Chickballs / Bacalao Balls

Contributor: Caleb Das

Author's Notes: Party appetizers!  The "chickball" version is vegetarian-friendly.  You can use these as meatball substitutes in pasta sauces if you so choose by adding tomato paste, water, stock and basil, but for parties, this makes a delicious appetizer. It's hearty but has a little kick to it from the onions not being sauteed beforehand.

Chickballs

Throw 2 cans of garbanzo beans into a pot with their water.

Add 2-3 cups more water, some sage, salt and a couple cloves of star anise.

When the garbanzos are mushy, drain and remove the anise. Mush them up into a paste. Add finely chopped onions, pepper/chili powder and turn the paste into little balls.

Roll around in beaten egg, then flour, then more egg, then more flour. Fry them up.


Bacalao Balls

You can substitute bacalao flakes (be sure to boil, drain, boil, drain the bacalao to get rid of the excess salt first though) in the above recipe to make bacalao balls.

I recommend having a Sriracha based dipping sauce on the side. My Sriracha sauce is whipped mayo, sour cream, gorgonzola cheese crumbles and a teaspoon of Sriracha sauce. You can substitute ricotta in place of sour cream if you so choose. 

Sweet Coconut Empanadas

Contributor: Caleb Das

Author's Notes: A good party appetizer


Sweet Coconut Empanadas

Fry up some finely diced peanuts. 

Add grated coconut. Wait for it to brown.  It'll smell delicious. That's how you know it's time.

Add honey, water and a splash of lemon juice to make a syrup with the coconut.

Stuff in empanadas or tamales or what have you. (My mom does a version where she steams the tamales in a banana leaf package.)

Cucumber or Tomato Sandwiches

Contributor: kingjaffejoffer

Contributor Notes: Super easy, yummy, and very fancy! :-)

Cucumber or Tomato Sandwiches

white or wheat bread
cucumber or tomato
mayonnaise
pampered chef or mccormick chipotle or Asian seasoning


mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise with 2tbs spoons of seasoning. Spread mayonnaise onto bread and place sliced cucumber or tomato on bread. Trim crusts of bread with cookie cutter or knife. Garnish with parsley or leave plain. Cut bread into triangles or leave round if using cookie cutter. Lay wet towel onto finished sandwiches so they don't dry out.