Savory One Bite Wonders - Appetizer Recipes

Appetizer Recipes Included:

For festive entertaining, impress your guests with simple and savoury one-bite wonders. Whether it’s adding oriental flair with walnut-encrusted prawns and pork dumplings or serving flavoursome cheesecakes and scones, these recipes are sure to excite all taste buds. Read more for the complete recipes. For more great ideas visit our friends at California Walnuts.

Pork Dumplings with Walnut Sauce
1/2 lb ground pork  250 g 
2 tbsp chopped cilantro  30 mL 
2 tbsp chopped chive bud  30 mL 
1/4 cup toasted and chopped California walnuts  50 mL 
1/4 tsp garlic powder  1 mL 
1/4 tsp galangal powder or ginger powder  1 mL 
1/4 tsp white pepper  1 mL 
1 tsp salt  5 mL 
25-30  dumpling wrappers  25-30 
 Walnut Sauce:  
1/2 cup toasted and puréed California walnuts  125 mL 
3 tbsp water  45 mL 
1 tbsp rice vinegar  15 mL 
1 tbsp cooking sake  15 mL 
1 tbsp tamari soy sauce  15 mL    
   
Toasting Walnuts: In large, dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast walnuts, stirring occasionally, until lightly brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Dumplings: In a large bowl combine pork, cilantro, chive bud, chopped walnuts, garlic, galangal, white pepper and salt.
 
Take one dumpling wrapper and wet the outer rim lightly with water. With the dumpling skin flat on one hand, place 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the pork mixture in the centre. Fold the wrapper edge up into a taco shape and pinch together while creating pleats on one side of the dumpling. Repeat for remaining filling and wrappers.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the dumplings (2 to 3 batches at a time), then immediately stir them so they don’t stick together. Cook until done (5 to 7 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean tray – do not overlap as dumplings will stick. 

Walnut Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the puréed walnuts, water, rice vinegar, cooking sake and tamari.

Serve with dumplings.

Makes 4 servings.

Tip: Substitute pork with ground beef or chicken, if desired.

Crispy Dumplings: In a large non-stick pan, add 1 tbsp (15 mL) of oil and as many dumplings as you can fit in a single layer with spaces between each. Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) cold water to the pan, cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Cook until all the water has evaporated and the bottoms are crispy and golden.

PER SERVING (7 dumplings with sauce): about 412 cal, 18 g pro, 23 g fat (6 g sat. fat), 31 g carb, 2 g fibre, 50 mg chol, 1190 mg sodium. %RDI: 4% calcium, 19% iron, 1% vit A, 2% vit C.

California Walnut Savoury Scones

Makes 32 servings.

2 cups all-purpose flour  500 mL 
3/4 cup California walnuts, finely chopped  175 mL 
2 tbsp granulated sugar  30 mL 
1 tbsp baking powder  15 mL 
1 tsp salt  5 mL 
1/2 tsp dried thyme  2 mL 
1/2 tsp ground black pepper  2 mL 
1/4 lb frozen butter (1 stick)  125 g 
1 cup whole milk  250 mL 
Finely chopped California walnuts for garnish  
  
 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). 

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, walnuts, sugar, baking powder, salt, thyme and pepper. 

Using a coarse cheese grater, grate frozen butter directly into dry ingredients, stirring occasionally to prevent butter from sticking together. 

Pour milk into the mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon until mixture just comes together to form dough.  Turn the dough over a few times to gather up any remaining bits of flour.  Dough should not be sticky. If it is, add a bit more flour. 

Transfer the dough to a floured cutting board and divide into 4 equal pieces.  Working quickly, using your hands, shape each piece into a round, flat disk, about 3/4-inch (1.9 cm) thick.  Cut each disk into 8 even-sized wedges.  Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with milk.  Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts. 

Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool slightly.  Gently pull tops off the scones or cut horizontally.  Fill with desired fillings or top half with desired toppings.
 
Filling/Topping Suggestions:

Cranberry and brie
- Dollop cranberry sauce
- Thinly sliced brie cheese
- Fresh watercress or baby arugula

Smoked salmon and cream cheese
- Room temperature cream cheese
- Finely chopped red onion or finely chopped cherry tomato
- Thinly sliced smoked salmon
- Sprig of fresh dill

Apple, sage and goat cheese filling
- Thinly sliced green apple, skin on, dipped in lemon juice
- Softened goat cheese
- Fresh sage leaf

PER SERVING* (1 wedge): about 88 cal, 2 g pro, 6 g fat (2 g sat. fat), 8 g carb, 0.5 g fibre, 9 mg chol, 127 mg sodium. %RDI: 1% calcium, 4% iron, 3% vit A.
* Includes extra 1/4 cup walnuts used to sprinkle over dough (1 tbsp per round).

Walnut Encrusted Prawns with Ponzu Glaze 

Makes 4 servings

1/4 cup ponzu sauce  50 mL 
1 tbsp sugar  15 mL 
1/2 tsp cornstarch  2 mL 
1/2  egg, beaten  1 
1/3 cup flour  75 mL 
1/2 cup California walnuts, finely chopped  125 mL 
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)  50 mL 
 Salt and pepper to taste  
12  jumbo prawns, raw, peeled and deveined  12 
 Vegetable or canola oil for frying  
  
   
In a small pan over medium-high heat, combine the ponzu sauce, sugar and cornstarch, stirring frequently until glaze is thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place egg in one bowl, flour in second bowl. Combine California walnuts and panko crumbs in third bowl. Season all three bowls with salt and pepper.

Holding the tail, coat each prawn evenly with the flour, then dip into egg mixture and place into walnut mixture, turning to coat all over. Repeat steps until all prawns are coated.

Pour enough oil into deep-fryer or deep heavy-bottomed pot to fill at least 2 inches (5 cm). Heat to 375°F (190°C) or until a 1-inch (2.5 cm) cube of white bread turns golden brown in 30 seconds.

Fry 3 to 4 prawns at a time, turning once, until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer prawns to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.

Serve warm with ponzu glaze.

Tip: To make ahead, let cool on parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours, reheat in 350°F (180°C) oven until crisp and hot, about 6 minutes.

PER SERVING (3 prawns with glaze): about 207 cal, 10 g pro, 11 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 18 g carb, 1 g fibre, 78 mg chol, 745 mg sodium. %RDI: 3% calcium, 11% iron, 2% vit A.

Savoury California Walnut Cheesecakes 

Makes about 15 to 20 servings

Crust:  
1 cup graham cracker crumbs  250 mL 
1/4 cup butter, melted  50 mL 
1 tsp sugar  5 mL 
1 tsp freshly ground pepper  5 mL 
 Filling:  
1-1/4  8 oz (250 g) packages cream cheese, room temperature (11 oz / 312.5 g total)  1-1/4 
2 tbsp sugar  30 mL 
1  whole egg  1 
12  egg yolk  1 
4 tsp sour cream  20 mL 
1/2 tsp lemon juice  2 mL 
1/2 tsp salt  20 mL 
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper  2 mL 
3/4 cup California walnuts, finely chopped  175 mL 
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives  50 mL 
      
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). 

Line a 9-inch (23 cm) pan with foil, allowing it to hang over the edge for easy removal of cheesecake.

Crust: In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and pepper.  Press into pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Cool completely. 

Filling: Using a food processor, blend cream cheese, sugar, egg, egg yolk, sour cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Process until all ingredients are fully incorporated and batter is free of lumps, about
1 minute.  Transfer mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir in walnuts and chives. 

Pour into pan and spread evenly over crust.  Bake for 20 minutes or until centre is firm.  Do not over bake.  Cool completely in pan, cover and place in refrigerator overnight.

Remove cheesecake from pan.  With a warm, dry knife, trim off edges.  Cut remaining cheesecake into
1-inch (2.5 cm) or 1-1/2-inch (3.8 cm) squares, wiping the knife after each cut.  Top as desired and serve.

Topping Suggestions:
- Smoked salmon with a sprig of fresh dill
- Pear with caramelized onions
- Caviar and sour cream
- Prosciutto wrapped fig
- Black olive tapenade

Tip: For a lower fat version, substitute regular cream cheese with 1-1/4 packages light cream cheese.

PER SERVING (1-inch/2.5 cm piece): about 137 cal, 3 g pro, 12 g fat (5 g sat. fat), 6 g carb, 1 g fibre, 43 mg chol, 166 mg sodium. %RDI: 1% calcium, 1% iron, 3% vit A.
 

All materials and photos courtesy of California Walnuts. Please visit their website for more great recipes - http://www.walnutinfo.com/home.html