My Mantra - A Meal of Appetizers

"BANG BANG SHRIMP"

I made this mock-up of the Bonefish Grille dish as one of our appetizers for Valentine's day.  We LOOOOOVE appetizers in my house, so Valentine's Day was the perfect excuse for a diversion from chicken and veggies! I have to thank a long-time family friend, Ro Fiore, for inspiring me to recreate this dish! I sampled a delicious version at her house a couple of years ago, and on special occasions, it is a fantastic crowd pleaser (shell-fish allergies excluded!!!).

For the Shrimp:

1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp (your choise about tails on or off - I leave them on)

1.5 cups flour, divided roughly in half

1 c panko breadcrumbs

1-2 eggs, beaten in a medium to large bowl with a touch of water

Extra Light Virgin Olive Oil (enough to go about 1cm up in your pan)

Heat oil in a large pan on the high side of medium-high.

While heating:

Rinse and pat-dry shrimp.  Toss in a large ziploc with half the flour and shake to coat.  Transfer coated shrimp to the large bowl containing the egg wash, and toss to coat.  Put remaining flour and panko breadcrumbs in a ziploc, and again, toss to coat.

By this point, the oil should be hot enough (if it's crazy boiling, turn it down a little, but mild bubbling is ok).  Put the shrimp in a few at a time, so you can keep the peices visible and separate.  As you see them shrink a bit and turn a little golden, flip.  Once both sides are golden, remove shrimp and place on papertowels to drain.

For the Sauce:

1.4 c chopped green onions

3/4 c mayo

1/4 c sour cream

1 c Thai sweet chili sauce

1 tbsp chili hot pepper sauce (Sriracha make a good one in a small jar with a green lid - you want the thick kind, not just hot sauce)

a sqeeze or squirt of lime juice

S & P to taste

Mix all ingredients while shrimp is cooking.  Once all shrimp is removed from pan, turn heat off, dispose of cooking oil safely, and return shrimp to pan on the burner.  Pour on sauce and toss to coat.  Serve immediately.

BBQ BUFFALO BACON BITES

This was the other hit appetizer in my home last night.  The way I make it, it is NOT for the faint-of-tongue!  You, could, however skip the "buffalo" and jalapeno elements to tweak for fans of the mild.  You could also add some cheese on top to make the most delicious, heart-attack worthy nacho, but I skipped that in this experiment!

Ingredients:

10 pieces of bacon

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I use my leftovers)

1/2 c chopped sweet onion

3/4 c of your favorite BBQ sauce (I sue Sweet Baby Ray's or Montgomery Inn)

2-4 tbsp of your favorite hot sauce (I use Marie Sharp's habanero variety)

1 tbsp butter

jalapeno slices (optional)

salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper.  Form bacon into some shape that will hold a topping (I attempted hearts for Valentine's day, but they didn't turn out so heart-y!).  Having it fold over itself in couple of places makes for a sturdy bite!  Pop in the oven (total cooking time should be 15-20 min - you will want it to be crsipy enough to carry that chicken from the plate to your mouth!).

While the bacon is crisping up, melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan or saute pan.  Add onions and and shake a little salt over them as they become fragrant.  Add shredded chicken and both sauces.  Stir until all ingredients are combined and warm.  Keep on low heat and stir occasionally until bacon is ready.

Once bacon is crisp enough, remove from oven and place on papertowels to drain.  Give the bacon a couple of minutes to cool and really crisp up.  Then top with chicken mixture and a jalapeno slice.  Serve!