As we say goodbye to 2022 and welcome a new year – the kitchen can be a place to create, mingle and experience wonderful festive foods.
Stress free entertaining for Christmas, New Years Eve, New Year’s Day and Chanukah.
Get cooking with these Well-Tested Recipes.
Creative, Healthy and Inspiring. The holiday season continues as we ring in the new 2023 year!
24 Must-Make Crave-Worthy Appetizers for People Who Love Party Food!
Let’s start with a CHEESY selection – recipes that incorporate cheese in various ways.
Cooks slowly in the oven until the peppers actually melt into the olive oil. Serve with toasted pita triangles or toasted baguette slices.
To assemble: cut bread rounds – gluten free or regular, give them a quick toast, then top with marinara, a warm spinach chicken mini meat ball and top off with fontina cheese fondue. Add a skewer and serve.
Loads of Spinach mixed in to Freshly Ground Chicken – that you grind! This makes the most delicious and nutritious meatballs with an amazing texture.
A creative play on the beloved “Linzer Cookie” – savory, cheesy melt-in-your-mouth shortbread sandwiched with Tomato Jam!
Your company will be amazed! Makes a spectacular and inventive hors d’oeuvre for you next gathering or party.
Also serve the thins open-faced – with a dollop of jam and a chunk of your favorite cheese.
I’m turning the Linzer Cookie upside down – what is traditionally a sweet cookie is now a savory upscale treat!
Softened Garlic and Fresh Chives makes this Classic Fondue special!
While fondue might be the ultimate party food- I’m in the mood for it’s silky, stingy texture and assertive flavor, and have decided to have a fondue night at home. Indulgent, okay just a little, but it only sounds fancy – it’s incredible simple to make!
I really got into the idea and decided to make these mini dinner rolls for dunking (bread cubes will do too!)
I’m serving the tacos on a vintage serving board with extra Caesar dressing on the side for drizzling.
Ready for a Umami-rich treat? A creative genius recipe that is so delicious and low in carbs! All your favorite Caesar Salad Ingredients – I love to add roasted red peppers too.
Gluten Free – no problem! I have used gluten free bread for the garlic croutons. Eat these immediately after preparing!
My Favorite Deviled Eggs: Grainy Mustard, Purple Scallions, Thyme and a Crisp and Lacy Baked Cheese Frico Makes Them Pungent and Zesty. Learn how to make the perfect hard boiled eggs – don’t boil them… steam them!
Shrimp is always a party pleaser! Cooks quickly – Sautéed Shrimp in a Hearty Garlic Herbal Butter Sauce Skewered with a Cube of Sourdough Bread to Soak up the Flavors.
I’ve added a boost of flavor with fresh herbs, scallions and jalapeño.
The perfect Holiday or Party Appetizer!
Blistered Shishito Peppers are cut in half and stuffed with a medley of Mediterranean ingredients for an addictive appetizer. Shishito Peppers are now widely available – perfect vegetarian pick- up appetizer!
Delectable with Mexican Spices – these caps are stuffed with flavor! Lots of colorful vegetables and ground turkey. A healthy approach to stuffed mushrooms ~ serve with a dollop of sour cream and tomatillo salsa. A delicious meal, snack or appetizer.
The ultimate healthy appetizer – a crisp garlicky baguette slice covered with oozing brie cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and a touch of spiked mayo. Rich and satisfying – these crostini will disappear as quickly as they are served!
Everyone loves salsa, right? The Best Homemade Salsa features Kumato Tomatoes available year-round and prized for their sweet, juicy flavor and firm texture. With a dark-red brown hue and a blush of green – they will roast to a burgundy color… the perfect complement with the chipotle peppers.
Deeply fragrant mushrooms team with flavorful Tuscan spices – coated with a wine-lemon-olive oil marinade. Tangy, delicious, and easy to make. Small-plate sharing isn’t just a Spanish thing. The Italian version of tapas, known as cicchetti in Venice, stuzzichini in Southern Italy and antipasti to many Italian Americans, are great for passing around over a few glasses of vino. Vegan.
An amazing, fun & delicious EASY appetizer and side dish – these charred peppers are addictive and healthy!
When pan-roasted the skin of the shishito pepper becomes blackened, resulting in an amazing smoky flavor.
Pick one up and nibble to the stem!
A Comeback for a Classic Dish! This fresh, seafood-rich trendsetter recipe of the early 20th century takes on a modern flair with Fresh (not frozen) Pink Shrimp and a zippy Louis Sauce.
Here I serve as a salad – for the Holidays ~ add shrimps and sauce on a platter – skewer them , and watch them disappear!
Another party-pleaser! An Irresistible Zesty Pick-Up Appetizer ~ Crispy, crunchy and creamy – all the textures come together; a special recipe for Holiday Entertaining… Gluten Free. A creative twist.
Jumbo Lump Crabmeat’s flavor is left to shine… additions are bright and flavorful: mango, red pepper, chives, jalapeño, lime juice and and the littlest bit of mayo to bind.
No one will be able to resist these savory lollipops. Thin sliced, luminous smoked salmon around zesty cream cheese – the perfect pick-up appetizer for New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.
Looking for a fabulous Vegan Cream Cheese? Try my recipe! Karen’s Vegan Cream Cheese
Dip Into This! A Updated, Healthy Lightened-Up Roast Garlic and Onion Dip.
Need holiday dip that doesn’t break the calorie bank?
A real crowd pleaser – there won’t be any leftovers! This is a REDUX recipe – a healthier version of Lipton Soup Mix Dip.
Serve with crudités as well, pictured: roasted sweet potatoes.
Add some crunch to any gathering. Raw cashews are soaked for easier digestion and are cooked in a slow oven until golden and crispy. Coat with sweet and savory, addictive seasonings: curry powder, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, pink sea salt, coconut nectar, coconut palm sugar and unsweetened shredded coconut. ALSO try: Rosemary & Spice Mixed Nuts Kissed with fresh rosemary and a hints of a sweet-salty flavor.
Hummus gets a flavor boost with aromatic and a bit fiery Harissa (an easy to make versatile condiment.) Harrisa is a flavor-bomb sauce/condiment and pairs wonderfully with mellow hummus – a North African spicy chili paste — the Sriracha of the Middle East. Serve with crudités, pita and interesting tortilla chips (mine are beet flavored.)
LATKES: Chanukah Latkes are that ethereal treat; a potato mixture made by dropping large tablespoons into a skillet of shimmering, hot oil.
Latkes are crispy, naturally sweet, salty and irresistible— so good, it’s a shame we wait all year to enjoy them!
I use 2 kinds of potatoes, include veggies and 3 kinds of onions in the batter.
For a Gluten-Free version, simply use a all-purpose gluten free flour blend in place of the flour for great results.
A new twist for your Potato Pancake repertoire.
Butternut Squash with warm spices makes a delicious sweet latke. These latkes have a pinch of sugar, cinnamon and grated nutmeg (grated apple too!) I love the flavor of these warm spices. Crispy, naturally sweet, salty and irresistible!
Looking for the perfect applesauce recipe? Homemade Applesauce – My Favorite TRY this one!
My ultimate latke recipe with more veggies for added color and crunch. The beets are optional, but I think your family will love the addition. Crispy on the outside, yet tender inside. Bake these treats in muffin tins for a lightened – up version of the fried potato pancake!
The trick for a perfect latke is twofold:
1. For Crispiness: Squeeze your potatoes in a tea towel (or paper towels) until very dry.
2. For Lightness: Separate the eggs; glossy egg whites will make a lightened latke, with a meringue-type batter.
Happy Holidays… enjoy making these vibrant delicious recipes!
Karen
Mediterranean Slow-Baked Appetizer with Feta, Colorful Peppers, Olives & Garlic
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Greek feta cheese cut 1/2"cubes
- 10 ounces mini mixed colored peppers about 3 cups; large dice
- 3 medium garlic cloves peeled and sliced (not too thinly)
- 1/4 cup Mediterranean olives pitted, sliced
- 2 tablespoons poblano pepper* blackened, skin removed; large dice
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Mediterranean, fruity variety
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt to sprinkle over veggies
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano to sprinkle over feta
- 4 whole mini pita breads to be sliced and toasted
- 2 sprigs EACH: fresh rosemary, oregano and thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Add the feta cubes to the center of a 9" x 13" heavy (non-reactive) baking pan, pile lightly. Add peppers around the pan, top them with the garlic, olives, and poblano peppers (can use jalapeño or chili flakes for mild heat.)
- Drizzle all over the feta and vegetables with olive oil. Add black pepper and salt over the vegetables; the oregano over the feta.
- Tuck fresh herb sprigs into the vegetables. Cover with heavy foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours until peppers are very softened and perfumed with the herbs.
To Serve:
- Place the baking pan on a larger platter (add a folded kitchen towel underneath if hot.) Add toasted pita bread triangles and toasted baguette slices around. Add some serving knives and spoons ~ let your guests top their bread with the warm creamy goat cheese, vegetables and drizzle some olive oil.
Another Serving Idea:
- Make individual Crostinis: To each pita or baguette toasted slice - top with feta cheese cubes, then with a potion of pepper/garlic/olive/poblano mixture and drizzle the flavorful olive oil from the pan on top. Garnish with a fresh herb sprig of your choice.
Notes
Blacken over a gas flame, place in a paper bag, crimp and rest 15 minutes. Remove blackened skin under running water, remove seeds and chop 1/2 pieces. Save remainder for a salsa or another recipe. USE any fresh chili peppers you like, at any heat level. This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.