Whats a good appetizer that's good with this entree?!


Question: For my final, i need to make a menu and cook for two. For an entree, i'm going to make Angel Hair pasta with garlic shrimp and pesto sauce. For dessert im going to make Berries and Cream Brownies. But I dont know what kind of appetizer would complement them. please please help!


Answers: For my final, i need to make a menu and cook for two. For an entree, i'm going to make Angel Hair pasta with garlic shrimp and pesto sauce. For dessert im going to make Berries and Cream Brownies. But I dont know what kind of appetizer would complement them. please please help!

I haven't tried this one but, it sounds simple and good. Make one for yourself first and adjust it to what you like.

Strawberry Tossed salad:

6 cups torn mixed salad greens
1 pint fresh strawberries slices
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Balsamic vinaigrette

Toss and serve

Also a salad with spinach, blue cheese or feta cheese, pomegranites...if you can find them this time of year and a light drizzle of itallian dressing, would be good.
If you can't find pomegranites use small blueberries, or even raspberries.

What about a homemade ravioli?

And here is are another couple of ideas:

Wild Mushroom Pizza:
1 tsp olive oil
1 can (13.8oz) refridgerated pizza crust
1 tbsp butter
1 lb fresh wild mushrooms (shitake, oyster, crimini) cut into 1/4 slices
1 tsp dried thyme leaves crushed
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 8oz pkg cream cheese softened
4 oz fontina cheese shredded
1 cup shredded mozzerela
fresh thyme leavesif desired

1. Heat oven to 400. Brush large cookie sheet with oil. Unroll dough and place on cookie sheet. Starting at center press dough out to 15x10inche rectangle. Bake 8 to 10 min or until criust is lightly browned.

2. Meanwhile in skillet heat butterover med-high heat. Add mushrooms, cook about 6min, stirring frequently until well browned, drain. Stir in salt and pepper.

3. Spread cream cheese evenly on the crust. Sprinkle with fontina, cheese. Spread cooked mushrooms over fontina cheese and sprinkle with mozz cheese.

4. Bake 10-12 min longer or until cheese is melted and crust is brown. Cut into 8 rows by 6 rows, sprinlkle with fresh thyme leaves if desired.

Serve 1 or 2 small slices per person.

Mushroom Scallop Skewers:

1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsppacked brown sugar
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 clove garlic finely chopped
14 bay scallops (1/4 to 1/3 lb)
14 baby portabella mushrooms
14 slices precooked bacon (or you could try lightly frying the bacon, or even boiling it first)
fresh orange curls if desired for garnish.

1. Heat oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In medium bowl mix orange juice, brown sugar, orange peel,ginger, and garlic. Add scallops and toss to coat.

2. Place 1 scallop in each mushroom cup. Wrap each with 1 slice bacon, enclosing the scallop. Secure with a toothpick, Dip in orange juice mix and place on pan.

3. Bake 8 to 10 min or until mushrroms are tender, scallops are opaque, and bacon is crispy.

4 If desired replace each toothpick with a wooden skewer.

***Either buying pre-cooked bacon or pre-cooking it your self helps that bacon brown nicely in the oven.

You could do this with a little soy or tarriyaki or something else rather than the oj as well.

Tomatoe Artichoke Crostini:

If you have left over tomatoes add some cream, seasoned salt, itallian seasoniing, cream cheese, and use as a sauce for fettecini.
40 slices (1/2) inch thich french baguette
Cooking spray or melted butter
1 (16 oz) oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
2 cups chopped seeded plum tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp coarse ground balck pepper

1. Heat oven to 325 line cookie sheet with foil. Place bread slices on cookie sheet spray bread with cooking spray, or lightly brush on thhe butter.

2.Bake 6-9 min or until crisp. Remove from baking tray and cool.

3. Meanwhile coarsly chop the artichokes. In med bowl mix the artichokes with remaining ingrediants.

4.Serve artichoke mix with bread slices.

****Varitaions include:
1/3 cups crumbled feta cheese in place of artichokes
OR
1/2 cup coarsely chopped kalmatta olives.


LATE ADDITION:

Okay I haven't tried this one either but I just ran across it in a Taste of Home mag.

Stuffed Cuke Snacks:

1 cucumber
1 pkg (3 oz) cream cheese softened
1 tbsp crumbled blue cheese (I would use feta...I don't like blue cheese)
2 tsp fresh parsley
1 tsp minced fresh dill
1 tsp grated onion
20-26 pimento strips

1. Score the cucumber by running the tines down the length of it.
2. Cut cuke in 1/2 Lengthwise. Scoop out all seeds and place cut side down on a paper towel for at least 10 min.
3. Meanwhile in a small bowl mix the cheeses, parlsey, dill and onion. Spoon into cukember halves.
4. Wrap cuke in plastic wrap and refridgerate for 3-4 hours. Unwrap and cut cukes into 1/2 inch slices, garnish with pimentao strips.

I would maybe use small red pepper strips instead, and maybe even use dried chives instead of the dill.

It's in the "Dazzle'm by the dozen" book. It's got a cupcake on the cover with edible flowers for decoration. Page 32
4.

fried calamari with spicy marinara sauce always goes good with pasta

6 raw oysters with lemon wedges,

3 seared large scallops on a bed of watercress salad

or

a nashi pear citrus and pomegranate salad

Normally I wouldn't have an entree and a appetizer.

I would suggest brown onion soup as an entree, the pasta as a main and the berries and brownies as a dessert.

Meatballs...................ENJOY!!! :--)

1 1/2 lbs ground veal or ground beef or ground pork(or combination)
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup minced onions
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
3 tablespoons butter or margarine

Saute onion until clear in appearance.

n a large bowl combine ground meat, bread crumbs, chili sauce, egg, onion, parsley, salt, Tabasco and garlic.

Shape meat into balls one inch in diameter.

Pan fry a few meat balls at a time in butter.

Transfer to chafing dish.

Serve with food picks.

I think a nice salad and some bread would be good. With a light lemony Italian dressing.

Stuffed mushrooms are always good.

Hope you're having a salad or a vege in there! As for an appetizer, consider:

1. Bruschetta
2. Caprese Salad: beefsteak tomatos, mozarella, fresh basil, olive oil
3. Antipasta Platter: sopressata, cappicola, fennel salami, marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, provolone cheese.
4. Endive leaves filled with spicy shrimp or chicken salad
5. Fried ravioli and marinara sauce
6. Gourmet Olives and smoked almonds
7. Asiago cheese and crackers

If your final requires you to stay with an ethnic theme, you might want to think about a simple Bruscetta Salad, or Caprese. Calamari is a good idea to, but maybe try to lighten it up as in a grilled version with some radiccio and a citrus dressing.
Good Luck

don't forget a green salad with an oil-based dressing (Balsamic Vignarette is good) - you don't have a vegetable here.....

FUNGHI ala PARMIGIANO
Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms

1 lb. medium mushrooms (about 24)
1/4 c. finely chopped green onions (with tops)
1 clove, finely chopped garlic
1/4 c. softened butter
1/2 dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. EACH salt and dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. pepper
Cut ends from mushroom stems. Remove stems from mushrooms; chop stems finely. Cook & stir mushroom stems, green onions & garlic in butter over medium heat, until tender (about 5 min). Remove from heat and add rest of ingredients. Fill mushroom caps with stuffing mixture. Place mushrooms (filled side up) on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 min .....serve hot

Try bruschetta. Once you have the tomato mixture made and the bread toasted, it's quick to assemble and broil before serving.

Double Tomato Bruschetta
INGREDIENTS
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 French baguette
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

I agree with the bruschetta ideas. :)

In America entrée means main course...in other countries an entrée is somewhat like an appetizer....just a little more substantial ...

I think a nice cucumber& tomato salad would be nice,
Cucumber and Tomato salad.
3 cucumbers
3 vine ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup salt

Peel cucumbers and cut length wise.Remove seeds with small spoon.slice and place in colander add salt and toss.place colander over large bowl and let "Sweat" for 2 hours.

Dressing
1/4 cup vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cups oil
1 glove garlic minced
1 half small onion minced
1 tsp parsley

put vinegar in large bowl add salt and pepper.whisk till salt is dissolved add remaining ingredients and blend well.add cucumbers and sliced tomatoes toss well.

because your main already is verry heavy on taste and has lots of ingredients i would keep it simple with a mesculin salad mix light dressing sweet teardrop tomato's and bocconcinni cheese then dazzel him/her with the main course by the way desert looks awsome as well
regards chef eric





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