Name: Recipe: Fresh Tomato Tarts
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups packed arugula; 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 cup shredded Parmesan; ⅓ cup raw almonds; 1 tablespoon lemon zest; 1 clove garlic, chopped; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 package cherry tomatoes, or 2-3 big ones cut into smaller bites; 1½ tablespoons olive oil; Salt and pepper to taste; 1 package puff pastry; 1 egg, beaten; ¼ cup milk; Chives, chopped

Recipe: Mini Tarts with puff pastry, fresh tomatoes and arugula pesto

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on October 1, 2023

Tina: Puff pastry is such an amazing thing! Honestly, I’d never try making it myself because it takes a lot of time. It’s basically made of loads of dough and butter, and you have to do it at just the right temperature. But luckily, you don’t have to go through all that trouble – you can grab some puff pastry from the freezer section (look for the ones with natural ingredients if you can), and it’s pretty easy to work with.

These mini tarts with fresh tomatoes and arugula pesto make a super tasty and light appetizer, whether you’re serving guests or just treating yourself. It’s a win-win, really.

Oh, and here’s a handy tip: Use scissors instead of a knife when chopping chives. It makes the job way easier!

Recipe: Fresh Tomato Tarts

Recipe by Tina – Hungry Bird Eats Course: Appetizers, Baking

Yields

tarts

These fresh tomato salad and arugula pesto tarts make a super tasty and light appetizer, whether you’re serving guests or just treating yourself. It’s a win-win, really.

Ingredients

Arugula pesto
2 ½ cups 2 ½ packed arugula
1 cup 1 extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup 1 shredded Parmesan
⅓ cup ⅓ raw almonds
1 tablespoon 1 lemon zest
1 clove 1 garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Tomato salad
1 package 1 cherry tomatoes, or 2-3 big ones cut into smaller bites
1½ tablespoons 1½ olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Tart
1 package 1 puff pastry
1 1 egg, beaten
¼ cup ¼ milk
Garnish
Chives, chopped

Directions

Arugula pesto
Toss all the arugula pesto ingredients in a food chopper and blend until finely chopped.
Tomato salad
Toss the tomato salad ingredients together in a small bowl
Tart
Take the puff pastry out of the freezer and transfer to your refrigerator to defrost at least 45 min before you are going to use it, or better yet the day before.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Unfold the dough on a lightly floured surface and use a dough roller that is also lightly floured to carefully roll out the dough until flattened. If the dough starts cracking, it might still be too cold, so allow it to reach room temperature before rolling it out of the package. Usually the puff pastry comes in a square, but mine came as a circle (I bought this brand because it is made with only natural ingredients).
You can cut the dough as you like. I prefer the small squares , which are easier to serve, but rectangular or round tarts are absolutely beautiful. To create a border around the dough, poke with a fork in the middle and along the edge of where you want your border. See the pictured instructions. (The edges actually didn’t work for me this time, but I admit I forgot to brush the pastry edges; if it doesn’t work, it is no big deal – they are still going to be tasty).
Mix the egg and milk together and brush the puff pastry edges with the egg mixture. Place the pastry on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the puff pastry turns golden brown.
Remove from the oven and spread pesto on top, followed by the tomato salad. Sprinkle some chives on top for garnish.
Enjoy immediately.

Recipe: Mini Tarts with puff pastry, fresh tomatoes and arugula pesto

Recipe: Goat Cheese and Broccoli Rabe Crostini

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on September 15, 2023

Tina: It might be that I am petite in stature that I like small bite-size dishes, or perhaps they just taste better to me. I fact, I will never let hors d’oeuvres pass me without having a taste – you might actually see me chase down the waiters or force them to come to me first the next time they fill up their serving plate. My Vietnamese heritage has no shame.

When I host dinner parties, I often serve a cheese and meat platter for my guests to enjoy with wine before the main meal. To add some variety, I love serving these crostini with goat cheese and broccoli rabe. The rich flavor from the goat cheese goes really well with bitter greens.

Notes

If you don’t like goat cheese you can also use other kinds of soft cheese.

It looks a lot better if you cut the bread at an angle, and it also creates a bigger surface to allow more toppings.

Recipe: Goat Cheese and Broccoli Rabe Crostini

Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Appetizers, Snacks

Servings

10-16

slices

I love serving these crostini with goat cheese and broccoli rabe. The rich flavor from the goat cheese goes really well with bitter greens.

Ingredients

1 bunch 1 broccoli rabe, ends cut off
Goat cheese (chèvre) or garlic cream cheese
Fresh baguette, sliced
1 clove 1 garlic (for goat cheese)
Salt, pepper
Pinch of chili flakes

Directions

Sauté the broccoli rabe on a pan with a little olive oil for a few minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and cook until the greens turn tender and the water has evaporated.
Remove the broccoli rabe from the pan and cut each of them in half.
Cut the baguette in thin diagonal* slices and toast the bread in the oven for a few minutes on 400°F (200°C).
If you choose goat cheese: Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub on top of the warm toasted bread. The heat will melt the garlic and infuse the bread. Let it cool a bit before spreading a little goat cheese on top. If you choose garlic cheese: Let the bread cool a bit before spreading a little cheese on top.
Top each crostini with a little sautéed broccoli rabe, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and chili flakes.

Recipe: Warm Goat Cheese Toasts with Olive Tapenade

2 Hungry Birds - Sanne on July 21, 2023

Sanne: I first had these warm goat cheese toasts at a friend’s place, and I was immediately hooked. It’s such a great snack, and you only need 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to make it. A perfect nibble along with pre-dinner drinks, at the tapas table, or served together with a hearty soup.

I prefer to make the toasts with sour dough baguette, but any regular baguette would do too. The Spread-mmms tapenade has a nice kick that goes well with the sharp goat cheese flavor, but you can use any olive tapenade of your liking.

Recipe: Warm Goat Cheese Toasts with Olive Tapenade

Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Sanne Course: Appetizers, Snacks

Servings

pieces

I first had these warm goat cheese toasts at a friend’s place, and I was immediately hooked. It’s such a great snack, and you only need 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to make it. A perfect nibble along with pre-dinner drinks, at the tapas table, or served together with a creamy tomato soup.

Ingredients

1 1 baguette
2 tablespoons 2 olive tapenade
1 1 small log of goat cheese with rind ( you would need enough to cut 12 discs, ½ inch (1 ½ cm) thick
Olive oil to drizzle

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F (225°C)
Cut the baguette into 12 slices about ½ inch thick.
Pour a bit of olive oil on a plate and dip each side of the sliced bread in the oil.
Place the olive-soaked bread slices on a baking sheet.
Cut the goat cheese log into 12 discs about ½ inch thick.
Place the cheese on top of the bread slices.
Bake for 4-5 minutes and keep an eye on the toasts all the time, as they are easy to burn. When the bread is slightly golden, and the cheese turns soft and start melting the toasts are ready.
Top with olive tapenade and serve hot. You can also add the tapenade before baking. I’ve tried both options, and I like the flavor better, when added afterwards.

Recipe Video

Recipe: Mango Prosciutto Rolls

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on July 9, 2023

I have served these appetizers to friends a few times before dinner, and I can tell you they were a hit. They pair especially well with a little chilled sparkling or white wine.

This is quite an easy recipe that requires no cooking. It looks impressive and is pretty tasty as well. I am sure that my husband could eat a couple dozen of these – no matter how many you make there will never be enough.

Recipe: Mango Prosciutto Rolls

Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Appetizers, Snacks

Servings

rolls

I have served these appetizers to friends a few times before dinner, and I can tell you they were a hit. They pair especially well with a little chilled sparkling or white wine.

Ingredients

US Metric

1½ tablespoons 1½ olive oil
A pinch of lemon zest
½ teaspoon ½ lemon juice
A pinch of cracked pepper
10 slices 10 prosciutto
1 handful 1 arugula
1 1 mango, cut into small sticks
A few mint sprigs

Directions

Mix olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and cracked pepper in a small bowl
Cut the prosciutto slices in half. Brush each prosciutto piece lightly with the lemon oil mixture, and then place two mango sticks, a little arugula, and two mint leaves onto one end of each prosciutto piece. Roll the prosciutto tightly (but carefully) to create a roll. Tuck the prosciutto end underneath and brush again with lemon oil (this will prevent the prosciutto from drying up and will also make them taste better).
Lay out each roll side-by-side on a nice serving tray, and serve these hors d’oeuvres with chilled sparkling or white wine.

Recipe: Spring Rolls with Caramelized Pork

2 Hungry Birds - Sanne on June 25, 2023

The great thing about spring rolls is that they are delicious, easy to make, and you can fill them with whatever you like. The following recipe is close to a classic Vietnamese spring roll, except I made them a little tastier by adding caramelized pork. If you are not a pork eater, you can substitute with chicken, which is mostly how I make them.

Recipe: Spring Rolls with Caramelized Pork

Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Appetizers, SnacksCuisine: Vietnam

Servings

spring rolls

Ingredients

2 squares 2 rice vermicelli noodles
1 tablespoon 1 white vinegar
2 tablespoons 2 fried onions
2 tablespoons 2 roasted peanuts, chopped
1 head 1 romaine lettuce
1 small bunch 1 fresh cilantro
1 small bunch 1 mint leaves
A big handful of bean sprouts
3.75 inches 3.75 (10 cm) English cucumber, cut into thin sticks
1 lb 1 (500 gram) pork belly (I used pork butt chop) or 2 chicken breasts, cut into small strips
1 tablespoon 1 sunflower or canola oil
2 2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ inch ¾ ginger, minced
½ tablespoon ½ sugar
1 tablespoon 1 fish sauce
1 ½ tablespoons 1 ½ oyster sauce
Rice paper
Dipping sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha chili sauce
Roasted chopped peanuts

Directions

Boil water in a medium size pot and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add the rice vermicelli noodles and separate them while they are cooking using chopsticks or two forks until the noodles are cooked al dente. Strain the water from the noodles. You can add a drop of sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together, and then let the noodles cool off. Spread the noodles on a plate and toss fried onions and peanuts over them.
Clean and prepare the vegetables and lay them out on a large serving plate.
Heat a large pan over medium-high until hot, and then add the oil, garlic and ginger. Sauté for a minute and then add the meat and cook until browned. Sprinkle sugar over the meat, sauté for another minute, and then add the fish sauce and oyster sauce. Sauté for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens.
Assemble the spring rolls one at a time by dipping the rice paper in a bowl of water and laying it out on a plate, and then adding lettuce, noodles, meat, cucumber, mint and cilantro to the end of the wrap closest to you. Roll the spring roll halfway, then fold in the sides and roll the rest of the way. Continue until you have used all of the ingredients.
Serve with a little dipping bowl of hoisin sauce and chili sauce with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.

Recipe: Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with feta cheese

2 Hungry Birds - Tina on June 23, 2023

Over the years I have tried many variations of bacon-wrapped dates, and they are usually delicious. But once I tried the version created by my new friend Nate on a birthday celebration trip to upstate New York, I completely fell in love with this snack.

Nate’s secret was to stuff the dates with feta cheese. The combination of the rich flavor from the feta with the sweet dates and salty bacon is a perfect mouthwatering combination. I made these at a little wine and cheese party and they quickly disappeared.

Recipe: Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with feta cheese

Recipe by 2 Hungry Birds – Tina Course: Appetizers, Snacks

Servings

dates

Ingredients

US Metric

15 15 pitted dates
5 5 bacon slices
1 block 1 feta cheese (~9 oz)
Tools
Tooth picks

Directions

Cut a slit along each date and stuff them with feta. Wrap a piece of bacon around each date, and close and secure the bacon with a toothpick.
Bake in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 25 minutes, or until browned and crisp.
Transfer them onto a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the grease from the bacon. Serve them on a nice serving plate.