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December 21 • 2017 47 jn beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the meat, then add the bread, mashing it with your fingers. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Work with your hands into a soft, well- mixed paste. Shape into balls the size of large walnuts and dredge in plenty of flour. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and arrange the meatballs on the sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a baking dish. Add all sauce ingredients to the baking dish and turn the meatballs with a spatula to coat. Cook for 20 min- utes more. CARROT, COCONUT AND GINGER SOUP SHOOTER Onions and carrots are both naturally sweet, so this creamy soup pairs nicely with ginger. And since there is barely any fat and no meat (unless you add chicken broth), it's both vegan and gluten-free. 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup chopped onions, any variety ½ cup chopped celery 1 tsp. minced garlic 2 cups water (or chicken broth) 1 cup coconut milk 1 pound carrots, unpeeled and sliced into 1-inch rounds 2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger ½ cup white wine Sea salt and white pepper, to taste Fresh chopped cilantro leaves, garnish Heat oil in saucepan over medium- high heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the water, coconut milk, carrots and ginger and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 30 minutes, until the carrots are very soft. Remove from heat and cool until the soup is warm. Transfer the mixture to the pitcher of a blender or bowl of a food pro- cessor and blend or process until smooth (you may need to do this in batches). When the soup is blended, pour it back into the pot. Add wine and seasonings (start with 1 tsp. salt and ½-tsp. pepper) and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes more. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve as is or sprinkle with parsley, cilantro and drizzle with half-and-half, if desired. Makes 12 shooter servings. ASPARAGUS GRUYERE TARTE Cut this into squares and serve — the trick is to leave it looking whole, so don't disassemble to serve. Flour, for work surface 1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry (about 17-18 ounces) 3 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded 1½-2 pounds medium fresh asparagus (tough stem ends trimmed) 3 Tbsp. olive oil Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, place the 2 sheets of puff pastry on the baking sheet and press together to cover the baking sheet (up the edges of the pan, if possible). Using a fork, pierce the pastry all over (about 24 times). Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with 2/3 of the Gruyere. Arrange the aspara- gus over the cheese. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake again for 10 minutes. Raise the heat to a low broil and cook 4-6 min- utes more. Cool to warm and serve (cut into pieces). BEEF EMPANADAS These small turnovers, baked until golden, are traditional South American street-food appetizers. Filling: 1 cup finely chopped onions 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. minced garlic ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon dried oregano 1 pound lean ground beef 2 Tbsp. raisins 2 Tbsp. chopped pimiento-stuffed olives 1 hardboiled egg, chopped Dough: 2 pre-made pie crusts (or 24 empanada wrappers) 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 Tbsp. water Cook onion in olive oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat, stir- ring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef and cook, breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add raisins, olives, salt and pepper to taste. Cool and stir in the egg. Brush empanadas with oil and bake on an oiled baking sheet in a 375°F oven until golden, 15-20 minutes. Roll out one pie crust to ⅛-inch thick- ness. Cut into rounds. Put 1 tablespoon of filling on half of the round. Fold the other half of the round over and using a fork, press down on the edge of the dough to seal. Prepare all the empana- das and place on a rimmed, parchment- lined baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375°F. Make an egg wash — combine the water and egg and beat well with a fork. Brush the empanadas with the wash and bake for 20 minutes until the empa- nadas are golden. Or — deep fry or pan fry in vegetable oil, without the egg wash. BLUE-CHEESE WALNUT SPREAD So simple and delicious, served with gourmet crackers and a sliced fresh French baguette. 8-ounce cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup walnuts, chopped Salt and ground pepper 8 ounces crumbled blue cheese Combine all ingredients and mash well. Makes 3 cups of spread. BUNNY'S SALMON MOUSSE My catering client Bunny Kratchman is a fabulous cook. She "gifted" me this recipe many years ago and it's always a winner. Serve it with your thin-sliced black pumpernickel breads or cucum- ber rounds. 1 envelope unflavored gelatin ¼ cup cold water ½ cup boiling water ½ cup mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 Tbsp. grated onion ½ tsp. hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) ¼ tsp. ground paprika 1 tsp. salt 2 cups cooked salmon (boneless and skinless) 1 Tbsp. drained capers ½ cup whipping cream or sour cream Dissolve the gelatin in ¼ cup cold water. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved. In one hour, add mayo, lemon juice, onion, tabasco, pepper and salt and stir well. Chill to consistency of unbeaten egg whites. Add the salmon and capers and beat well with electric mixer. Fold in the sour cream and pour into a 4-cup oiled fish mold or a mold of your choice. Chill until solid. Unmold and serve with crackers or black breads. Makes 20 appetizer servings. GARLIC-MUSHROOM TAPAS In Spain, a classic tapas dish like these are sautéed in butter. This lighter, short- cut version uses healthier olive oil and baking to limit the mess. Serve these on small toasts or in a baking dish with French bread on the side. 1½ pound mushrooms, stems removed 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic Kosher salt and pepper to taste 2 Tbsp. dried parsley Fresh juice from ½ lemon or lemon wedges, garnish Preheat oven to 375ºF. Remove stems from mushrooms by snapping them off. If mushroom caps are very large, halve or quarter them Toss mushrooms with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley. Transfer to a baking dish and bake, uncovered for 15 minutes. Use a large spoon to toss the mushrooms and bake again for 15 minutes more. Toss with lemon juice and serve in the baking dish or serve on individual French bread rounds. Makes 12 servings. BAKED FRUITED BRIE This is the easiest appetizer because you don't even have to wrap the brie in pastry — just bake and serve. 1 large brie (about 2 pounds) ½ cup Dijon mustard 1 cup apricot preserves 1 cup dried cherries 1 cup golden raisins 1 cup slivered almonds 1 cup chopped pecans Freeze the brie for 1 hour or until very cold. Use a sharp knife or grater to remove the white outer rind from the cheese. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place the brie in an attractive baking dish. Spread the mustard over the brie. Warm the apricot preserves in the microwave so that they're easier to spread. Spread the preserves over the mustard. Sprinkle the cherries, raisins, almonds and pecans over the brie. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 min- utes more. Serve hot with sliced French breads and assorted crackers. • All recipes ©Annabel Cohen 2017 annabelonthemenu@gmail.com. Asparagus Gruyere Tarte