Greek Salad Skewers

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1. Mini Beef Wellingtons

   Ingredients
   2 tablespoons olive oil
   2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 24 (1-inch) cubes
   Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
   10 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped
   1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
   1 large shallot, finely chopped
   2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
   1 tablespoon butter
   1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

   Directions
   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel and season all sides with salt and pepper. Quickly sear the beef on 2 sides only until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes total; do not overcook. Transfer to a plate to cool.

   Reduce the heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon butter and the mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown and release liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and shallots and continue cooking until mushroom mixture dries out, is golden brown and shallots are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

   Preheat to the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

   On a work surface, roll 1 sheet of puff pastry to a 10 by 14-inch rectangle. Put teaspoon-sized mounds of mushroom mixture on the pastry, evenly spacing them in 4 rows of 3. Top the mushroom mound with a piece of beef, seared side up. With a sharp knife, cut the pastry into even squares around the meat and mushrooms. Working 1 at a time, pull 2 opposite sides of pastry up over each beef piece, then fold the ends over the top to make a packet. Invert and arrange the packets seam side down on the baking sheet and press them lightly to seal the pastry. Repeat with the remaining beef, mushrooms, and pastry. Lightly brush the tops with the softened butter.

   Bake the Wellingtons until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven to a serving platter and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

2. Spiced Candied Cashews

   Ingredients
   2 cups raw unsalted cashews
   1 cup sugar
   1 1/2 cups water
   1 teaspoon kosher salt
   1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
   1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

   Directions
   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

   Put the nuts, sugar, water, and salt into a large skillet over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, and cook until the water is nearly evaporated and the liquid becomes syrupy, about 10 minutes.

   Meanwhile, mix the spices together in a small bowl.

   After 10 minutes, sprinkle the spices over the nuts and stir well. Continue stirring constantly while the water evaporates completely, about 5 minutes. When there is no longer any sugar syrup left in the bottom of the pan, turn off the heat and stir the nuts vigorously but carefully in the pan until the sugar seizes up and the nuts are evenly coated with crystallized sugar.

   Turn the nuts out onto the lined baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Cool completely before sifting the excess sugar from the coated nuts and storing in an airtight container.

   Cook’s Note: DO NOT touch the nuts at any time while cooking or just afterward. Cooked sugar is extremely hot and can burn instantly when touched.

3. Savory Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms

   10oz Crimini or baby Portobello mushrooms
   1 cup softened goat cheese
   ½ cup softened cream cheese
   ¼ cup diced roasted red peppers (from a jar)
   1 clove of garlic minced
   ¼ cup plain Panko crumbs (don’t have Panko, use bread crumbs)
   ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
   1 teaspoons salt for the cheese mixture, ½ tsp salt for topping
   1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper for cheese mixture, ½ tsp pepper for topping
   2 tablespoons olive oil

   Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

   Wipe the outside of your mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove any dirt or grit. Pull out the stem of the mushroom and with a melon baller, remove the gills of the mushroom but be careful not to pierce the mushroom flesh. Place the mushrooms on a non-stick cooking pan, open side up.

   Combine goat cheese, cream cheese, diced roasted red peppers; 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and minced garlic into a bowl. I use my hands because it allows me to evenly distribute all the ingredients, but you can use a fork if you’d like. Take this mixture with a spoon and place it into each of the mushrooms.

   Combine ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, Parmesan cheese and Panko. Sprinkle this mixture on each of the mushrooms.
   Place stuffed mushrooms in a 350-degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Once the cheese is nice a bubbly and the crumb mixture has become golden brow, these are ready to eat!

   Enjoy!

4. Hot & Spicy Feta Dip
   1 cup crumbled Feta cheese (preferably Greek Feta)
   1 – 6oz package of cream cheese
   4 cloves fresh garlic
   ¼ cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil
   ¼ pine nuts
   1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
   2 tablespoons Red Wine vinegar
   Olive Oil (depends on how creamy you want your dip)
   Salt & Cracked black pepper

   Take the feta, 4 gloves of garlic, cream cheese, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes and place them in a food processor. Do not add any salt, pepper, or olive oil to this mixture yet. Pulse the mixture until uniform, but not overly combined. Slowly drizzle olive oil into the food processor and blend. Once combined into a dip texture, taste mixture to see if it needs salt. Depending on the type of Feta cheese you purchased, your dip may or may not need salt. Add freshly ground pepper to the mixture and salt if needed. Pulse food processor a few more times to combine.

   Put dip in a festive platter and serve with pita chips. It is ready to enjoy! Please note that if you decide to make this dip the night before a party, please store in the fridge. The flavors of this dip will intensify the longer it sits in the fridge.

5. Mom’s Cheesy Artichoke Dip – the ingredients are a little unconventional, but don’t knock it ’til you try it!!

   1 brick cream cheese
   1 cup mayonnaise
   1 can artichoke hearts
   1 packet cheese powder from Mac ‘n Cheese
   ~1 tsp. garlic powder
   ~1-2 tsp paprika

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat cream cheese and mayonnaise together until combined. Mix in cheese powder (just trust me) and garlic powder. While blending, chop the artichoke hearts, then gentle fold into cheese/mayo mixture. Pour into 8×8 casserole pan, and sprinkle paprika over the top. Bake until hot and the top begins to brown, or about 40 minutes. Serve with vegetables, bread, or crackers.

6. Baked Feta

   1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
   1 4 oz container crumbled feta cheese
   1/2 lemon, juiced
   1 tbsp red pepper flakes
   Crusty French bread, broken into pieces

   Preheat oven to 350. In an oven safe dish, combine the tomatoes, feta, lemon juice and pepper flakes. Sprinkle the feta cheese on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly. Use as a dip with the bread pieces, crackers or pita chips!

7. Caramelized Fennel and Bleu Cheese Flatbread

   5 cups all-purpose flour
   1 1/2 cups hot water
   1 tsp yeast
   1/3 olive oil
   1 tsp sea salt
   1 fennel bulb, washed
   2 garlic cloves, minced
   2 tbsp Greek seasoning
   4 oz Bleu cheese, crumbled
   1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained

   Directions:
   Preheat oven to 500°. Mix the hot water with yeast; set aside. In a stand mixer on low, combine the salt and flour and slowly drizzle in the oil with the mixer on. Add the water/yeast mixture and continue mixing until a ball forms. Move to a bowl coated with olive oil, cover and refrigerate.

   Drizzle some olive oil – I used about 3 swirls from my bottle – in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, stir for a few seconds then add the fennel slices. Stir and combine with the olive oil, and reduce heat to medium. Saute until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

   Generously coat a pizza size stone with olive oil. You could also use a baking sheet; I’ve done that before and it works just a well. I like using my stone because it’s nice and seasoned. Take the dough out of the fridge and half. Save the rest of it for later; you’ll be making this again.

   Spread it out thin, covering your stone or baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle the Greek seasoning evenly. Next, layer the tomatoes, fennel bulb and bleu cheese.

   Remove the stalks from the fennel and throw away, but keep the fronds (the cute thin little strands on the top). Slice the bulb as thin as you can.

   Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is starting to brown a little, Slice into squares, and top with some of the fronds.

   Here’s the link to the post on my website: http://tinyurl.com/4dgn3vz

8. I’m more of a no-recipe kind of girl :) But this one is way too easy.

   won ton wrappers
   1 pkg. cream cheese
   1 sm. can diced chiles

   Combine the cream cheese and chiles. Place a dollop of the cream cheese mixture in the middle of a won ton wrapper and fold up like a little envelope. Brush the edge with water to seal.

   Deep fry until golden brown on each side. They taste exactly like jalapeno poppers :)

9. Stuffed Mozzarella Squash Blossoms

   http://www.epicureanmom.com/2011/07/stuffed-mozzarella-squash-blossoms-with.html

   Ingredients:
   12 squash blossoms, stamen removed
   8 oz mozzarella, grated
   1 cup flour
   2 eggs
   Vegetable oil
   1 tablespoons sea salt plus more for garnishing
   1/2 tablespoon pepper

   Preparation:
   Wash squash blossoms, radishes and carrots. Place the radishes and carrots aside. Very gently take the stamen out from inside the blossom. Pat dry and carefully fill the blossoms with mozzarella cheese, twist the top of the blossoms to close off, repeat with remaining.

   Place the flour into a shallow bowl and add the pepper and salt, mix until well incorporated. Beat the eggs in a bowl and place next to the flour (like an assembly line.) Dredge the squash blossoms in flour mixture (do not tap off excess), then in the egg wash and back in the flour, until very well coated. Repeat with remaining blossoms.

   Pour oil into a tall rimmed frying pan, filling about 2-3 inches. Heat until hot but not smoking, about 350-380 degrees. Carefully fry blossoms in batches, until a nice golden brown color. Serve warm.

10. Roasted Garlic Canapes

    2 heads garlic
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
    1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    Assorted fresh vegetables and toasted breads

    1. Cut off tops of garlic heads, leaving tight outer covering intact. Place garlic heads, cut side up, on a sheet of aluminum foil or in a garlic roaster. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, or cover with a lid.
    2. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden. Cool. Squeeze out pulp from each clove.
    3. Process garlic pulp in a food processor until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Add cream cheese; pulse 2 or 3 times, stopping once to scrape down sides.
    4. Add butter and salt; process 1 minute or until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days. Pipe onto vegetables and breads. Yield: 2 2/3 cups.