Christmas Cocktail Meatballs

Host a colorful holiday cocktail party during your local boat parade of lights. All holiday recipes serve 6.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at Southern Boating!

Christmas Cocktail Meatballs

¼ cup each, vinegar and hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. each, oil and soy sauce
1 tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves, chopped (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1 tsp. minced ginger (optional)
24 prepared frozen cocktail meatballs
Salt and pepper

In a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients. Add meatballs and heat on medium-low until meatballs are warmed thoroughly, about 20-30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with toothpicks and enjoy this simple holiday recipes.

Herbed Goat Cheese and Grapes

4 4-oz. logs of goat cheese, each sliced into 6 rounds
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves (or pinch of dried)
Pepper
2 cups red grapes, halved
1 cup walnuts or sliced almonds
2-3 tbsp. honey
1 French baguette, sliced into rounds, toasted

Arrange sliced goat cheese in one layer on platter. Drizzle with olive oil, then strew with rosemary and pepper. Scatter grapes and nuts over platter, then drizzle honey over all. Serve with toasted bread.

Salmon Tortilla Spirals

4 large tortillas (green spinach or red flour look the most festive)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 lb. smoked salmon (substitute tuna, smoked fish or crabmeat)
4 scallions trimmed and halved lengthwise or a small onion (diced)
1 medium cucumber, seeded and sliced lengthwise into long thin batons
½ cup cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt

Lay one tortilla on a flat surface and spread a thin layer of cream cheese up to the edges. Layer with 1/4 of salmon in a thin layer, 1/4 of scallions, then 1/4 of cucumber batons. Roll the tortilla up tightly and slice into 8 pieces. Repeat for each tortilla. Arrange spirals cut side up on a festive platter. Mix cream, lemon and salt, and drizzle a little over each slice.

Winter Solstice Shrimp

24 large shrimp, shelled, tailed and deveined
16 slices bacon cut into 2-3-inch sections
2 tbsp. ground black pepper

Heat broiler or grill. Wrap each shrimp in a section of bacon, sprinkle with pepper and secure with a toothpick (or slide several shrimp on longer skewers). Sauté shrimp in large frypan, or place the shrimp on grill or under broiler until bacon is crisp, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Truffles

2/3 cup heavy cream
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (you may substitute finely chopped almonds or finely grated coconut)

Warm cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When bubbles appear around the edges of the pan, remove pan from heat, pour chocolate into the warm cream and stir until the chocolate melts. Add butter and vanilla until incorporated. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

To form truffles, place cocoa powder in a bowl. Scoop out a heaping teaspoon of the chocolate mixture and roll it into a ball between your palms. Roll the ball in cocoa until it is completely covered. Roll it lightly in your palms again to make sure the cocoa sticks, then re-roll the truffle in cocoa. Repeat with the remaining chocolate mixture.

To store truffles, place in single layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Place two or three truffles in each of 6 mini-cupcake liners for a pretty presentation.