Wesley’s Anti-Aging Birthday Celebration
Party Shrimp Salad Sandwiches
Fried Mozzarella on Spaghetti Sticks with Pizzaola Sauce
Vidalia Onion Dip
Lemon Grilled Chicken Satays
Zucchini Zips
Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Party Shrimp Salad Sandwiches:
4 1/2 ounce can shrimp, drained and mashed
2 tablespoons grated onion
Lemon juice to taste
4-6 drops Tabasco sauce
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
Mayonnaise
Thin sliced bread
In a bowl combine shrimp, onion, lemon juice, Tabasco, cheese and just enough
mayonnaise to make a spreadable consistency. Trim crust from bread. Spread filling
on bread and assemble sandwiches. Cut into triangle or finger sandwiches. Makes
about 16 sandwiches.
Mozzarella Cubes on Spaghetti Sticks with Pizzaola Sauce:
Pizzaola Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Mozzarella Cubes:
1 pound mozzarella cheese, preferably fresh, cut into thirty-six 1/2 inch
cubes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup dried Italian seasoned bread crumbs
About 10 strands spaghetti, broken into thirty-six 3-inch lengths
Vegetable oil for deep frying
To make the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add
the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add
the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce,
water, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat
to low. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside and keep
warm (or reheat later)
To make the cubes: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line one baking sheet
with waxed paper and another with paper towels. In a deep dutch oven, heat the
oil over high heat at a depth of 2 to 3 inches to 365 degrees.
Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in another shallow bowl.
Place the bread crumbs in another bowl. One at a time, roll each cube in the
flour, dip in the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs. Set aside
on the waxed paper.
Deep fry the spaghetti noodles (uncooked noodles) until golden brown, about
2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to cool. In batches without crowding, fry
cubes until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and keep
warm in the oven while frying the rest.
To serve, spear each cube with a stick and put the sauce in a bowl for dipping.
Vidalia Onion Dip:
1 tablespoon light vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 cups chopped Vidalia onion (or other sweet onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup strong beef stock
2 tablespoons medium dry sherry
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
Kosher salt
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and 1 generous cup of the
onions, and sauté over medium high heat until softened (do not brown), 3 to
5 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and the thyme, drizzle in the stock and sherry,
and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 2 minutes. Remove
from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Combine the cream cheese
and sour cream in a mixing bowl and whip together with an electric mixer on
high speed to soften and combine. Add the cooled onion mixture and stir or blend
in on low speed. Stir in chives and remaining raw onions. Season to taste with
salt. Spoon into a serving bowl and serve with crackers such as Triscuits.
Grilled Lemon Chicken Satays:
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, halved and skin removed
Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and thyme. Pour
over the chicken breasts in a glass dish. Cover with plastic and refrigerate
for 6 hours or overnight. This can be one in a ziplock baggie as well. Heat
a grill to medium high heat and cook the chicken for about 10 minutes per side,
until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally in 1/2-inch thick
slices. Stick wooden skewers in the pieces and serve.
Zucchini Zips:
4 cups zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
2 eggs, well beaten
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cans (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
In a large skillet, cook zucchini and onion in butter until tender. Stir
in parsley and seasonings. In a large bowl, blend eggs and cheese. Stir into
vegetable mixture. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Separate dough into sections
and press over bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Spread
this “crust” with mustard. Pour veggie mixture evenly over the dough. Bake for
20 –23 minutes. Let sit in dish for 15 minutes before cutting into squares to
serve.
Chocolate Cherry Cookies:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweet cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
48 undrained maraschino cherries (about a 10 oz jar)
1-6 oz pack semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
In a medium bowl combine flour and cocoa powder. Set aside. In a large mixing
bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add
sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until well mixed. Add egg
and vanilla and beat well. Gradually beat in dry mixture.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls: place on ungreased cookie sheets. Press down
center of each ball with thumb. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Place one cherry
in the center of each cookie.
For frosting, in a small saucepan combine chocolate pieces and sweetened
condensed milk. Heat and stir over medium heat until chocolate is melted. Stir
in 4 teaspoons of reserved cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon frosting over
each cherry, spreading to cover cherry. If necessary frosting may be thinned
with additional cherry juice.
Bake in 350 degree oven about 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer
to wire racks and let cool.
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