appetizer question........

[at your service]

I have two appetizer's in mind....they both taste allright but are missing something...can't quite put my tastebuds on the missing ingredient(s). What would you add? What twist would you add? How would you put it together in a different way?

#1 -- One of my favorite apps for family get together's is cream cheese with baby shrimp spread on top and chili sauce/cocktail sauce blended on top of that...served with your favorite cracker.

My twist ---I took cream cheese and sauces and blended them together...chopped shrimp and folded into cream cheese mixture and dropped a spoonful into miniature phyllo pastry shells (pre-baked). Served chilled...not bad---still missing something, didn't have the punch I was hoping for.


#2 -- Another favorite is queso blanco (mexican white cheese)chopped and folded with lime juice, cilantro and shrimp...again presented the same way...pre-baked phyllo pastry shells. And again just not the punch I was hoping for.

Sooooo, what would you do?

Thanks,
Tamara

[shroomgirl]

1) capers lemon zest dillweed...serve with spicy boiled shrimp on top.

2) add mango or pineapple and a chili, jalepino or a tiny bit of habanero....potentially a little red onion minced
A red pepper jelly may be a great addition too.....

[marmalady]

Try the queso blanco one served in little crispy corn tortilla cups; I like the taste of the corn with the other ingredients. Also, use lime zest as well as lime juice, and maybe a little orange zest also. Or a little chipotle instead of jalepeno or habenaro; chipotle has more 'flavor layers'.

[cape chef]

For some reason the shrimp, cream cheese and cocktail sauce doesn't do it for me. perhapes omit the cocktail sauce and replace with oven dried tomatoes, chopped fennel frongs and blend some boursan in with the cream cheese and shrimp. sautee the shrimp shells in olive with garlic shallot, thyme, deglaze with some white wine and reduce it to a sec, Then pour in 1/4 cup of olive oil and blend, let sit 2/3 hours and strain, instead of brushing your phyllo with butter use the shrimp oil instead.

Also I love marmaladys idea of the little corn tortilla cups, more suitible to the basis of your recipe anyway.Be aware Chipolties are smoked jalenenos, so they will add a completly different flavor profile to your app. But they are very tasty, also some black beans as garnish would be pretty.

cc

[at your service]

yummmy, thanks for the great ideas!!!!

Tamara