Showing posts with label Appetizers and Snacks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Appetizers and Snacks. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Potato and Caramelized Onion Bourekas (Turnovers)

Recipe for mini savory turnovers, filled with potato, caramelized onion and mustard and wrapped in puff pastry.

We may call them turnovers here but, in the Middle East, these filled puffs of dough are called bourekas. Popular in Israel, they usually contain a savory filling stuffed inside puff pastry.

Monday, December 28, 2020

Charcuterie Board (and a Cocktail) for One

Recipe for a charcuterie board for one and a gin cocktail with elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and champagne.

For most of the past decade that I've been writing this blog, I've ended the year with a round-up of the recipes you all liked best but, this year, I feel the need to write more personally. Oh, if you really are curious, the Vegetarian Salisbury Steak was the single most popular recipe followed closely by the Peanut Butter Cream Filled Doughnuts. That means that you like a healthy entree followed by a decadent dessert. You are SO my people! And yes, this post includes the recipe for an awesome champagne cocktail and charcuterie board for one because food is still my business and my passion. But now, let's chat.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Mini Galettes

Recipe for appetizers made with savory pastry, mustard, caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese.



Let's talk about holiday appetizers. Sure, gatherings may be small this year. But even if it's just family, you still want to serve something special. That doesn't mean you want to fuss in the kitchen for hours, though, right? I've got the perfect solution.

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Red, White and Blue Charcuterie Board

Patriotic themed charcuterie board with red, white and blue fruit and star shaped cookies.

It's fun to serve red, white and blue themed food for the 4th of July but I'm not a fan of using food color just for the sake of making things look patriotic. Fortunately, it's easy enough to do naturally with a bounty of summer fruit.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Crispy Chicken Holiday Bites

Recipe for mini crispy buttermilk and mustard marinated chicken sandwiches served on biscuits.

Lately I'm hearing people debate who has the best chicken sandwich. And while there doesn't seem to be a unanimous opinion, everyone does seem to agree that thicken sandwiches are delicious. Since I haven't tried any of the fast food ones, I'm going to say that the best version is mine. Certainly it's really damn good!

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Cheddar Apple Pie Puffs

Recipe for apples and cheddar cheese baked in mini pie dough rolls.

If you've been a reader for a while (thank you!), you will note that I haven't talked about my relationship status in quite a bit. And I wasn't really planning to. But, after a while of being single again, I'm OK again. And very proud of the steps I've taken to reshape my life. So, let me tell you about one of them.

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Baked Beet Chips with Pistachio Dukkah

Crispy oven baked beet chips dusted with a mix of toasted pistachio and spices.

The search for healthier snacks is pretty much ongoing in my house. I periodically whip out my mandoline, slice up some sweet potatoes and toss them in a hot oven, hoping for crispy chips yet always disappointed. Soggy or burned seem to be the only options. Until now.

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Popcorn Balls and a DIY Popcorn Party

Sweet popcorn balls drizzled with chocolate.

For me, watching the Oscar's or even a marathon of nominated movies, is more fun with a crowd. And what food is more associated with the movies than popcorn, right? So this year I'm making it the theme with sweet popcorn balls, popcorn topped cupcakes and a DIY popcorn bar with a fun assortment of toppings.

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Baked Three Cheese Spinach Dip

Hot baked spinach dip with 3 cheeses.

Hot, gooey, creamy, cheesy...I have your attention, right? January diet? Um...calories don't count while watching football. Or award shows. Or Netflix. Feeling better about this? Good. Let's get back to gooey cheesiness.

Monday, December 10, 2018

Easy Holiday Charcuterie Board with Eckrich Smoked Sausage

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Recipe and instructions for putting together a holiday charcuterie board.

This is a sponsored post, written by me, on behalf of Eckrich Smoked Sausage.

I think one of the reasons that people love this time of year, myself included, is that there's so much focus on gathering. While it can feel like we're disconnected from each other much of the time, the holidays bring family home and friends together.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Mustard Coated Crispy Potato Balls

Crispy mustard coated fried potato balls with cheese.

My favorite thing about this time of year is the focus on gathering. Whether it's family or friends or even new friends like the great group I recently met at a book club meeting, the get-togethers make me feel connected.

Monday, July 2, 2018

French Inspired Cheese Board with Edible Flowers

Cheese board with an array of French hard and soft cheeses, baguettes and edible flowers.

No matter what the season, when I'm entertaining there's nothing more crowd pleasing than a great cheese board. But, in summer, I especially love opening a crisp bottle of rose' and serving cheese on a Sunday afternoon with friends.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Cobb Salad Nachos

Tortilla chips topped with cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes, avocado and grilled chicken.

This recipe got started recently as I was staring at the menu of one of my favorite local dives and trying to decide between nachos and Cobb salad. Normally this is an easy decision for me since Cobb salad is one of my favorites. But I had Cinco de Mayo nachos on the brain.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Spinach and Feta Turnovers (Bourekas)

Savory puff pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese.

Puff pastry and frozen spinach are a couple of items that can usually be found in the back of my freezer somewhere. They're both useful to have around for all kinds of recipe options but, sadly, my freezer is underutilized. I keep nuts and vodka in there but tend to forget to look to it for food ideas. That needs to change.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Cornmeal Onion Fritters

Battered and fried onion fritters

I usually enjoy adapting recipes to be a little healthier and that often means employing my oven or air fryer instead of the deep fryer. But, sometimes there's just no really good substitute for the original, like a crispy onion fritter. And, let's face it, sometimes we need a good, crispy onion fritter.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Roasted Corn Fritters with Tzatziki Sauce

Recipe for savory corn fritters with cheese and herbs, topped with a cucumber yogurt sauce.

For me, there's always been something about the last two weeks of August. Historically it's the time when most New Yorkers take their vacations, even if it's just to head out to the beaches of Long Island. The temperatures get more comfortable and the city empties out slightly. I mean, this is New York so truly empty is never an option but it's still a noticeable difference. And there's a combination of anticipation of fall but also the desire to take advantage of the last bits of summer.

Monday, May 8, 2017

Baked Pine Nut Falafel Sliders with Hummus Slaw

Recipe for baked chickpea and pine nut falafel patties topped with coleslaw in hummus dressing.

It's time, once again, to celebrate one of my favorite foods. Yes, this coming Saturday, May 13th, is International Hummus Day and it totally makes me happy that hummus is so widely appreciated.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Smoked Gouda Pretzel Cheese Dip

Recipe for a cheese dip made with smoked Gouda, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and mustard.

Serious pretzel lover here! Not the hard, crunchy ones you snack on. Wait, I mean, yes, those, too. But I'm talking about the soft, bready ones. Is bready a word? Let's just say it is. Pretzels are all my New York childhood memories of getting the big salty ones from street vendors when my mom and I went to watch the ice skaters at Rockefeller Plaza. Pretzels are my jam.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Middle Eastern Potato Snack Platter

Recipe for a Middle Eastern inspired appetizer platter with za'atar roasted potatoes, hummus and tahini dips.

I'm impatient for spring to arrive. It always happens to me around this time of year. I feel like I've endured two months of freezing cold and snow and now I want cherry blossoms and warmth. Soon, I know, but not quite yet. So, while it's still cold and bleak, I'm catching up on my streaming movie watching and that requires snacks.

Monday, February 20, 2017

Tex-Mex Potato Nachos

Recipe for crispy potato slices topped with beans, corn, tomatoes and cheese.

It feels like I haven't been in my kitchen for weeks but, actually it's more like one week. One whole, incredibly long week of being flat on my back with the flu. Yes, that plague that's been going around since the new year finally caught up to me and all I can say is that it's evil. And I need a serious break from chicken soup for a while. Oy.