WELCOME

Welcome to FOOD LIFE, where food intersects life. Feel free to write comments, ask questions, or share your stories. It's all
good!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

There's an App for That!


What’s a holiday season without cocktail parties? A drink or two here, chat with friends, spill some drinks, it’s all good. If you’re one of the brave ones hosting a get-together this season, thinking about what nibblies to prepare can be a chore, which is why the frozen appetizers aisle at the supermarket resembles the running of the bulls in Pamplona this time of the year. Granted, there are plenty of choices from the array of ready-for-the-oven festive snackers, and some ain’t too bad. I personally like President’s Choice vegetable samosas.
But if you’re like me, I like to mix store-bought and home-made. Even just one appetizer made by you, the host, can make the party so much warmer, and friends may even pretend to want to get the recipe. Cute. There are some easy ones you can do like Chicken Skewers with Melon (pictured above), Mini Wrap Apps (pictured below), or Baked Brie and Apricot Jam baked in puff pastry.











Speaking of puff pastry, my favourite go-to appetizer ingredient, here’s my recipe for Pastry Triangles with Chicken and Chorizo. I’ve tried it with different fillings, but I know this combination of barbecue chicken and Portuguese sausage is a definite winner. Tantalizingly sweet and piquant, these pastry pockets are great as appetizers before a sit-down dinner or as tasty treats for pecking throughout the evening.

Don’t overwhelm yourself. Make the filling ahead of time, or even better, make the pastries a few days in advance and freeze them. From your freezer and into the oven, you’ll have plenty of time to socialize with your friends and family.

Pastry Triangles with Chicken and Chorizo
For the filling:
3 skinless, boneless chicken thigh
¼ cup barbecue sauce
1 medium onion, diced (about ¼ inch)
1 medium carrot, diced (about ¼ inch)
1 stalk celery, diced (about ¼ inch)
¼ cup canned corn, drained
1 hot or sweet chorizo (Portuguese sausage)
2 Tbsp raisins, chopped
2 tsps tomato paste
2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp paprika
¼ cup chicken stock (or water)
Salt
Pepper

For assembly:
1 pkg. frozen puff pastry, thawed out in the fridge.
egg wash (1 beaten egg + 2 Tbsp water)
flour (for dusting)
sesame seeds (for sprinkling)
poppy seeds (for sprinkling)
dried parsley (for sprinkling)

In a medium bowl, toss chicken in barbecue sauce and 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Marinate for at least 1hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Place chicken on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 min. Then, transfer chicken on a plate and let cool. Once cooled, shred the chicken meat into strands. Set aside. (This can be done 1 day ahead.)

Cut chorizo into quarters lengthwise, then cut into ¼ inch slices. Set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onion until translucent (about 2 min). Add diced carrots and diced celery. Saute until tender (about 5 min).

Add chorizo and cook for another 5 min.

Add paprika and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.

Pour chicken stock (or water) into the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen any sticky bits.

Add shredded chicken, raisins and corn. Cook, uncovered, for about 7-10 min. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer onto a plate and let cool.

Remove puff pastry from the package (pastry comes in 2 blocks. Use one block and leave the other in the fridge until ready to use).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into 12 inch square (about 1/8 inch thick). Flour the rolling pin to avoid pastry from sticking. (Don’t worry if it’s not a perfect square.)

With a pizza cutter (or a sharp knife), cut pastry into 4 inch squares. Brush edges of squares with the egg wash.

Place about 2 tablespoonful of cooled chicken filling onto each square. Lift one corner of the square and fold it onto the opposite corner to form a triangle. Pinch the edges with a fork to seal the pastry.

Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds, poppy seeds and dried parsley. Place on a baking sheet.