Fiesta Chicken And Whitefish

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Easy Appetizers: Fiesta Chicken Spread And Smoked Whitefish Spread

By Christine Szalay Kudra

Dips and spreads are something most party hosts choose due to their level of ease and their overall cost. These two can easily be accommodated at any party or dinner since there are numerous variations available.

The ingredients found in most are inexpensive and can be found at most local grocery stores. A homemade dip or spread is a cheaper alternative as opposed to buying one at your local gourmet store. Not only are they cost effective, they can be made with little effort even though they appear to have taken quite a while to accomplish. From Super Bowl parties to birthday dinners, these two can be used and made to go with the theme of your dinner or other appetizers. They also can be served with a variety of items to serve your dip or spread on. A few favorite items to serve with your spreads are:

1. Assorted crackers
2. Cocktail rye bread
3. Crusty French bread slices
4. Pita bread triangles
5. Tortilla chips
6. Veggie slices
7. White bread circles
8. Toasted Tortillas

Fiesta Chicken Spread

This easy recipe looks almost as good as it tastes. It makes 3 cups of spread and can easily feed a whole party. When serving, assorted crackers or pita bread triangles make a perfect pairing.

What You Need:

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• � teaspoon salt
• � teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 drops hot sauce
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, diced
• � cup diced green onions
• 3 tablespoons chopped green pepper
• Green pepper strips
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 3 tablespoons chopped black olives
• 3 tablespoons chopped sweet red pepper
• 5 slices cucumber, halved
• Parsley sprigs

How To Make It:

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, ground ginger, pepper, and hot sauce in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add chicken, eggs, green onions and chopped green pepper and stir well.

Line a 1-quart bowl or mold with plastic wrap. Spoon mixture into bowl; press firmly with the back of a spoon. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Invert bowl onto serving platter. Remove bowl, and peel off plastic wrap. Garnish mound with green pepper strips, sesame seeds, black olives, and sweet red pepper.

Arrange cucumber slices and parsley sprigs around bottom of mound.

Serve as desired.

Smoked Whitefish Spread

This recipe makes 2 1/3 cups of spread. If you would like, any smoked white-fleshed fish can be substituted for whitefish. You also can use mayonnaise instead of sour cream if you do not have sour cream on hand. This spread goes great accompanied with rye bread slices or crackers.

What You Need:

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 pound smoked whitefish, skinned, boned and flaked
• 1 cup finely chopped red or green pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon prepared Horseradish
• 1 teaspoon coarse grind pepper

How To Make It:

Mix cream cheese and sour cream until well blended.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill.

Serve as desired.

Christine Szalay-Kudra is an author, food expert and mom of four boys. She is the owner of the Recipe Publishing Network, a group of sites dedicated to fine food and information for cooks.