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

20

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.

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

12

spring rolls

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.

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.

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

15

dates

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. 

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.