Easy Appetizers

Well, I took some time off from blogging but now I am back with a vengeance and armed and ready to give you some more ideas for delicious treats and easy party appetizers – just to name a few things! Keep reading and stay tuned for more deliciousness!

One of my favorite subjects (obviously!) is all about appetizers. So, let’s talk about them for parties… It doesn’t matter whether you are planning a BBQ in your backyard or a beach party to watch the sunset, when your party starts, you should have plenty of “starters” to get things going. People love to eat and in my experience, they love food that comes in small packages.

You can lead off the party with imaginative easy party appetizers that you can find all over the Web and particularly here! Depending on what kind of party you are throwing will determine what kind of appetizers you serve. This won’t be a problem because there are literally HUNDREDS of ideas you can find to use outright or to adjust or just to make up your own tasty treat. Read the rest of this entry »

I wrote a post not too long ago about the history of Tapas Small Plates because tapas are one of my favorite ways to serve appetizers. I think the Spanish did it up right – even from such humble beginnings.

Tapas Small Plates are a wonderful way to entertain guests. Not only does it satisfy the creative chef within, it also is a way to present many small packages of food that represent a wide variety of flavors, plus tapas are easy appetizers to make.

People LOVE appetizers, tapas are Spain’s way of serving them up. I have lots of great ideas and recipes for these Spanish appetizers. Just visit my page at Tapas Small Plates.

Below are a selection of some of my favorite Tapas recipes. And if you don’t have the time or inclination to make your own Tapas small plates, simple visit my favorite site for Spanish food and they will help you out. La Tienda has a wonderful selection for creating a Tapas party.

Bread and Olive Tapas – Delicious and satisfying tapas to make are simply chunks of bread with marinated olives.

Smoked Ham Tapas with Tomato, Garlic and Toasted Bread – (Pan con Tomate, Ajo y Jamon) – Delightfully fragrant and flavorful, this extremely simple smoked ham tapas is made with slices of toasted bread and a few other ingredients.

Figs and Ham Tapas – (Higos con Jamon) – Who would have thought that a combination figs and ham tapas could make such a yummy and simple appetizer?

Loved by many, this easy appetizer recipe is perfect for the summer… watch how easy it is to make it. Enjoy it!

Don’t forget to visit Easy Appetizer Recipes for more great ideas for  your parties, gatherings and get-togethers.

One of the great things about Crostini is that it is a beautiful appetizer that you can put together quickly.

I like finding what I have in my refrigerator and turning it into an elegant small bite that not only looks like I spent a lot of time on it, but it tastes good too.

I had some prosciutto left over from another recipe that I made and decided to see what I could do with it. Rummaging around, I also got out a jar of sun-dried tomatoes that looked lonely and decided to try my hand at creating a yummy treat.

It worked. Nothing was left over. Be creative – almost anything tastes good on little toasted pieces of bread.

What you’ll need:
- 1 loaf of French baguette
- 8.5 ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 24 slices of prosciutto
- 8 ounces Fontina cheese, sliced
- 24 basil leaves (Genovese – if you can find them)

Read the rest of this entry »

I love meatballs and I love this recipe for smoked mozzarella meatballs. You will too. Take a couple of minutes and watch this video on how to make them. Then, go do it and make a few for fun, a party or your family.

Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs

Posted to Taste of Home by sarahjames on April 08, 2009

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For more great party ideas, visit our Party Planning page.

Fondue cooking starts as an epic story. First mention of the popular dish is found in a recipe in Homer’s Iliad (Song XI). Really? Yes! The reference to a mixture of Pramnos wine, grated goat’s cheese and white flour had to be a fondue!

My introduction to fondue cooking happened in the late sixties when I was a little girl. (I’m dating my self here!) My Mom and Dad decided to have a small party – they were always having neighborhood parties or bridge parties on the weekends.

One weekend, my Dad, who loved to cook, decided he wanted to do some fondue cooking and invited some friends over for a fondue party. He made a bunch of fondue dipping sauces for meat fondue.

OH MY GOSH! I was in heaven! He cut up pieces of uncooked steak and small chunks of ham and made little batter-dipped fondue meatballs.

He put them in little dishes surrounding this bubbling pot of oil… To finish reading this and get some fantastic fondue recipes, visit our Fondue Cooking page.

Oh my gosh. I love asparagus and wrapping it up in delicious prosciutto is a wonderful way to serve it. This Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus recipe is a wonderful addition to any holiday menu. Since Easter is just around the corner, try this and add it to your menu. You won’t be sorry!

What you need:

- 1/2 pound prosciutto, sliced
- 1/2 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese, softened
- 12 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed

What to do:

1. First, preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Then, spread the prosciutto slices with Neufchatel cheese. Wrap the slices around 1, 2, or 3 asparagus spears – depending on how big or small the spears are.
   
3. Lastly, arrange the wrapped spears in a single layer on a medium baking sheet.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until asparagus is tender.

This delicious, simple and easy appetizer can also be used as a side dish and goes very well with chicken main dishes. Enjoy!

If you love this recipe, then try more at our Easy Appetizer Recipes website.

I’m having so much fun with my new blog that I can’t help but add a new post. And why not?

I want to tell you more about Tapas small plates and how much fun they can be. I mean, Tapas are HOT! (and cold…) but going out to a Tapas bar, or making your own inviting small plates and then in turn, inviting your friends over to share them, is a blast. I have a whole page on the history of tapas on my Easy Appetizer Recipes website. You should check it out when you get a chance.

Here’s a definition of tapas for those unfamiliar with the savory small plates and the tradition behind it…

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