Buffalo Chicken Dip

This dip makes for a very easy appetizer that works great for a summer BBQ. You can make it a day prior and bake it the day you need it. I usually shred the chicken the day before and assemble and bake it the day I need it. Serve with corn chips (Fritos scoops work great), cut up veggies or crackers. Pin It Now!

Sweet and Tangy Cocktail Meatballs

I usually like making a few heartier dishes when I invite friends over for drinks and appetizers. Cocktail meatballs tends to be a hit and I have tried a few different varieties over the years. I most recently tried these when looking for a quick recipe with ingredients I already had at home. The recipe link includes three sauce varieties but the recipe below is the only one I have tried so far. These are very easy to make, and if you're really in a pinch for time, you could even use 2 pounds of frozen cocktail meatballs.

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Homemade Ranch Dip

I have always loved ranch dip and dressing. I know it's not everyone's favorite, but I think it's a great way to eat some veggies. I decided to make a ranch dip from scratch and see if I'd still be a fan. The recipe below makes for a great, flavorful dip. Serve it with your favorite veggies for a quick and easy appetizer. You can use Greek yogurt, or you can use regular plain yogurt. If you use regular yogurt, line a strainer with a few paper towels or a cheesecloth and let the yogurt strain in there for about 2 hours before using. You can place the strained over a lipped dish or bowl and let it strain in the fridge. Use about 3/4 cup when doing this and it will loose some volume.
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Garlicky Cocktail Meatballs

These may not look very pretty, but they are a great cocktail meatball to serve when you're looking for something other than the often too-sweet jelly style meatballs or traditional marinara sauce. I wanted to try these when I had some friends coming over and they were a hit. Again, they're not the nicest looking, but my friends tend to trust what I make and were pleasantly surprised by these. You can roll out the meatballs a day prior to making this and have a quicker prep time the day you serve them.

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5 Layer Dip

Five layer dip is one of those tried and tested appetizers that I have loved for decades. You can easily put your own spin on it by adding additional items (I sometimes like to add black olives) and adjusting the amount of each layer to meet your preferences. I tend to love a lot of guacamole and sour cream, but I kept the ratios a little more traditional in this recipe. This is a very easy dip to whip together, and you can cheat by using pre-made guacamole to make it even simpler.

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Tomato and Gruyere Tart

This tart makes a delicious snack or started for any occasion. You can make one larger tart or smaller individual tarts. Even though I would typically serve this as a starter, it also makes a great, light dinner option paired with a salad. As with most puff pastry based foods, this tart is best served straight from the oven. Though you can prepare it ahead of time, the dough is most crisp when it's made right when you need it. If you make the tart ahead of time, reheat it in a 300F oven until it is warmed.

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Texas Caviar

I've been slacking off and not cooking or baking that much this past month. Luckily I have very inspiring family members who also love to cook. This recipe was first tried by my mom and came highly recommended. If you enjoy fresh Tex-Mex flavors, you will love this dish. I can eat it by the spoonful, but when I'm around other people I serve it with tortilla chips, pita chips, or pita wedges. This is extremely easy to make and the flavor won't let you down.

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Seven Layer Dip

I absolutely love 7 layer dip, but I had never tried making it at home. It's actually pretty easy to make and has been a hit every time it is served. The dip needs to be made the same day you serve it, but since it's easy to make it shouldn't be a problem. Technically, the dip does last overnight, but the guacamole will brown in some places and the tomatoes and salsa will release some water. I'd eat the leftovers myself but wouldn't serve them to guests.

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Hummus Tabouleh Dip

If you're ever in need of a quick and easy appetizer, this recipe is a great option. It only requires 2 ingredients, unless you go all out and make things from scratch. Just mix the 2 ingredients and serve with pita chips or pita wedges. I made this as a last minute addition to a barbecue and was happy to have another dip on the table. So long as you like hummus you will most likely enjoy this dip. The tabouleh (or tabbouli) adds an element of freshness to the hummus and makes a great summer appetizer.

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Hoisin Cocktail Meatballs

I sometime find it really hard to come up with appetizer ideas. I think I rotate the same few ideas and realized that lately I'm tired of those. Recently one of my friends just moved and had a housewarming party where everybody brought an appetizer/finger food. I wanted to make something new and began looking around. I knew I wanted to make meatballs of some sort, but didn't want your classic Italian style option.

I came across this recipe after looking through many, many Asian meatball ideas. I knew I wanted to serve them with a sauce, which surprisingly is not included in many recipes. I also knew that I didn't want to do anything too complicated or with too many ingredients I didn't already have. All I can say is that these meatballs are pretty amazing. This was one of the first dishes to be eaten at the party. Some people didn't even notice the sauce next to them and still loved them. I personally find that the sauce makes these meatballs. It would also make a great marinade if you have some leftover (which I did). If you want, you could even chop in come hot peppers or Thai chilis for an added kick.

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Classic Deviled Eggs

Summer barbecue season is slowly coming to an end. I've been pretending that this is not the case, but the night up here have been getting cold and even on a clear evening, I end up grilling in a sweatshirt and long pants. I'm trying to squeeze in as many summer foods as I can before bolognese and soup season comes back in full force. This means there have been lots of grilling sessions and, of course, summer side dishes.

Earlier this summer I made deviled eggs with capers and dill, which I absolutely loved. However, dill isn't always available where I am, so I've reverted to classic deviled eggs, with the old fashioned ingredients. I don't have any fancy piping devices in my kitchen, so the filling isn't placed into the egg white all that perfectly, but the taste is what really matters (especially if I am just making this at home and nobody other than my roommates will see). Top your deviled eggs with some chopped scallions or chives for an added color splash.

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Deviled Eggs with Capers and Dill

Last month, Fine Cooking magazine had a 2 page spread featuring different variations of deviled eggs. Believe it or not, I had only tried deviled eggs once before making them on my own. Years ago at a potluck barbecue in Switzerland a friend of mine made a platter of traditional deviled eggs. I thought I would hate them since the thought of mayo and eggs doesn't sounds all that great, but they were surprisingly good. As usual, I forgot all about deviled eggs until I picked up a copy of Fine Cooking.

As much as I enjoy classic deviled eggs, this version is my favorite. The capers and dill add such a great flavor to the eggs that it makes the original version seem a bit plain. Don't get me wrong, I still love the classic variation (I will eventually write a post about them in case you've never tried them before), but this combination was a very welcomed change. The original recipe uses red onions, but I opted for scallions. Use whichever you prefer, but I imagine using a white onion would be too overpowering.

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Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

A couple months ago I made these tarts as an appetizer, but somehow completely forget to write the post. They tasted incredible and weren't too difficult to make. It combines so many great flavors from the goat cheese and sauteed onions to the tomatoes and basil. The only difficulty I had was with getting the edges of my puff pasty dough to rise. I was able to make 6 tarts instead of just 4 with the ingredients listed, so perhaps I stretched my dough a little thinner than intended. I also think these would make really great bite sized appetizers. Instead of rolling the dough into a 6 inch circle, I would consider rolling out 2 or 3 inch circles and using sliced cherry or Campari tomatoes  instead of larger ones.

The original recipe calls for a garlic and herb goat cheese, which I did not have at the time. To make up for this difference, I just chopped up some fresh herbs from the garden (mainly chives and thyme) and mixed them into the plain goat cheese. When you make this recipe, be sure to serve it fresh from the oven since it does not re-heat well. I had some left over and even though the flavors were still delicious, the dough did not get crunchy enough the second time around.

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Tuna Tartare with Avocado

I remember being grossed out by anything with the word "tartare" in it when I was younger. I refused believe that raw meat or fish could be good on its own. I loved sushi, but the rice and seaweed covered the raw fish, making it slightly less obvious, and for a long time I stuck to veggie rolls. When I was visiting my mom and dad quite a few years ago, my mom made this as a little happy hour snack and I ended up loving it. I remember not wanting any dinner afterwards since my snack turned into a meal.

I love the addition of avocado in this recipe. It not only adds flavor, but it seems to almost bind the flavors to the tuna. If you like tuna and can find fresh seafood, I definitely recommend this recipe. It's my favorite tuna tartare, even when I compare it to ones I have had at restaurants. Make sure you eat this all the day you make it since it will not stay fresh overnight. Also, serve this with any cracker you enjoy that isn't too flimsy.

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Stuffed Mushrooms

 
Stuffed Mushrooms are an appetizer I have been having for years. This is another one of those recipes I learned from my mom, but can't remember the first time I had these (I was little). They're so easy to make, and the ingredients are fairly simple. It's also an easy recipe to tweak, so feel free to do so. My mom sometimes includes crushed red pepper flakes in the filling for an added kick. Or if she's out of parsley, she will just omit it. Every time she has made them, I loved them, which is why I stole this recipe from her a few years ago.

These stuffed mushrooms make a great crowd-pleasing appetizer. Even during my childhood phase of hating mushrooms I loved this recipe. Not only are the mushrooms a hit, they're also pretty easy to make. It only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish. You could easily double this recipe without any problems if you're serving this to a larger crowd. These mushrooms taste best when they're baked right before you eat them. If you want to prepare part of the recipe ahead of time, make the filling, stuff the mushrooms, and leave them covered in the fridge until you are ready to bake.

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Roasted Bell Peppers with Basil

This bell pepper salad has been a favorite in my family for years. My mom often serves this, along with marinated eggplants, goat cheese and crusty bread, as part of a delicious sandwich bar. The original recipe came from a family friend who is a great chef, however, beyond that I'm not sure where this originated. Over time, my mom has simplified the technique for making this, but it tastes exactly the same as the fancier version.

This salad can last a week in your fridge, but the basil will begin to wilt. It still tastes good, but will not look as nice if you're going for presentation. If you're planning to make this ahead of time, only add the basil before serving. Also, feel free to use red, yellow or orange bell peppers in this salad. I've often used only red peppers, but it looks prettiest with some yellow or orange added. This makes a great appetizer, side dish, or picnic food, and it has been a hit every time I've made it.

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Guacamole

 
I realize that most people have their own interpretation of guacamole, and that everyone consideres different ingredients as essential or not necessary. I thought I'd share my version of guacamole that my mom has been using for years. A trick that I learned from a friend last year is to add a little bit of cumin to guacamole, and I have been making it that way ever since. This version of guacamole a little chunky since I use tomatoes, and it tastes great. I can eat it by the bowlful and am even guilty of licking out the leftovers from bowls.

What I love about this is that you can use all sorts of dipping devices, not just tortilla chips, and make a healthy appetizer. I usually serve this with cut up carrots and cucumbers if I want to snack on something nutritious. If you want to prepare guacamole ahead of time, save the pit from one of the avocados and add it to the finished product. If you threw the pit away, you can cover it with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic lays directly on the guacamole. Serves this as an appetizer, or as an accompaniment to a main dish, like tacos or quesedillas.

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Quick Hummus

Hummus is one of my "backup" snacks. It's so easy and only takes 5 minutes to whip together, which makes it the perfect last minute appetizer. The original recipe this stems from is a good starting point for a hummus and tastes great with some tweaks. I have thrown this together for impromptu barbecues, mid-afternoon snacks, or as a side dish. It always seems to magically disappear when it's served, so why not try making some hummus on your own?

After a day of gardening yesterday, nothing sounded better at 4:00 that a cold beer and some hummus and veggies (slightly random combo, I know). So, armed with the immersion blender, I made a quick batch and thought I'd try converting some of you to homemade hummus makers as well. If you want to make it look a little nicer than just a bowl of brown puree, save a few of the garbanzo beans and use some chopped parsley as garnish. My one word of advice is that you do not substitute anything for the Tahini. The flavor will not be right and you won't be eating hummus.

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Fresh Spring Rolls

Ever since summer started this year, there's one food that I can't seem to get enough of. One of my first days in Perth I had some take away Vietnamese spring rolls and I have been hooked ever since. I don't feel right calling the ones that I make "Vietnamese" since I'm sure anyone who knows how to make these in an authentic way would just shake their head at me. Nonetheless, I love my version of spring rolls and it's so much easier to make than I expected.

Before trying to make these I was convinced I would have no luck using such a thin rice paper, but it proved to be much easier. The rolling method I use is sort of like a tight delicate version of how burritos get rolled up. If anyone know of an easier way, feel free to let me know. I made these with jasmine rice, but they would be even better made with rice vermicelli (which are not currently in stock in my kitchen). Also, you could easily adjust the fillings to suit your palette. If you don't have prawns, these are also delicious just full of veggies, with tofu, or with chicken. Have fun with these. The more you experiment with the flavor, the better they tend to turn out.

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