Happy Hour

entertaining

Happy Hour

So, friends are stopping by. You could spend hours in the kitchen whipping up patés and hors d’oeuvres. Or you could open a can of nuts, a bag of chips and some store-brought salsa. Somewhere in between, there’s an array of easy to prepare and tasty food that will keep you sane and make your guests feel special. These recipes are just that—doable in 15 minutes flat and perfect for munching with beer, wine or your favorite cocktail. Now that’s a happy hour.

Rosemary Parmesan Twists

Puff pastry is a magic ingredient for busy cooks: it’s elegant, delicious and deceptively easy to work with. Serve with Chianti, yeasty wheat beer or Bloody Marys.

Ingredients
1 sheet (from 17.25-ounce package) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
¼ cup shredded Parmesan
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tablespoon dried)
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper




Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Roll puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Whisk egg and water together and brush on pastry. Sprinkle with Parmesan, rosemary, and pepper, pressing lightly into pastry with your fingers.
3. Cut pastry into 24 strips, each slightly more than 1⁄2-inch wide. Twist each strip and place on baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 12.

Recipe by Gretchen Roberts, "Happy Hour," Relish Entertaining, Feb. 2008.
Nutritional Information
Per (2-stick) serving: 30 calories, 2g fat, 1g prot., 1g carbs., 0g fiber, 50mg sodium.

Curried Popcorn

Give your popcorn international intrigue with a quick curry topping. If you’re used to tossing a bag in the microwave, rediscover how easy and good-for-you stovetop popcorn really is. Serve immediately after making with a lightly sweet bubbly like Asti Spumanti, India pale ale or ginger-lemon vodka martinis.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1½ teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne (or up to 1⁄4 teaspoon)
1⁄3 cup popcorn kernels


Instructions
1. Stir 1 tablespoon oil, curry powder, salt and cayenne in a small bowl.
2. Coat the bottom of a heavy 4-quart saucepan with 2 tablespoons oil. Add a couple of popcorn kernels and cover pan. Turn heat to medium. When the first kernel pops, add remaining popcorn kernels. Cook, covered, shaking pan frequently until popping slows to 3 to 5 seconds between pops. Remove pan from burner and uncover carefully to allow steam to escape.
3. Pour popcorn into a large bowl. Drizzle with curry mixture and toss well. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

Recipe by Gretchen Roberts, "Happy Hour," Relish Entertaining, Feb. 2008.

Gretchen Roberts is a food writer based in Knoxville, Tenn.

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