I was recently asked to contribute appetizers and a dessert for a function at our church. I love to cook, and was of course happy to help. I was a bit of a procrastinator though in planning, so I made 2 simple appetizers and a simple dessert.
The first easy to make appetizer was a platter of skewered cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls and basil leaves. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar would put i over the top, but because my appetizer would sit in the refrigerator for 3 hours before the event, I left the vinegar off.
I found sandwich picks at Smart and Final that were nearly 3 inches in length – longer than toothpicks which is perfect for this appetizer. Here is what you need:
Tomato Kabobs
- 3 inch skewers or sandwich picks
- cherry tomatoes, washed
- cherry sized mozzarella balls (I used Mozzarella Fresca by Galbani)
- whole basil leaves
To assemble: Place one cherry tomato on the skewer, followed by a mozzarella ball, then a leaf of basil and another cherry tomato. Place along edge of a round platter and layer until you like the look. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar just before serving if desired.
Cucumber Sandwiches
This is so easy! Cut the crusts of a white bread that you like. Spread one side of the bread slices with a purchased garlic spread and top with thinly sliced cucumber slices. Top with second piece of bread that also has the garlic spread. Slice diagonally. Serve. That’s it!
Dessert:
Purchased pound cake cut into rounds (or squares) to fit inside your dessert dishes. I found small 5 oz clear dessert dishes and made 24 desserts for the event.
It does take a little time to assemble and chill, but look beautiful for a short list of ingredients.
Strawberry Dessert
- 1 pound cake, thawed and sliced into thin slices
- fresh strawberries, washed and sliced into 4 pieces (arranged along edge of dessert dish, cut side out)
- Jell-o (large box) lemon flavor
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 (16 oz) Cool Whip, thawed
- Whipped Cream (from can)
First cut the sliced pound cake into rounds that fit inside your dessert dish (you need 2 per dessert). Place one of the pound cake pieces in the bottom of the dessert dish. Line the sides of the dish with sliced of strawberries (cut side facing out) – my dishes were small, so I only fit 4 slices in each. Use more or less as needed.
Prepare the jell-o. Mix 2 cups boiling water into a bowl with the lemon flavored jell-o. Whisk to combine. Place the bowl of jell-o into the refrigerator for 25 minutes. The jell-o will still be warm when you remove it from the refrigerator. Whisk in the thawed cool whip. Ladle 1/4 cup of the mixture into the center of the dessert dishes, try not to disturb the strawberries. Use more to cover the tips of the strawberries. Cover with saran wrap and chill for about 1 hour. Remove the desserts from the refrigerator. Remove the saran wrap and place a second round of pound cake on the jell-o. Top each dessert with whipped cream just before serving.
Enjoy!
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