How to Make Easy Appetizers for Quick a Dinner Party
*Prosciutto Wrapped Figs stuffed with Honey &Herb Goat Cheese drizzled with Wildflower Honey
* Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs with a Lemon and Mint Yogurt sauce.
Have you ever been in a situation where your 90 minutes away from having a house full of guests and there isn’t anything prepared to eat? I grew up in the age of the “pigs in the blanket” and Cheese Whiz and crackers as suitable appetizers. I wanted to create something pretty to the eye and pleasing to the palette.
I love Figs! I love anything that is fig inspired, I want everything to have figs in it; Ice cream pies, steak, anything. I mean come on guys figs are simply delicious. Yesterday while thinking of recipes to make for my Zoom cooking class I came with two recipes that pack a lot of flavor and both are easy to make.
I give the world Prosciutto wrapped Figs stuffed with Herb and Honey Goat cheese Drizzled with Wildflower honey. Can you all say yum! try really hard not to lick the screen ok! These are little delicious bombs figgie salty cheesy heaven. If you don’t eat meat, you can easily omit the Prosciutto and just add a sparkle of flake salt to give the same effect. The figs I’m using today are Brown Turkey Figs. These aren’t as sweet as my favorite Black Mission Figs but they stand up well to baking.
Below is the recipe for These lovely figs and some pictures that will give you the superb visuals needed to create something as delicious in you home!
Mediterranean Meatballs 1with Lemon Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Serves:4–6 people (serving: two meat balls pp)
Makes 12, 4 oz meatballs
Ingredients
Meat Balls:
1 lb. for Ground Lamb
1 lb. of Ground Beef
1 heaping teaspoons of Cumin powder, and Coriander powder
5 cloves of Garlic
I tbsp. of. Fresh garlic (1 small chunk)
Half of Red onion (course chopped)
A handful of Cilantro, and Parsley (chopped)
1 tsp. of Red Curry Paste
1 Serrano Pepper (diced)
2 large eggs
½ cup of Panko bread crumbs
¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil + 3 tbsp. (EVOO)
Lemon Yogurt Dipping sauce
1 ¼ cup of Greek 5% fat Yogurt (you can use nonfat as well)
A bunch of mint (minced finely)
A bunch of dill (chopped)
1 lemon (juice and Zest)
Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F
Make the yogurt sauce ahead up to 5 days.
*Take all items for the dipping sauce mix in a bowl, until well combined. Then cover and allow to set in the fridge to marinate until meatballs are ready.
Place all veggies, herbs, spices, and ¼ cup EVOO in a Food processor. Process until seasoning mixture looks like fine minced pieces NOT pureed. Then Add the breadcrumb and beaten eggs in to seasoning mix
In a bowl mix the Lamb and Beef together until well combined. Add wet seasoning to ground meat and mix well with hands. Mixture should be slightly wet but hold its shape like meatloaf.
Form meat into balls, and place on cookie sheet. Add 3 tbsp. of EVOO to a smoking cast iron or non-stick skillet. Add a sprinkle of kosher salt to meat balls , then on both sides
Bake meat balls in oven for 20–30 min until internal temperature reads 165F
Prosciutto Wrapped Figs Stuffed with Honey Herb Goat Cheese
Serves:4 people serving: two pp)
Makes 8
Ingredients
2 packs of Honey Goat cheese (if you can’t find honey plain would work)
1 package of fresh figs
1 package of Aged Prosciutto (at least 10 slices)
I tbsp. of. Fresh garlic (1 small chunk)
A handful of Fresh Thyme and Rosemary and Parsley (minced finely)
2 tbsps. of honey (+ additional 2 tbsp.* to add to goat cheese if cannot find honey goat cheese)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F
Take figs and cut crosswise to make perpendicular T. DO not cut fig all the way through. Leave ¼ inch space. When finished you should have four separated quadrants still connected to one another.
Place goat cheese, herbs, honey* salt, and pepper in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20 sec. until softened not melted.
In a small quart size Ziploc bag place the goat cheese mixture inside in the corner. Squeeze out access air and twist the top to make it taunt. Clip the tip of bag and squeeze mixture inside of the figs.
Wrap the figs with one full piece of Prosciutto and secure with a small toothpick. In a smoking hot skillet lay fig on sides in order to crisp meat. Place figs on a foil lined baking sheet in the oven. Cook until figs are softened. And cheese still intact approximately 10–15 min. Make sure they do not burn.
