At every party, there are two kinds of people - those who want to go home and those who don't. The trouble is, they're usually married to each other. ~ Ann Landers
I remember a time, a few years back, when the thought of having to bring a dish to a party would have sent a shiver down my spine and had me wondering if pizza would be tacky. And, the thought of hosting that party and having to prepare multiple food bits would have been enough to keep me in bed for days, faking the flu. Not anymore. I love, love, love throwing parties and never look for anyone to bring anything…except plenty of wine!
I remember a time, a few years back, when the thought of having to bring a dish to a party would have sent a shiver down my spine and had me wondering if pizza would be tacky. And, the thought of hosting that party and having to prepare multiple food bits would have been enough to keep me in bed for days, faking the flu. Not anymore. I love, love, love throwing parties and never look for anyone to bring anything…except plenty of wine!
When preparing a party menu, you want to make sure you minimize your work the day of. You want to enjoy yourself too, right? So, look for appetizers that can be made up a day or two in advance. Spreads and dips are great for that. Something you can throw in a crock-pot in the morning also works well. Think about what you’re serving; imagine it on someone’s plate and make sure to offer a variety of what I refer to as the Three T’s… tastes, textures and temperatures.
Here are 3 easy appetizers that I’ve found to be crowd favorites. Each of these recipes will serve 6-8 people so adjust accordingly.
Apple & Onion Crostini
1 c balsamic vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 of your favorite type of apples, roughly chopped (I like Gala)
1 tbs pine nuts
1/2 regular or whole wheat baguette
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat broiler
Slicing diagonally, cut the baguette into 1/2" rounds. Brush with olive oil and toast under the broiler. Do NOT walk away, they will toast up quickly.
Place a small saucepan over medium high heat and cook the balsamic until it reduces by about half and thickens up, about 6-8 minutes. Run your exhaust fan while the balsamic cooks as it is very hard on the eyes.
While the balsamic is cooking, place a medium sized skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onions and apples to the pan and cook for about 8-10 minutes until the mixture starts to brown. Add the pine nuts and salt & pepper to taste.
Top the toasted baguette rounds with a dollop of the apple & onion mixture and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.
Makes 12-15 crostinis
Olive Tapenade (can be made the day before)
1 c oil cured olives, pits removed
2 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, popped out of skin
6 anchovy fillets
3 oz sun dried tomatoes, rehydrated and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp allspice
black pepper, to taste
1/4 c Cognac (optional)
In a small skillet on medium-high, heat the olive oil and garlic until the garlic sizzles. Add the anchovies and saute until they melt into the oil and disappear. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Add the olives, tomatoes, oil and Cognac (if you're using it) to the food processor and pulse grind into a paste, seasoning with pepper and allspice as you do.
Serve with crackers, toast points or roughly torn pita rounds.
Red Pepper Humus (can be made the day before)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained (15 oz)
1 jar roasted red peppers (4 oz)
3 tbs lemon juice
1 1/2 tbs tahini
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less depending on your tolerance)
1/4 c flat leaf parsley, chopped
pinch of salt
Add everything to the food processor and, using long pulses and remembering to scrape down the sides of the bowl, process until the mixture is fairly smooth. If it seems too thick, drizzle a small stream of olive oil into mixture as it it processing. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Serve with crackers, toast points or roughly torn pita rounds.
Apple & Onion Crostini
1 c balsamic vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 of your favorite type of apples, roughly chopped (I like Gala)
1 tbs pine nuts
1/2 regular or whole wheat baguette
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat broiler
Slicing diagonally, cut the baguette into 1/2" rounds. Brush with olive oil and toast under the broiler. Do NOT walk away, they will toast up quickly.
Place a small saucepan over medium high heat and cook the balsamic until it reduces by about half and thickens up, about 6-8 minutes. Run your exhaust fan while the balsamic cooks as it is very hard on the eyes.
While the balsamic is cooking, place a medium sized skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onions and apples to the pan and cook for about 8-10 minutes until the mixture starts to brown. Add the pine nuts and salt & pepper to taste.
Top the toasted baguette rounds with a dollop of the apple & onion mixture and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.
Makes 12-15 crostinis
Olive Tapenade (can be made the day before)
1 c oil cured olives, pits removed
2 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, popped out of skin6 anchovy fillets
3 oz sun dried tomatoes, rehydrated and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp allspice
black pepper, to taste
1/4 c Cognac (optional)
In a small skillet on medium-high, heat the olive oil and garlic until the garlic sizzles. Add the anchovies and saute until they melt into the oil and disappear. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Add the olives, tomatoes, oil and Cognac (if you're using it) to the food processor and pulse grind into a paste, seasoning with pepper and allspice as you do.
Serve with crackers, toast points or roughly torn pita rounds.
Red Pepper Humus (can be made the day before)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained (15 oz)
1 jar roasted red peppers (4 oz)
3 tbs lemon juice
1 1/2 tbs tahini1-2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less depending on your tolerance)
1/4 c flat leaf parsley, chopped
pinch of salt
Add everything to the food processor and, using long pulses and remembering to scrape down the sides of the bowl, process until the mixture is fairly smooth. If it seems too thick, drizzle a small stream of olive oil into mixture as it it processing. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Serve with crackers, toast points or roughly torn pita rounds.
The apple and onion crostini can be made on a camp stove as well as we discovered this weekend when the power went out at Jen's cottage. The baguette was toasted on the bbq and the rest made on the camp stove. Fantastic!
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