New Year's Eve Small Bites

Any good party host feeds their guest first! Any great party host serves their guests good food! Finger foods are great because you can accommodate lots of people and and lots of tastes. Some of my favorite finger foods are bruschetta, smoked salmon, potstickers, and eggrolls. The best thing about these foods is that you can make these fancy versions of simple classics, but you can also purchase all of these favorites at places like Costco or ready-made at Whole Foods. The economy may be improving, but frugality is still important, here are a few tips to reigning in your party budget. (And for my vegan readers out there, here are some ways to adjust recipes for your dietary constraints.)

Bruschetta with Shrimp, Tarragon, and Arugula 
Ingredients
Toasts:

• 1 (1-pound) loaf ciabatta bread, trimmed and cut into 14 (1/2-inch thick) slices
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 garlic clove, halved

Topping:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 packed cup arugula, chopped
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

Directions
For the toasts: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes. Rub the warm toasts with the cut side of the garlic. Set aside.

For the topping: In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 2 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste, and add them to the skillet. Cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

In the same skillet, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes start to soften, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tarragon, arugula, mascarpone cheese, and chopped shrimp. Stir until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the toasts on serving plates and drizzle with the sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.



Marcus Samuelsson's Chili-Covered Gravlax

Ingredients

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 1 1/2 pounds skin-on salmon fillet, in one piece, any pin bones removed pin bones removed
• 5 cilantro sprigs, roughly chopped
• 2 3-inch pieces: ginger, peeled and grated

Directions

1. Combine the salt, fennel seeds, sugar and chili powder in a small bowl and mix well. 
2. Place the salmon in a shallow dish and rub a handful of the salt mixture into both sides of the fish. Sprinkle the salmon with the remaining mixture and cover with the cilantro and ginger.
3.  Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 3 hours at room temperature.
4. Transfer the salmon to the refrigerator and let cure for 12 hours.
5. Scrape the seasonings off the salmon. Thinly slice the salmon on the bias.

Serve over bilini, cornmeal cakes, or as part of a party platter.


Alton Brown's Perfect Potstickers
courtesy of Food Network


Ingredients
1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
35 to 40 small wonton wrappers
Water, for sealing wontons
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/3 cups chicken stock, divided
Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl (pork through cayenne). Set aside.

To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush 2 of the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold over, seal edges, and shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.

Heat a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil once hot. Add 8 to 10 potstickers at a time to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, without touching. Once the 2 minutes are up, gently add 1/3 cup chicken stock to the pan, turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove wontons to a heatproof platter and place in the warm oven. Clean the pan in between batches by pouring in water and allowing the pan to deglaze. Repeat until all the wontons are cooked. Serve immediately.

What are your favorite small bites recipes? HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!