Fun Appetizers

Secret Restaurant Recipes: Red Lobster's Crab Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe: Red Lobster's Crab Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe Serving Size: 6 Ingredients: 1 pound fresh mushrooms - (abt 35 to 40) 1/4 cup finely-ch...

     You can serve this hot dip with chips, corn chips, crackers, or veggies. I like it in a bread bowl made of sweet Hawaiian bread.

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, in cubes
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
14 oz. can artichoke hearts, diced

     Mix all ingredients together and heat, either in 325 degree oven for 20 minutes, or in the microwave till hot.

     If you are going to use a bread bowl than I would put the dip in the bread bowl and then heat the whole thing in the oven. photo credit: Cascadian Farm via photopin cc

     I call these no waste nachos because I make these individually on large round tortilla chips
The chips work great whether you microwave them or oven bake them. First, build your nachos.

     Spread nacho or tortilla chips on a plate or baking sheet. Spread some refried beans on each one, followed by a little salsa, diced stemmed and seeded jalapeno peppers, shredded pepper jack cheese, Mexican crumbly cheese.  Heat in microwave or oven just a few minutes till cheese starts to bubble.

     Remove from oven and top with either a thin slice of avocado or guacamole, some shredded lettuce, and sour cream if desired.

     It takes a bit more time to assemble these but this way every chip has everything on it. The regular way of making nachos gives you many plain chips and too much on other chips.

    Another no waste way of serving nachos is to layer the toppings as a layered dip and place the chips either around the dip or to the side. You can heat the chips on a separate plate or sheet and then transfer them.

     Some of your toppings can include the above ingredients plus chorizo or ground meat, spanish rice, onions, or carmelized onions, olives and a variety of cheeses. The sky's the limit. photo credit: code_martial via photopin cc

     Cut whole water chestnuts in half and marinate in terriyaki sauce for about an hour. Slice strips of bacon in half (. Use 1 lb.) Roll the water chestnuts in brown sugar and wrap a half piece of bacon around each. Stick a toothpick in to hold together. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and drizzle some terriyaki sauce over them. Broil in oven and turn over once till bacon is crisp. photo credit: Muy Yum via photopin cc

     Anyone who's ever tasted and enjoyed shrimp tempura, knows that the batter is very light and crisp. You may have tried to make this at home with the coating you usually use for chicken but found it was a bit too heavy, and clumpy where the shrimp curls.

     I ran across this recipe from America's Test Kitchen and tried it myself. It was fantastic. Here's how to do it like your favorite restaurant, crispy, light and delicious!

      You'll need:

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 1 cup vodka
• 1 cup seltzer water 
• batch of jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

     Mix four with cornstarch. In separate bowl, combine egg, vodka, and seltzer water. When oil reaches about 385 degrees, combine the flour mixture with the liquid mixture and whisk gently till just combined. Oil should reach 400 degrees by now and you can drop several of the shrimp into the batter and letting the excess run off, put them one by one into the oil. They should be done in about 3 to 4 minutes.

     Important Tips:

1. To prevent shrimp from curling too much, make two cuts bellyside about an inch apart
2. Do not combine flour and liquid untill the last minute otherwise the batter can begin to toughen up
3. The oil must be kept very hot while cooking these shrimp.
4. Make sure when you first put them in the oil they don't stick together. You can use any utensil to move them around that can stand up to being in hot oil.
5. Since the batter will begin to toughen a little while sitting, make a fresh batter after several batches if you are making a large quantity.
6. Place on paper towel when you remove them from the oil and serve as soon as possible.

Photo by Neil Conway