Hosting a summer barbeque, buffet dinner, or cocktail party? The following appetizers are a simple and great way to start the party. The artichoke dip has its own dish in a hollowed out loaf of bread, while the extra bread pieces serve as spoons. Use wooden skewers to spear the sweet and sour chicken balls, and napkins are all you need for the ginger lemon chicken drummettes.
Artichoke dip
250 ml (1 cup) mayonnaise
125 ml (1/2 cup) Parmesan cheese
2 ml (1/2 tsp) garlic
Few squirts of lemon juice
2 jars artichokes, drained and diced into pieces
One round loaf of bread
Combine all ingredients except the bread. Bake in a casserole dish at 200º C (400º F) for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the centre from the bread without piercing the bottom. Keep the centre piece and cut into squares to serve with the dip. Spoon the hot dip into the centre of the hollowed out bread. Serve hot.
Sweet and sour chicken balls
Chicken
125 ml (1/2 cup) flour
5 ml (1 tsp) lemon seasoning
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
1 or 2 eggs
2 to 3 chicken breasts
Vegetable oil for frying
Leaf lettuce cut crosswise into thin shreds
Sauce
125 ml (1/2 cup) sugar
125 ml (1/2 cup) white vinegar
15 ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce
125 ml (1/2 cup) pineapple chunks
125 ml (1/2 cup) pineapple juice
50 ml (1/4 cup) Ketchup
25 ml (2 tbsp) cornstarch
Cut chicken breasts into long narrow strips and roll into a ball. (Use toothpicks to keep chicken in balls if they don’t hold their shape). Dip in egg and flour and fry in hot oil, turning until completely brown. Place in a casserole dish.
Combine all sauce ingredients except cornstarch. Bring sauce to a simmer, add cornstarch to a small amount of water to dissolve, add to sauce and cook until thickened. Pour sauce over chicken balls. Bake at 140º C (275º F) for one hour. Place shredded lettuce on a serving platter and place baked chicken balls on top. Serve hot.
Ginger lemon drummettes
1 kilo (2 1/2 lbs) chicken drummettes (approx 3 dozen)
125 ml (1/2 cup) sugar
40 ml (3 tbsp) cornstarch
2 ml (1/2 tsp) ground ginger
2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
1 ml (1/4 tsp) pepper
175 ml (3/4 cup) water
125 ml (1/2 cup) fresh lemon juice
50 ml (1/4 cup) soy sauce
Preheat oven to 200º C (400º F). Wash and dry chicken drummettes and place on a rack in a broiler pan in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes turning once.
Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger, and pepper in a small saucepan. Stir in water, lemon juice and soy sauce. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and simmers. Use a basting brush to coat the drummettes.
Continue baking, turning and brushing on the sauce several times for 40 minutes or until richly glazed. Let drummettes cool for 10 minutes, then serve on a platter and pass around napkins.
