On the National Front, today is both Bootlegger’s Day and Hot Buttered Rum Day. Yeah, I know a great pairing of booze with booze. On the Church Calendar today is the Feast Day of Saint Anthony.
Saint Anthony was a hermit who had a great love for all God’s creatures, especially His animals. He took the words of Saint Matthew to heart, selling all he had, giving everything to the poor and following in the footsteps of Christ. Ironically a saint who never took a drink in his life shares his feast day with the birthday of a man notorious with bootlegging. Today is the birthday of Al Capone. Never could two men be more different than this. One is a saint, the other a ruthless criminal. Yet here we are.
While those who create National Days might never have been aware of the Feast Day of Anthony, the Abbot when selecting Bootlegger’s Day, God knew. I cannot help but to wonder, was this coincidence just another example of God’s unique sense of humor. Yes, God has a sense of humor, and is especially fond of irony.
Bootlegging and Hot Buttered Rum makes me think of the Roaring 20s. Saint Anthony valued the simple life and leads me to appreciate things less fancy. Perhaps a party serving leftovers in a creative way would be a way to honor both.
Mini Croissant Sandwiches
Chicken Spread
1-1/2 to 2 cups roast Chicken Meat
Mesquite Seasoning to taste
3 tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 tablespoons Miracle Whip
10 Mini Croissants
Additional Miracle Whip as needed for Sandwiches
Green Lettuce Leaves
Dice cold roast chicken meat. Season with Mesquite Seasoning to taste. Place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse until meat is ground into a spreadable consistency.
Transfer ground roast chicken into a mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise and Miracle Whip. Stir to blend condiments into the spread. Taste, adjust seasoning as desired.
Place chicken spread into a Tupperware container, label and refrigerate until ready to finish sandwiches and serve.
Deviled Ham Spread
1-1/2 to 2 cups leftover Smoked Ham
Mesquite Seasoning to taste
3 tablespoons Mayonnaise
Splash of Red Wine Vinegar
10 Mini Croissants
Additional Mayonnaise as needed for sandwiches
Green Lettuce Leaves
Trim excess fat from the ham. Dice meat, season with Mesquite Seasoning. Place cubed ham into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse until meat is ground into a spreadable consistency.
Transfer ground smoked ham into a mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise and a splash of red wine vinegar. Stir to blend condiments into the spread. Taste, adjust seasoning as desired.
Place ham spread into a Tupperware container, label and refrigerate until ready to finish sandwiches and serve.
Dijon Pork Tenderloin Spread
1-1/2 to 2 cups leftover Dijon Pork Tenderloin
Garlic Powder to taste
Pinch Ground Mustard
1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
6 tablespoons Mayonnaise, divided
10 Mini Croissants
3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard for sandwiches
Green Leaf Lettuce
Cut leftover pork tenderloin into cubes. Place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse until meat is ground into a spreadable consistency.
Transfer ground pork tenderloin into a mixing bowl. Season with garlic powder, ground mustard and red wine vinegar. Add 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, stir to blend into the spread. Taste, adjust seasoning as desired.
Place pork tenderloin spread into a Tupperware container, label and refrigerate until ready to finish sandwiches and serve.
In a small bowl, mix remaining 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise with the Dijon Mustard. Set aside until ready to use.
Note: I used pork from my Best-Ever Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream Sauce
To Finish and Assemble
Handful Arugula
30 Cocktail Skewers
1 cup Grape Tomatoes
Note: Each kind of spread should have its own type of skewers to tell the different types apart.
Scatter Arugula over a serving platter. Set aside.
For Chicken: Split 10 croissants, spread Miracle Whip on the cut sides. Divide chicken spread evenly among the croissants. Top with lettuce and secure sandwiches with a cocktail skewer. Arrange sandwiches on the serving platter.
For Ham: Split 10 croissants, spread mayonnaise on the cut sides. Divide ham spread evenly among the croissants. Top with lettuce and secure sandwiches with a cocktail skewer. Arrange sandwiches on the platter.
For Pork Tenderloin: Split 10 croissants, spread Dijon-Mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides. Divide pork spread evenly among the croissants. Top with lettuce and secure sandwiches with a cocktail skewer. Arrange sandwiches on the platter.
Fill the center of the platter with grape tomatoes. Serve and enjoy.
Man does not live on Mini Croissants alone. Even if those croissants are stuffed with delicious meat spreads. The ultimate traveling appetizers have to be Deviled Eggs and Spinach Dip in a Sourdough Bowl. Nostalgic and always a hit, wouldn’t you say?
Basic Deviled Eggs
16 Eggs
4 heaping tablespoons Mayonnaise or more
1 tablespoon Sour Cream
1-1/2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Splash Red Wine Vinegar or to taste
Place eggs in a saucepan. Cover with cold water; bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
Remove pan from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. While the eggs steep, in a large bowl make an ice-water bath. Remove eggs from hot water with a slotted spoon. Crack shell WITHOUT peeling, plunge eggs into the ice bath.
Set set in cold water for 20 minutes. Under cold running water, peel eggs and place on paper towels to dry.
Split eggs, place yolks in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Place all but 8 egg white halve on a deviled egg dishes. Leave remaining 8 on paper towels and set aside.
Pulse until yolks are smooth. Add Mayonnaise, sour cream, dry mustard, seasonings and a splash of vinegar. Whip until smooth.
Transfer filling to pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe filling into whites including the shells on the paper towels.
Garnish Two Ways
Snipped Chives
Fresh Dill
Snip chives, scatter over 1 tray of deviled eggs for a splash of color. Snip dill fronds into smaller pieces of garnish. Decorate remaining tray of deviled eggs with the dill.
Keep deviled eggs refrigerated until ready to serve.
Vegetable Spinach Dip in Sourdough Bread Bowl
Vegetable Spinach Dip
1 (10 oz) package frozen Chopped Spinach
16 oz Sour Cream
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 package Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix
1 (8 oz) can Water Chestnuts
Let spinach thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Open, squeeze out as much water as possible. Place spinach in a large mixing bowl. Stir in sour cream, mayonnaise, and vegetable mix. Drain water chestnuts, finel mince. Add water chestnuts to the spinach dip. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight for best flavors.
Sourdough Bread Bowl
1 large Sourdough Bread Round
Slice top from the bread round, set aside. Hollow out the round to create a bowl. Cut or tear the removed chunks of soft bread into dipping sizes. Place top back on the bowl. Wrap in plastic wrap until ready to fill. Bag cubed bread until ready to serve.
For Serving
1 Sourdough Baguette
1 loaf Cocktail Rye Bread
Fill bread bowl with spinach dip. Place top over the dip to one side to expose the spinach dip. Place in the center of a serving platter.
Slice baguette, arrange slices around the bread bowl. Arrange Cocktail Rye around the baguette slices. Scatter soft bread cubes around the platter. Serve with a small spoon in the dip.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited His people.
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