Appetizers You Plan on Trying...someday (661 views)

Hey y'all! Haven't been here in forever. Accessed an old email account today and found forum notifications.

I found this recipe the other day and plan to try it soon. My tomato harvest has begun.

How far ahead is someday? I am blah this morning, wondering when my family and friends will want to gather again, let alone eat appetizers together. *sigh* Anyway, here are two from my to-try folder!

Baked Goat Cheese (CC)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8- to 10-ounce) log goat cheese,softened
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, cumin, pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place goat cheese between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten goat cheese into 1-inch-thick disk, 3 to 4 inches in diameter, cupping your hands around exterior of disk as needed to make compact shape. Transfer tomato sauce to shallow 2-quart broiler-safe dish. Place goat cheese in center. Broil until goat cheese is well browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro and lemon zest over sauce and drizzle with extra oil. Serve.

I've had spanikopita on my mind lately. Maybe I'll make a batch and stash them in the freezer for meals. Hmmm, good idea?

Spanikopita (ATK) Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish or 10 to 12 as an appetizer
Full-fat sour cream can be substituted for whole-milk Greek yogurt. Phyllo dough is also available in large 14 by 18-inch sheets; if using, cut them in half to make 14 by 9-inch sheets. Don't thaw the phyllo in the microwave—let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop for four to five hrs. To make ahead, freeze the spanakopita on the baking sheet, wrapped well in plastic wrap, or cut the spanakopita in half crosswise and freeze smaller sections on a plate. Bake the spanakopita frozen, increasing the baking time by 5 to 10 min.
2 (10-oz) bags curly leaf spinach, rinsed
¼ c water
12 ozs feta cheese, rinsed, patted dry, and crumbled into fine pieces (about 3 c)
¾ c whole-milk Greek yogurt (see note)
4 medium scallions, sliced thin (about 1/2 c)
2 large eggs, beaten
¼ c minced fresh mint leaves
2 tbsps minced fresh dill leaves
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tbsp)
1 tsp grated zest plus 1 tbsp juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp table salt
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
7 tbsps unsalted butter, melted
½ pound (14 by 9-inch) phyllo, thawed (see note)
1 ½ ozs Pecorino Romano, grated fine (about 3/4 c)
2 tsps sesame seeds (optional)
Place spinach and water in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover bowl with large dinner plate. Microwave on high power until spinach is wilted and decreased in volume by half, about 5 min. Using potholders, remove bowl from microwave and keep covered, 1 minute. Carefully remove plate and transfer spinach to colander set in sink. Using back of rubber spatula, gently press spinach against colander to release excess liquid. Transfer spinach to cutting board and roughly chop. Transfer spinach to clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove excess water. Place drained spinach in large bowl. Add remaining filling ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. (Filling can be made up to 24 hrs in advance and stored in the refrigerator.) Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 . Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using pastry brush, lightly brush 14 by 9-inch rectangle in center of parchment with melted butter to cover area same size as phyllo. Lay 1 phyllo sheet on buttered parchment, and brush thoroughly with melted butter. Repeat with 9 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter (you should have total of 10 layers of phyllo). Spread spinach mixture evenly over phyllo, leaving ¼-inch border on all sides. Cover spinach with 6 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter and sprinkling each with about 2 tbsps Pecorino cheese. Lay 2 more phyllo sheets on top, brushing each with butter (these layers should not be sprinkled with Pecorino). Working from center outward, use palms of your hands to compress layers and press out any air pockets. Using sharp knife, score pie through the top 3 layers of phyllo into 24 equal pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using). Bake until phyllo is golden and crisp, 20 to 25 min. Cool on baking sheet 10 min or up to 2 hrs. Slide spanakopita, still on parchment, to cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.