Appetizers are small food bites that are served before the main course. They are small bite-sized snacks, served hot as well as cold, using a wide variety of food ingredients. One need not restrict serving appetizers just before meals, they can also be eaten as mid-day snacks to satisfy hunger pangs.
Easy Appetizer Recipes
Cheddar Cheese Mushrooms
Ingredients:
- Large mushroom, 1 pound
- Finely chopped onion, 1
- Fresh bread crumbs, ½ cup
- Coarsely grated Cheddar cheese
- Walnuts, ½ cup
- Fresh parsley leaves, chopped, ½ cup
- Butter, 6 tbsp
- Salt, ¼ tsp
Wash mushrooms under running water, drain. Cut off the mushroom stems and chop them finely, set aside. In a pan, melt butter, and lightly brush the mushroom tops with it. Toast the walnut, until it releases an aroma. Cool it and chop it into small pieces. In a pan, heat some remaining butter, and sauté the chopped mushroom stems. Remove from heat and add all other ingredients. Stir well, and stuff mushrooms well, making a small mound in each cap. Place the stuffed mushroom side up on a baking sheet in a pre-heated oven, until the cheese begins to melt and turn golden brown. Serve cheddar cheese mushrooms warm.
Salmon Turnovers
Ingredients:
- Dinner roll dough, 1½ cup
- Salmon, 14 ounces
- Cream cheese, 3 ounces
- Grated Parmesan cheese, 3 tbsp
- Sliced green onions, ¼ cup
- Dijon-style mustard, 2tsp
- Fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp
- Dill weed, 1tsp
Shred salmon into small pieces, and thoroughly combine it with onion, cheese, lemon juice, mustard seeds, and dill. Roll out the dinner roll dough in shape of triangles. Add 1½ tablespoon filling into each triangle. Without letting the contents spill out, fold in half to form a triangle. Press the edges firmly. Place them on the baking sheet and bake in pre-heated oven to 350°F, until golden. Serve these easy to make appetizers warm.
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Crisps
Ingredients:
- Chopped red apple, 1
- Chopped fresh strawberries, 1 pint
- Chopped banana, 1
- Chopped kiwifruit, 1
- Fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup
- Sugar, ½ cup
- Ground cinnamon, 1¼ tsp
- Ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp
- Tortillas, 4
In a large bowl, mix banana, strawberries, apple and kiwifruit. In another bowl mix half sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon and nutmeg with lemon juice. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Pour it in the fruit bowl and toss well. Refrigerate it. Cut tortilla into strips. Arrange tortilla pieces on baking sheets and lightly coat with cooking oil. In a small bowl mix the remaining ¾ tsp cinnamon and two tablespoons of sugar. Sprinkle over tortilla chip and bake in a pre-heated oven to 350°F, until lightly browned. Set aside and let it cool. Serve with chilled fruit salsa.
Curried Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- Brown bread, 12 slices
- Cooked and cubed chicken pieces, 2 cups
- Sliced green onions, 2 tbsp
- Sliced celery, ½ cup
- Chopped pecans, ¼ cup
- Dried cranberries, ¾ cup
- Chopped red apple, 1
- Lime juice, 2 tsp
- Salad dressing, ¾ cup
- Curry powder, ½ tsp
- Lettuce leaves
In a large bowl, mix chicken cubes, onions, celery, pecans, apple and cranberries. Combine all these ingredients with salad dressing, lime juice and curry powder and coat it well. Refrigerate it. Before serving, cut each slice of bread into a desired shape, use a cookie cutter. Place a lettuce and top it with the chilled curried chicken mixture. This is a very popular and
simple easy cold appetizer for just about any occasion.
These appetizers will surely be a huge success, be it a before dinner appetizer or a between-the-meals snack. They require minimum preparation time. So go ahead and enjoy not only these yummy and delicious easy to make appetizers, but also the compliments you will get for being able to make them!
