BE THE HOST WITH THE MOST
Tips to get you out of the kitchen and partying with guests
The holidays are upon us, and between the gifts and the baking, it’s also the season of cocktail parties!
Wow your guests with these tasty appetizers that can be made ahead, so that you can spend your time entertaining your friends and family instead of slaving away in the kitchen.
Keftedes are essentially Greek meatballs. Our version, which we serve with a lemon sauce, uses 100 per cent ground beef seasoned with onion, mint, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh parsley, but you can also replace some of the beef with lamb or pork.
These can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge, or keep a batch in the freezer for up to a month. Our bright, tangy lemon sauce is the perfect foil to the rich, savoury beef.
Our sun-dried tomato and cheese phyllo triangles also contain oregano and parsley, so they will pair perfectly with the keftedes.
Pre-made phyllo pastry makes this recipe a cinch to make. The buttery, flaky pastry gives way to a melty, gooey centre, thanks to the combination of Monterey Jack and cream cheese. Calgary-based ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen has been providing advice on food, cooking, recipes and other household topics for more than 80 years. Their cookbooks include Everyday Delicious and From the Grill.
KEFTEDES WITH LEMON SAUCE
Makes: about 4 dozen meatballs
1 lb (454 g) lean ground beef
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1 cup (250 ml) finely chopped onion
3/4 cup (180 ml) fine dry bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp (15 ml) mint, crumbled 1 tsp (5 ml) oregano, crumbled 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 ml) freshly ground nutmeg
Lemon sauce (recipe below)
1. Combine all ingredients except Lemon Sauce until well blended. Shape mixture into small balls.
2. Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow pan. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 35-40 minutes or until completely cooked.
3. Cooked meatballs may be refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen for up to 1 month. Combine hot meatballs with lemon sauce.
Lemon sauce:
2 tsp (10 ml) cornstarch
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1 tsp (5 ml) dill weed
1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
1 can (10 oz/284 ml) chicken broth
3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice
1. Combine cornstarch, dill weed and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in chicken broth and lemon juice.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Use immediately. Do not freeze.