Spreads

[Carolyn Hacker 0]

Spreads - I love them! If it can be spread on a cracker, bread, tortilla or pita chips, I just can't get enough. I thought I'd make this thread to see if anyone has any tasty spread recipes to share. I'll start (you can tell by the following recipes that I'm a "pinch & dash" cook rather than a recipe follower):

 

Chicken Liver Mousse/Pate

1lb chicken livers - drained & trimmed

1 stick (8tbsp or 1/2 cup) butter

8 oz heavy or whipping cream

Optional: Minced onions, minced garlic, salt, pepper, anything else you like

Melt the butter in a frying pan on a medium low heat, then add the chicken livers. Cook them slowly, and while cooking break them up with the spatula. The goal here isn't to brown them, it's to slowly cook them and break them into pieces until eventually it's cooked and smashed down into what looks like a very thick paste. Include any optional ingredients to the cooking, so they get incorporated into the paste. Cool to room temperature or cooler (if they're too cold they become hard to mix).

Whip the liver paste and slowly whip in the whipping/heavy cream.

*poof* you're done - it's best when freshly made before it gets too chilled, but even after chilled it gets a bit hard to spread but while you're actually eating it the stuff literally melts in your mouth!

 

Green Olive Spread

Finely chop green olives, pecans, and onions. Measurements can be done by your preference, I use equal amounts of pecans & onions and make the amount of olive equal the combined amount of pecans & onions (so end mix is 1/2 olives, 1/4 pecans, 1/4 onions). Salt and garlic to taste are optional, and if you like add a small bit of finely chopped water chestnuts too - they add a nice crunch.

Whip some philadelphia cream cheese so it's soft and fluffy, add 1-2 tsp's of the juice from the olives while mixing. Once it's fluffy mix in the olive/pecan/onion mixture.

The ratio of solids to cream cheese determines the "spreadability" of this one, go with your personal preferences.

This one also makes an excellent condiment/relish for submarine sandwiches IMO.

 

Crab Spread

This one is great for company because when plated properly it can look incredibly elegant, yet it's the easiest thing I know how to make! Simply mix some crabmeat with cocktail sauce (the catsup-like stuff that has yummy bits of horseradish in it), and pour it over a brick of cream cheese. It looks stunning when served on a black plate and tastes great no matter what it's served on

[SURFSIDE 0]

mmmmmmmmmm! yummy!

 

my favorite is the crab spread. Except we just used crab meat, cream cheese, and butter. Absolutely mouth watering! do you have a favorite cracker to use with it? mines ritz.

[Carolyn Hacker 0]

do you have a favorite cracker to use with it? mines ritz.

Yum, I love ritz - I recently saw that they came out with a 'garden vegetable' variety that I'm dying to try. What I use really depends on the spread - for example, I like the liver mousse on very thin crusty bread, but the olive spread requires a sturdier vehicle because it's less spreadable so I like triscuits best for those. Ritz is best for the crab one

[erialc 2]

I am drooling!!

 

I almost bought some livers today but I couldn't decide if they looked ok LOL

 

So I'll go to the friendly butchers tomorrow and get some from him ( I have never ever bought liver) /shok

 

for now though I'll just eat up the ready made pate I bought earlier.

 

This is one though...do you prefer smooth or chunky pate?...I'm a smooth pate lover myself

[Guest gogoblender]

ahhh, what a deliciously pleasant thread!

crackers and toppings have long one of my favorite snack foods and these deluxe thingies being discussed here are wonderful.

My own version?

lol, when I'm in a jam I've been known to take some crackers stick some butter on top and sprinkled sugar....

only when I'm in a jam of course

 

gogo

 

p.s. Dagirl yer evol...I love liver! ( I think ) hahha, well, I love chicken livers anyway. Me and beef livers never really made it off to a hit. I"ve very often found it to tuff and have never really seen and/or tasted a decent recipe for it.

Chicken livers though...I'd eat those soft melt in yer mouth things fer breakfast if they were offered.

[Schot 407]

Iiiiiiiieeeeeee! Liver! Noooooooooo! /oooo Errrr, that is to say. I'm not terribly fond of liver, hehe. But that Green olive spread sounds yummmmy and the crab sounds great too. /drool Oh and my all time fave cracker is by far Triscuits. Mmmmm Mm!

 

Oh that reminds me. I made a spaghetti sauce yesterday using some ideas from the spaghetti thread. Off I go.

[Carolyn Hacker 0]

lol, when I'm in a jam I've been known to take some crackers stick some butter on top and sprinkled sugar....

 

 

Chicken livers though...I'd eat those soft melt in yer mouth things fer breakfast if they were offered.

Next time you're in a jam try mixing a bit of cinnamon with that sugar (I actually keep a jar of it all mixed on my shelf all the time - cinnamon sugar is also awesome on toast and deep fried flour tortillas)

 

Gogo, given the number of Europeans and Aussies around here we're practically neighbors - come down for a visit sometime, give me a day's notice, and I'll have some all ready for your breakfast

[danwilliams 0]

they woudlall have been nice if I wasn't onm this low oxalate diet. not allowed liver, not allowed loives and can only eat a moderate ammount of crab meat so I think I'll just stick to philadelphia cream cheese. I love that stuff

[Aurora 2]

That olive spread sounds delicious - I love olive tapenade but I have never made it myself.....I will have to give that one a go!!

 

As for Pate I love both smooth and chunky ones - I love the one with whole green peppercorns in it!

 

These new chunky dips have recently come out in Australia that are parmesan and cashews and a variety of other flavours they are delicious! The best one would have to be beetroot parmesan and cashews and its bright PINK!! Other flavours are basil, spinach, artichoke, chilli.....YUMMO and I bet you could make them easily and so much cheaper