• Marinated Shrimp with Snow Pea Sails
• Life Rings & Crab Buoys
• Phyllo Flag Triangles with Spinach

Advance prep:  1-2 days before the party (required)

Last-minute prep:  Add snow pea sails up to 4 hours before.
Easy

Makes 30 Hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lbs large shrimp (30), peeled & deveined
  
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
  
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
  
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
  
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  
• Salt & pepper to taste
  
• 15-20 snow peas
  

Steps to prepare:

1. Cook shrimp in boiling water until pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
   
2. Drain shrimp and immerse in cold water to cool & prevent overcooking.
   
3. Drain again and put in a glass or stainless steel bowl.
   
4. Whisk together vinegar, oil, garlic, ginger, salt & pepper.
   
5. Pour over shrimp and stir to coat.
   
6. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 days, stirring at least every 8 hours.
   
7. Up to 4 hours before serving, string the snow peas and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds.
8. Drain and immediately immerse in ice water to chill.
9. Drain well.
10. Cut each snow pea in half crosswise to create two pieces that look like sails.
11. Insert a toothpick from the cut end along the straight edge of the snow pea to peak out of the top like a sailboat mast.
12. Insert a snow pea sail into each shrimp and serve.
    

Advance prep:  Prepare spread the day before party

Last-minute prep:  Assemble 2 hours before.
Moderate difficulty

Makes 30 Life Rings & 30 Buoys

Ingredients:

• 30 slices of white bread, left out 2 hours to slightly harden
  
• 3 artichoke hearts
  
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  
• 6 oz crab meat
  
• 3  green onions, finely chopped
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Roasted red peppers, unsliced
  

Steps to prepare:

1. Combine artichoke hearts, crab, onions, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until chopped small. Add cream cheese and puree until smooth.
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Cut out a round from each slice of bread approximately 2-3/4 inches in diameter using a biscuit cutter, and store until ready to serve.

1. Spread crab mixture to completely cover each round. If necessary, refrigerate until crab mixture is firm for cutting out the center.
   
2. Cut the center out of each round using a 1-3/8 inch biscuit cutter to create a ring and small round.
   
3. Cut the roasted red pepper into 4 rectangles approximately 1/2 inch wide and slightly longer in length.
4. Position the red pepper rectangles equally spaced around the ring.
5. Cut the roasted red pepper into 3 strips approximately 1/4 inch wide with one strip about 1-1/2 inch long and the other two about 5/8 inches in length.
6. Position the longer strip across the center of the small round, then place the smaller strips on each side and perpendicular to the longer strip.  It should look like a red X on the small round.
7. Use blue paper instead of white doilies on your serving tray to look like water.
8. Serve at room temperature.
   

Advance prep:  Up to 2 days before the party.  May be frozen, do not thaw.

Last-minute prep:  Bake 10 minutes.
Moderate difficulty

Makes 50 Hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Olive Oyl
  
• 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
  
• 2-1/2 lbs spinach, washed & dried or 2-10 oz frozen spinach, chopped
  
• 1 bunch parsley
  
• 1 bunch dill
  
• 1/2 lb feta cheese, drained & crumbled
  
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 lb phyllo pastry
• 1 lb unsalted butter, melted
  

Steps to prepare the filling:

1. Heat the oil and saute the scallions until soft.
2. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, stirring often.
3. Put the mixture over a bowl and press out the liquid.
4. Boil down the liquid to 2 tablespoons.
5. Mix the spinach, liquid, parsley, dill, feta, eggs, salt and pepper until well blended.
6. Cool completely.