An easy and elegant appetizer you can assemble in under 5 minutes!
Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella with Basil is the prettiest and simplest appetizer! You can assemble this dish in less than five minutes and it makes such a beautiful presentation. Prosciutto is a dry cured ham with a soft, buttery texture. Because it’s so salty, it’s often wrapped around sweet foods, such as melon, or figs, but it works equally well as a casing for fresh mozzarella, especially when served with a bit of sweet, tart, balsamic glaze. (more…)
A versatile salad dressing made with Greek yogurt that can also be used as a dip or a sauce.
Simple food can be turned into sophisticated food very quickly with the right sauce or dressing. Blue Cheese Rosemary Greek Yogurt Dressing is THAT sauce and it’s incredibly versatile. You can use it as a salad dressing, or a vegetable dip, but, in my opinion, it’s most impressive as a sauce for grilled meats. It’s cool and creamy with a hint of rosemary and intense blue cheese flavor that is nicely balanced by tangy Greek yogurt. This dressing is so delicious – you’ll be dipping everything into it! (more…)
A lighter, cleaner, healthier tuna salad made with homemade avocado mayonnaise and served on crunchy, gluten-free dill crackers.
“Clean eating” is a term that’s thrown around a lot these days. It’s kind of a vague term and if you asked ten health-minded people what it means, you’d likely get ten different answers. Everyone would agree, however, that the central tenet revolves around the idea of eating unprocessed, or minimally processed food. The best, and simplest piece of advice regarding clean eating that I’ve heard is this – when shopping for food, check the labels carefully. The ingredient lists should be short and all the foods on them should be recognizable. Of course, we can’t, nor should we, adhere to this guideline strictly. Some foods, by necessity, and for our safety, contain additives and preservatives, and not all of them are harmful. The key is to strike a balance by choosing whole foods as often as possible and avoiding foods that are highly and unnecessarily processed when it’s practical and feasible to do so. A super easy way to eat cleaner is to make your own mayonnaise. Store-bought mayonnaise is almost always made with refined oil (usually soybean oil) and often contains added sugar. Making your own mayonnaise takes just a few minutes and it’s so much healthier than store-bought. After you whip up a batch you can make Clean Tuna Salad on Gluten-Free Dill Crackers, which you can enjoy as a snack or light lunch. (more…)
Classic caprese salad ingredients on super flaky almond flour pastry, drizzled with sweet, tart, balsamic glaze.
A good caprese salad is probably my all-time favorite appetizer. Whenever I’m dining out with my family and caprese salad is on the menu one of my daughters invariably says “I know what you’re having Mom”. Traditional caprese salads are made up of mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil, which, some say are meant to symbolize the colors of the Italian flag. The dressing is typically just some good quality olive oil with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. These beautiful tarts turn this classic salad from the Italian island of Capri into a delicious gluten-free appetizer with an updated dressing of balsamic glaze. If you’re a fan of caprese salads, you will LOVE Gluten-Free Caprese Tarts! (more…)
A savory and healthy vegetable dip made with Greek yogurt and infused with fresh basil.
A collection of easy, delicious, and reliable appetizers is a must for anyone who entertains on a regular basis. No fuss appetizers that are versatile and can be made ahead of time will ease the stress that often accompanies feeding guests. Dips are great for all of the aforementioned reasons but can sometimes be too rich if they’re made with a lot of mayonnaise or cream cheese. Health considerations aside, appetizers are supposed to simply whet our appetites, not ruin them. That’s why I love Roasted Eggplant Tahini Dip; it’s a light but satisfying appetizer that can be served with a wide range of foods for dipping and, more importantly, guests love it! (more…)
A sensational salad made from Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, two vegetables once considered boring and unglamorous.
Brussels sprouts have made an amazing transformation. These little winter cabbages have gone from being one of the most reviled vegetables a decade or so ago to being trendy and gourmet today. Their rise in popularity over the past few years can be partially attributed to restaurant chefs who began roasting, sautéing, and grilling Brussels sprouts in various creative ways. Home cooks followed suit and soon Brussels sprouts were everywhere – on TV, in cooking magazines, and in new, flashier packaging at grocery stores. Brussels sprouts have traditionally been thought of as a cooking vegetable but we’re now seeing them used raw, in salads so I jumped on the bandwagon and created Shaved Brussels Sprouts Over Crispy Cauliflower Cakes. This salad is so delicious! (more…)
By posting this recipe for Roasted Baby Potato Stacks I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Potatoes USA and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
If you’re an athlete looking for a different way to fuel your next big workout, then listen up! Roasted Baby Potato Stacks look like elegant appetizers, and they are, but they’re also a great source of energy for active individuals. Protein shakes, bars, and gels are popular options for pre-workout meals and snacks, but potatoes are a much better choice. They’re unprocessed, full of nutrient dense complex carbohydrates, and contain more potassium per serving than a banana, so for peak exercise performance potatoes can’t be beat. Roasted Baby Potato Stacks are deliciously addictive so you won’t have any problem eating a whole bunch of them for maximum athletic endurance. (more…)
Serve these delicious biscuits in lieu of dinner rolls for a special holiday treat!
Is there anything more comforting that a warm biscuit with melted butter? I think not, and if that biscuit is made with pureed sweet potatoes and infused with savory herbs – well, then you’re in for a real treat! Biscuits are always more special than dinner rolls but Herbed Sweet Potato Biscuits are in a league of their own. They’re soft, sweet, and subtly savory, and, when served warm with pads of butter nestled in their centers, they are heavenly. (more…)
An inventive take on a classic Caesar salad that substitutes baby kale for romaine lettuce and cauliflower fritters for croutons.
What do you get when you take a classic salad and mix it up with some trendy ingredients? Baby Kale Caesar Salad with Cauliflower Fritters! Although I love Caesar salad I’ll confess that I’ve just about had it with seeing it on virtually every menu. No matter what kind restaurant you’re at – whether fancy and upscale, or casual and pub-like – you’ll almost always find Caesar salad being served. It’s a bit overdone, in my humble opinion. That’s what prompted me to create this delicious salad which is an inventive take on a classic Caesar salad that substitutes baby kale for romaine lettuce and cauliflower fritters for croutons. (more…)
By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Wild Blueberries and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
Appetizers made with wild blueberries are not very common, but I promise you, this one is a gem! Wild Blueberry Pecan Baked Brie with Holiday Spices uses frozen wild blueberries that are mixed with sugar and gingerbread spices, then poured over a pecan studded wheel of brie and baked until soft and bubbly. Served with gluten-free crackers, it makes an easy, delicious, and festive holiday appetizer. (more…)
