Appetizers

Antipasto

This is an Italian salad that is good for an appetizer, or even for a main course. Served with crunchy Italian bread or garlic bread, this really is a crowd pleaser.

On a large, deep platter, place a bed of lettuce (6-8 cups) that has been washed, dried and broken into pieces. I like a mixture of red and green leaf lettuce with Romaine lettuce and fresh spinach thrown in. Drizzle lettuce lightly with a good quality Italian dressing (I use Good Seasons dried and mix it as per directions) and toss. Even out the lettuce on the platter, and place a layer of 1/4 pound hard salami, julienned, 1/3 pound imported or smoked ham, julienned, 1/4 pound capicola (hot ham), julienned, and 1/4 pound sandwich pepperoni, julienned. Sprinkle with more Italian dressing.

Cut a medium red onion in half and slice crosswise very thinly; place on meats. Add a layer of mozzarella cheese, julienned. Add calamatta olives, or black olives, whole or sliced and peperoncinis. Again sprinkle with Italian dressing. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Before serving, shave or grate a good amount of fresh Parmesan cheese over all.

Chicken Nachos

Preheat oven to 350*

Shred enough cooked chicken to make 2 cups (1 whole boneless chicken breast). 2 cloves garlic, finely minced and 6 green onions sliced, white and green parts separated.

In a 12" skillet in vegetable oil, saute garlic and white part of the green onions until soft. Add cooked chicken and one package of taco seasoning. Mix well then add 1- 11/2 cups salsa (I used medium heat salsa). Turn off heat.

Evenly place 6 ounces of tortilla chips in the bottom of an 11x6-inch baking pan. Spread chicken mixture evenly over all. Top with 8-ounces of a Mexican cheese mix. If you like black olives, you can add some now.

Bake 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with green onion tops. Serve with a bowl of refried beans, extra salsa and sour cream.

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Beef Nachos

Preheat oven to 350*

Finely minced 2 large cloves of garlic. Slice 6 green onions, white and green parts separated.

In a 12" skillet in vegetable oil, saute garlic and white part of the green onions until soft. Crumble in 1 pound ground beef and cook until brown; drain off grease. Return meat mixture to heat and add 1 package taco seasoning mix and mix well. Add 1- 11/2 cups salsa.

Evenly place 6 ounces of tortilla chips in the bottom of an 11x6-inch baking pan. Spread beef mixture evenly over all. Top with 8-ounces of a Mexican cheese mix. If you like black olives, you can add some now.

Bake 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with green onion tops. Serve with a bowl of refried beans, extra salsa and sour cream.

Karen and I like these nachos made with left over chili as well.

Marinaded Mushrooms

1 pound small mushrooms

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons corn oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion and parsley

1/2 teaspoon basil, crushed

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper

Clean mushrooms using a soft brush or a paper towel, careful not to scrape the flesh. Cut the brown ends off each stem. Keep mushrooms whole.

Place remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in a covered container for several hours before serving. Makes 3 cups.

These keep well in the fridge. Larry really enjoys them.

My Spinach Salad

Hard boil 4 large eggs. Peel eggs while still warm and slice into 1/4 inch rounds.

Wash and dry 6 cups fresh leaf spinach. Place on a large deep platter, spreading evenly. Sprinkle some freshly mixed Good Seasons Italian Dressing or Garlic and Herb Dressing over spinach. Do not soak leaves. Slice into 1/2 inch wide strips 10 slices each hard salami, sandwich pepperoni, ham and provolone cheese; spread over spinach. Drizzle with more dressing. Peel and cut in half 1 small red onion then slice in half crosswise into 1/8 inch slices. Spread over meats. (I never use tomato with spinach salad, but you can feel free.) Sprinkle fresh ground black pepper over the top.

Now you can be creative and add black olives, or some marinaded mushrooms, or peperocinis, or shaved fresh Parmesan cheese, or all of them!

Serve this salad with warm crusty bread and butter.

I am always ready for Shrimp Cocktail. I like the shrimp to be medium size and crisp. It's one of my favorite appetizers. All the ingredients for this appetizer should be made at least and hour early and kept in the refrigerator. It's very refreshing anytime of year served nice and cold.

Shrimp Cocktail

For each serving, wash, peel and devien 6 medium sized shrimp, or the size you prefer. Cook until just pink in water or chicken broth. Wash and dry a half cup lettuce, broken into bite size pieces.

Mix 1 tablespoons horseradish with 1/4 cup ketchup for each salad.

Place the cocktail sauce on the center of a salad plate. Surround sauce with the broken lettuce. Place shrimp around plate with tales facing sauce, spacing evenly. Place 1 or two lemon wedges on plate, and serve.

I really like these made with tuna or chicken salad.

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Cut tops off 20 large cherry tomatoes. Using a small spoon scoop out the seeds from each one.

Tuna or Shrimp Salad: 1 can white tuna in water or baby shrimp, chopped, 3 tablespoons mayonaise, 1 teaspoon minced onion, 1 tablespoon finely diced celery, and fresh ground black pepper. Mix well and fill each tomato. Place on a platter lined with red leaf lettuce.

Or...

Chicken Salad: 1 cup cooked chicken, 3-4 tablespoons mayonaise, ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons finely diced celery, 1 tablespoon minced onion. Mix well and fill tomatoes. Place on a platter lined with red leaf lettuce.

Or...

Deviled Ham Salad: 2 cans Deviled Ham spread, 1 tablespoon minced onion, 2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce, dash hot pepper sauce (optional). Mix well and fill tomatoes. Place on a platter lined with red leaf lettuce.

Top any of these with crispy crumbled bacon.

Larry, Karen, Chris and everyone else I ever gave these mushrooms to really enjoyed them.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Clean 1 pound medium to large white button mushrooms with a soft brush or paper towel. Remove stems from mushrooms, cut off dried brown part and cut remaining stems into small dice. Place mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to make one layer. Drizzle mushrooms with olive oil.

Remove meat of 4 hot Italian sausage links from casing (if you don't like spice, use mild) and crumble. Dice 6 strips of bacon. Finely dice 1 medium onion. Mince two large cloves garlic.

Fry bacon until crisp in a large frying pan. Remove bacon to plate lined with paper towels. To grease in pan, add the onion, garlic, mushroom stem pieces and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; saute until onions are translucent. Add crumbled sausage and fry till sausage is brown. Return bacon to the pan with 2 tablepoons tomato paste and 1/4 cup water. Simmer gently 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs. Add more water as needed to hold mixture together. Taste mixture for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Pack enough mixture in each mushroom cap to fill it and round the top. Bake in a 350* oven for 20 minutes. Serve while hot.