Hello, Kathleen Raskin of Kathey Jo’s Kitchen here, hoping you are ready to begin your Christmas preparations. Comedian Jim Gaffigan once said, “Everyone has the unspoken agreement that what happens in December stays in December.” The holidays are filled with parties at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen, and nothing gets a hungry crowd of people going quite like a fun and delicious appetizer. I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite recipes below. Do you have any favorites that you circle back to every year? Or, maybe there’s something you’d like to try differently this year? Let the Kathey Jo’s Kitchen audience know in the comments below.
Pumpkin-Carrot Soup Shooters with Coconut Cream
Prep time: 35 Mins
Total time: 1 Hour 25 Mins
Yield: Makes 6 cups
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 large shallots, sliced
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
- 1 (1-lb.) package baby carrots, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon pimentón (sweet smoked Spanish paprika)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Coconut cream
Directions
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add shallots, red bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño, and sauté 5 minutes or until golden. Add carrots, and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and pimentón, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in broth, pumpkin, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
- Process soup with a handheld blender until smooth. Stir in heavy cream, as well as more salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally – or until hot. For a thinner soup, stir in more broth, 1 Tbsp. at a time.
- Pour into small glasses; dollop with coconut cream, garnished with toasted flaked coconut.
Ceviche (Mexican Shrimp Cocktail)
Hands-on time: 30 Mins
Total time: 1 Hour 30 Mins
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 appetizer servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound peeled, medium-size cooked shrimp, deveined and halved
- 3 plum tomatoes, diced
- 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chili sauce
- 1/4 cup spicy tomato juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 avocado, diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Tortilla chips
Directions
- Stir together first 13 ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours.
- Stir in avocado; add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.
