Party Pleaser Small Bites

Cooking for a crowd with finger foods. Chef Kelli Lewton from Pure Food 2U and 2Unique Caterers has some simple ideas.

Asparagus Crab Cigars
yield 24

· 24 asparagus tips cut 2 inches in length & blanched
· 1-cup cream cheese
· ¼ cup good quality grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
· ½ cup select picked crab meat
· 1 Tablespoon horseradish
· 1-teaspoon onion powder
· ¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper
· 1/8 tsp salt
· 1 package fillo dough
· ½ lb melted butter
· 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped dill (do not use dry)
Method
Place dough on counter and cover with plastic film and damp towel
1. Pull one sheet of fillo and place on counter brush with melted butter and sprinkle with fresh dill
2. Place second layer of fillo and brush again with butter
3. And repeat with third layer.
4. Flip dough over (making butter side face down on work surface.
5. Divide crab mixture into two equal portions and spread one portion evenly over stacked fillo
6. Cut dough into approximately 2.5 x 2.5 inch squares
7. Pull your squares one at a time and working (like a diamond shape facing you) Place asparagus tip on top and roll
8. Repeat with second set
9. Place Crab cigars on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 until golden brown
Tip
You can make ahead and freeze. If you do this skip blanching the asparagus tips

GINGERED PEAR BAKED BRIE
Serves 15-20 serve with crackers & baguette slices
· 1 Kilo brie
· 1 ½ sheets puff pastry
· 2 Pears~cored & sliced
· 2 Tb butter
· ½ cup brown sugar
· ¼ cup pecans~chopped
· 1TB. candied ginger
· Pinch cinnamon & allspice
· egg wash
METHOD
1. Melt butter in sauté pan
2. Add pears and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stir in brown sugar & spices, ginger & pecans and simmer over med/low heat for 8-10 minutes.
3. Place Brie in ceramic or glass baking dish, top with pear mixture and bake in oven at 350 about 12-15 minutes until brie is warm an oozy. Serve with crackers and sliced baguettes

Chef Kelli's Wild Mushroom Coins
3 TB olive oil
½ c diced button mushrooms
½ Spanish onion minced
½ c white wine
½ c diced shiitake mushrooms
½ c diced portabella mushrooms
½ c diced oyster, morel or other exotics
½ c chevre cheeses
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 egg
1 TB chopped herbs
3 puff pastry sheets

METHOD:
1. Saute onion, add mushroom, De glaze with white wine. Season & Cool mixture, then blend cheese & fold mushroom mixture into cheese adjust seasoning spread evenly between two puff pastry sheets and roll pinwheel style. Chill logs, cut into ½ inch slices, lay cut side up on cookie sheet, brush with egg wash and bake at 350 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Freeze logs if desired for a last minute appetizer on the fly!

Festive Shrimp Shooters with Salted Rims
28 oz. spicy tomato juice or bloody Mary mix
8 oz good quality vodka
1 tsp horseradish
2 tsp Worcestershire
¼ t fresh ground black pepper
3 T kosher salt
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
½ t celery salt

18 pieces of 26/30 (size) cleaned/cooked shrimp
1 lime quartered
¼ cup kosher salt

Method
1. In a pitcher whisk together first eight ingredients
2. Rub the rims of 18~ 2 oz. shot glasses with the lime wedges, dip rims into kosher salt. Pour bloody Mary mix into each shot glass and garnish with 1 shrimp.