This is one of my favorite hors d’oeuvres to make, mostly because it is so naughty. The idea of taking gorgeous, sushi-quality tuna and serving it on a Ruffles potato chip is so wrong, it’s gloriously right.
I buy the best sushi-quality tuna and remove the skin and dark spots, or I have my fish man do it, then dice it into small pieces.
I mix up two-thirds of tamari (gluten-free tamari, ’cause why not?) to one-third of sesame oil and then whisk in a little wasabi. If you have wasabi powder, sprinkle a smidgen into a bowl, then whisk in a few drizzles of tamari, and then when it becomes a paste, proceed as above.
A half hour before I’m going to serve, I toss the tuna with the dressing. I plop a spoonful of tuna on each ridge potato chip just before serving. I like to garnish this with sesame seeds or thin-sliced scallions, or both. The hardest part about this recipe is that often more than half the chips in the bag are broken, so you need a ton of potato chips to get perfect unbroken ones. Trust me, there is no waste. My chefs love pigging out on the broken ones. So do I.
Caprese Lollipops with Basil Dressing and Balsamic Glaze
This is a ridiculously easy, nothing-fancy bite. Cube fresh mozzarella into 1-inch bites and skewer on a bamboo skewer with a cherry tomato.
For the basil dressing, puree 2 handfuls of fresh, clean basil with 2 shots of virgin olive oil. Then season with salt and pepper.
Simple, gorgeous balsamic glaze: Pour 2 cups of balsamic vinegar in a pot. Bring to a soft boil, then reduce to medium heat. Cook for about 15 or 20 minutes or until it’s reduced by half and has a syrupy texture like maple syrup. If you like it sweeter, you can add a pinch of brown sugar, a dollop of honey or a drizzle of maple syrup before bringing to a soft boil.
My fave is to zigzag the basil dressing and balsamic glaze over the skewers after I have laid them out on a tray. FUN!
Buffalo Chicken Baby Tacos with Celery Salsa
I am partial to Frank’s RedHot hot sauce for all my buffalo recipes. And I use boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs.
I put my chicken in a baking pan that I have sprayed with cooking spray. Then I whisk Frank’s buffalo sauce with a few good drizzles of olive oil and 2 drizzles of Worcestershire. I pour this over my chicken. I love to marinate this overnight, but you do not have to.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and cover with foil. I let it roast for 20 minutes. Then I uncover and roast till done, maybe another 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.
Once this chicken cools down, I either pull this chicken by tearing with 2 forks or just go lazy girl and slice it up. After it’s all pulled or sliced or rough chopped, I take the marinade that was left in the baking pan, bring it to a boil, and then pour it over the chicken until it’s nice and wet. I always add more Frank’s and adjust with salt and pepper. This can all be done a day ahead.
For the celery salsa, mix a coffee cup of finely diced celery, a plop of finely minced red onion and a plop of finely minced jalapeño with a few drizzles of fresh lime juice, salt and pepper to taste and a handful of chopped fresh cilantro.
Buy little taco cups, like scoopless or Tostitos or anything your grocery story has. Heat up the buffalo chicken, fill the tortilla cups, and then top with crumbled blue cheese and the celery salsa. So cute. YUMMA TUMMA!