Easy Appetizers

Almond Joy – a big food wrapped up in a small package!

Almonds are a excellent food all packaged up in it’s little brown coating. It not only packs a wallop when it comes to nourishment, but they add flavor to all kinds of easy appetizer recipes. The next few paragraphs will explore some of the uses of almonds – their nutritional worth as well as some interesting facts that I bet you never learned about the little brown packages.

While most doctors wouldn’t recommend eating nuts as a snack for those that have high cholesterol – due to their high fat content – many studies have been done that show that eating almonds actually lowers your cholesterol.

For example, a study was done using volunteers that had a history of high cholesterol. The end result was that this group eating almonds actually showed significant reductions within their LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). So, in line with these findings, whole almonds eaten in moderation can decreasing cholesterol.

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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 »

These are easy to make and even easier to eat. Great for parties! Just had to share this with you! Make them for your 4th of July party or any kind of gathering…

For more easy appetizer recipes check out our Holiday Appetizers page.

That day of Independence that means just a little bit more than just BBQs and picnics is in a couple of days. I love 4th of July. I love the sunny days and the sparkly fireworks and the great food. But this year, I’m giving a little more thought to what it means.

We live in a FREE country. Most of the time, we don’t give that a second thought. But, when you stop to think about all the things we take for granted that some countries aren’t allowed to do. Like vote. Like speak our minds freely. Like having as many or as few children as we choose. Wow. Can you imagine any of those things taken away from you? I can’t.

When I watch the fireworks on July 4th, I’m going to be celebrating the freedoms we have. Thank you Founding Fathers. Thank you for your courage and your foresight. Let us always remember that freedom is a right, but it’s also a priviledge.

Happy July 4th. Happy Independence Day. And have some delicous simple appetizers to help celebrate! Visit our July 4th Appetizers page.

For more great easy appetizer recipes, check out our Holiday Appetizers page.

With summer just starting and the weather getting hotter every day, grilling your food outdoors is a lot more pleasant that slaving over a hot stove inside. I was reading Fitness magazine the other day and came across these fun grilling facts. Take a look:

- 76 percentage of women who like to grill
- 150 millions of hot dogs Americans eat over Memorial Day weekend
- 100 calories in a turkey dog
- 148 calories in a regular dog
- 49 percentage of grillers who think it’s acceptable to bring their own sauce to a barbecue
- 121 calories you save by grilling  a chicken breast instead of frying it

Now that you know all about the facts of grilling, here’s a really easy appetizer to grill while you are sipping cocktails on the patio.

Mushroom Bacon Bites

What you need:
- 24 medium fresh mushrooms
- 12 bacon strips, halved
- 1 cup of you favorite barbecue sauce

What to Do
1. Wrap each mushroom with a piece of bacon; secure with a toothpick.
2. Thread onto metal or soaked bamboo skewers; brush with barbecue sauce.
3. Grill, uncovered, over indirect medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the mushrooms are tender, turning and basting occasionally with remaining barbecue sauce.

This easy appetizer recipe makes 2 dozen. For more wonderful grilled appetizer recipes, visit our Simple Appetizer Recipes page.

Spanish Food
Spain is famous for many things, but one of the best things is it’s food! Spain produces a wealth of natural, healthy foods such as olive oil, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seafood. All of this forms the basis of its traditional recipes.

As my blog reader, you know that I love the Spanish food of Tapas. I am enamored with how you can create beautiful small plates with such simple ingredients. So, I decided to share with you some of those yummy ingredients that you can easily get by going to your local specialty market or by visiting my favorite place online for buying GREAT Spanish food, La Tienda.

Here’s a list of some delicious ingredients. Then visit my Tapas Small Plates page to get some great ideas for Tapas. Enjoy!

Jamón Serrano or Serrano Ham is the famous dry-cured ham of Spain, with Jamón Ibérico the king of Serrano hams. Depending on the recipe, its easy to replace with bacon, or your local ham – such as York ham or Virginia ham.

Chorizo is Spain´s spicy sausage. Other Spanish sausages include Morcilla, made from blood and similar to English black pudding, and Butifarra – a white sausage made from pork, tripe, and pine-nuts. If you can’t find it, you can always replace with a spicy sausage, black pudding, or white sausage from your
own country.

Piquillo Peppers – are small, pointed red peppers from the region of Navarre, which are canned and sold throughout Spain. Replace with canned, ordinary red peppers, or roast a fresh red pepper yourself.

Saffron – is derived from a certain strain of crocus, and used to flavor and bestow that golden-yellow color to dishes.

Cheese – Spain has numerous regional artisan cheeses and, when a certain one is specified, a description of its type follows in brackets, [hard, soft, blue, etc.] Use your local equivalent.

It’s great if you can use authentic ingredients from Spain for your Tapas and cooking Spanish foods, but if not, then use the equivalent. It’s all good!

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.

Wow. Here is a beautiful easy appetizer recipe that will give your party table some extra ‘zazz. These shrimp puffs are easier to make than they look. A lovely appetizer recipe for either a friendly get together or works well as a fancy hors d’oeuvre for a cocktail party. Enjoy!

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)

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Wow! There is nothing like great carpaccio, but when you do it right, Italian-style, and use salmon – well then. There’s really nothing more to say. You won’t be able to speak it’s so delicious. Watch our friendly Italian chef make this delicious Italian Salmon Carpaccio and then make it yourself. It’s Friday today, and time to think about what you want to eat and share this weekend!

For more wonderful appetizer ideas, please visit us at Easy Appetizer Recipes.