Garbanzo Yogurt Dip

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup plain yogurt 1 can (19 oz.) chick peas 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup tahini 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cumin 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp. cayenne pepper or 1 tsp. paprika 1 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted 1 tbsp. chopped parsley

DIRECTION:

1. Line small sieve with cheesecloth or double layer of paper towel set over bowl.
2. Add yogurt; drain in refrigerator until reduced by half, about 2 hours.
3. Skin, rinse and drain chick peas. In a blender, puree yogurt, chick peas, and the rest of the ingredients except sesame seeds and parsley. Cover and refrigerate.
4. Before serving, drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil and paprika or cayenne pepper and parsley. Toast sesame seeds in a skillet on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, sprinkle on dip. Serve with toasted pita bread or tortilla chips.

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus 2 hours draining time for yogurt
Makes: 2 cups

Hot and Savory Nuts

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp. melted butter 1/2 cayenne pepper 1 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt 2-1/2 cup shelled, unsalted nuts

DIRECTION:

1. In a bowl, combine butter, cayenne and sugar. Set aside
2. Spread nuts in one layer on a baking sheet. Baked in a preheated 350ºF oven for 12 – 15 minutes, stir once or twice, until slightly golden.
3. Toss warm nuts with butter mixture. Serve warm or cold.

Variation: Dry Roasted Garlic Peanuts

2-1/2 cups raw dry peanuts, skinless 1 tbsp. water

1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. peanut oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed

1. Spread peanuts on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with water to moisten all. Drain off excess water, if any. Sprinkle slat evenly over peanuts, mix well.
2. Bake in a preheated 350ºF oven for 15 minutes, stir peanuts around and bake for 5 minutes more if need. May be served as is or flavored with garlic.
3. To flavor with garlic: Heat oil in pan, brown garlic in oil but watch it carefully. Do not burn with garlic; it becomes bitter. Turn off heat. Toss peanuts in garlic oil until well coated. Let cool. Store in tightly covered jar.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Makes: 2-1/2 cups

Guacamole Yogurt Dip

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe avocados 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 cup tomato, chopped, drained 1/4 cup cottage cheese 1/2 cup chopped onions 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, chopped 4 garlic cloves, mashed, chopped 1tsp Tabasco sauce 1 tbsp. olive oil 1/4 cup plain yogurt

DIRECTION:

1. Halve avocados lengthwise, spoon out seeds, scoop pulp into bowl, add lemon juice, mash with fork until smooth. Save avocado shells for serving.
2. Drain chopped tomatoes and add to mashed avocado, along with the remaining ingredients. Mix well and correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
3. To serve, put some guacamole in half avocado shells and serve on a bed of lettuce with toasted tortilla chips or pita bread.

Variation: For a quick Avocado Dip, peel and mash 1 avocado with 2 ox cream cheese at room temperature, 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. onions, chopped fin, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Serve as above.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Makes: 3 cups

Lumpiang Shanghai (Fried Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound ground pork 1/4 pound shrimps, shelled deveined and chopped 1/4 cup carrots, pared, and grated 1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 egg, slightly beaten 3 tbsp. chopped onions

2 tsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. patis 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1 tbsp. cilantro leaves, chopped 10 pieces lumpia wrappers Canola oil for deep frying

DIRECTION:

1. For this recipe, use only Philippine paper-thin lumpia wrappers. Do not use wonton or Vietnamese spring roll wrappers because they are too think.
2. Combine all ingredients thoroughly except lumpia wrappers and oil. Divide into 10 parts. Wrap each part in a lumpia wrapper making a long thin rook, about 3/4” in diameter. Moisten ends with water to seal.
3. Fry 3-4 pieces at a time in medium hot oil for about 6 – 8 minutes, turning each piece to brown all sides evenly . Drain on paper towels.
4. Cut into bite-size 2” pieces. Serve hot with sweet and sour sauce.

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour
Makes: 40

Deviled Eggs

INGREDIENTS:

12 hard cooked eggs 1 tsp. salt 1/8 ground pepper 1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt 1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. cayenne pepper 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped 1 tsp. chopped green onions 1 tbsp. prepared mustard 1/4 tsp. paprika

DIRECTION:

1. Shell eggs, and carefully cut them in halves lengthwise.
2. Remove yolks while keeping white shell intact. Mash and combine yolks with the rest of the ingredients. Refill egg whites with yolk mixture, slightly rounded on top.
3. top each with half an olive or a strip of red pimiento for food color, if available.
4. Arrange the eggs on a nest of alfalfa sprouts in a bowl.

Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes: 24

Glazed Chicken Wings

INGREDIENTS:

20 chicken wings, cut at joints and tips removed

Marinade: 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp. grated fresh ginger 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce

Glaze 1 tbsp. soy sauce 1 tbsp. canola oil 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

DIRECTION:

1. Wash chicken wings and wipe dry.
2. Remove wing tips and cut wings into two.
3. Mix marinade ingredients and marinate chicken wings overnight.
4. Arrange chicken wings in a single layer, in a lightly greased nonstick pan or foil-lined baking pan. Bake them in a preheated 450ºF oven for 20 minutes, turn them over and bake for 20 minutes more to brown them evenly.
5. Mix glaze ingredients, except sesame seeds in a small bowl, and brush chicken wings with glaze immediately after removing them from oven. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and transfer chicken wings to a serving dish.

Cooking Tip: To toast sesame seeds, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp. sesame seeds, stir until slightly golden in color, about 2 – 3 minutes. Do not leave seeds in hot skillet on the stove, even if the heat is off because they will continue to cook and may become overdone. Remove seeds immediately from the skillet.

Note: Serve these chicken wings hot or cold. May also be garnished with minced green onions or cilantro sprigs and slices of lemon, if you have them.

Preparation and cooking time: 45 minutes plus marinating time
Makes: 40 pieces

Empanaditas (Mini Meat Turnovers)

INGREDIENTS:

Filling: 2 tbsp. canola oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes 1/2 pound ground beef 1/4 pound ground pork 1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce 1/8 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. pepper, 1 potato, diced 2 hard cooked eggs, sliced into 24 pieces 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar 1/4 cup raisins, soaked in warm water

Follow double crust pie procedure for dough.

DIRECTION:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, sauté garlic, onions and tomatoes, about 2 minutes. Add ground beef and pork and sauté 5 minutes more, breaking up chunks of meat to brown them evenly. Season with soy sauce, salt Tabasco, cinnamon, pepper and cloves.
2. Add potato and cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently, until potatoes are done. Taste and correct the seasonings. Set aside to cool.
3. Roll out pastry dough, about 1/16” thick, on a floured surface. Cut into 2-1/2” diameter circles. Place a tsp. of the filliping in the center of the pastry round. Top with a slice of egg and 2 – 3 pcs raisins.
4. Fold over pastry into a half-moon, moisten the edges with water and press edges with fork tines to seal. Or flute with fingers. Prick top crust with fork in 2 or 3 places to let our steam while baking. Repeat with remaining pastry.
5. Arrange meat pies on a cookie sheet. Brush tops with milk. Bake in a preheated 400ºF oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Makes: About 2 dozen empanaditas

Fruit Platter

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup watermelon balls 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled 4 kiwi fruits, peeled cut into thin wedges 1/2 honeydew melon, peeled, cut into thin wedges 1 cup grapefruit or orange sections or pomelo (suha)

1 cup seedless green grapes in small clusters 2 fresh nectarines or peaches or ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, cut into wedges 1/2 cantaloupe or 1 small ripe papaya, peeled, cut into thin wedges 1 tsp. grated orange rind for sprinkling on top

DIRECTION:

1. Prepare fruits, arrange them on a platter with the fruit wedges forming an open fan on one side of platter starting with the cantaloupe or papaya, followed by peaches alternately with kiwi and mango wedges, then by honeydew wedges.
2. Mound watermelon balls, grapefruit or orange sections and clusters of green grapes on the other side of platter. Scatted strawberries on to.
3. Sprinkle fruits with orange zest. Cover and chill for an hour before serving.

Note: Because this is such an easy appetizer to prepare, the presentation and the combination of colors are important. Arrange the fruits with flair keeping in mind their different colors and textures. Cut fruits into manageable pieces so that they are easy to serve and eat.

Variation: Individual Tropical Fruit Cups – Combine the following ingredients, chill 1 hour and spoon into champagne glasses or ice cream cups.

1 can (14 oz.) fruit cocktail, drained 1/2 can (14 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained 1 red apple with skin, cored and diced 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled, halved

1 cup ripe mango, peeled, diced 1 banana, peeled and diced 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. honey

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus chilling time
Serves: 6 to 8

Eggplant Yogurt Dip

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds eggplants 1 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 lemon juice 2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. sugar 1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

DIRECTION:

1. Prick eggplants all over with fork, so they don’t explode while roasting.
2. Roast eggplants until soft on stovetop for about 20 minutes or bake it in a 375ºF oven for 30 to 45 minutes, turning them frequently. Discard burnt eggplant skin, save juices.
3. Mash eggplant, mix in the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and eggplant juices in a bowl. Stir in tahini and blend well.
4. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl, garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup diced pepper. Serve with crackers or toasted pita bread.

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour
Makes: 2-1/2 cups

Fresh Tomato Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

4 large tomatoes, seeded, chopped 1/2 cup chopped onions 2 garlic cloves, chopped, mashed 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 3 stalks green onion, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, chopped

3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground pepper 2 tbsp. sugar 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. tomato paste

DIRECTION:

1. Drain tomatoes, and combine all other ingredients in a medium bowl. Let it set for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Do not refrigerate.
2. If salsa is too runny, spoon off some of the liquid, transfer to bowl, serve with corn chips, tacos or toasted pita bread triangles.

Note: Use within 3 hours.

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus flavor blending time 30 minutes
Makes: 2 cups

Cheddar Crackers

These are excellent make-ahead appetizers and go extremely well with beer.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup butter at room temperature 1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz. or 250 g) at room temperature 1 large egg 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 tbsp. chopped green onions 4 cups grated old cheddar cheese 2 cups all purpose flour 1 cup ground pecans or walnuts Dash of paprika

DIRECTION:

1. Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add egg and Tabasco, beat to combine. Stir in onions and cheese. Combine flour and nuts. With wooden spoon, stir into cream choose mixture, 1/3 at a time.
2. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a roll about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and chill overnight in the refrigerator. (rolls may be frozen until needed)
3. When ready to use rolls, cut them into 1/4-inch think slices. Place on nonstick baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes or until crackers are lightly browned at edges. Remove crackers to wire rack to cool completely.

Bola-Bolang Carne (Meatballs in Spicy Sauce)

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs: 1-1/2 pounds ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped fine 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 tsp. celery, chopped fine 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/8 tsp. mace or nutmeg 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1 cup bread crumbs

Spicy Sauce: 1/2 cup catsup 1 tbsp. Hoisin Sauce 1/2 cup bottled chili sauce 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. sugar 1/4 cup water Garnish: 1 tbsp. minced cilantro

DIRECTION:

Meatballs:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine all meatball ingredients, and shape them into balls the size of marbles.
2. Place meatballs on cooked sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Drain off fat.

Spicy Sauce:

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Cook over medium heat stirring until blended, about 2 minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning.
3. Add cooked meatballs to spicy sauce and simmer until heated through, about 3 – 5 minutes.
4. Garnish with minced cilantro.

Avocado Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups diced ripe avocado Juice of 1 lime 2 tomatoes, diced, drained 1 garlic clove, mashed 1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup minced green onions 1/2 cup minced red bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1tsp. salt

DIRECTION:

1. Combine avocado with lime juice. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, season to taste, cover, and refrigerate. Serve within 3 hours with toasted pita bread or tortilla chips.

Note: This dip will not keep long; avocado turns brown.

Avocado and Garbanzo Dip

Garbanzo beans are one of the most popular beans you can find in a supermarket. The best thing about these legumes is that you can buy them dried or canned all year long. Also, the natural oil in avocado will give this dip a love creamy rich consistency.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cooked garbanzos, skinned, mashed 2 ripe avocados, mashed 1 tsp. salt 1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice 3 garlic cloves, minced 4 tbsp. spring onions, chopped 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped 1/2 tsp. sugar

DIRECTION:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until well blended. Correct seasoning. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Note: For a thinner dip, add more olive oil or yogurt. A drop or two of green food coloring will give it a bright touch.