A Trio of delicious, easy finger foods

I have come up with a combination of finger foods, which could be prepared in about 2-3 hours, max.,  tasting real good and looking way more laborious. So, Let’s get right in to it:

1.      Stuffed Meat Rolls (rollet-e goosht):

Ingredients: 400 gr., ground beef or veal. 1 medium onion, peeled and grated (squeeze to discard excess juice). 1 egg. 1 clove of garlic, finely grated. 1 and ½ , chick pea flower (ard-e nokhodchi). 1/2 tbsp., chopped parsley.  ½ cup, V8 or plain tomato juice. 1 teaspoon turmeric.  2 tbsp., Oil.  Salt and pepper to taste. Stuffing: 1 and ½ tbsp. chopped parsley. 1 Boiled egg, chopped. Variation: add crispy fried onion, chopped walnuts.

Method: In a large bowl mix the meat, grated onion and garlic, parsley (1/2 tbsp.), chick pea flower, egg, turmeric salt and pepper. Kneed manually for at least 10 minute, form a big ball of meat and chill in the fridge for an hour. To make the stuffing, simply mix the chopped boiled egg and parsley, add some salt and pepper.

Divide meat ball into 4 or 5 equal size smaller balls. Flat out each meat ball on a chick-pea flower-covered surface and form a rectangular. Spread the stuffing in the middle lengthwise, pull the meat’s edges to enclose the stuffing and roll the meat up. Make sure both ends are sealed as well. Warm oil in a frying pan, ease each rolled-up meat in, and fry it briefly over high heat. As soon as the roll is firm enough transfer in to a clean (without oil) pan, add V8, and simmer with closed lid for 45 minutes or until it is cooked. Let it cool a bit and then cut in to equal size minces.  It feels like unwrapping a present, you will see!

2.      Oven-baked shrimp:

All you need is jumbo “raw, quick-peel, shell-on” shrimps, minced garlic, and olive oil, lime juice and salt for dressing.  Using a sharp knife, cut shrimp to butterfly and devein, and make sure you remove both larger vein the smaller one underneath. Do not remove tails and shells; just roll the shells under the shrimp on both sides. Place chopped garlic alongside the top of each shrimp. Preheat oven to 350F. Carefully transfer shrimps in an ovenproof dish and press gently to a straight shape; season with the mixture of salt, olive oil and lime juice; and roast for 10 minutes, or until they are pink and cooked through. Serve hot or cold.

 3. Friend onion and cheese on bread:

This is even simpler than the second recipe, yet so complementary to the other two finger foods. For this one, all you need is one loaf of slim French budget bread, cut into 1-in slices. Mozzarella or any other hard cheese of your choice, grated coarsely. And fried onion, prepared (ideally in advance if you are serving several finger foods) this way. The fancy name for this crunchy delicious onion is caramelized onion; so I discovered recently! Place bread slices in an ovenproof dish, cover each first with fried onions and then with grated cheese. Roast in oven long enough to get the cheese melted. Tastes nicer while still warm.