Recipes: Halftime Fajitas & Crostini

Are you looking for some new appetizers to make for Saturday's big game?

Taylor Marks and Tyler Schultz -- both culinary students at Fox Valley Technical College in Grand Chute -- joined us Saturday morning to share the following recipes:

Halftime Fajita
(serves 4)

Ingredients:
8 large shrimp/ cooked
2 red bell peppers
1 medium white onion
4 whole cilantro leaves
salt
pepper
chipotle pepper (ground and dried)
olive oil
minced garlic
4 flour tortillas
1 whole lime

Sautee shrimp in olive oil and add minced garlic and dried chipotle pepper (to taste).  In separate pan, sautee onion and red pepper in olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.  Slice lime into wedges and pick cilantro leaves off stems.  Put shrimp, onions and pepper in one pan and mix.  Place mix into the flour tortillas and serve with a lime wedge and cilantro.  Serve hot.

Balsamic Brie and Apple Crostini
(serves 8)

Ingredients:
baguette, sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup toasted walnuts (toast in 1-2 tbsp of butter in sautee pan)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 oz. of brie, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.  Set slices of baguette on a sheet tray.  Brush both sides of baguette with olive oil and sprinkle one side with salt.  Bake until baguette begins to brown and crisp (about 8-minutes).  In sautee pan, mix balsamic vinegar and sugar and turn on medium heat.  Cook until desired thickness (about 10-minutes).  While ingredients are still warm, layer brie slices and apple onto baguettes.  Place toasted walnuts into a mixing bowl and  add balsamic reduction to taste (enough to coat nuts).  Spoon the walnut mixture onto the baguettes.  Garnish top with chopped chives.  Best served warm, but can last 1-2 hours at room temperature.