Mini-Quiche Appetizers

I’d been meaning to try out a few appetizer recipes, and finally got around to making a few this week.  These little quiche were SO cute and really easy to make!  And they tasted really good too!

 

 

I should have taken pictures as I made them, but I forgot.  Oops.  I also didn’t use a recipe while making these, so the following will be a slightly vague description, but really, they were easy - I promise!

First, I made a batch of my standard pastry crust.  I use the Vinegar Pastry from Bette Hagman’s cookbooks.  (I’ve got a step-by-step description of the pastry as part of my chicken pot pie post.)  The recipe made more than I needed, so I ended up freezing half. 

While the dough was chilling, I prepared me fillings.  I made two kinds. 

Type 1 was Asparagus and Bacon.  I fried than drained about 4 pieces of bacon, and steamed some asparagus until just tender.  I also grated (with a micro-plane) some pecorino cheese (because that was the only kind I had on hand). 

Type 2 was Smoked Salmon and Green Onion.  I sliced the green onion (white and green parts) and diced the smoked salmon.  This also had grated pecorino cheese.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Using two mini muffin pans (12 muffins each), take small bits of the dough and press into the bottom and about 3/4 of the way up the sides of each cup.  Bake the plain crusts for about 7 or 8 minutes until barely browned.

Fill cups with filling, topping with grated cheese.  I filled them loosely, but I did fill them mostly to the top.  (Not much fits in each, as they are very small.)  Whisk together 3 eggs with about 1 cup of half and half.  Pour into each cup. 

Bake for about 10 minutes or until just set.  Once out of the oven, let sit for a couple of minutes to set up a bit more, then enjoy!

 

The crust was actually flaky!

 

A not so super bowl

At least spring training starts soon.Needless to say, I did not enjoy last night’s game. Aside from the game, however, my party was a great success. No one missed the gluten at all!

I must apologize though - I forgot to take pictures of everything because my guests started to show up before I was quite organized. So some of the following are not my own, but are to give you the idea.

My menu was completely New England themed, and as follows:

Cape Cod Potato Chips
Brie with Cranberry Apple Chutney
Crudites (vegetables) with Herb Dip
Clam Chowder
Maple Chicken Wings
Boston Baked Beans

Drinks included:

Cape Codder cocktail (vodka and cranberry)
Sam Adams beer (from MA)
Woodchuck cider (from VT and gf)

(I was supposed to be serving Boston Cream Pie, but my attempts at making the cake part failed. Twice. Oh well!)

Recipes:Brie with Cranberry Apple Chutney

This brie appetizer is really quite simple, yet looks impressive and is always a big hit. It can be made with any kind of chutney. I discovered that most of the Stonewall Kitchen chutneys are gluten free, and they had a cranberry apple flavor that sounded “New Englandish.”Step 1: take brie out of its wrapper and place on plate.

Step 2: spoon chutney over brie.

Step 3: heat in microwave about 45 seconds or until it just starts to get gooey.

Step 4: serve with your favorite gluten free crackers.

Crudites with Herb Dip

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitter with the paddle attachment and blend. Serve at room temperature with an assortment of vegetables.

*note - low fat cream cheese and low fat sour cream work fine in this*

 

Maple Chicken Wings and Baked Beans

Maple Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds chicken wings
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (gf)
1/2 cup lite soy sauce (gf)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 to 2 cups maple syrup

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 30 degrees F.

Cut off chicken wing tips and snip the skin between the joints. (Or just buy the frozen wing pieces and thaw.) Place in disposable large baking pan. Add the maple syrup, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Toss to coat. Place pan on baking sheet and bake for approximately 1 hour, tossing every 15 to 20 minutes. The liquid will gradually evaporate the longer you cook it. After 1 hour, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Turn wings to coat evenly and cook an additional 45 minutes.

Boston Baked Beans

Ingredients:

 

1 pound dried pinto or great northern beans
12 bacon slices cut into 1/2 inch pieces
8 cups water
1 1/3 cups chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup dry mustard
2 tablespoons molasses
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper

 

Directions:

Place beans in a large bowl. Add enough water to cover by 3 inches. Let stand overnight. Drain beans, set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook bacon in heavy large pot until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add beans and all remaining ingredients to pot. Bring to boil.

Transfer pot to oven. Bake uncovered until beans are tender and liquid thickens, stirring occasionally, about 4 hours. (**Mine cooked in only 3 hours, so check regularly.**)

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring beans to simmer before serving.)

 

Shrimp Cocktail

This is a great, easy hors d’oeuvre that can be ready in minutes. The key is to buy pre-cooked, frozen shrimp. I always have some in the freezer - great for so many different recipes. Thaw under cold running water, or in the fridge. Cocktail sauce can be bought, but I’m not sure which, if any are gluten-free. Here’s a simple recipe:

Cocktail Sauce

1 cup ketchup
1 lemon, zest finely grated and juiced
4 teaspoons prepared horseradish, or to taste, drained
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce, to taste

Combine the ketchup, lemon zest and juice, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Add hot sauce, if desired. Mix well, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

To serve: put the cocktail sauce in a medium bowl and surround with the shrimp, or loop the shrimp over the edge of an individual cocktail glass and top with the sauce. Garnish with the lemon and serve.