Tag Archives: Appetizers

2-Minute Restaurant Style Mediterranean Hummus Appetizer

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Restaurant Style Mediterranean Hummus Appetizer! So easy and tastes gourmet

One of my absolute favorite things to eat is the hummus appetizer from Chama River Brewing Co.  The other night I was having girlfriends over and decided to try to replicate it at home.  It turned out so delicious and … Continue reading →

Spicy Sautéed Shrimp with Garlic, Lemon and White Wine

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Spicy Shrimp with Garlic, Lemon & White Wine

This is a really fun and quick recipe that’s perfect as a fast weeknight meal or it makes a wonderful appetizer when entertaining!  The shrimp take on the full flavors of paprika, garlic and lemon and the dish is done … Continue reading →

Turkey Bacon & Gorgonzola Sweet Potato Skins with Fresh Thyme

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Turkey Bacon & Gorgonzola Sweet Potato Skins with Fresh Thyme

I’m officially obsessed with this recipe.  I’ve made it twice in two days and I plan on these skins now being my go-to dish for entertaining or potlucks.  This is another fantastic recipe I adapted from The Fit Cook.  I’ve shared … Continue reading →

Oven Baked Coconut Shrimp with Habanero Peach Lime Dipping Sauce

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We’ve been watching the Olympics every night and there’s something fun about watching it and sitting on the couch and eating appetizers for dinner instead of a real meal.  I whipped up this delicious and guilt-free treat as our dinner the other night and it was a hit.  Jon and I both gobbled down almost every last shrimp and I made a pound.  It  takes about 15 minutes of prep and about 17 minutes of baking time.  While it can get a bit messy it’s a really simple recipe that tastes like we ordered it from a restaurant.  I plan on making this as an appetizer the next time I entertain.

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Enjoy!

Oven Baked Coconut Shrimp with Habanero Peach Lime Dipping Sauce (Makes 24 shrimp: serves 6-8 as appetizer)

Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/2 cup peach Habanero jam (If you can’t find this jam, just get a peach or pineapple jam and mix with 2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper)
  • 1 pound uncooked large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups sweetened flaked  coconut

Directions:

  • Combine lime juice & jam in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl beat egg whites with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.
  • Place cornstarch and coconut on two separate plates. Hold shrimp by the tail and dip and coat the shrimp with cornstarch. Next, dip the shrimp in the egg whites and finally in the coconut coating well.
  • Place shrimp on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until coconut is a golden brown.  Turn shrimp once halfway through cooking time to make sure both sides brown.
  • Serve with dipping sauce.

Tequila Soaked Watermelon Wedges

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Watermelon-good. Tequila-good. Lime-good. Salt-good. Mix all those things together and you get an absolutely delicious concoction that’s sure to be the biggest hit at any party. I saw this on Pinterest recently and just had to try it. I brought these delightful wedges to the 4th of July party we went to and the trays of watermelon slices were empty in minutes. Just make sure you keep the kids away from these! They look like plain watermelon because the alcohol and salt just absorb right into the fruit. It’s like eating a watermelon margarita, without all the calories of the sweet and sour mix. The sweetener in this is agave nectar so it digests in the body easier than sugar does. It has a really low glycemic index and, while it does have more calories than white sugar, it’s about 40% sweeter so you can use less. Read more about agave vs. sugar here.

You will definitely be glad you made these. :)

Enjoy!

Tequila Soaked Watermelon Wedges (serves 10-15 depending on size of watermelon)

Ingredients:

  • 1 seedless watermelon, quartered and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
  • 3/4 – 1 cup agave
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup tequila
  • 1/2 cup Triple Sec
  • 2 limes, halved or cut into wedges
  • margarita salt (or any course salt will do)

Directions:

  • Arrange watermelon in a single layer in two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes.
  • Bring agave, water, tequila, and Triple Sec to a simmer in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, until agave dissolves, about 30 sec – 1 minute. Let cool slightly. Pour syrup over watermelon wedges, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. The longer you let it sit in the tequila mixture the better!
  • Remove watermelon from syrup, and arrange on a platter. Squeeze limes over melon, and season generously with the course salt.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Spicy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

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This girl was living alone all of last week while Jon was on a business trip.  I couldn’t figure out what to make for dinner when I only had myself to feed!

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 I had a bag of sweet potatoes sitting on my counter from my last Trader Joes spree and some were starting to sprout those ugly things.  I figured I should use them up right away and make something delicious while I’m at it!

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These took about 5-10 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to cook.  They were simple, easy, full of flavor and very low in fat and calories.  My perfect meal!  The combination of the potatoes and the ginger, paprika, cayenne and cumin was both sweet and spicy.  The lime juice that goes on after they are baked really adds a fresh, unique twist.  These definitely had a kick!

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These tasty little wedges make an excellent side dish, appetizer, snack or, if you’re like me, they make a fantastic main dish!

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 Enjoy!

 Spicy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Wedges (Serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main dish)

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed well
  • 1 1/2-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400  degrees.
  • Slice sweet potatoes in half lengthwise; slice each half into 3 wedges and then cut those in half.
  • Place in a medium bowl, and toss with oil, cumin, paprika, ginger, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.  If you have a baking rack like this, put the potatoes on it before putting on a baking sheet.  The rack helps the hot air distribute evenly over the wedges.
  •  Transfer to oven; roast until potatoes are crisp and golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes.
  • Turn, and continue roasting until golden all over, about 15 minutes more.
  • Remove from oven; season with salt and pepper and squeeze lime juice over wedges.
  • Serve with lime wedges.

Caprese Skewers

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My mom had us all over for Easter dinner on Sunday and I wanted to bring something light and healthy to balance out the delicious bundt cake I knew I’d be snacking on (my boyfriend’s family owns Nothing Bundt Cakes in Albuquerque…the most delicious cake in the universe). I found this recipe on The Curvy Carrot and I knew it would make the perfect appetizer for Easter.

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It took only minutes to put together and it makes a beautiful, colorful snack. This will be a perfect summer appetizer to make for pool days and wine nights with the girls. It’s high in flavor and very low in fat and carbs.

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Enjoy!

Caprese Skewers

Adapted from The Curvy Carrot

Ingredients

  • 1 lb mixed medley cherry tomatoes (I got mine from Trader Joe’s)
  • 1 12 oz. container of marinated fresh mozzarella (I got these from Trader Joe’s as well)
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, gently torn into 1/2-inch pieces
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Wooden skewers, for serving

Instructions

  • Beginning with a fresh basil leaf, spear the basil, followed by a cherry tomato, another piece of basil, a tomato, a mozzarella piece, and tomato, as desired. Repeat with each additional skewer.
  • Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and sea salt. If you use fresh mozzarella that’s not marinated, drizzle a bit of olive oil over the skewers before seasoning with the pepper flakes and salt. A bit of balsamic vinegar would add some great flavor to these as well.