Appetizer Recipes

1. Cocktail’s
🍤Mini Shrimp Cocktail Appetizer

This recipe is made by HokiesMom can made up to 8 servings and prepared in

10mins.

Ingredients:
~16 crackers (I have used Ritz & Cobblestone Wheat Crackers)
~1⁄3 cup whipped cream cheese spread
~1⁄3 cup seafood cocktail sauce
~16 large fresh shrimp, cooked (or pre-cooked frozen shrimp that has been thawed)
~1⁄3 cup finely chopped green onion (optional)

Directions:
Spread each cracker with 1 tsp of the cream cheese spread.
Top evenly with the cocktail sauce and one shrimp.
Sprinkle some of the finely chopped onions on top (if you desire).
2. Hors D Oeuvres
🥦 Spinach Artichoke Dip

This baked spinach artichoke dip is a

guaranteed party hit! It's deliciously
creamy and cheesy, but shhh! A secret
veggie ingredient is hiding inside it.
If you want to impress guests at your next
holiday party, make this spinach artichoke
dip! It’s creamy, cheesy, and rich with briny
artichoke flavor. In fact, it’s so good that every
time we make it, Jack and I devour it standing
at the kitchen counter. We can’t get enough!

Ingredients:
~ Artichoke hearts ~ Fresh spinach
~ Cauliflower and Greek yogurt ~ Garlic and scallions
~ Dijon mustard ~ White cheddar cheese

Directions:
First, boil the cauliflower and garlic. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the veggies,
and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 8 minutes.
Next, blanch the spinach. Add it to the pot of boiling water for just a few seconds (it wilts
quickly!), and transfer it to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Then, scoop the
spinach onto a kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess liquid. Don’t skip this step – no one
likes watery spinach artichoke dip! Roughly chop the drained spinach, and set it aside.
Then, make the dip’s creamy base. Allow the cauliflower to cool almost to room temperature
before blending it with the cooked garlic, Greek yogurt, mustard, olive oil, and salt.
After you’ve blended together the creamy puree, mix up the dip! Add the puree to a bowl with
the scallions, chopped spinach, and artichokes, and stir everything together.
Finally, it’s time to bake! Spread the spinach and artichoke mixture in a lightly greased 8-inch
cast iron skillet. Sprinkle it with grated cheese and chopped scallions, and bake until the cheese
is golden brown, hot, and bubbly. Garnish it with chopped parsley, and serve with toasted
baguette. Enjoy!
3. Canapes

🥒 Cucumber Canapes

They're delicate finger sandwiches a

herb spread and festive red and
green garnishes. —Nadine
Whittaker, South Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Ingredients:
~1 cup mayonnaise ~3 ounces cream cheese, softened
~1 tablespoon grated onion ~1 tablespoon minced chives
~1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar ~1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
~1 garlic clove, minced ~1/4 teaspoon paprika
~1/8 teaspoon curry powder. ~1 loaf (1 pound) white or rye bread
~1/8 teaspoon each dried oregano, thyme, basil, parsley flakes and dill weed
~2 medium cucumbers, scored and thinly sliced
~Diced pimientos and additional dill weed
Directions:
•a blender or food processor, combine the mayonnaise, cream cheese, onion, chives, vinegar,
Worcestershire sauce, garlic and seasonings. Cover and process until blended. Cover and
refrigerate for 24 hours.
•Using a 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter, cut out circles from bread slices. Spread mayonnaise mixture
over bread; top with cucumber slices. Garnish with pimientos and dill.
4. Zakuskis
🥔 Romanian/Russian Salata de Boeuf (Salat Olivje)

Salata de boeuf, literally "beef salad," is a traditional Romanian potato salad. The
name sounds French but is actually of Russian origin, where it is known as salad Olivier (salat
Olivje). It was invented in the 1860s by Belgian chef Lucien Olivier who worked at the
Hermitage museum in Russia.
Originally made with beef, it is now made with whatever is on hand—chicken,
turkey, ham, or even hot dogs. The recipe varies from family to family and region to region, but
what remains constant is the use of potatoes and root vegetables, and the fact that all the
ingredients are diced finely. The salad is often decorated elaborately with bits of vegetables
(traditionally pickled) and hard-cooked eggs. Adorned or not, it's a great-tasting salad that can
be served as part of an appetizer spread or as a main course with crusty bread.

Ingredients
For the Salad: For the Garnish:
~2 large Russet potatoes. ~ Reserved hard-cooked eggs
~2 medium carrots. ~Reserved cooked vegetables
~1 1/2 to 2 medium parsnips. ~Parsley
~5 large eggs. ~Olives
~1 small onion
~2 stalks celery
~1 to 2medium pickles
~2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
finely diced
~1 1/2 cups frozen peas

For the Dressing:

~2 cups mayonnaise
~1 tablespoon mustard
~Salt, to taste
~Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
• Make the Salad
✓Gather the ingredients.
✓ In a large pot of salted water, boil the potatoes in their skins until they are fork-tender,
about 20 minutes. Remove them from the water and when cool enough to handle, peel off the
skin. Dice finely and reserve.
✓ Peel the carrots and parsnips. In a large pot of boiling water, cook them until fork-tender, 8
to 10 minutes. Remove them from the water and when cool enough to handle, dice finely and
reserve.
✓ Hard boil the eggs. When cool enough to handle, dice finely and set aside.
✓ Finely dice the onions, celery, and pickles.
✓ In a large bowl, add the diced potatoes, diced cooked chicken or other meat, diced carrots,
parsnips, eggs, onion, and celery, reserving some of the vegetables and eggs to use to decorate
the salad.
✓ the diced pickles lightly in a paper towel to remove some of their juice (otherwise the salad
will be too watery) and add to the rest of the diced ingredients.
✓ Place the frozen peas in a colander and run cold water over them to defrost. Drain
completely, patting dry, if necessary, and add to the other diced ingredients in the large bowl.
• Make the Dressing
✓ Gather the ingredients.
✓ In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper.
• Assemble the Salad
✓ Add the dressing to the bowl of vegetables and chicken and toss to completely coat.
✓ the salad to a pretty serving bowl or mound onto a platter. Cover the entire top with a thin
layer of the dressing. Use enough so no salad shows through. Decorate the top with the
reserved vegetables and hard-cooked eggs, along with olives and parsley.
✓ Cover the salad with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to serve chilled. While you
could serve it immediately at room temperature, refrigerating it allows the flavors to mix
together best.
✓ Serve and enjoy.

5. Relishes/Crudites
🥕Creamy Carrot Dip With Crudités

Hands-On: 20 mins
Total: 45 mins
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:
~¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
~1 tablespoon ground coriander
~1 ½ pounds carrots, sliced
~kosher salt and black pepper
~¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
~3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cup)
~flatbread, endive leaves, snap peas, and radishes for serving

Directions:
• Heat the oil and coriander in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the carrots, ¾ cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, covered, stirring
often, until carrots are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until
smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Top the dip with the cilantro and goat cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.
• Serve with the flatbread, endive, snap peas, and radishes.

6. Petite
🌽Petite Pasta Salad With Corn, Tomatoes and Feta

To keep this dish light, I choose a small pasta shape, sometimes labeled "salad" pasta, such as
small shells or bows. Vegetables are cut the same size as the pasta. For flavor, I add chopped
herbs, a good shot of vinegar and feta cheese, crumbled finely for maximum distribution. Only
a tablespoon of oil is used here, but add more if you prefer a silkier-textured pasta salad.
The salad works as a lunch dish on its own; it could also serve as a side salad on a buffet or with
grilled or broiled meats and fish.
Make Ahead: The salad is best the day it is made, but it will hold in the refrigerator for up to 2
days.

Ingredients:
• 8 ounces salad-size dried pasta, such as small shells, farfalle, ditalini or tubetti
• 1 pound tomatoes, peeled and seeded, cut into 1/4- to 1/2 inch dice (1 1/4 cups; see NOTE)
• Kernels from 2 ears of cooked corn (1 1/2 cups)
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled • 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt • Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
✓ Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the
package directions.
✓ Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, corn, feta, chives, parsley, balsamic and red wine
vinegars, oil and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Toss to coat evenly; let sit for 10
minutes.
✓ Drain the pasta and rinse it with cool water so you can use it right away. Shake off any
excess moisture, then add the pasta to the tomato-corn mixture. Toss to incorporate; add oil as
needed.
✓ Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for 1 or 2 days. Bring to room temperature
before serving.
~ NOTE: To peel tomatoes, use a sharp knife to score a shallow "X" on the bottom of the fruit.
Place in a pot of boiling water or in a bowl of very hot water for 1 to 2 minutes; transfer the
tomatoes to a bowl. When they are cool enough to handle, discard the loosened skins.
7.Chip and Dip
🥣Best Ever Chip Dip

This simple chip dip takes 5 minutes to pull together, and is SO much better than
those little packets - cheaper, too! Sour cream, mayo, and herbs... bring on the chips and
veggies!
Ingredients:
~1 cup sour cream
~1/2 cup mayonnaise
~1 tbsp dried minced onion
~2 tsp dried parsley
~1 tsp dried dill weed
~1 tsp garlic salt
Directions:
• Mix sour cream and mayo together in a medium-ish mixing bowl.
• Stir in the seasonings: dried minced onion, dill, parsley, and garlic salt.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate at least two hours before serving. It really is that simple!
✓ Dipper ideas:
~Kettle potato chips or ridged potato chips (both are better than regular chips for holding dip)
~Cut up veggies like baby carrots, broccoli florets, and sliced cucumber
~Mini pretzels
8. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
🥗🍕Mini Pizza Appetizer

If you need a quick and easy hold over until the big Holiday meal is ready, these mini-
pizza appetizers are sure to do the trick. Premade dough saves time and reduces the cooking
time dramatically while acidic tomato puree is infused with earthy soft mushrooms, crispy
bitter onions, and sweet melted mozzarella. Anchovy fillets gives a sophisticated element to
the otherwise rustic pizzas. Let’s be honest, we all live a mini pizza; they aren’t just for the kids.
Ingredients:
~ 1 shortcrust pastry ~1 onion (finely chopped)
~ 1 can mushroom ~ 400 grams tomato pulp
~ salt (to taste) ~ ground black pepper (to taste)
~ 1 can anchovies ~ mozzarella cheese (grated)
Directions
• Preheat oven to 410F.
• Roll out the dough and use a pastry cutter or a glass to cut out circles that are 6 centimeters
in diameter.
• Arrange them on a baking tray.
• Heat a little olive oil in saucepan on low heat, and cook the onion, mushrooms, tomato pulp,
salt, and pepper.
• Garnish the tarts with 1 teaspoon of the tomato mix.
• Add a piece of anchovy and sprinkle with mozzarella.
• Bake the pizzas for 20 minutes.
Reflection

First of all, the appetizer on top is sonething I might not taste for now but in the
future. The appetizer is a small dish of food or drinks taken before a meal or the
main course of a meal to stimulate one’s appetite. The appetizers are sometimes
colorful, many quantities and is neatly styled just to make sure to make the one who
eating get a satisfaction. Now I know, appetizers can make one’s stomach aroused
even after just seeing it because i experience it myself. Sometimes appetizer can be
snacks can be eaten afternoon time or midnight snacks