Recipes Italian Spinach

recipes italian spinach
Easy/cheap yet not tacky appetizers/hors d’oeuvres recipes?

Do you have any recipes along these lines that you care to share? Here’s one to kick it off:

Spinach balls:

Polybag of frozen spinach (approx. 20 oz), thawed & uncooked, but not drained

1 can black olives–minced (run through the food processor)

1 c.melted butter (or can substitute margarine or Country Crock)

1 c. grated Parmesan cheese

4 c. Italian breadcrumbs

6 extra-lg.(or 8 lg.) eggs

Good handful shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
* * * * *
Mix all ingredients in bowl and chill a few hours, or even overnight.

When cold and firm, remove bowl from fridge and begin to roll the dough into balls. You’ve got lots of leeway with this-you can make them tiny Swedish-meatball sized, golf ball sized, or big Italian meatball sized. If you want these for hors d’oeuvres, use a melon baller to size ‘em.

Preheat oven to 350*, don’t grease the cookie sheet, and bake for 15 min. You can put fancy toothpicks in ‘em. Reheat in microwave, 50% power, for about 1 min.

Cheese Puffs

1 cup milk
1/4-pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup grated Gruyere, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded. Add the flour all at once and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Immediately add the eggs, Gruyere, and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 1/4 inches wide and 3/4-inch high onto the baking sheets. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.) Brush the top of each puff lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyere. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.

–Ina Garten
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Surprise Cheese Bites

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
Pimento stuffed olives or pecan halves

Sift dry ingredients together. Cream softened butter and cheese; add dry ingredients, blending well.

Drain olives and blot dry with paper towels.

Take about 1 teaspoon of dough and flatten. Put an olive or pecan in the middle and wrap dough around it, rolling to make a ball.

Put tray of balls in freezer until firm, then pop into Ziploc bags. Bake (frozen) at 400° for 15 minutes.

Great to keep on hand for surprise company or as a do-ahead appetizer for a party.
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Classic Olive Tapenade

1 (16 oz) jar pittred calamata olives, drained
1 Tbsp. drained capers
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. rum (optional)
3 Tbsp. EVOO

Pulse first 6 ingredients, and rum if desired, in food processor 3 or 4 times.
Gradually add oil and pulse another 3 or 4 times until mix forms coarse paste.

makes 1 cup

–Southern Living, April 2001
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Spinach Parmesan Balls

1 pound package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
5 eggs
1 large onion, minced
10 tablespoons margarine, melted
1 cup shredded Parmesan
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 3/4 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place spinach in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well by hand.* Form the mixture into 1-inch balls, either by hand or with a small ice cream scoop. Place the balls closely together on a baking sheet.

Cook in the top half of the oven until firm to the touch, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, and then transfer to a platter and serve immediately.
* Cook’s Note: Wearing latex gloves while mixing and forming the balls is suggested.

–Party Line
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Proscuitto & Melon Slasa

¼ cup finely chopped cantaloupe (1 cup chunks)
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup red bellpepper, finely chopped
Juice of ¼ lemon
1 tsp. (or a splash) of aged balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. EVOO
Pinch kosher salt
Dash black pepper
¼ lb (9 thin slices) proscuitto, chopped

Combine all ingredients. Top 36 Big Wheat Thins crackers to make 18 appetizer servings (2 each).

–Rachael Ray, Back of Wheat Thins box

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