Easy appetizer to bring?

[SallyT]

Hi,

we're going to a friend's house for dinner on Saturday and I'm tasked with an app... They're making some kind of fish and something butternut squashy. I have limited time (about 30 minutes to make something) but would love to make something special... It just has to be pregnancy-friendly (28 1/2 weeks!) - so nothing non-pasteurized, and a couple of us don't eat beef/pork.

Thanks!

[Laurielee]

I love this appetizer when I am looking for simple and elegant. I ahve also subbed the goat cheese for gorgonzola It is from CL

Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
This elegant first course showcases a marvelous partnership between slightly bitter endive, creamy goat cheese, and sweet orange juice. From pretty presentation to fantastic flavor, you can't go wrong with this simple appetizer.
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons honey, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 16 Belgian endive leaves (about 2 heads)
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese
• 16 small orange sections (about 2 navel oranges)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine walnuts and 1 tablespoon honey; spread on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.
Combine 1 tablespoon honey, vinegar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).
Fill each endive leaf with 1 orange section. Top each section with 1 teaspoon cheese and 1 teaspoon walnuts; arrange on a plate. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over leaves, and sprinkle evenly with chives and pepper.

[erin elizabeth]

I love CL's apple dip that I've slightly modified. Or people always seem to go for cream cheese with pepper jelly and crackers or an antipasto plate. I *think* you could do Barefoot Contessa's Pan-Fried Onion Dip in 30 minutes and it can definitely be done ahead.

Here's the apple dip:

Mix together:
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese (softened)
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Add:
4 oz Heath bits

Serve with sliced apples--CL suggests tossing these with some pineapple juice to keep them from browning and it really works! last time though, I squeezed half a lemon and added an equal amount of water and tossed that with the apples. It worked, too :)

[Romandub]

I love the Brie Kisses. so easy and so yummy.

Brie Kisses recipe
Makes 32.
1/2 to 2/3 pounds brie cheese (wedges are fine)
1 (17.3 ounce) box frozen puff pastry
Hot pepper jelly
Cut the brie into 1/2-inch squares (leave the rind on if you like). Place on a dinner plate and put the cheese in the freezer while you thaw the puff pastry for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Unfold the thawed pastry, press together seams and roll lightly with a rolling pin to smooth it out. Cut each sheet into fourths, then cut each fourth in half. Cut the halves in half to make 16 squares per sheet.
Lightly spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray. Fit a piece of dough into each cup, pushing into the cup but leaving the edges sticking up. Place a dab of pepper jelly in each cup, then top with a piece of cheese (I do this the other way around. I put the cheese in first then top it with jelly. It’s a matter of personal preference.)
Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Serve warm. (Can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake, or you can bake them and re-warm about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F before serving.)

[SallyT]

Laurielee - THANK YOU! I made this tonight and it was a big hit. I used Mandarin oranges instead of the naval oranges. So delicious...


I love this appetizer when I am looking for simple and elegant. I ahve also subbed the goat cheese for gorgonzola It is from CL

Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
This elegant first course showcases a marvelous partnership between slightly bitter endive, creamy goat cheese, and sweet orange juice. From pretty presentation to fantastic flavor, you can't go wrong with this simple appetizer.
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons honey, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 16 Belgian endive leaves (about 2 heads)
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese
• 16 small orange sections (about 2 navel oranges)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine walnuts and 1 tablespoon honey; spread on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.
Combine 1 tablespoon honey, vinegar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).
Fill each endive leaf with 1 orange section. Top each section with 1 teaspoon cheese and 1 teaspoon walnuts; arrange on a plate. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over leaves, and sprinkle evenly with chives and pepper.