Small Plates / Cooking Aboard with Jill

Mini Cranberry Brie Bites

Not everyone has a muffin pan for 24 mini muffins. I do recommend having one because they are great for making your favorite mini muffins to share with family and friends. I suspect this recipe can also accommodate the normal muffin pan for 12 muffins. You just equally cut up the brie into 12 cubes and the dough into 12 squares. Either way, this is an excellent treat for happy hour with guests or with coffee in the morning.

Pigs in a BlanketWhen I was in middle school in Bonn Germany, my parents took my sister and I to visit some of their friends. It was a wonderful afternoon as we played Croquet in their backyard. Afterwards the lady of the house served pigs in a blanket with some cheese tucked inside. It was the first time we had tried these, and we loved them. Pigs in a blanket are typically sausages that are cooked, cooled and rolled up in a croissant or biscuit dough for baking. I am featuring this recipe using hot dogs and Pillsbury crescent rolls. But if the crescent rolls are not available in your grocery store, all you need to do is make or buy the dough. Then roll it out to about ¼ of an inch thick. I measured the Pillsbury triangles. So, I recommend you cut them into 4” wide by 9” squares and then slice along the diagonal for the perfect size triangle.

Nutty and Cheesy Stuffed MushroomsI love appetizers and these Nutty and Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms are no exception. I had some neighbors try these and they said that “The mushrooms were delicious. The sausage added a savory flavor to the filling, while the pecans and blue cheese provided a nutty and tangy contrast. The mushrooms were perfectly tender, and the filling had great texture.” I couldn’t agree more, and these would be delicious during the holidays or at any cocktail party you host. Serves 10 people as an appetizer.

Pumpkin Shaped Cheese BallThis Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Ball looks like a pumpkin because you wrap with saranwrap, tie with rubber bands and use the stem of a red pepper on top. The cheese ball is creamy and crunchy on the inside because of the ranch style filling and vegetables. This is a perfect appetizer for Halloween or Thanksgiving. It serves 8 and is easy to make!

Garlic and Parsley Sourdough ToastThis is a very easy recipe and is really another version of garlic bread. I like to make this Garlic and Parsley Sourdough Toast to accompany soups. This toast is standard on the Oregon Coast when you are ordering Pacific NW Clam Chowder. It is also great for dunking because it is crunchy. Be sure to make more than one slice per person as it disappears fast! (Note: this recipe assumes the sourdough bread is around 4 inches long and 3 inches wide. If larger, double the garlic spread.)

Creamy Shrimp Rice CrackersThese Creamy Shrimp Rice Crackers are a combination of a soft, cheesy spread and the crunchiness of a rice cracker. I made these in Japan when Dave and I were living there, but I have to confess to not making them in a long time. So when my friend Jeannie texted me that she makes them for her friends, I was happy to hear about some ingredients she added to enhance this recipe. It was time to dust off the cobwebs in my brain and figure out how I made them originally. I don’t know why I waited so long as this are delicious and easy to make. Be sure to make two batches if you have a crowd, as the rice crackers tend to disappear quickly!

Curried Carrot CroquettesThese Curried Carrot Croquettes are crunchy on the outside and both sweet and creamy on the inside. Because of the creaminess on the inside, you don’t even need a dipping sauce. I like to serve these as an appetizer, but they are also a great side dish for dinner. Making this ahead of time is the plus. This is not a complicated recipe, but give yourself a couple days and have some space in your refrigerator for two cooling steps. I suggest making two batches if you have a crowd, as the croquettes will disappear quickly!

Red Pepper Cheese SpreadThis is a version of the more familiar pimento cheese spread. What I like about this recipe is that the jalapeño and garlic enhance the sauteed red peppers. You can use a drained jar of pimentos, but I like the crunch and flavor of the peppers. What I haven’t tried yet, is making grilled cheese sandwiches with this spread. It sounds like a good idea, especially if you have some left over.

Hot Artichoke DipI was inspired to make this dip based on a memory of when we had the “Renaming of our Sailboat” party some years ago. Melinda Lippincott (our broker’s wife) brought this, and it was delicious. So, it was time to figure out the best way to make this dip. I looked at several different recipes. This recipe for Hot Artichoke Dip is from “Meaningful Eats,” and I liked it the best. What appealed to me was the combination of cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream with the artichoke hearts. Based on Melinda’s input, I also added Vidalia onions to the recipe. This summer, I made this dip on several occasions for family and friends, and they ate it all up. You may want to double the recipe for that reason!

Red Pepper Creamy DipThis is the easiest dip to make and there are literally only two ingredients. I find that the combination of red peppers, onions and cream cheese makes for a perfect appetizer. As a good friend of mine once told me, “And people think you worked on this for hours”. She is right, the Pepper Relish and Cream Cheese Dip is simple and tastes great!

Cheese CrispsThese Cheese Crisps are the easiest appetizer to make. The crisps are very versatile as well. For instance, this recipe uses Parmesan and cheddar cheese with some Italian seasoning mix. But you could substitute pepper jack cheese for the Parmesan and use some Mexican seasonings of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and oregano. Cheese crisps originated from Italy where they are called Frico and they literally have just one ingredient. It is just little piles or heaps of grated Parmesan cheese that is baked in the oven until they are crispy. I have seen a few different versions made on the Food Network. Trisha Yearwood uses some flour in her recipe. This recipe is similar to Ina Garten’s on the Barefoot Contessa cooking show. When my personal trainer Andrew Lightcap test-tasted these crisps, he had a good idea. Because the crisps reminded him of pizza, he recommended dipping them in marinara sauce. Sort of like dip and chips. For the pepper jack cheese version, I think dipping in some salsa would be tasty as well. Cheers!

Creamy Hot Crab DipI like to make this creamy hot crab dip on our boat as it’s easy to assemble and tastes good when you are on the water. As on the Chesapeake Bay here in Maryland or any other waterfront places, crab dip is nearly always on the menu in local restaurants as an appetizer. But I think this recipe is tastier as there is ample crab to enjoy. Try to find the freshest lump crab meat either at a seafood shop or frozen in your grocery store. You can also use canned crab but it’s not quite as delicious. Enjoy this dip with friends and family and don’t be surprised if the whole dish is consumed!

Cheese Charcuterie BoardThis back story made it to my October 2018 newsletter as I made this for a dear college friend to celebrate her 60th birthday, Lori Kuipers. And it took some time to research how to put a good cheese board together but after that, it was easy to assemble. So, I want to share my tips with you. First off, use any type of board or platter you have, or simply go buy one. And this is the easy breakdown… cheese, cured meats, nuts, something sweet, crackers and bread, and olives. My recipe for a cheese charcuterie board gives you the essentials for this fun appetizer.

Herb Stuffed Deviled EggsI have been testing deviled egg recipes for years and have not been excited about how they turned out taste and texture wise. So, I mentioned to a friend, Roxanne Manning, at our marina if she had a good recipe and she did. These herb stuffed deviled eggs are light and delicious! The herbs, in particular the tarragon, make perfect sense as I already use these in roasted chicken. And that begs the question “which came first the chicken or the egg”? Apparently, legend has it that two birds, that really weren’t chickens, created a chicken egg and then it hatched a chicken. I suspect this discussion will always be a no-win situation on which came first!

Roasted Tomato, Ricotta & Basil CrostiniBake 30 to 35 minutes until eggs are firm. Garnish with chili flakes and green onion ends that are diced. Run knife around cups to loosen. And you can serve with hollandaise sauce for a richer taste. Serve immediately with your favorite fruit salad. Serves eight!

Savory Cheese WheelsAs we all know, the French are famous for their bakeries. Their palmier pastries (which look like little wheels) are delicious sweet or savory. The word palmier is French for palm tree. And as near as I can tell, the palmiers were invented in the former French Algeria in the early 1900’s where palm trees are prevalent. The famous version are the sweet palmier cookies. And it’s common, especially in France, to have these pastries with coffee. This recipe is a tangy version that can be used as an appetizer. The savory cheese wheels are delicious and easy to make since I use store bought puffed pastry. In this recipe… I show you, through photographs, the easy way to fold and slice the cheese wheels before baking. I guarantee these will disappear at your next cocktail or dinner party. Les Voila

Clam DipClam Dip has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. I was pleased to learn that this is one of Dave’s favorite dips when we started dating in college. We enjoy this appetizer when sailing and it’s a holiday tradition at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our favorite is to use Fritos scoop corn chips because this is a thick dip. And the great thing, the dip gets better with time.