Appetizer & Snack Recipes
This is my collection of creative, quick, & easy, appetizer and snack recipes.
Korean Baked BBQ Wings
Ingredients:
2 Lbs chicken wings (rinsed with cold water and patted dry)
Marinade:
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (Gochugaru)
3 Tbsp Korean chili paste (Gochujang)
1 Tbsp Cracked black pepper
2 Tbsp honey
6 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp rice wine
2 tsp minced garlic
1 to 2 bird’s eye chili or serrano pepper, seeded and chopped.
Execution:
In a stainless bowl, mix all ingredients together
Add chicken wings and toss, to coat wings
Place wings in a large zip-lock bag or keep them in the stainless bowl covered with plastic wrap.
Put in the fridge for at least 2 hours, the longer you marinate the better.
While the wings are in the fridge, start your BBQ sauce.
Korean BBQ Sauce
1 cup ketchup
6 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp light brown sugar
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp Gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste)
3 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp honey
Sesame seeds to garnish
Execution:
In a small pot on medium, add the sesame oil, then the garlic, and saute until soft
Add the Gochujang, and brown sugar, then stir
Add the ketchup and the other ingredients, stir and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes
Taste your BBQ sauce, does it need anything?
Adjust seasoning, turn off, and set aside
Sriracha Lime Sour Cream:
In a stainless bowl add two to three cups of sour cream, fat-free, or low cal.
Juice of one lime or more and whisk
Add a couple of squirts of Sriracha hot sauce, and make it as hot as you like.
Tough of honey (to balance), and whisk
Salt and pepper
Taste and adjust seasoning
Set aside covered in the fridge
Final Execution:
When the wings are done marinating, preheat your oven to 400 degrees
In a single layer place wings on a baking sheet, coat with a little more marinade, and black pepper, then place into the oven to bake.
Discard the marinade
Heat BBQ sauce while the wings are in the oven
Bake wings for 30- 40 minutes or until they have reached at least 165 degrees internally, and are golden brown
Add heated Korean BBQ sauce to a stainless bowl, then the HOT baked wings, and toss to coat, add more if you like
Serve on a platter garnished with sesame seeds, and the Sriracha Lime Sour Cream dipping sauce.
Peanut Butter & Medjool Date Energy Balls
Ingredients:
¾ cup chopped Medjool dates
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup natural peanut butter
Pinch of Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Execution:
Place pitted dates in a food processor or blender and pulse until they’re in small pieces or it forms a ball.
Add oats, and peanut butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and pulse or mix until combined. Don’t over-process,
Carefully roll into 1-inch balls, using your hands to mold them together. Should yield 12-14 balls
To set, put in the fridge or freezer for 15 minutes. Otherwise, eat as is!
Will keep fresh in an air-tight bag or container for up to a week.
Freeze for longer-term storage.
Tomatillo Salsa
Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
Makes 2 1/2 cups
10 to 12 tomatillos
1 white onion cut in half, roast half and save the other half unroasted. The unroasted half cut into a small dice and reserve
4 cloves of garlic (or more)
2 tsp olive oil
big handful cilantro leaves - chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped (you can use whole for more heat if you want)
1 tbsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Execution:
Husk, rinse and cut tomatillos in half, prep the other ingredients and place in a stainless bowl. Season with salt and pepper then toss with olive oil
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees farenheit
Place all ingredients on a baking sheet then roast
Roast the tomatillos, chile(s), 1/2 onion and garlic on a baking sheet until charred
Flip tomatillos over and roast the other side.
Cool, then transfer everything to a blender, including all the juice the tomatillos have rendered from roasting
Add the cilantro and 1/4 cup water, then blend to a coarse puree.
Place salsa into a bowl and stir in the remaining chopped onion
Add honey
Season with salt and pepper and taste, does it need anything? More salt? More honey? More lime juice? Cilantro?
Adjust seasoning, then chill
Serve!
Classic Guacamole Recipe
Guacamole Recipe Ingredients:
Serves 4
4-6 ripe avocados
1/2 of a medium sized sweet onion (small dice)
1 small jalapeno (diced with seeds and ribs removed) Keep the seeds and ribs if you want some heat.
Juice of 1 lime or more…
1 small tomato diced
1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
Splash of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Execution:
Cut the avocado in half. Using a sharp chef's knife, slice through the avocado lengthwise until you feel the knife hit the pit. Remove pit.
Using a spoon scoop out the avocado
In a bowl add the avocado, diced onion, tomato, jalapeno and chopped cilantro
Add the lime juice
Add granulated garlic, oregano, cumin
Add olive oil
With a potato masher; mash everything together. Leave some texture because guacamole isn’t supposed to be smooth. Keep it rustic.
Add some salt and fresh cracked pepper and taste
Does it need anything? More lime juice? more cilantro? more salt and pepper?
If it tastes like the way you want it, serve it immediately.
Serve with tortilla chips and Pico de gallo
Vietnamese Chicken wings
Ingredients:
Sevres 4
2 1/2 - 3 pounds chicken wings separated at the joint
Marinade:
1 stalk lemongrass bashed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup minced ginger
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 fresh limes juiced
2 tablespoons olive/vegetable or peanut oil, whatever you have...
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/8 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons of cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons of Sriracha hot sauce
2 tablespoons honey
Fistful of Chopped cilantro
Sriracha Lime Ranch Sauce Recipe:
2 - 3 cups ranch dressing, low cal or not you choose....hell, make as much of this as you want.
juice of 1 lime
Add a couple of squirts of Sriracha hot sauce, and make it as hot as you like.
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro....not a necessary ingredient, some folks don't like it.
Execution:
With the back of a chef's knife bruise the lemongrass to release the essential oils, this will give your wings that "authentic" Vietnamese flavor. Lemon juice won't do.
In a stainless bowl mix all ingredients for the marinade and pour into a large zip-lock bag
Place chicken wings into the bag and marinate overnight. If you are rushed, marinate for a minimum of 2 hours.
When the wings are done marinating, preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Place wings in a single layer on a baking sheet, coat with a little more marinade and put into the oven to roast.
Discard the marinade
Roast for 45- 50 minutes or until golden
Serve on a platter garnished with cilantro, lime wedges, and the Sriracha lime ranch dipping sauce.
Spicy BBQ Hoisin Lime Wings
Ingredients:
2 to 3 lbs chicken wings (separated into drumettes with tips removed)
Marinade/Sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
4 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp sesame oil
4 Tbsp Sriracha
1 tsp chopped jalapeno pepper (seeded or not, it's up to you). Omit if you don't want the burn.
Zest and juice of 1 lime
4 Tbsp light brown sugar
3 cloves garlic. minced
2 Tbsp ginger, grated
sliced scallions for garnish
*This sauce works well for chicken, beef or pork
Sriracha Lime Sour Cream:
In a stainless bowl: 2 - 3 cups sour cream, fat-free, low cal, whatever...hell, make as much of this as you want.
Juice of 1 lime
With a couple of squirts of Sriracha hot sauce, make it as hot as you like.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Execution:
In a stainless bowl, whisk all the ingredients together.
Place the wings in a large Ziploc bag and pour half marinade over.
Reserve half of the marinade for tossing with the cooked wings.
Seal and shake to coat all of the wings.
Refrigerate at least at least 4 hours, for best results marinate overnight.
When wings are fully marinated.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place chicken wings on a foil lined sheet sheet tray.
Roast for 35-40 minutes., or until browned and crispy with an internal temperature of 165 degrees or higher.
Turn the wings a couple times for even cooking.
Heat reserved sauce and toss with wings in a stainless bowl.
Garnish wings with scallions and serve Sriracha, lime sour cream.
Restaurant Style Cantina Salsa
Keep a few cans of these spicy diced tomatoes on hand. This Cantina salsa is very close to what you get in most good Mexican restaurants
Ingredients:
1 can of canned Rotel or Hunt's (tomatoes with green chilies).
2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes, (any brand)
3 to 4 chopped cloves of garlic
half sweet onion, rough chopped
1 chopped jalapeño, seeded (keep some seeds and ribs if you want some heat).
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp Mexican oregano
a little salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste, it doesn't need much salt because there is plenty of salt in the canned tomatoes.
Execution:
Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse until a slightly chunky, slightly smooth consistency is achieved....you decide how you want it.
Serve chilled with corn tortilla chips.
Asparagus, goat cheese and prosciutto bundles
Ingredients:
4 - 6 ounces soft goat cheese
8 to 10 thin slices of prosciutto
24 asparagus spears (about one bunch), ends trimmed
Extra virgin olive oil
cracked black pepper
Execution:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
While the oven is heating up...
Allow goat cheese to warm up at room temperature
Blanch asparagus in salted boiling water for 1 minute (until it turns bright green)
Place blanched aspargus in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Place asparagus on a parpe towel and drain
Asparagus must be dry before you roll the bundles
Place a tsp. (or a little more) of soften goat cheese on each slice of prosciutto and roll around three asparagus spears.
If the goat cheese isn't warm and you try to spread it on the prosciutto, it will tear.
Finish prep of the rest of the asparagus spears.
Arrange on a baking sheet and lightly brush with olive oil.
Bake for 5 to 7 minutes; until asparagus is tender and prosciutto is lightly browned. Serve warm.
