Posted on: Wednesday, December 29, 2004

Quick, easy pupu for New Year's

Advertiser Staff and News Services

It's always a bit hectic on New Year's Eve, especially when the day falls on a workday, as it does this year.

In this section, we're offering ideas for quick pupu that have a personal touch but don't take much time or skill to make.

The three recipes below are about as complicated as we care to get on a weekday.

The bacon wraps can be put together during the party (they're actually kind of fun to do as a group). The shrimp is the only make-ahead of the group and you could actually put them together tomorrow night. The beef roll-ups take about 20 minutes to put together.

Also see our sidebars: 10 ideas for quick pupu that use packaged or bottled products and making use of cream cheese.

Bacon-wrapped everything: Cut bacon strips in half cross-wise and wrap halves around: dates, stuffed olives, whole water chestnuts or fresh or bottled whole oysters. Secure with toothpicks. Place on baking rack and bake in 400-degree oven 20-30 minutes, turning once. The maple bacon from Costco makes these awesome!

• Per serving (1 piece, made with dates): 40 calories, 1.5 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 1 g protein.

Marinated shrimp: Place 3 pounds, cooked, frozen and defrosted whole shrimp in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour over it: 1/2 cup EACH chopped parsley, chopped shallots, tarragon vinegar and white wine vinegar, plus 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup Dijon mustard, 4 teaspoons red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Grind some pepper over the whole; stir and marinate in refrigerator 8-10 hours, turning occasionally. Drain sauce and serve arranged atop lettuce leaves.

• Per serving (3 shrimp): 110 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 330 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 0 sugar, 10 g protein.

Beef roll-ups: Lay large piece of plastic wrap on counter. Lay out 1/2 pound of thin-sliced deli roast beef in a single layer, edges slightly overlapping to form a rectangle. Soften 1 cup cream cheese in microwave just long enough to be spreadable. Spread in thin layer over roast beef. Top with washed and trimmed watercress leaves and a sprinkle of thin-sliced chives. Starting at the long edge, roll beef into log, being sure to keep plastic outside the log. Tightly roll beef long in plastic and twist ends. Chill until firm but not hard, 30-35 minutes. Cut into rounds and place top cocktail rye or cocktail pumpernickel rounds. Sprinkle with more minced green onions.

• Per serving (2 rounds): 110 calories, 6 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 6 g protein. Adapted from "500 3-Ingredient Recipes" by Carol Hildebrand and Bob Hildebrand (Fair Winds, $19.95).

• Per serving of cream cheese (1 ounce or 2 tablespoons): 99 calories, 2.1 grams protein, 0.8 grams carbohydrates, 9.9 grams fat, 31 milligrams cholesterol, 84 milligrams sodium.