Warm Halloumi Cheese with Cold, Minty Watermelon

  If you're  looking for a simple new way to  enjoy 'grilling cheese'  you may love this summery  recipe   from Michael Symon.  The  appeal of an easy  low-carb appetizer drew me into  its  satisfying taste --- warm, melty cheese topped with  cool, minty watermelon triangles.

Halloumi is most often  marketed and labeled as "grilling cheese" and served with bread.  A little research disclosed that  this appetizer is an old Cypriot recipe and that the  cheese is  usually part-goat, part-sheep's milk.  Halloumi  retains its shape, and  is   milder than feta or chevre.  The exterior stays somewhat firm, so watch it carefully to avoid burning.

Whisk together  one  TB each of grated garlic and grated  shallot. Add 2 oz red wine vinegar and one TB honey (I used  sugar-free).  Whisk in 4 oz extra virgin olive oil, 2 TB  toasted thin-sliced almonds, chopped, and 2 TB finely chopped fresh  mint.  Cut a  1" slice from a small round watermelon. Trim off the rind and white, and cut the melon in  8 triangles.  Place them in a shallow bowl and pour the marinade over the melon.  Cover and refrigerate for an  hour.

Using 1 TB extra virgin olive oil, heat a skillet (cast-iron preferred) , and  when it's hot, fry 8 triangles ( 8 oz) of   room-temperature halloumi cheese*  about a minute per side just 'til browned a bit on both sides.  Remove to  a serving plate, top with watermelon triangles and toothpicks.  Serve and enjoy the warm/icy cold  bites.

*Halloumi is generally sold in rectangular slices about  1/2" -3/4". It's often called frying cheese and may be "Italian grilling cheese" or "Greek frying cheese" or some similar flavor.  "Plain" is fine too.  If yours is  thicker,  the cheese may  not soften quite enough during cooking.  If it's too thick to use as-is  but too thin to cut in half horizontally,  nuke  less than 30 seconds in the microwave  either before or   after searing, and then proceed.   Poke it to be sure its soft inside before  removing from the pan...it keeps it shape even when soft.  This makes  8 one-or-two-bite appetizers. 

** If you're concerned about sodium  substitute Indian paneer cheese - it's  almost-zero -sodium and fries well without melting.

Chilled Stuffed Pepper Wedges

Happily, the dried beef-cream cheese balls of the 60's reappeared, amped up a bit, to stuff peppers in the 80's.  They  make a visually attractive and delicious appetizer  for a tailgate or  any party.      I think I've stuffed  a few thousand appetizer  peppers over the years...they were a popular  choice when I was catering.     I use  red and green peppers at Christmas   and add yellow and/ or  orange other times of the year. Lately I've been stuffing the  bite-sized small  sweet mixed peppers that come bagged,  but  do miss that pop of green color.

Today I  used the small  yellow, red  and orange peppers, so I've added the original  1985 cookbook photo  to show  the  pepper wedges.  It's a photo of a photo, sorry 'bout the quality, but it serves its purpose.

For the wedges, be sure  to choose three similarly -sized and -shaped peppers  so they are uniform when  sliced.  Short and fat are preferable to long  and slender.  If the peppers are smallish you may want  to buy four. 

Using a mixer or food processor with a blade, process  8 oz. of cream cheese with 1c. ricotta cheese, 2 tsp horseradish, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, & 1/2 tsp seasoned salt,  until smooth.  Stir in  about 3 oz. dried beef from a jar,  finely chopped,   2 minced radishes or water chestnuts,  4 TB  minced green onion.  Set aside in the fridge.

Remove the stems of three  bell peppers (one green, one red, one yellow)  by cutting a small, 1" circle around the  top.  Save the stem & top.  Scoop out the seeds and white membranes from inside the peppers.  Densely pack the cheese mixture inside the peppers, pressing to fill  solidly  to the bottom and edges. Top with the reserved stem. Wrap each pepper in plastic wrap or a baggie, and  seal.    This is the stopping point if you're making these a day or two ahead.

When ready to proceed, after  chilling for a minimum of 2-3 hours, discard the stems and cut each pepper in half lengthwise, then each half in four wedges. Arrange on a tray and garnish with pimiento strips or black olive slices. A longer  chilling time makes slicing  easier.

 You'll get 24 wedges from ordinary  peppers.  I've pushed  my luck when making dozens of these  ahead for a large party ......they start getting  soft instead of crunchy, and a little weepy, around the 48-hour period.. .. still OK to eat,  but   messier than they should be.   When slicing,  wipe your knife with a damp paper towel between cuts to keep the pepper from getting messy.

Serve the small  bagged peppers whole, cutting a little more from the stem end to reveal what's inside. 

Looo-siana Crawdad Spread !

  Crawdads, crayfish..... the flavorful  little critters by any name are  most delicious!   I've made this  for guests several times and have yet to remember to   photograph it before it disappears so this is the Southern Living photo.  Full credit to SL for the  easy  recipe, which I've tweaked just a tad.

If you are the sole human  not  within reach of a Wal-Mart, you're on your own  locating crawdad meat. Otherwise, you're in luck.  Two  of the three Walmarts  near us sells an 11-oz pack of frozen crawdad tail meat, ready to thaw & use.      Should  your own  store not carry it, the seafood manager in that store  can order it in for you.  Meijer stores sometimes have whole crawdads on ice in their seafood case, which is great if you're having a boil, but I am too lazy to cook and peel 7 lbs, which is what you'd need for one batch of spread. Meijer is great about sourcing items for customers, so it's worth asking them to special order the meat too. To avoid a runny spread, drain the 'dads well in a sieve and/or on paper towels. I dry them off with a paper towel.

In a  large saucepan with 1/2 c. butter, saute 1  diced green pepper and 1 c. chopped green onion (most of the green included), til the pepper is soft, about 8 minutes.  Then add  3 tsp.   Creole seasoning, 3 cloves minced garlic,  a 4 oz jar  of drained pimientos , and a few shakes of hot sauce or sriracha --- but just  for flavor, not for heat.      Stir it well, then add  16-24 oz.  crawdad meat. When I double the batch I use 33 oz. of meat, ( three packages of the size I buy) and  it's not too much.   The tails will be the size of  tiny shrimp. Don't chop them.

 Heat gently for about 15 minutes, then stir in 16 oz.  cubed cream cheese. Continue cooking a few minutes  until  it's all melted , stir now and then.   Curiously, quite a bit of liquid is  generated....the  crawdads must be very juicy -- but there's more juice than I want to deal with when spooning or spreading this dip onto toasts, so  on those occasions I drain much of it off before adding the cream cheese. ( of course some of the flavor departs too...)  Keep the heat  low, and  as the spread cools off a bit, it may thicken slightly.   I do like a little  juice to  soften the toasts if crisp, but more than that gets very messy.  Offer forks to  help capture all the goodies that fall off the toasts.

One batch  should serve about 8 people.  I wouldn't make it  in a crockpot.....if you want to keep it warm, make it on the stove, pre-warm your crockpot,  transfer the hot spread  & keep it in there on warm or low...but keep the lid off or cracked a lot.  Otherwise you will be serving a quite delicious crawdad soup.    A little garnish of  of green onion or parsley gives the finished dish some pretty color. .

Terrace Portabellas

A tasty appetizer, or a nice ' little warm thing' to serve  for lunch with a salad. Use what you have on hand- feta instead of blue cheese; some cooked spinach; let your imagination and your refrigerator leftovers be your guide.

For 3 or 4 average-size portabella mushroom caps: gently cook the caps in a skillet in butter for just a few m inutes to soften the ( backs ) tops slightly, after scooping most of the gills out and removing the stems. Soften 8 oz cream cheese, add 3-4 TB blue cheese crumbles, and a TB or two of cheddar cheese. Spoon into the caps, and gently press to cover the surface. If you think of it ahead of time, marinate some cherry tomatoes, halved, in some salad dressing: Italian, caesar, whatever. Today I used a bottled red-wine vinaigrette. Drain the tomatoes, place on top of the cheese mixture, and bake in a preheated 450 oven for about 10 minutes, and check to see if it's starting to bubble. I usually get impatient about this time and start the broiler- if you do that, keep an eye on them. When they start to brown just a bit and the centers look hot, add some chopped avocado , and a pinch of shredded cheddar cheese for color, and broil again for 1-2 minutes.

Summer Tomato Tart Appetizer

Summer tomatoes are essential to the success of this delicious make-ahead  appetizer. The original recipe uses phyllo, with romano sprinkled between the thin layers, but it seems I never have phyllo when I have an abundance of tomatoes, whereas there's often a tube of pizza crust lurking in my fridge door. The tart  travels well, tart is just as good at room temperature  as warm, it's good for tailgating and other times when you don't want to be concerned about short-term refrigeration issues. A perfect side with soups or salads too. ,

Dry ( with paper towels) and slice  about 5 Roma or other small very ripe plum tomatoes about 1/4" thick. The diameter of the tomatoes will determine how many pieces of tart you will have, and the size of the squares...somewhere between 20 and 25, probably.    Preheat the oven to 375. Very lightly spray a 15" cookie sheet with sides, then stretch/pat a roll of refrigerated  thin-style pizza crust into the pan and bake as directed, until it's crisp and golden. Cool, then spread with a thin layer of softened cream cheese.   Plain is fine, or use a flavored version such as artichoke-spinach , or chive.  The last time I made it. used a sundried tomato version  that was good.  Just don't get too heavily into the cream cheese- an 8 oz. tub is  too much and the tomatoes will slide around. 

Sprinkle the cream cheese layer with a small amount - let's say 2 tablespoons - of fresh chopped basil, 1/3 c. romano or parmesan cheese, and 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese. Arrange the tomato slices in rows for easy cutting. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil, 3 Tb more grated  romano cheese.

Bake for about 7 minutes, just until the mozzarella layer has melted and the tomatoes are warm. Don't brown it, cook  or overcook!    Just get it warm to  be sure the mozzarella has softened & will hold the tomatoes in position, so the tomatoes don't slide off when served.  Sprinkle with a tiny bit more basil for color. Cool a bit and cut into squares.

Using freshly grated Pecorino or other fresh Romano or Parm makes a huge difference in flavor. If you must use the  prepared cheese in the round green can, choose the shredded version rather than powdery type.  Now and then I'll add some finely chopped prosciutto or  thin shreds of hard salami between the cream cheese and mozzarella.  A  scant cup,  max. Really.   A little goes a long way.   Using too much, or  using  thicker/bigger  pieces of meat  will  make  clean cuts difficult , messy, and result in unwanted grease...  which will spoil  this yummy dish.    

Salami Strata

A simple and unusual --and really delicious - appetizer that's  good  at room temperature  or  zapped  just slightly to barely warm it.  Great  when you don't want to be concerned about keeping something refrigerated .  With 4 ingredients, it couldn't go together much faster, but it does need to chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Make or  unroll one   unbaked pie crust  in a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Make layers, lasagna-like, of 1 lb. hard  or Genoa salami, thinly sliced, and 1 lb. thinly sliced colby cheese.  Top with another pie crust.   Beat 12 eggs and pour over the  top crust.  If you need to, press gently with  use the back of a spoon to be sure the crust is covered with the egg.   Bake for 45 minutes. Chill overnight.  Cut into 1" or 2" squares after it  has been out of the fridge fo a while.  Cutting when  cold usually makes the crust break a bit so wait til  it warms for nice clean cuts.  It's better  when warmer  anyway.

Stuffed Jalapenos

Stuffed with cream cheese and topped with bacon , stuffed jalapenos are sure to please everyone, because unless you add some hot sauce, these jalapenos are not hot at all, just tasty, fast and  popular.

Granted, you never know  what you're getting when you buy fresh jalapenos----there could concievably be a hot one  in a batch, but you're  going to scrape out the seeds and the white inside membranes  and that's where 90% of the heat resides.  If you like things hot or fiery hot, have at it!  Leave some seeds and/or stir some hot sauce into the  slightly softened cream cheese.

Cut the jalapenos lengthwise, scrape them, fill  with cream cheese.  Buy a little pouch of real bacon crumbles (probably near the salad dressings, with  the salad toppers  or in the meat section) and place them in a small shallow dish...... turn the stuffed peppers upside down in the bacon crumbles, just pressing slightly so the bacon sticks.  .  Put the jalapenos , right side up, on a baking sheet in a preheated 375 oven for about 30 minutes, until  they're heated through and the peppers are softened.

Serve warm or at room temperature.   I've always intended to use the  leftovers in an omelet, but since there are never any,  we may never know how a stuffed jalapeno omelet tastes.

Spinach Spirals

I love the chewy texture of these cheesy spirals. Served as bread or as an appetizer, one tube makes about 14 slices, but they disappear quickly, so plan on 2-3 per person. Good the next day, cold or zapped for a few seconds to warm them.

Preheat oven to 400. In a small bowl, combine  10 oz  frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, with 1 c. Co-Jack or Monterey Jack cheese, 1 beaten egg and 2 TB dried minced onion. On a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, roll  out1 14-oz. tube of refrigerated pizza dough into a 14-in. x 10-in. rectangle; seal any holes. Spread spinach mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges.
Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; seal ends and place seam side down on a  cookie sheet. If baking more than one, curve the rolls to get two on a pan. The shape  on the pan doesn't matter, you'll be slicing them anyway.  Brush with 1 TB melted butter; sprinkle with 2 TB Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-27 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve warm.

Chilled Steak Stroganoff Spread

If you can't hover over the table all night to  explain, make a little nametag for this  yummy appetizer, otherwise many  guests  will pass it up, thinking it's  herring in sour cream. Serve on  strips of buttered toast, or cocktail size pumpernickel or rye.

Cut  1 1/2 c. leftover steak or roast beef ( a bit rare preferred) into  thin strips about 1 1/2" long,  like the  beef  stir-fry strips, which you can buy and cook for this dish if you're not using leftover meat..  If slicing, cut against the grain.  Mix 2 TB lemon juice with 3/4 c. sour cream, 1/4 c. "real" mayonnaise,  1/4 tsp hot sauce, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic salt, and 2 chopped green onions, some tops included.  Mix thoroughly, then add steak strips. Chill well in a covered bowl, preferably 6 hours. Serve sprinkled with paprika and some chopped green onion tops or chopped chives. And that little label!

Ooey Gooey Italian Wontons, with a Mexican option

Serve these  appetizers with  a red pasta sauce, pesto, or a hot mustard sauce if you like.   With all the oozing cheese and Italian sausage,  a dip isn't  really  necessary.   They're best made as you need them,  but in a pinch, fry 'em up, cool completely, then  wrap well in foil for  up to 2 weeks before reheating  in the oven, on the opened-flat  foil  at about 400  until they're  hot and crisp again. You'll lose  a bit of the crispness. Don't  use a microwave, you'll  have soggy  wrappers. An air-fryer works best if you have one.. melty and crisp as  they began.

Cook (but don’t brown) ¾ lb sweet or hot (or mixed) Italian bulk sausage with 1 medium onion, chopped finely.  Cool and drain.  Mix with 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese , 1 tsp dry oregano and 2 Tb dried parsley. Use to fill 1 lb. wonton wrappers…the larger size is easier to handle than than the small.  Don't overfill....they'll pop open.    Moisten 2 edges with water, add filling. and fold over into triangles, press edges together so they are sealed, otherwise it's pointless, all the filling will escape.   Leave in a triangle or fold  the  pointed corners up into a tradtional wonton shape. 

Heat 2” peanut  or canola oil in large pan to about 370.  Fry about 6 at a time.  Cook & turn in deep hot oil just briefly, til golden brown – keep temperature  even  and watch carefully. Drain on paper towels ...watch for any dribbles of oil to  come out anywhere you didn't seal well... Serve hot.   Makes about 4 dozen using small wrappers ,  2 1/2 doz.  with bigger ones.

For Mexican Wontons: use crumbled cooked chorizo sausage and  'taco' or jack & cheddar cheese or pepper jack)