Cindy's Recipes and Writings

6 Appetizers for Seafood Lovers that Won’t Break Your Budget

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Cindy Kerschner

Ever notice the seafood is the first appetizers to go at any party?
I recently helped cater a Christmas party that couldn’t keep the bacon wrapped scallops flowing fast enough.
Why is that? Do a majority of people avoid making seafood at home for one reason or another?
Certain seafood can run up the party bill rather quickly. That shouldn’t deter you from serving seafood at your special get-together.
Seafood can be an inexpensive item to offer if you know a few tricks.

Buy your shrimp frozen when it’s on sale. Those 2 pound bags can go a long way.

Cut the protein with a tasty filler. I use potato flakes instead of breadcrumbs as a binder in my Shrimp Puffs.

Make a solo shrimp the star. Instead of just putting out a pile of peel-n-eat shrimp, kick your app up a notch.

Share the spotlight with a slice of beef. Beef and scallops pair wonderfully together.

Here’s a few ideas to get you started!

Spicy Shrimp Puffs
Spicy Shrimp Puffs turn 4 ingredients into a delicious party appetizer! Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Caesar Salad Stuffed Shrimp
Caesar Salad Stuffed Shrimp shares it’s flavor with the famous salad. Diced tomato, cucumber, olives and feta stacked atop a moist, tender shrimp. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan. Serve with a side of Caesar dressing for dipping.

Salmon Cakes with Anise Aioli
Mini Salmon Cakes with Anise Aioli serves bite-sized versions of salmon patties with slightly sweet fennel-garlic sauce. These fish patties pack maximum flavor into each bite.

Crab Louie Deviled Eggs
Crab Louie Deviled Eggs combine the great taste of Crab Louie with the popular egg appetizer. Creamy hot sauce dip compliments the rich, crab filled egg whites. A bit tangy, a bit spicy and oh so good!

Steak and Scallops Crostini
Garlic Lovers Steak and Scallops is a perfect surf and turf bite for holiday entertaining!

Spicy Crab Spread
Spicy Crab Spread. This spread blends juicy crab meat, cream cheese, jalapeño peppers, horseradish and more served on garlic crostini.

Posted in appetizer, crab, party food, salmon, seafood, shrimp, What's For Dinner? | 2 Comments

Spicy Shrimp Puffs

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Cindy Kerschner

Spicy Shrimp Puffs turn 4 ingredients into a delicious party appetizer! Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

The year is coming to an end and a new one is just around the corner. Thanks Ellen from Family Around the Table for hosting our New Year’s Eve Appetizer Event!
Some of us will welcome in 2019 quietly. A couple of snacks, a drink and a midnight kiss or two.
Some will party hardy with family and friends into the wee hours of the morning.
How you choose to say goodbye to 2018 is up to you. My Shrimp Puffs will make the transition tastier! 😉
These little bites are made with only 4 ingredients. All you need to shrimp, potato flakes, seafood seasoning and bread crumbs.

You can make these shrimp puffs gluten free by substituting the bread crumbs for a gluten free variety.
Deep fry these appetizers for best results. I use vegetable oil and fry at 350 for 2 to 3 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
Serve with your favorite sauce. We like cocktail sauce. Tarter sauce, orange marmalade sauce, ranch or BBQ works just as well!

Food for Thought…What types of appetizers make your party table year after year? Classics like scallops in bacon or pigs in a blanket? Maybe pizza rolls or veggies and dip? I’d love to hear your party plans in a comment below!

Yum

Spicy Shrimp Puffs

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 24 shrimp puffs

Serving Size: 1 each

Spicy Shrimp Puffs

Ingredients

24 medium to large shrimp, peeled and de-veined.
1/2 cup potato flakes
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning (I used Old Bay)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
oil for frying

Instructions

Place shrimp and seasoning in food processor. Puree into a paste.
Add potato flakes and a bit of water if necessary to hold together.
Form into 24 balls. Roll balls in bread crumbs.
Fry puffs at 350 for 2 to 3 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
Serve with sauces if desired.

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Enjoy these great appetizer ideas and recipes from Festive Foodies!

Baked Artichoke Squares by Family Around the Table
Cheese Steak Egg Rolls by The Freshman Cook
Devil’s on Horseback by Palatable Pastime
Hot Reuben & Sprouts Dip by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Roasted TriColored Pepper Salsa by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Spicy Shrimp Puffs by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms by Simple and Savory
Sweet Potato Rounds with Maple-Cinnamon Ricotta Cheese, Dried Cranberries & Pecans by Tip Garden
Vegan 7 Layer Black Bean Dip by The Baking Fairy

Posted in #FestiveFoodies, appetizer, party food, shrimp, snacks, What's For Dinner? | 21 Comments

Fig Jelly Roll

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Cindy Kerschner

Figs top my list of dried fruit for baking. Naturally sweet figs make a delicious jam. A perfect filling for a Christmas jelly roll.

Never made a jelly roll? No worries! Sponge cake is pliable and so easy to roll.

The best part is sponge cake rolls accept a variety of fillings. I’ve used cream cheese based spreads, jelly, chocolate spreads, even peanut butter.

For a holiday, Christmas feel, figs are a great choice. Figs easily transform into a spreadable jam that you can keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

A light sprinkling of powdered sugar before serving makes a beautiful presentation! One of the best parts about making your own cake rolls is slicing it as thick as you want it! Thin or thick, you choose!

Maybe one of each?

Fig Jelly Roll

Food for Thought…What is your favorite filling for cake rolls? Do you prefer jelly, cream or a spread like chocolate? I’d love to hear your ideas in a comment below!

Yum

Fig Jelly Roll

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 12 slices

Serving Size: 1 slice

Fig Jelly Roll

Add 15 minute cooling time before unrolling cake to fill.

Ingredients

filling

1 cup figs, chopped
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Cake

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
5 Tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

filling

Combine figs, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until figs are soft and syrup has formed. Whisk into thick jam. Set aside.

cake

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper
Beat eggs on medium speed until thick and lemony colored.
Gradually add the sugar.
Mix in water and vanilla.
Add flour, baking powder and salt.
Pour into prepared jelly-roll pan and bake at 375 for about 12 minutes. Cake should be done but not overly baked.
Loosen the cake around the edges. Let the cake cool slightly, remove the paper then dust with powdered sugar before placing a clean linen towel on top. Leave 1 1/2 to 2 inches of towel hang off the pan. This will make that curl which makes a tight rolled cake.
Roll the towel up with the cake and let it set at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes.
Unroll. Spread filling.
Leave about a 1/2-inch of cake exposed on all sides. That space is your buffer in case the filling oozes a bit. When cake is cold and set cut the ends off.
Roll without the towel cool then refrigerate.

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Posted in cake, Christmas, dessert, holiday, What's For Dinner? | Tagged fig | 6 Comments

Salted Butterscotch Fudge #FantasticalFoodFight

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Cindy Kerschner

Salted Butterscotch Fudge- easy 4 ingredient recipe. Quick set, ready to eat in less than a hour.

December Fantastical Food Fight is all about homemade candy. Don’t forget to scroll down and check out all the delicious candy recipe links!
Our theme for the month is: CANDY. Your recipe must be a CANDY recipe. This can be hard candy, fudge, toffee, truffles, taffy, etc.

Making candy is always fun. Fudge is one of my favorites to create. What better gift is there to give or get for the holidays?

Salted Butterscotch Fudge

Yum

Salted Butterscotch Fudge

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 16 to 20 pieces

Serving Size: 1 each

Salted Butterscotch Fudge

Ingredients

2 (11-ounce) bags butterscotch chips
1/4 cup butter
1 14-ounce can sweetened evaporated milk
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Instructions

Spray a 8x8-inch pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper. Spray paper with cooking spray.
Place butterscotch chips and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in 20 second intervals, stirring each time until melted.
Add melted chips to milk in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour in prepared pan and cool slightly before sprinkling with desired amount of salt.
Refrigerate until firm before cutting.

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Food for thought…What is your favorite type of candy? Is it fudge, caramels, nougats, hard candy, filled chocolates? I’d love to hear your thoughts in a comment below!

Interested in joining the fun? You can get all the details and sign up at Fantastical Food Fight.