Appetizering

It has been far too long since my last post. Somewhere between school, the holidays, everyday interruptions I seem to have fallen behind in many areas. I'm working hard now to get caught back up and back on track with all the projects I hope to complete over the next few months. I do have to confess that this post is done with an ulterior motive, I'm completing a homework assignment at the same time. What better way to get caught up than to multi-tasking?

I am writing this today in the midst of chaos. Not only did I spend my morning tearing apart our kitchen creating three delicious canapes for my pantry production class, but I completed this task while my husband, his brother and our fathers tear out our carpeting and replace it with wood flooring. This is a project that I have been talking about since we moved in our house 3.5 years ago and it's finally getting completed so I guess I can't complain about the dust and the noise while I'm trying to cook.

My first at home assignment this semester was to create two cold canapes (basically an opened-faced mini sandwich), one of which having a home baked base. I also had to created another cold appetizer to go along with it. I love everything about appetizers! I love the options and that they allow you to try lots of different things without getting too full and I love creating them! When I started thinking about this assignment though, I realized that most of the appetizers that I make are hot so I had to get a bit creative to think up some tasty cold appetizers.

After a lot of researching online for recipes, I decided that I was going to just create some of my own canapes and set to work to use up some of the food we already had at home to do so.

My first idea came when I was going through the freezer and saw the leftover pulled pork and chili verde from dinner a couple weeks ago. This is how Chili Verde Pork Tostada Canapes came about.

Chili Verde Pork Tostada Canapes

1/2 cup chili verde
1/2 cup pulled pork
(recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pork-chili-verde-recipe/index.html)
1 cup masa
2/3 cup water
dash of salt
1/2 cup chevre
1 Tbs cilantro, chopped
zest of 1 lime, juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

I started by making the dough for the tostadas. Mix up the masa, water and salt until dough no longer crumbles (may need to add a little more water). I rolled this mixture out into little balls, I got about 18 of them.

I put them in between sheets of plastic wrap and pressed them all flat.

Then I heated about a 1/2" of oil in a frying pan and fried them about 4-5 at a time until they were a light golden brown.

I drained them on some paper towels and set to work making the topping for the tostadas.  Mix up the chevre, cilantro and lime zest and juice together and spread a little on top of each tostada.  Top that with a little of the pork, drizzle with chili verde and sprinkle with a little crumbled goat cheese.

These were delicious.  On first bite you were hit with the heat of the chili on top but then the coolness of the cherve mixture came in and rounded out the flavor for one perfect little bite.  My brother-in-law said they were great and that they paired perfectly with PBR (we don't need fancy wine pairings in this house).

Then next canape was created when I decided to use up some garlic toasts that I had made last week and the sun dried tomato and basil pork tenderloin we had for dinner the other night.

Italian Pork Canapes

20 thin slices of sun dried tomato and basil pork tenderloin

10 thin slices roma tomato

1/2 cup ricotta

1 Tbs parsley, chopped

1 tsp tomato sauce

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 tsp roasted garlic

garlic toast

Knowing this assignment was coming up, I started working ahead and made some garlic toasts last week.  I started with a homemade loaf of french bread and after it cooled I sliced it into 1/4" slices.  Lay out the slices on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes, just until they start to brown around the edges.  While they are still warm, cut a clove of garlic in half and rub each slice of toast with the cut side of the garlic.  Cool completely and store in a plastic bag or container.

Mix together the ricotta, parsley, tomato sauce, seasoning and garlic until combined.







Top each toast with a little of the cheese mixture, place two slices of pork on top, one slice of tomato and top with a sprig of parsley. 

These were good but they could still use a little work.  I think they would have been better with a little balsamic reduction over the top or maybe some in the cheese mixture.  They just needed something with a little more bite to it.

The third canape came about when I was grocery shopping this week and pineapples were on sale.  I pick one up along with a mango and decided to create Mojito Salsa Canapes with Blood Orange Sauce

Mojito Salsa Canapes with Blood Orange Sauce

1 cup simple syrup

1/4 cup light rum

1/2 cup blood orange juice + zest from one orange

1/2 cup pineapple, small dice

1/2 cup mango, small dice

4 oz cream cheese

2 Tbs powdered sugar

Start by making the blood orange sauce.  In a sauce pan combine 1/2 cup of simple syrup and the juice and zest from the blood oranges.

Over medium heat, reduce until about half.  Set this aside to cool.  For the salsa, in a small pan heat 1/2 cup simple syrup and rum.  Tilt the pan to light the rum, this allows the alcohol to burn off, and it looks really cool.  Set this mixture in the fridge to cool.  Mix together the chopped fruit, mint and the simple syrup/rum mixture.

Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and 1 Tbs of the blood orange sauce until combined.



Spoon a little of this mixture into a phyllo cup and top with some of the mojito salsa.  Drizzle with the blood orange sauce.

These with amazing!  All the flavors of one of my favorite beverages along with some perfectly ripe tropical fruit.  All that was missing was a beach and a little drink umbrella on the side.