24 Şubat 2013 Pazar

Pita Bread Nutrition

Pita bread is a kind of flat bread that is round in shape and is mostly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. It is a very popular flat bread that is used for making pita sandwiches as well as an accompaniment to gravies. The unique thing about pita bread is the pocket that is produced in the center of the bread during baking. This pocket is then used for stuffing various fillings and condiments.
Pita bread is generally made from flour that has been leavened, although it is also made with different grains as well as whole wheat. This bread is baked in special ovens at a very high temperature. Due to the extremely high temperature used for baking flat bread recipe, the dough used for making the bread, expands rapidly, creating an internal pocket. After cooling, the bread flattens out but the internal air pocket remains. Since pita bread is made from both, white flour as well as whole wheat, therefore the nutrition of pita bread is different for different types of wheat used. Addition of different grains in the bread also changes the nutritional value of pita bread.Nutrition Facts about Pita Bread
One large pita bread made with white flour contains about 165 calories. It is low in both saturated fat and trans saturated fat. It has 33 grams of carbohydrates and 9 grams of protein. It is also rich in thiamin and selenium which is required for the healthy functioning of the body. It contains only 1 gram of fat and so is ideal for people who are looking to cut back on fat consumption in their diet. It also has about 1 gram of dietary fiber which contributes to about 5 percent of the daily recommended intake. Pita bread has 322 grams of sodium per serving and such it is a little high on sodium. Pita bread is quite rich in minerals like niacin, copper, calcium, riboflavin, folate and iron. For those people who are following a low carbohydrate diet, consumption of pita bread is not recommended due to its high carbohydrate content.
As mentioned earlier pita bread can be made with whole wheat too and whole wheat pita bread is much more nutritious than regular pita bread. Whole wheat pita bread nutrition facts are as follows. It contains about 35.2 grams of carbohydrates, 6.3 grams protein, 1.7 grams fat and 340 grams of sodium. It scores over regular pita in the field of dietary fiber as it contains around 4.7 grams of dietary fiber. This is much higher than 1 gram of dietary fiber that is available in regular pita bread. It is low in both sugar and saturated food and has zero cholesterol. Whole wheat pita bread is also high in manganese and selenium that is required for the normal and healthy functioning of the body. Addition of other grains improves the nutritional value of pita bread although the pita bread calories will slightly increase.
Many bakeries make pita bread and one of the most popular is the Toufayan bakery. One regular sized pita bread from Tofayan bakery contains 150 calories, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 6 gram proteins and 0.5 gram fats. The multi grain pita bread from Toufayan bakery contains 173 calories, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 8 gram protein, 4 grams dietary fiber and 1 gram fat. A half size serving of Weight Watchers pita bread contains 90 calories with 16 gram carbohydrates, 3 grams protein and 1 gram fat.
The best way to enjoy pita bread is by filling it with slices of fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and onions and topped with creamy hummus. Avoid filling it with too much of mayonnaise, creamy salad dressings and red meat. Remember that the fillings used in pita bread will greatly increase the calories in it.


Pita Bread Nutrition

How to Make Bread Bowls

In the Middle ages, people were served food on thick slices of stale bread, and would eat their food, breaking off pieces of bread from their edible bread. Keeping with that tradition, bread bowls are a popular, new bread recipe. Bread bowls are an ingenious and delicious method to serve soups, dips and gravy dishes, irrespective of the cuisine. Bread bowls are round loaves with the top cut off to resemble a bowl. Soups with a thin base cannot be served in bread bowls as the bread tends to get soggy. Nowadays, restaurants like Tim Horton’s, Quizno’s and Domino’s pizza have added bread bowls to their menu. Read this article to learn how to make bread bowls, to spice up your own menu!How to Make Bread Bowls from ScratchIngredients
1 tablespoon cornmeal
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
½ cup shortening
1 cup warm milk (110 – 115°F)
1 cup warm water (110 – 115°F)
2 (0.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
Directions
In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, shortening, sugar, eggs, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Use remaining flour to form soft dough. On a floured surface, knead for 6-8 minutes until smooth. Place in a greased bowl, turn the dough in the bowl so it’s greased all over. Cover for 1 hour. Punch dough down. On a floured surface, divide into 8 pieces and shape each into a ball. Grease two baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place 4 balls on each prepared sheet and cover for 30 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool. Cut a thin slice off the top of the bread and hollow out the bottom half, leaving a ¼ inch thick shell.Cheesy Bread BowlIngredients1 tablespoon cornmeal
2/3 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup butter
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Grease a 9-inch round baking pan, sprinkle it with cornmeal and keep aside. Mix water and butter in a saucepan over heat and bring to boil. Add flour, Parmesan cheese and baking powder, and stir. Remove the pan from heat and beat in eggs, one by one, till the mixture is smooth and shiny. Spoon the mixture into the greased pan and bake at 425°F for 25 – 30 minutes, until the center is firm and puffed, and the edges are a golden brown. Make a small slit in the center to allow steam to escape. Let it cool for a few minutes, then move it to a serving plate. This recipe shows us how to bake bread bowls that are cheesy in taste, and so can be filled with chili or potato soup or even clam chowder. How to Make Bread Bowls from Frozen Bread DoughIngredients
Frozen white bread dough
1 tablespoon butter
Baking tray
Directions
Thaw the dough to room temperature. Grease the baking tray with butter. Divide the dough into 12 chunks and roll them into balls, then place them on the tray. Leave the dough for an hour, so that it doubles in size. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the balls into the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave them to cool. Cut a large, round hole in the top and scoop some of the bread underneath, leaving at least a ½ inch of bread in the bowl. How to Make Soup Bread BowlsIngredients
Round loaf of bread
Olive oil
Basting brush
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut ½ inch off the top of the load with a knife. Remove bread on the inside, leave about 1½ inches thickness on the inside. Brush olive oil on the inside of the bread bowl. Bake bowl for 15 minutes until golden on the inside. You can also save the top, brush olive oil underneath, bake with bowl, and now you have a lid for your bread bowl.
Nowadays, bread bowls are used in dinner parties as a fancy way to serve dips. Guests can break off pieces of the bowl and eat it with the dip. Weight watchers should take care, bread bowls soak up the soup or gravy and have twice the calories. Be creative and make a bread bowl for your next gathering. Each guest could have their own bowl or one central big bowl for the table. Now that you know the recipe for bread bowls, your delicious soup has an equally yummy bowl.


How to Make Bread Bowls

How to Keep Homemade Bread Fresh

Warm, soft, healthy, fluffy, delicious, aromatic and fresh! These are just a few of the words that pop into the head when I picture bread. Bread! Beautiful, golden bread! How often have you thrown away a loaf of bread because it developed mold or turned too hard and crispy to be eaten? There’s no shame in admitting it. And that’s why, this Buzzle article is the perfect one for you. It has some easy to follow methods of keeping homemade bread fresh.Use Preservatives
The best way to get away from an unfavorable situation is to try to avoid it altogether. Most of you will agree with the adage of prevention being better than cure, right? Well then, one of the best ideas to prevent bread from getting spoiled soon and from developing those annoying mold patches is to use preservatives in the bread mentioned here, right when you’re baking it. That way, instead of worrying about it getting spoiled soon (though I’m sure you still will), you have at least some assurance that it will remain fresh because of the ingredients that you used to make it.Freeze It
You may have heard that people refrigerate their bread and it still ends up stale when they remove it. Or worse, you may be one of the unfortunate to have actually experienced the distressing situation yourself. There’s little that’s more saddening than seeing a perfect loaf going into the bin because you refrigerated it and when you removed it, it had gotten all hard, crumbly and quite inedible. All your kneading and fluffing gone to vain! Simply refrigerating bread can turn out to be disastrous as the chilly atmosphere inside the fridge absorbs all the moisture from it by a process in which the molecules crystallize, thus rendering it the crumbly and inedible attributes mentioned above. If your fridge comes with a humidity controller that can regulate the amount of moisture within the compartment, then nothing like it! It can keep bread fresh for quite a while. An alternative to simple refrigeration is to use the freezer instead. Yes, who thought two parts of the same appliance could have such opposite effects, right? Freezing bread has proven to extend its shelf life to a considerable level. So, wrap your loaf of homemade bread (sliced up to prevent post thawing slicing woes) in a freezer bag and simply place it in the freezer. When you need to use it, simply remove it, thaw it for a while and it’s good to be turned into a glorious sandwich!Store it Right
Using suitable methods and materials is of utmost importance when it comes to storing homemade bread and keeping it fresh. After all, a food item is only as good as the surrounding that it is kept in, right? Given below are some of the most popular options, tips and methods that you can use.✔ Many people suggest using foil to wrap the bread in after you have cut the slices that you need and have some of them still left in the loaf. The foil keeps the moisture intact and hence prevents it from hardening. ✔ There are a lot of varieties of zip lock bags, which are made of plastic. Using these bags to pack off the leftover bread tightly, without letting any moisture in is also recommended by many.✔ Apart from zip lock bags, you can also purchase air tight bread boxes that do not let any moisture get into them and thus keep it fresh and soft for a longer time.✔You may also want to try this idea out: instead of using plain water while making the bread, use the water that is left after you boil potatoes. It’s supposed to make the bread last longer.
Homemade bread is best when eaten fresh and straight out of the oven. However, due to some reason, (for instance, a sudden urge to keep baking non stop) it may result in it getting left over. Don’t panic and throw the it away. Just use the tips given above to keep your loaf and enjoy it the next time!


How to Keep Homemade Bread Fresh

Cocktail Party Appetizers

It is a psychological thing. The moment you serve delectable appetizers at a party, people naturally deduce that you are about to serve some of the best food on earth. They also automatically like all that you provide them with, whether or not every item is equally well prepared. So, half your battle to gastronomically satiate your guests is won. It gets even easier with cocktail parties, as you also have drinks to satisfy your guests. Of course, a few good cocktail party recipes make concoction of some of the best cocktails on earth a rather easy job and so, all you need to do is conjure some well prepared cocktail party appetizers to get everybody into that happy go-lucky-mood. So, here I give you some rather toothsome cocktail party appetizer ideas, that will neither disappoint you, nor the palates of your guests, I promise!Best Cocktail Party AppetizersCantaloupe Clumps
Increase the measurements accordingly. Now for a group of 8, you will need:
Cantaloupes, 15 lbs. (ripe)
Mint leaves, yield of 10 sprigs (finely hacked)
Granulated sugar, a pinch
Black pepper, to taste
Procedure
Cut the cantaloupes into half and then remove their seeds. Next, use a 1″ melon baller to spoon out the pulp of the fruit and keep these balls into a vessel, which will facilitate easy tossing. Now add the sugar and the hacked mint leaves to the cantaloupe balls and toss well. Finally, season it well with some freshly ground black pepper and then refrigerate this preparation for a minimum of 60 minutes. Easy, ain’t it?Fish Fries
I hail from Kolkata and am, therefore, a glutton when it comes to gorging fish. This is a preparation that no Bengali will ever say no to. Try it. It really works wonders as an appetizer. If you were to make it for 8 people, the ingredients you’d require are:
White fish, 1000 gms. (boneless, preferably bekti fish, cut into eight ½” thick fillets)
Potatoes, 8 (medium, cut into ½” thick fingers)
Flour, 2 cups
Milk, 1½ cups
Water, ½ cup (chilled)
Vinegar, 2 tbsp.
Baking powder, 1 tsp.
Chili powder, ½ tsp.
Salt, ½ tsp.
Cooking oil, enough to deep-fry
Procedure
First, deep-fry the potato fingers and set aside. Next, make the batter by mixing together flour, baking powder, chili powder, salt, milk and water. Whip this well until what you get is a smooth fluid. Now, heat oil in a frying pan and make sure it becomes piping hot. At this juncture, dip and coat each fillet piece well into the batter and slowly initiate two fillets into the oil, at a time. Fry each side for approximately 2 minutes and when it takes on its chocolate brownish avatar, remove with a slotted spoon and place it on tissues. Before serving, toss the potato fingers with the vinegar, salt and some pepper. Slice up a tomato and season it with salt and pepper. Now serve the fish fries on a big platter, surrounded by the potato fingers and tomatoes. This tastes even more heavenly with some mustard sauce and ketchup.Cheese Balls
For 8 mouths, gather,
Cheddar cheese, 7 oz. (grated)
Potatoes, 7 oz. (mashed)
Corn kernels, 5 oz. (cooked)
Yellow bell pepper, 3½ oz. (finely diced)
Breadcrumbs, 6 tbsp. (fine variety)
Refined flour, 5 tsp.
Cilantro, 2 tsp. (finely chopped)
Yellow split peas or garbanzo beans, 2 tsp.
Corn flour, 1½ tsp.
White pepper, 1 tsp.
Oil for frying
Salt, to taste
Water, as necessary
And to make the chutney, you will require:
Green chilies, 4
Lemon juice, of 1 lemon
Onion, 1 (sliced)
Mint leaves, 2 cups (chopped)
Cilantro, 1 cup (chopped)
Sugar, 1 tbsp.
Salt, to taste
Procedure
Begin by making the chutney first as you will be able to refrigerate it while you make the cheese balls later. For this, you just need to blend all the ingredients together in a mixer until you get a smooth concoction. Add a little water if you find the consistency to be a little too thick. Refrigerate it immediately in a glass bowl.
To make the cheese balls, combine the following in a big bowl – the cheese, potatoes, corn, bell pepper, the cilantro, the split peas, the white pepper, salt, a teaspoon of refined flour and half a teaspoon of corn flour. Commingle all of these really well and then make several bite-sized (about ½-inch) balls from this mixture. Now, mix the remaining corn flour and refined flour with some water and make a thick solution. Keep the oil for heating in a pan. All you then need to do is dip each ball into the flour solution first, roll it on the breadcrumbs next and then fry it. Serve these delicious cheesy delights with the fresh mint chutney.Tandoori Mushroom
For this you’ll need to rent or borrow a tandoor oven from someplace. You’ll need to gather:
Button mushrooms, 20
Curd, 500 gms.
Lemon juice, 1 tbsp.
Red chili paste, 2 tsp.
Ginger-garlic paste, 2 tsp.
Cumin powder, ½ tsp.
Indian garam masala, ½ tsp.
Salt, to taste
Procedure
Whisk together the curd, lemon juice, chili paste, ginger-garlic paste, cumin, garam masala and the salt, until you get a smooth marinade. Now dip and coat the button mushrooms well with the marinade and then pierce the mushrooms with skewers. Cook them until they are golden brown. Now remove them from the skewers and use a toothpick to prick each of them before serving with some shredded veggies and mint chutney.Crispy Mushrooms in Black Pepper Sauce
This baby won’t take up more than 15 minutes of your precious time! Now for a single person, you’d need:
Button mushrooms, 10
Cornflour, 20 gms.
Black pepper powder, 10 gms.
Butter, 10 gms.
Sugar, 5 gms.
Salt, 2 gms.
Tomato ketchup, 20 ml
HP sauce, 5 ml
Soy sauce, 3 ml
Spring roll sheet, 1
Procedure
Deep-fry the spring roll sheet into a crumpled bowl like bird nest shape and then keep it aside. Next, blend together the black pepper, butter, sugar, salt, ketchup and HP sauce thoroughly in a wok and then heat it to get a desirable sauce-like consistency. Now go on to washing the mushrooms and then commingling them with the cornflour. Now heat oil and deep-fry the mushrooms until they crispen. Finally, pour the black pepper condiment onto the mushrooms, stir once and cover to cook for a while. After that, place the preparation in the crumpled spring roll sheet and gobble away to glory people!Angels and Devils on Horseback
The name itself is rather tantalizing, isn’t it? See that you have:
Oysters (freshly shucked) or duck kidneys, 12
Rasher of bacon, 12
Dry white wine, 100 ml
Garlic clove, 1 (chopped)
Tabasco, a dash
Salt and pepper, to taste
Procedure
Pour the wine into a big bowl and mix the garlic, salt and pepper with it. Now, marinate the kidneys (devils) or shucked oysters (angels) with the concoction, for like 20 minutes after which you need to wrap each piece of kidney or oysters with a rasher of bacon and secure it with a toothpick. Now, pan-fry each side for approximately two minutes. When the bacon becomes crispy, serve them with a tantalizing dash of Tabasco! Believe me this is one of those appetizers, good enough to get you to sprout a pair of wings or even a naughty tail with the sexiest pair of horns for that matter…
So, confidently make these preparations a part of your cocktail party appetizer menu. Some of them being exotic gourmet appetizers, will leave your guests hankering for more. If you effectively team these luscious cocktail party appetizers with some great cocktails to sip, nothing on earth can stop your party to become the most talked about party in town!


Cocktail Party Appetizers

Italian Appetizer Ideas

Italian appetizer ideas are a very basic combination of very easy recipes to make delicious sauces and toppings. A table full of colorful and yummy appetizers, is all you need for a party or a simple celebration, as they can be as filling as any main course meals. When you are serving appetizers, make sure you serve these at least 3 hours before dinner, because once your guests or family get to eating these irresistible finger foods, dinner will have to be the next day’s lunch! There are some great appetizers in traditional Italian food which are very well-known and exquisite in taste, but are found mostly in authentic Italian restaurants. There are a few recipes for Italian appetizers mentioned in the following paragraphs, so if you have never tried making these, start cooking as soon as possible.Easy Italian Appetizers
Who said, these appetizers which you can make in a matter of 20 minutes have to be eaten steaming hot? There are some delicious appetizer recipes which can be eaten even when they are cold and frozen. This is always a unique quality of appetizers, unlike lunch or dinner, which doesn’t taste as great as it does when it’s hot! Hence, to help you serve some of the best appetizers in Italian cuisine, we have tasty recipes of hot as well as cold appetizers, put together just for you. But before we get into reading about recipes, find some great Italian appetizer options listed in the following list, so take a look!
Spicy Mozzarella Sticks
Gnocchi with Bacon Mushrooms and Cheese
Easy Pepperoni Rolls
Rainbow Pasta Salad
Marinated Antipasto
Toasted Ravioli
Spinach Arancini
Italian Nachos Restaurant-Style
Tarradls (Italian Pepper Rings)
Toasted Garlic Bread
Clams Casino
Carpaccio
Italian Stuffed Mushrooms
Pesto Cheesecake
Antipasto Kabobs
Here are some of your favorite recipes, which are very easy to make and even easier to eat!Double Tomato BruschettaIngredients
6 roma chopped tomatoes
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cloves minced garlic
¼ cup fresh basil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 French baguette
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
Take a large mixing bowl and add the roma tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Preheat the oven on a broiler setting while you are mixing all the ingredients. Slice the baguette in ¾ inch slices and on a baking dish arrange these in a singe layer, and broil till they are slightly brown. Layer the earlier mixture evenly on these slices and top them with cheese, to broil for another 5 minutes till the cheese has melted. Your yummy tomato bruschetta is ready to eat!Prosciutto E MeloneIngredients
1 cantaloupe
Prosciutto crudo (cured ham)
Directions
Once you wash and clean the cantaloupe, slice it in very thin slices lengthwise to get 8 pieces and remove the skin. Simply keep them on the serving dish with the slices of ham at the side. The simplest of all Italian appetizers is ready. Place this tasty dish in the refrigerator, till they are to be eaten.Artichoke Bread RecipeIngredients
1 loaf French bread
1 jar marinated, drained and chopped artichoke hearts
1 to ½ cups sour cream
½ cup melted butter
4 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Salt and Pepper
Directions
Take the bread and cut it in half lengths, to make it hollow as a shell, so that the filling is inside it. Keep the removed bread, in a grinder and grind it till it crumbles finely. Then in a large bowl, mix the crumbs, sour cream, butter and sesame seeds and all the other ingredients and once they are mixed well, spread them on a baking dish. Broil it for about 10 minutes. In another bowl, mix the crumb mixture, artichokes, cheeses, garlic and parsley. Spoon it in the bread shells and place these on the baking sheet, to broil in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Slice them and serve warm.
With these finger licking easy Italian appetizer ideas and a few of their recipes mentioned above, I am sure you want to start cooking right away. So, don’t waste any more time, and give your family and guests a simple yet mouth-watering treat!


Italian Appetizer Ideas

Christmas Party Appetizers

No occasion is complete without a party. The same applies for Christmas as well. Food is an integral part of any celebration. A beautifully arranged party usually ends with a four-course meal, beginning with appetizers. Appetizers can be made using ingredients easily available in your home which will be ready in a jiffy. Depending on the number of guests and their taste, you can dish out delicious appetizers. Here are some lip-smacking Christmas party appetizers that you can serve to your guests. Try out these appetizers for your party. These recipes are easily made and are quite hassle free. In the end, they will turn out to be finger-licking and yummy that may keep your guests asking for more.Tiny Chicken TurnoversIngredients
Cooked chicken meat, shredded, 2 cups
Chicken stock, ¼ cup
Cream cheese, diced, 1 package
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
All-purpose flour, 1½ cups
Butter, 1 cup
Poultry seasoning, ½ teaspoon
Water, ¼ cup
Garlic salt, ¼ teaspoon
Paprika, ½ teaspoon
Freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon
Salt to taste
Cooking Instructions
Take a large iron skillet and melt three tablespoons of butter in it. Once the butter has warmed, transfer the chopped onions and saute them till they become translucent. Add the shredded chicken, chicken broth, poultry seasoning, cream cheese, pepper and garlic salt and stir till the ingredients combine properly. Once it is done, remove the skillet from the heat and keep it aside. For making the outer crust, take a large mixing bowl and sift the flour, salt and paprika together. Transfer the remaining butter and with the help of a fork, combine all the ingredients together till coarse crumbs are formed. Add the water gradually while mixing the dough with a fork to form a ball. Sprinkle dry flour on a flat surface and roll the dough into a pastry. With the help of a cookie cutter, cut the pastry into circular shapes. Spoon in the filling and roll the top making a half moon shape. Seal the edges and press down with a fork. Place these turnovers on a greased baking tray and bake it in a preheated oven at 190 ºC for about 20 minutes till they turn brown. You can serve these chicken turnovers as Christmas Eve appetizers. This is one of the easy appetizers to make for a Christmas party planned at the last minute.Cucumber CupsIngredients
Medium-sized cucumbers, 6
Lemon hummus, 1 cup
Red pepper hummus, 1 cup
Chives, finely chopped, ½ cup
Cooking Instructions
Peel the cucumbers and cut them into thick rounds (approximately ¾ inches). Cut stripes using a vegetable peeler or citrus zester on the outer portion of the cucumber. Using a spoon, scoop the seeds and form a well. Now, with the help of a tablespoon, scoop the red pepper hummus into the well, covering half of it. Cover the remaining portion with lemon hummus. Place the prepared cucumber cups on a tray and garnish with finely chopped chives before serving. You can also place a cherry on top, along with a mint sprig for garnish.Shrimp RemouladeIngredients
Fresh medium-sized shrimp, with shell, 2 pounds
Green onion, snipped, 1 cup
Tarragon vinegar, ¼ cup
Celery, finely chopped, ½ cup
Catsup, 2 tablespoons
Shredded lettuce, ½ cup
Horseradish mustard, 2½ tablespoons
Salad oil, ½ cup
Paprika 1½ teaspoons
Cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon
Salt to taste
Cooking Instructions
Cook the shrimp in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. After the shrimp is cooked drain the water, remove the shells and devein the shrimp. You can also use frozen shrimp in place of fresh shrimp. But make sure that you thaw the frozen shrimp before making this appetizers. Now take a medium-sized bowl and mix the vinegar, catsup, cayenne, horseradish mustard, paprika and salt and blend them properly. Add the salad oil to this mixture while beating continuously. Transfer the green onion and celery and stir. Now pour this sauce on the shrimp and mix them with hand. Allow the shrimp to marinate for about 5 hours in the refrigerator. Just before the party begins, remove the shrimp from the fridge. On a serving tray prepare a bed of shredded lettuce and place the seafood shells along with the shrimp and sauce. This is one of the best Christmas party appetizers that can be served with cocktail.Pastry Morsels with Manchego and ChorizoIngredients
Frozen puff pastry, thawed, 24
Manchego cheese, shredded, 1 cup
Chorizo, chopped, cooked and drained, 3 oz
Toasted red peppers, chopped, ½ cup
Egg, large, 1
Small-sized purple onion, minced, 1 cup
Freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon
Cooking Instructions
Before making this appetizer, preheat the oven to about 180 ºC. Take a medium-sized bowl and stir the chorizo, manchego cheese, minced onion, roasted pepper egg and pepper together till all the ingredients are combined. Remove the puff pastry from the sheet and place them in the greased muffin cups. Spoon in the filling into the pastry and bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven after they are cooked and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Garnish these pastries with finely minced fresh parsley and serve these appetizers with wine or champagne.
These were some mouth-watering and easy-to-make recipes for Christmas party appetizers. So if you are hosting a Christmas party serve these appetizers and enjoy lavish praises from your guests. Have fun! Bon Appetite! Merry Christmas!


Christmas Party Appetizers

Room Temperature Appetizers For Birthday Party

A birthday party calls for fun, celebration, cake and, of course, party food. Be it a kids’ or an adults party, along with the theme and decoration, the party food is also equally important. However, you need not always have to lay a three course meal or a formal buffet table when planning a party. A birthday party can be equally exciting even if you serve tasty appetizers or finger food. Here are ideas for a kids’ as well as adults party, along with some recipes for room temperature appetizers.Easy Appetizers for Birthday Party
Pepperoni Rolls
Toasted Ravioli
Spinach Arancini
Stuffed Mushrooms
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Jacket Potato
Grilled Scallops
Stuffed Eggs / Mushrooms / Oysters
Potato / Chicken Croquettes
Chicken Kebab / Tikka / Fingers
Beef / Chicken / Salmon Canape
Crab Cakes
Meatballs
Chicken / Shrimp Satay
Chicken Wings
Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos
Vegetable Cutlets / Patties
Stuffed Calamari
Beef / Tuna Tartare
Hot Wings
Appetizer Ideas for Kids’ Birthday Parties
Mozzarella Sticks
Tarradls
Toasted Garlic Bread
Tomato Bruschetta
Fried Cheese Balls
Finger Sandwiches
Bread Topped with Tomatoes / Cheese / Olives
Pigs in a Blanket
Cheese Frittata
Deviled Eggs
Crescent Rolls
Fried Macaroni Balls
Cheddar Crackers
Egg Puffs
Cheese Celery
Corn Fritters
Cheese Wantons
Cheese and Beans Quesadillas
Tortilla Roll Ups
Mandarin Chicken Pieces
Appetizer Recipes
Most of these appetizers are easy to make and can be made in batches of 6-10 together. Therefore, even if you make them just before the party or during the party, they will not seem time-consuming. You can either serve a single appetizer or a combination, to let your guests have a choice. Now, along with the ideas, following are a couple of easy recipes for making these appetizers.Cheese SticksIngredients
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of softened butter
4 cups of Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Method of Preparation
The oven should be preheated to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, mix cheese and butter together. Now add flour and salt, and form a homogeneous mixture. Next, make a ball of the dough and roll it on a greased surface to form a ½ to 1 inch thick sheet. When the rolled sheet is ready, cut strips according to your desired thickness and length. Grease the baking sheet with some butter. Place the cheese sticks on the greased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Take them out when golden brown and serve warm.Tuna CrostiniIngredients
1 baguette
6 ounces of drained water packed tuna
¼ cup drained capers
1 large minced shallot
3 tablespoons of fresh lemon oil
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley leaves
Black pepper to taste
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Method of Preparation
The oven should be preheated to 350 degrees F. Slice the baguette into slices of ½ inch. Place them on a greased baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes. Now, in a large bowl, mix tuna, capers, shallot, lemon juice, parsley and olive oil. Mix together to form a tuna salad. Put 1 teaspoon of tuna salad on each baguette slice (crostini) and sprinkle black pepper over it. Serve immediately!Salmon CakesIngredients
15 ounces of drained canned salmon
1 egg
1 small minced onion
¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley
½ cup of fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Method of Preparation
Mix salmon, onion, bread crumbs, egg, cheese, parsley, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper in a bowl. Make patties with your hands according to desired shape and size. Dust them in the flour. Now heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties in the oil until golden brown from both the sides. Let the patties drain on a paper towel. Serve warm.
I hope these ideas and recipes were helpful to you. So, try out these dishes, and your guests will never miss a single party at your place! Good luck!


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