Appetizers provide a variety of food for guests to choose from.
Whether you're hosting a formal dinner party, holiday feast or casual get-together with friends, appetizers are a surefire way to charm your guests. Tasty nibbles of food can showcase the range of your culinary talents, and will tide guests over before the main course. Guests can eat, talk and mingle enjoyably even if you need to be off in the kitchen, preparing the entree. Whatever the occasion, you can find plenty of appetizer recipes to suit your needs.
Instructions
Dill Party Dip
1. Make a savory party dip for sliced vegetables and pita bread. Combine two cups Greek yogurt, three tablespoons dill, one tablespoon olive oil, a clove of minced garlic, a teaspoon of lemon zest, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Slice vegetables such as carrots and bell peppers into thin vertical strips. Make each strip as even as possible. Take several rounds of pita bread and slice into wedges. You may also use pita chips or tortilla chips if you wish.
3. Serve dip in a bowl, and place vegetable slices and pita wedges or chips around it on a platter.
Toasted Spiced Almonds
4. Prepare spiced almonds for a crowd-pleasing snack. Melt two tablespoons of butter by placing in a 13 by 9-inch pan in a 300 F oven for three to five minutes. When butter is melted, stir in two teaspoons soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
5. Add two cups of unsalted whole almonds to the pan and toss to coat the almonds in the mixture. Spread the almonds in a single layer over the pan.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally. When done, remove almonds to paper towels and let cool.
Holiday Wreath
7. Make an edible holiday wreath for festive occasions. First, take two eight-ounce rolls of refrigerated crescent-roll dough and remove dough from packaging. Cut each tube into 8 slices and arrange in a circle on an ungreased 14-inch pizza pan.
8. Bake rolls in a preheated 375 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool and remove to a serving platter.
9. Beat together one eight-ounce package of softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon dill and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder in a small bowl. Spread the mixture over the crescent roll wreath.
10. Garnish the wreath with 1 1/2 cups finely chopped broccoli florets, one cup finely chopped celery and 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper. Make a bow-shaped garnish on each roll using celery leaves.
Tags: finely chopped, garlic powder, pita bread, preheated oven, teaspoon garlic, teaspoon garlic powder