too ripe (shrimp does not like to be kept in plastic). If you use frozen shrimp meat, let the shrimp thaw completely prior to adding to the mixture. Then drain to eliminate the excess water.
Ingredients
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
3/4 cup Miracle Whip (not mayonnaise)
1-3 tablespoon sweet white onion, finely minced
1 cup small shrimp meat (salad shrimp)
1-4 tablespoons milk
crackers or potato chips
Directions
Gently rinse the shrimp meat under cool water. Then set aside in a strainer to drain. Cream the cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Blend the Miracle Whip into the cream cheese. Stir in the onions. Gently blend the shrimp meat into the mixture. Add enough milk to make the dip a good spreading or dipping consistency. Stir well. Chill for at least 2 hours. Stir before placing in a serving bowl. Add more milk, if the dip has become too thick while being chilled. Place the dip in a serving bowl. Serve with crackers or potato chips.
