Easy Appetizers

Great Appetizers, Snacks and Man-food for Father’s Day

Dad’s Day is less than a week away. What are you going to do for the special Dad in your life? We’re going to our local airport (small airport) and watch a helicopter show. That’s what the Dad in our family wants to do so that’s what we’re doing. Can’t wait. (No, really!)

Actually, I saw the show last year and it was AMAZING to see the kinds of tricks helicopters can do! But, I’m getting off topic here. Let’s get back to great appetizers and recipes for your Father. Here are a few ideas to spark  your imagination. Even if Dad loves to cook, give him the day off and fill up his plate with some fun MAN-food. He works hard. He deserves it.

Starting with Breakfast:

Hashbrown Casserole
Oh yeah. This is a delicious small feast – bakes up like a dream.
The man in your life will love it!

Move on to lunch (here’s a few ideas to get the ball rolling):

Chicken Wings Recipes
What Dad doesn’t like good ol’ Buffalo Wings or other types of chicken wings.
Here’s a really nice variety of flavors.

Read the rest of this entry »

I was “digging” at Digg.com for some great ideas to share and came across this article about salsa… Nothing better than freshly made salsa with your favorite tortilla chips and this article tells you how to do it.

From eHOW.com
The best homemade salsa is made with fresh vegetables right out of your garden. This is a recipe I have made for years during the summer when I have fresh tomatoes. It’s quick and easy to make and delicious.

read more | digg story

My friend, Cindy, is an awesome cook, baker, friend, wife, mother (did I say friend?) In fact, she and 4 other of our friends and I are all very close. Each of these incredible women adds a unique and wonderful perspective to my life.

The six of us have been getting together at least once a month for the last 10-12 years. I honestly don’t remember exactly how long it’s been. But within those years and those visits, we have formed a bond that I know will go on even past this life…Their friendships have carried me through tough times and each one of them has given me the gift of trust. A place that I can unburden myself and know that they support me. I sincerely do not know what I would do without them.

We’ve shared tons of laughter, some tears, weathered our children’s growing up days, the antics of our husbands, divorces, rekindled romances with past loves, more laughter, and of course FOOD! Our get-togethers are always about great food. If we don’t go out to some new restaurant, we meet at one of our homes and bring food that always amounts to an unbelievable meal. Cindy is a great cook, but so are Louise, Joan, Janet and Annie.

In this post, I wanted to share with you Cindy’s fabulous Texas Caviar Dip. This easy appetizer recipe is Heaven in a bowl. Since Memorial Day is just around the corner, this could work perfectly for a picnic or party. I added a couple of ingredients. Try it! You’ll like it! And tell the ones you are closest to how much you love them.

What you’ll need:
- 1 can of white corn, rinsed (or if you are really ambitious, cook your own corn and scrape off 16 ounces worth of corn kernals.)
- 1 can of black-eyed peas, rinsed
- green onion, chopped (to taste)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- red onion, minced (to taste)
- 2 ripe avocados (not too ripe!)
- tomatoes, chopped (to taste)
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
- black pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
- chopped cilantro (to taste)
- fresh lime juice

Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate or serve immediately. Serve with baked tortilla chips or corn tortilla chips. DEEEELish!

Well, Mother’s Day has come and gone… sigh… mine was a really nice one. My wonderful hubby and son went all out and provided all the meals – beautifully cooked and presented, allowed me to stay in bed and catch up on my reading, and then took me to my favorite place to buy plants. I spent the rest of the day in the garden. Pure heaven! I hope all you Mom’s out there had a nice day as well.

Mother’s Day also signifies that warm weather is here or about to be here… so it got me to thinking about what are some great appetizer recipes for warm weather? Parties will be outside for the next few months, what kinds of easy  appetizers work well when the weather turns hot? And with Memorial Day heading our way, I decided it’s time to start making my favorite salsas again.

There are so many different kinds of Salsa and you’ll find a few of those recipes here on this blog. But, this recipe for Fresh Corn Salsa is a wonderful combination of color, sweetness and texture. Everybody seems to love it – I never have any left over! Serve this beautiful Fresh Corn Salsa with some warm homemade tortilla chips and WOW! You’ll have a hit on your hands.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups diced ripe tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 12 oz-can black beans, rinsed well, drained
• 4 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 or 2 green jalapeño, seeded, diced fine
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 fresh lime, juiced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

What to do:
Toss all ingredients in a large glass or stainless steel bowl to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Toss well before you serve it.

This easy appetizer recipe can be made up to 8 hours ahead of time.

I got this recipe from About.com and have loved it ever since. You will too.

*photo by Flickr user Luke Wisley

Take a look at Chef Jason’s video on how to make homemade salsa. Easy, easy, easy!

Want to make some great tasting chips to go along with this salsa? Simple go to our Baked Tortilla Chips page.

Here’s another tip from Chef Jason:

If you use the fresh tomatoes, just dice them into cubes along with the rest of the ingredients in our recipe. You will want to finely mince the garlic and jalapenos, and small dice the onion and rough chop the cilantro. When using fresh chopped tomatoes, you will want to stir by hand and not use the blender.

Need more inspiration for easy appetizers? Try our Chip Dip Recipes page.

Well, the Mexican Holiday of Cinco de Mayo is here and I have some really great appetizers for you to choose from if you are planning a party or celebration. Here’s a little Cinco de Mayo history…

The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be! And Cinco de Mayo is not an American holiday, but it should be. Mexico declared its independence from mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810. And it took 11 years before the first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico.

So, why Cinco de Mayo? And why should Americans savor this day as well? Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862. To continue reading about Cinco de Mayo history, click here. Otherwise, take a look at the list below of great appetizers for this well loved holiday.

7-Layer Guacamole Dip
Baked Tortilla Chips
Black Bean Cheese Dip
Chiles con Caso Dip
Chipotle Salsa
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Corn Tortilla Chips

Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a wonderful idea for serving a dip for vegetables. Watch the video below to see how you can transform a bell pepper into a gorgeous serving cup that houses your favorite dip. It’s a creative and pretty way to serve dips and vegetables. And for terrific recipe to fill the cup, simple read this Chunky Veggie Dip recipe.

Veggie Dip Cups

Posted to Taste of Home by Taste of Home Editors on June 22, 2008

Click to Play | View Details

Need some new ideas for Chips and Dips?
Easy Appetizer Recipes is the place to go for all your appetizer needs.

Oh boy, if you are like me and LOVE guacamole, then this delicious chipotle quacamole recipe will send you to the moon. Chipotle chiles give a smoky goodness to everything it’s added to. Which means it’ll give the same ol’ guac -  a lift and a twist. Try it, you’ll like it.

What you’ll need:

• 2 ripe avocados (peeled and pitted)
• 1 small white onion (minced)
• 1 medium tomato (minced)
• 1 TBSP lime or lemon juice
• 2 chipotle chiles (in adobo sauce and minced)
• Salt to taste

Combine all the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Cover and serve chilled. It’s best to serve within 3 hours of making this dip. Try these delicious corn tortilla chips to serve with the dip. Heat scale for chipotle guacamole is MEDIUM.

Delightfully serves: 4 as an appetizer and 2 as a meal!

For more wonderful dip recipes, check out this chip dip recipes page.

Crab Dip Recipe

Even those who say they don’t like fish, crab dip recipes are hard to NOT like. Especially, when you pair it with the perfect gathering and the fun party drinks. Here’s one of my favorite recipes for making the dip of crab…

What you’ll need:
- 1 8-ounce light cream cheese
- 1 6-ounce can crab meat (drained and reserve liquid)*
- 1/4 cup green onions (finely chopped)
- 2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp Paprika
- hot pepper sauce (to taste)

Read the rest of this entry »