Antipasto Platter

Roll up and place on a plate and on a bed of lettuce (big leaf and a shape of a bowl) per person :

Ingredients

2 slices of Italian Salami
2 slices of prosciutto (or regular thin sliced ham)
about a tablespoon of garganzola (blue cheese)
3 each Italian green and black (calamata) olives
1 pepperoncini (pepper)

Directions

Take a loaf of french/bread and slice it thin and toast about 3 slices per person. Then rub each one with a clove of garlic and stick them around the antipasta. Arrange them! Be creative. That's all there is to this one and it will be a beginning to a wonderful meal!

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Antipasto Pasta

Ingredients

1 pound seashell pasta
1/4 pound Genoa salami, chopped
1/4 pound pepperoni sausage, chopped
1/2 pound Asiago cheese, diced
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and cool under cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, cheese, black olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and tomatoes. Sprinkle on the envelope of powdered dressing, mix thoroughly and refrigerate salad.

To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad and mix well.

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Baked Brie in Puffed Pastry

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
2. Slice the wheel of Brie in half, horizontally, so that the halves are two, flatter wheels of Brie. Lay the puff pastry in the pie pan. Place half of the Brie (rind-side down) onto the pastry dough. Sprinkle almonds evenly over the top. Place the other half of the Brie (rind-side up) over the almonds. Bundle the pastry dough around the Brie.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

Directions

1. Place eggs in a pot of salted water. Bring the water to a boil, and let eggs cook in boiling water until they are hard boiled, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Drain eggs, and let cool.
2. Cut eggs in half, lengthwise. Remove the egg yolks and mash them together in a small mixing bowl. Mix paprika, mayonnaise, and dry mustard. Spoon mixture into the egg shells, cool and serve.

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Ham and Fresh Basil Pinwheels

Filled tortilla rolls, sliced into mini-sandwiches make wonderful party food. Its an herbal, cheesy, veggie, hammy delight!"

Directions

1. Spread each tortilla lightly with cream cheese. Arrange two ham slices across the middle of each tortilla. Add a layer of fresh basil, then a layer of tomatoes. Do not place ingredients too close to tortilla edges. Add lettuce; use enough leaf lettuce to cover across the center of each tortilla, with some of the frilly leaf edge hanging over.
2. Starting at one end, tightly roll up each tortilla. Stick toothpicks in four evenly spaced spots of tortilla roll. Place tortilla rolls in a dish, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours to chill.
3. Slice

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Vegetable Dip

This chip dip is the most delectable dip you'll ever taste! Serve with your favorite vegetables. For example, cauliflower, brocoli, carrots, aparagus, etc. Serve maybe one of each vegetable for this first couse. Note: you can add more or less of the anchovy paste and onion to suit your tastes. If you like a thinner dip, add a little more milk.

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese softened
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
3 tablespoons grated onion
1 pinch garlic powder

Directions

1 In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and milk until creamy. Add more milk for a thinner dip. Using a fork, whip the anchovy paste and onion into the mixture.

Cover and refrigerate this dip at least one hour before serving.