Getting together with a group of friends for drinks & appetizers was a regular occurrence for us when we lived in Chicagoland. New Year’s Eve was a big event with our neighborhood group of friends. We would have a progressive dinner, going from house to house together, with each family hosting one course of the meal. The drinks and appetizers were always the best part of it, in my opinion. One of our favorite appetizers is a salmon ball. Eric’s Uncle Creed first started bringing this to family get togethers. We serve it often when we have people over and it travels well if we are bringing an appetizer to a gathering. Our latest drink craze is chocolate martinis. We first had them at the American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin at a Chocolate Festival. An entire evening of everything chocolate. That was an awesome birthday present! Eric recreated them for me and now I have taken over as the mixologist.
Chocolate Martini (serves 2)
We like Russian Standard vodka.
- 3 shots of good quality vodka
- 2 shots of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
- 1 shot of accent liqueur, depending on your mood
Fill a martini shaker 2/3rds of the way full with crushed ice. Add the alcohol. Put the lid on the shaker and shake for 1-2 minutes. Pour into 2 martini glasses. You can wet the rims of the glases with water then dip them in chocolate sprinkles or shavings or sugar for an added touch of elegance.
Accent liqueurs add a hint of extra flavor.
For the accent liqueur, try Frangelico for chocolate-hazelnut, Grand Marnier or Cointreau for chocolate-orange, or Amaretto for chocolate-almond. If you like chocolate with mint, substitute mint simple syrup for the shot of accent liqueur from my post, “Fridays Are Martini & Pizza NIghts“. Drink these slowly – they are all alcohol & very potent!
Now that you have a drink in hand, on to the appetizer!
Salmon Ball
Salmon ball ingredients.
- 1 pound can of red or pink salmon, drained & flaked, with bones removed
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- dash of pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
The salmon gives it a nice pink color!
Mix the first 6 ingredients together, salmon through pepper, using a food processor or mixer or by hand. Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Roll the salmon ball in the chopped pecans & parsley.
Combine the pecans and parsley on a plate and roll the salmon ball in the nut/herb mix. Serve with your favorite crackers. We usually serve the salmon ball with Triscuit crackers. I love having the leftover salmon ball (if there is any!) for breakfast, spreading it on bagels, a tasty version of bagels & lox!
Quick & delicious!
Have a happy, healthy 2013! ~Linda
Chocolate Martini (serves 2)
- 3 shots of good quality vodka
- 2 shots of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
- 1 shot of accent liqueur, depending on your mood
Fill a martini shaker 2/3rds of the way full with crushed ice. Add the alcohol. Put the lid on the shaker and shake for 1-2 minutes. Pour into 2 martini glasses. You can wet the rims of the glases with water then dip them in chocolate sprinkles or shavings or sugar for an added touch of elegance.
For the accent liqueur, try Frangelico for chocolate-hazelnut, Grand Marnier or Cointreau for chocolate-orange, or Amaretto for chocolate-almond. If you like chocolate with mint, substitute mint simple syrup for the shot of accent liqueur from my post, “Fridays Are Martini & Pizza NIghts“. Drink these slowly – they are all alcohol & very potent!
Now that you have a drink in hand, on to the appetizer!
Salmon Ball
- 1 pound can of red or pink salmon, drained & flaked, with bones removed
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- dash of pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
Mix the first 6 ingredients together, salmon through pepper, using a food processor or mixer or by hand. Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Combine the pecans and parsley on a plate and roll the salmon ball in the nut/herb mix. Serve with your favorite crackers. We usually serve the salmon ball with Triscuit crackers. I love having the leftover salmon ball (if there is any!) for breakfast, spreading it on bagels, a tasty version of bagels & lox!