Stay Outta My Way Bites

(WTNH) - Ivey's In My Kitchen

The one thing I usually need when everyone starts sticking their head into the kitchen - other than a high caliber weapon - is more time. Anything that keeps the restless natives at bay is good by me. That's why I try to keep these little bites around so no one gives me that "are we ready yet?" look. That's usually when the weapon springs to mind.

Your best friend here is a melon baller. I'm sure you've got one stashed in the way back of a drawer somewhere. Do you have any of these things in your home fridge right now; zucchini, cucumber, mushrooms, cherry tomato? How about cream cheese, any left over, hiding in the back somewhere? Any kind is fine. Flavored can be fun too. If I plan ahead, I use goat cheese. What about a lemon? Ok, how about fake lemon? Eggs? Anybody got eggs? Ok, let's get started.

Zucchini, cucumber, yellow squash or anything else in the long and hard family, gets cut into 1 inch pieces. Stand them up on the flat side and gently core out the center with a melon baler. It turns into the sturdiest little cup. Ready to be filled with whatever floats your boat.

When working with a cherry tomato, place it stem side down and slice off, just a little, of the smooth top. Use the melon baler to scoop out the inside. Turn it upside down on a paper towel to drain. Don't worry if they feel fragile or soft, the filling will sturdy them up. I do recommend being a little more gentle on the tomato than you were with the zucchini.

There are these mini, sqatty, squashes called Patty Pans, they are pretty common around this time of year, they make GREAT cups. Look for them in your grocer's produce section.

Mushroom is self explanatory, just pop off the stem and it's ready to go.

Eggs (I think small is best), hard boiled, cut crossways, no coring necessary. You will, however, need to slice off the rounded tip to make both halves of the egg cups sit properly. They make great little holders for whatever flips your skirt. I have a weakness for deviled eggs, so I naturally go there first. But I have also filled them with finely chopped tuna fish, chicken salad, chopped liver or garlic mashed potatoes. So really, whatever gets you goin'.

Now where is that cream cheese? Ah yes, it's sitting on the counter getting to room temperature.

Mix-ins, now that's up to you. Chives are my personal favorite. They, as well as any other fresh herb, can be chopped up and mixed in. The truth is, almost any flavor in your spice cabinet can be combined with cream cheese to make a nice filling. So go nuts, ohhhh, what about ground nuts?

You want the filling to have a strong flavor. You're pairing it up with things like zucchini and mushroom, which, while are delicious when cooked, raw, they're pretty bland. The flavors will balance each other out nicely.

If you want a smother consistency for your filling, try using your food processor. Try adding a little mayonnaise, lemon juice or sour cream to loosen up the mixture. Are you getting the picture so far?

Ok, now what? Take out one of those trusty Ziploc freezer bags and fill it with the mixture of your choice. Work all the filling towards one corner of the bag and seal the top. Make sure to get the air out. That's going to be your pastry bag. Fancy huh? Take out a few just in case you need backup. Snip off just the corner of the bag and squeeze filling into each little veggie cup slowly.

Abracadabra, instant party!