Need help with your party menu this holiday season? Sara Gore shares four recipes that will be quick and easy to make for all your holiday entertaining needs!
Recipe: Greek cucumber cups (on this page) Recipe: Chili lime shrimp with avocado salsa (on this page) Recipe: Endive cups with blue, pear, and walnuts (on this page) Recipe: No filler crab cakes with citrus avocado creme (on this page)All of the ingredients should be diced about the same size and small enough to fit into the cups. Mix together feta, olives, capers, shallots, red pepper, parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. Drizzle with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Prepare cucumber cups. Peel cucumber and slice into ½ - ¾ inch slices. Using a small melon baller, scoop out center of cucumber slice without going thru the other side making a cup. Fill cucumber cups with filling and top with a small parsley leaf and serve.
Brush tortillas or wraps with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Use a 1 ½ inch metal round to cut into circles. Bake on cookie sheet at 375 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes. If you want to make cups….use a biscuit cutter (about 2 ½ inches) and cut into rounds. Press into mini muffin cups and bake 6 to 8 minutes (the flat rounds are a cleaner look).
Blend all marinade ingredients in small food processor. In a medium bowl, pour marinade over shrimp, cover, and let marinate while you make the salsa about 10 to 30 minutes. In a medium size bowl, mix together the garlic, jalapeno, shallot, cilantro. Fold in avocado and lime juice. Season with salt. If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap so the plastic is pressed right onto the surface so there is as little air on it as possible. This will prevent it from turning brown.
Grill the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes per side. They will curl up, making a pretty topper. Remove from heat.
Top one tortilla round with a dollop of the avocado and a piece of shrimp. Garnish with lime zest and chopped cilantro.
Mix all ingredients for the vinagrette either in a small food processor or in a bowl with a whisk.
Mix together blue cheese, walnuts, pear, and ¼ cup chopped endive and toss with vinagrette. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste. Cut the ends off the other two endive heads and separate leaves to make “serving spoons.” Place a tablespoon of salad into the “endive spoon.” Arrange on serving plate, garnish with parsley and enjoy.
Mix together all crab cake ingredients. Using a small scoop, scoop out crab mix and shape into a small (1 ½ inch wide x 1 inch high) hockey puck shape with straight sides. Using the scoop can help make uniform cakes. Dip your fingertips in the lemon water bowl and slightly moisten outside edges to help adhere the panko but not heavily. Place panko breadcrumbs in shallow bowl. Coat in crumbs and press on as much as you can without misshaping the cake. Do all crab cakes and let chill in fridge while you make the avocado crème.
In a food processor, puree avocado, lime, salt, and garlic until smooth. Place puree in a pastry bag, ziploc bag, or large mouth squeeze bottle and refrigerate.
In a saucepan, heat 1/2 inch of oil over medium heat until you throw in a few panko crumbs and see if they sizzle up and start turning light brown right away. Gently place crab cakes in hot oil without overcrowding the pan….keeping in mind you have to have room to flip them over. When one side is a nice golden brown, use a small metal spatula or fork to gently turn over. Once they are browned well on both sides, let them drain on paper towels. Pipe with a dollap of avocado crème and serve.
Makes about 12 to 15 small crab cakes
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