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It’s summer. It’s hot. Too hot – I think the heat is to blame for my missing culinary mojo. There’s just something about 95 degree temperatures that makes turning on my oven a little less appealing than normal.
With all the heat, blue skies, and an 85 acre pond in our backyard, we’re kind of used to last minute entertaining. So we keep the fridge stocked with simple, fresh ingredients that can be transformed into delicious eats without too much cooking involved.
For our recent Fourth of July festivities, I decided to keep things pretty effortless and portable, so people wouldn’t have to be tied to the table while enjoying the food. One of the most well received items on the menu were these easy Greek Salad Skewers. With only 6 ingredients and minimal prep time, these Greek Salad Skewers couldn’t be easier – or cuter!
Now, here’s where things get a little fun! I want you to share YOUR favorite appetizer recipe that uses 6 ingredients or less (see below for specifics) for the chance to win a $600 gift card. I’ve teamed up with American Express and their Dinner @ 6 promotion to create simple appetizer recipes that use 6 ingredients or less.
Are you seeing a theme here with the number 6? Let me explain. American Express recently launched two cash back credit cards – Blue Cash Preferred and Blue Cash Everyday.
One of the most exciting benefits of the Blue Cash Preferred card is that Cardmembers receive 6% cash back for purchases at the supermarket – the highest cash back rate available for grocery purchases! With these new Blue Cash® Cards, there are no spend minimums, cash back caps, ongoing enrollments or rotating categories of cash back benefits. Which is a pretty sweet deal when used responsibly.
Greek Salad Skewers
Ingredients:
12 grape tomatoes
4 ounces feta cheese, cut into 12 (1/2-inch) cubes
1 mini cucumber sliced into 12 pieces
12 pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons Za’atar*.
12 (4-6 inch) bamboo or wood skewers
Directions:
1. Thread the skewers starting with a tomato, then a piece of feta cheese, a cucumber and an olive. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
2. Just before serving, arrange skewers on a platter, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Za’atar.
Notes:
- I highly recommend finding Za’atar. It’s such a great spice (a blend of sumac, sesame seeds and herbs) to have on hand. I love the brand Urban Accents because it’s flavorful and readily available at my local market.
Follow Jamie on Instagram. We love to see what you're baking from MBA! Be sure to tag @jamiemba and use the hashtag #mbarecipes!
Requirements for Participation
One winner will receive a $600 Gift Card from American Express:
1. Submit your favorite APPETIZER recipe that features 6 ingredients or less. You MUST cut and paste the entire recipe into the comment form. If you have a blog, please also provide a link to the post.
2. You may submit 2 recipes – leave each recipe in a separate comment.
Seasonings, spices and herbs, garlic, vinegars and oils DO NOT count as one of the 6 ingredients.
3.. Contest ends July 23, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Entries that do not follow the directions above will be deleted without notification.
4. Winner will be posted in a follow up post by July 29, 2011.
5. Contest open to US residents only.
6. Winner will be chosen via random.org and will have 3 days to respond or a new winner will be selected.
Additional Entries
If you also have a MAIN COURSE recipe that uses 6 ingredients or less, be sure to head over to goodLife {eats} and enter on Katie’s blog as well. Good luck!
Disclosure
This post and the giveaway are sponsored by American Express. The views and opinions expressed within this post are my own.
Big Mo’s Crispy Salmon Cakes
1 can salmon, bones removed
6 T. Self-Rising Flour
1/2 large onion, diced
salt & pepper to taste
Open salmon, remove bones and mash it up with a fork. Add rest of ingredients and mix together. Form into small, thin patties. Fry in hot oil until brown and crispy on both sides.
Serve warm.
(if you have an electric skillet and the weather is nice, you may want to cook these outdoors so your house doesn’t stink!)
http://www.kristaskakery.com/2010/04/042910/
Taco Pinwheel Appetizer
1 package cream cheese
1 package taco seasoning
Lettuce
Cheese
Tomatoes
Tortillas
1. Mix cream cheese and taco seasoning together in a bowl.
2. Spread mixture onto tortillas
3. Add lettuce, tomatoes, cheese
4. Roll up the tortilla
5. Slice circles or pinwheels
6. Serve
Savory Parmesan Shortbread Rounds (perfect for lots of different spreads, or by themselves with cocktails)
Makes 24
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2 TBS grated parmesan cheese (about 2.5 ounces)
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 small garlic clove, minced
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup (= 2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix flour, 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, salt, garlic, and cayenne pepper in food processor. Add butter and pulse until dough begins to come together. Gather dough into ball. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into 12-inch log, and cut each log into 1/2 inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
Arrange dough balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Press each ball into 2-inch diameter round. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese over rounds.
Bake shortbread until tops are dry and bottoms are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer shortbread rounds to wire rack and cool completely.
(Do ahead: these can be made 1 week ahead…just store them in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to 1 month.)
Fried Green Olives Stuffed with Blue Cheese (perfect with champagne!)
Makes 6 servings
1 ounce mild blue cheese, such as Maytag
24 pitted Spanish olives, patted dry
peanut oil (for frying)
all purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
Roll small amount of cheese into a log shape narrow enough to stuff into 1 pitted olive. Stuff olive with cheese, and repeat with remaining olives and cheese.
Pour enough oil into heavy large skillet to measure depth of 1 inch. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Roll stuffed olives in flour then in egg, then in breadcrumbs to coat. Fry olives until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer olives to paper towels to drain. Serve hot.
Vegetable Cream Cheese
2 8oz packages softened Cream Cheese
1-2 Roma tomatoes -seeded and diced
1-2 pressed Garlic Cloves
1 small diced Shallot
1/2 small carrot shredded
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Whip softened cream cheese until fluffy add all ingredients until mixed. Chill before serving. Serve with pita chips, fresh vegetable or spread on a bagel.
Cucumber Sandwiches
2 cucumbers sliced thin (medium size)
1 tub of whipped cream cheese
1 packet of Italian Seasoning
1 mini loaf cocktail bread
dill seasoning
Mix 1 packet of Italian Seasoning with the tub of cream cheese. Spead generously on slice of loaf bread, add sliced cucumber & add a dash of dill.
Marinaded Ravioli
While a package of cheese ravioli bolis, combine olive oil, white pepper, parsley, minced garlic and parmesan in a bowl. When the ravioli is cooked, toss it with the olive oil mixture. Allow to cool & serve.
My favorite appetizer recipe #1
Cheez It Chicken bites with southwest ranch dip
——————————————————————–
1 lb fresh chicken breast or chicken tenders
8 oz sour cream
1 packet of taco seasoning mix
1 box of Tabasco Cheez it crackers
For dip
———
8 oz of ranch dressing (I make my own, but store bought bottled is fine)
4 oz of picante sauce
For the cheez it chicken bites cut chicken breast or tenderloins in to bite size pieces. In a bowl mix the taco seasoning packet with the sour cream. Dredge chicken pieces into the taco seasoned sour cream mixture. In a food processor or a ziplock and heavy object, crush the Cheez it crackers ( don’t make it a fine crumb, leave some bigger chucks too). Next roll the sour cream coated chicken pieces into the cracker crumbs. Place chicken pieces on a well greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes (or until the cheez its are a deep coppery color) in a oven @ 350. Next just combine the ranch dressing and the picante sauce together. Kids and adults gobble these up in secs flat!
Brie en Croute
1 pkg puff pastry
1 brie round, any type you want
4 tbsp fig jam
4 tbsp pesto sauce
1/4c pine nuts
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
In a medium skillet lightly toast pine nuts until golden and fragrant.
Press sheets of puff pastry dough into appropriate sized pie dish for your brie.
Place the brie in the center, and top with the pesto sauce, fig jam, and pine nuts.
Layer a sheet of puff pastry on top.
Bake until pastry is golden and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
Chili Cheese Dip
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (15 ounce) can chili without beans
16 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
Bag of Tortilla Chips
Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a microwave-safe dish. Spread a layer of chili over the cream cheese. Finish with a layer of shredded cheddar cheese. Microwave for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve with tortilla chips.