Category: Appetizers

Sun Dried Tomato Red Lentil Hummus

A healthy appetizer made from red lentils and infused with savory sun dried tomatoes. Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free.  JUMP TO RECIPE

Sun Dried Tomato Red Lentil Hummus – An easy, healthy appetizer with savory flavor and vibrant color. Great for parties. |QueenofMyKitchen.com|#dip #appetizer #appetizers #easyappetizer #easyappetizers #veganappetizer #glutenfreeappetizer #dairyfreeappetizer #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree

When it comes to nutritious, plant-based appetizers, hummus reigns supreme, and thankfully, for health-minded people who love to snack, there’s no shortage of tasty and creative ways to make it. Most recipes call for chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) as the main ingredient,  but you can also make hummus with another pulse, red lentils, and it’s every bit as delicious as traditional hummus with the same smooth and creamy texture. This recipe for Sun Dried Tomato Red Lentil Hummus is proof! Make sure you have plenty of crackers and cut up vegetables on hand before you make this dip because you might not be able to stop eating it. I ran out of things to dip the first time I made it and resorted to using my fingers! It’s that good! (more…)

Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

A no-cook, easy antipasto salad you can make in under 10 minutes. Great for picnics, tailgates, and casual entertaining.  JUMP TO RECIPE

Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Salad - A no-cook, quick and easy antipasto salad you can make in under 10 minutes. Great for picnics, tailgates, and casual entertaining. | QueenofMyKitchen.com |#salad #antipasto #artichokes #nocook #easyrecipe #roastedredpeppers #antipastosalad #quickrecipe #picnicfood #artichokesalad #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree

If you enjoy shopping at upscale food markets that sell a wide variety of prepared foods then you’ll appreciate Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Salad because this is exactly the type of dish you’re likely to find at one these stores. In fact, I came up with this recipe after purchasing a small deli container of a similar type salad at my local specialty food store, for which I paid an insane amount of money. Since it contained only a few simple ingredients I decided to make my own version and I’m so glad I did. This salad is perfect for picnics, tailgates, and casual entertaining. It’s quick to throw together and can easily be scaled up to feed large crowds. (more…)

Lemony White Beans with Garlic and Rosemary

A healthy, Tuscan inspired dish you can make in under 10 minutes. Quick, easy, and delicious.  JUMP TO RECIPE

Lemony White Beans with Garlic and Rosemary - A healthy and delicious Tuscan inspired side dish you can make in under 10 minutes. Serve it as an appetizer, light meal, or side dish. Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #beans #whitebeans #cannellinibeans #healthyrecipe #vegansidedish #glutefreerecipe # mediterraneandiet #tuscanwhitebeans #sides

Next time you walk your hungry self into the kitchen and discover that there is very little in your refrigerator or pantry that can be made into a meal, I hope you remember this dish. Lemony White Beans with Garlic and Rosemary is what I make for a light, healthy meal when my cupboards are bare and I am way overdue for a trip to the grocery store. You can pull this dish together in just a few minutes with canned beans and some other staple ingredients you most likely already have on hand. (more…)

Sugar-Coated Rosé Strawberries

Disclosure: I received free samples of wine from a Stout & Cellar consultant to develop this post.  All opinions expressed are my own.  JUMP TO RECIPE 

Sugar-Coated #Rosé Strawberries – Strawberries soaked in clean crafted rosé wine and rolled in orange scented sugar. A light, healthy, and elegant summer dessert. #AD | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #strawberries #wine #rosewine #roséwine #lightdessert #healtydessert #seasonaldessert #glutenfreedessert #glutenfreedesserts #winedessert #winedesserts

Strawberry season is my favorite time of year. Not only because I love strawberries, but because once the warm weather arrives and the strawberries ripen, it means summer is finally underway. This year, strawberry season coincided with me receiving free samples of 14K Wines Rosé from Scout & Cellar, a direct to consumer distributor of clean crafted organic and vegan wines, and with it, I made these incredibly juicy and delicious Sugar-Coated Rosé Strawberries. “Clean crafted wines”, a term coined by Stout & Cellar, is a phrase you’ll probably start to hear more about. The clean eating movement has spurred health-conscious consumers to ask more questions about exactly what’s in their food and how it’s made/harvested, so it’s only a matter of time before they start demanding the same information about their wines. If you’ve ever woken up with a headache after drinking just 1 or 2 glasses of wine the night before, it doesn’t mean you’re getting old, it means the wine you were drinking had a lot of junk in it! And if you don’t like drinking reds because they stain your teeth, you should know that this is likely the result of a dye called Mega Purple or Ultra Red, an additive used in many mass-produced red wines. (more…)

Broccoli Salsa

A clean eating, no-cook salsa made from broccoli rice that’s fresh, light, and delicious.  Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.  JUMP TO RECIPE

Broccoli Salsa - A clean eating, no-cook salsa made from broccoli rice that’s fresh, light, and delicious. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree #salsa #freshsalsa #broccoli #broccolirice #appetizer #appetizers #salad #salads #healthyrecipe #healthyrecipes

Memorial Day marks the beginning of the summer season but it also signals a shift in cooking habits for many people and serves as a cue to step away from the oven and stove top in favor of outdoor grilling, and to pick recipes with minimal prep time that use light, fresh, ingredients. This clean eating, no-cook, Broccoli Salsa fits the bill and is super versatile. You can serve it as an appetizer with tortilla chips or crostini, make it a stand-alone salad with a protein mixed in (chicken or shrimp would be delicious), or pass it off as a simple side dish. Add this to your arsenal of summer recipes – it will not disappoint! (more…)

White Cheddar Cauliflower Donuts

Savory, gluten-free donuts made from cauliflower that’ll turn vegetable haters into veggies lovers!  JUMP TO THE RECIPE

White Cheddar Cauliflower Donuts - A savory gluten-free donut made from cauliflower that’ll turn vegetable haters into veggies lovers! Each donut contains the equivalent of one serving of cauliflower. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #donut #donuts #doughnut #doughnuts #cauliflower #veggies #veggielove #glutenfree

If you follow healthy eating trends you’re probably familiar with cauliflower pizza, and the newest cauliflower trend, cauliflower wings, but I’d like to start another craze right here, right now, with these golden delicious, White Cheddar Cauliflower Donuts – they are to die for! (more…)

Red Lentil Lobster Crackers

Unique crackers with gorgeous color made from super healthy ingredients.  Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

Red Lentil Lobster Crackers – Unique crackers with gorgeous color made from super healthy ingredients. Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #crackers #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreesnacks #lobster #vegan #veganrecipes #dairyfree

I know it’s a little early to start thinking about summer, after all, spring just arrived, but I recently hosted a baby shower and made homemade crackers (in the shape of bunnies) as one of the appetizers. They were such a hit that I was inspired to pull out another one of my favorite cracker recipes – one that I make every summer. These Red Lentil Lobster Crackers are perfect for a summer picnic or lobster bake. They’re made with super healthy ingredients, and they happen to be the exact color of lobsters! I use them as a substitute for croutons in this lobster Caesar salad, but they are equally delicious dipped in hummus or guacamole. (more…)

Hash Brown Donuts

Two breakfast classics come together to create a unique dish chock-full of crispy deliciousness!

Hash Brown Donuts - Two breakfast classics come together to create a unique dish chock-full of crispy deliciousness. Gluten-free. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #glutenfree #hashbrown #hashbrowns #potato #potatoes #donut #donuts #breakfast

When it comes to breakfast fare, hash browns and donuts are classics, which is why this recipe for Hash Brown Donuts is so fun! It combines two popular breakfast staples into one unique dish! In addition to being super creative, Hash Brown Donuts have some other great qualities. They’re baked in the oven (versus fried in a pan), so there’s no splattering of grease to deal with, and no being tethered to the stovetop. And, they’re easier to eat than regular hash browns because you can pick them up with your hands. This makes them a great party appetizer too. Hash Brown Donuts are super crispy and delicious even though they’re made with much less oil than typical hash browns. A standard hash browns recipe using 1 pound of potatoes will usually call for ¼ cup or more of butter or oil. This recipe for Hash Brown Donuts uses only 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a little bit extra to spray the pan. (more…)

Curried Cauliflower Blender Soup

A flavor-packed homemade soup that doesn’t require slicing, dicing and chopping vegetables, or hours of simmering on the stove top.

Curried Cauliflower Blender Soup - A flavor-packed homemade soup that doesn't require slicing, dicing and chopping vegetables, or hours of simmering on the stove top. | QueenofMyKitchen.com. | #soup #souprecipes #cauliflower #cauliflowerrecipes #blendersoup

During the long, cold winter months there’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of soup. Unfortunately, many soup recipes require extensive preparation and long hours of cooking to get the deep flavor that we’ve all come to expect in homemade soups, and not everybody has that kind of time. That’s why blender soups have become my new best friend. I think of them as easy, chilly weather comfort food. You can whip them up very quickly, without a lot of effort, and, if you use the right ingredients, still get the same great taste as soups that have been simmering all day. This Curried Cauliflower Blender Soup is a case in point. Dump some cooked cauliflower into a blender or food processor, along with some other ingredients, and whir it up until it’s smooth and velvety. Then just heat it and eat it! It doesn’t get much easier than that! (Check out my Creamy Tomato Corn and Avocado Blender Soup too.) (more…)

Pistachio Pizza with Peaches and Goat Cheese

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Wonderful Pistachios and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Pistachio Pizza with Peaches and Goat Cheese - Pistachios are the star of this pizza and are complemented by creamy, tangy goat cheese and soft, sweet peaches. A unique and delicious pizza. #AD | QueenofMyKitchen.com #pizza #pizzarecipe #pistachio #pistachios

Did you know that February is American Heart Month? This is a federally designated event meant to remind all Americans that heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death worldwide, with more than 17.9 million deaths each year. That’s a staggering number of fatalities! The good news is that we can all make lifestyle changes that may lessen our risk of heart disease. Regular exercise is vital for keeping our hearts strong but simple dietary changes are important too. For example, scientific evidence suggests. but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. Pistachios are particularly appealing because they are one of the highest protein and fiber snack nuts that are part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. That’s why they’re known as The Fit Nut ™.  To celebrate pistachios, and to honor American Heart Month, I created this Pistachio Pizza with Peaches and Goat Cheese. (more…)

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