When hosting, people often fuss with the main dish when really what you need is a good salad to start off the meal right! This sweet and tasty salad is a favorite of mine. With crunchy pecans, salty feta and sweet strawberries, it’s got a great combination of flavors and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients:
6 oz. fresh spinach
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Directions:
Place spinach in a large salad bowl. Layer on top the sliced strawberries, pecans and crumbled feta. Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil and brown sugar in a small bowl then drizzle over salad right before serving.
I’m all about the broccoli cheddar combo, as you may remember from my Broccoli Cheddar Latkes found HERE. I adore all things mini and love nothing more than a great tasting perfectly sized appetizer.
Ingredients:
2 heads of broccoli
2 eggs
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of cream cheese
1 1/4 cups of bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Directions:
Steam broccoli. Once soft, place in large mixing bowl and mash together. Add eggs, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne pepper. Mix well until combined. Wet your hands and shape the broccoli mixture into balls, about the size of falafel balls/walnuts. (about 1 tablespoon of broccoli mixture) Dip the balls into the remaining bread crumbs, then place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spray cooking oil on top of balls then bake on 375′ for about 20 to 25 minutes until slightly crispy. Serve several balls on skewers or individually on a platter with a combo of mayo and ketchup on the side.
*Tips&Tricks: You can also use the broccoli mixture to make a quiche. Simply put the mixture in a prepared pie crust and bake for about 45 minutes. Or make mini pies with it! Top pies with bread crumbs and extra shredded cheddar cheese.For those of you cheese lovers, wrap the broccoli mixture around cheddar cubes for a super cheesy filling!
Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 red pepper, diced
6 sticks of fake crab, diced
1/4 cup mayo
1 lemon
1/4 tsp. sald, pepper and garlic powder
Directions:
Combine all of the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Serve with crackers or carrot sticks.
I love anything breaded and fried that can be eaten with your fingers and dipped into ketchup, or garlic mayo or honey mustard dipping sauce. Or ketchup. Since I don’t like to fry things up in my kitch, I’m forever on a quest to find out whether or not {insert fried food here} tastes good baked. Baked potato fries are totally delish. Same goes for baked schnitzel. Baked Cauliflower? Yum. Next up on the baked taste test were onion rings. I baked them in an herb crusted coating of bread crumbs and fresh lemon basil (which smells amazing! I’m obsessed with it. I throw it in pasta dishes, salsa, and bread crumbs for a great fresh kick of flavor)
The verdict? Crispy and delicious! The outside is crunchy but the onion is still tender which makes for a great combo! It was hard to save enough for the photo. I kept stealing some from the plate. You know, just to make sure they were good. These would make a great appetizer to a dairy meal, just add parmesan to the bread crumbs mixture. (Yes, I totally whipped up two batches just to test it out and yes, it was totally delish!) Since what you eat is only as good as what you dip it into, I served them up with a honey mustard dipping sauce with some crunchy baked onion rings mixed in.
Ingredients:
1 onion
2 eggs plus 1 teaspoon water
1 cup of bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (I used lemon basil)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
Whisk the eggs and water together in a shallow dish. Combine herbs, salt and pepper and bread crumbs in a separate shallow dish. Peel onion. Cut into rings. Dip the onion rings into egg mixture, then into bread crumbs herb mixture. Place on lightly greased baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (You can spray the rings with cooking oil for an extra crunch!) Bake on 400′ for 25 minutes or until crispy.
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup of mayo
1/4 cup of honey
1/4 cup of djon mustard
3 onion rings chopped
Combine the mayo, honey and mustard until smooth. Top with chopped onion rings for a tasty crunch!
*Tips&Tricks: Add shredded or grated parmesan to the bread crumbs mixture for a deliciously dairy and cheesy taste!
Ingredients:
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 cloves of garlic, diced
Directions:
Wash and clean tomatoes. Cut them in half, lengthwise then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil on top and season with rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix well so all the tomatoes are coated. Roast them cut side up, on 400′ for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned and caramelized.
Ingredients:
1 container of extra firm tofu
1 egg
1 cup of panko crumbs (or bread crumbs)
Directions:
Remove tofu from container and drain water. Wrap tofu in paper towel and leave on counter to drain for 20 minutes. Pat tofu dry with a paper towel. Slice tofu in half, across the middle to make two thinner pieces. Then cut tofu into french fry sticks. Coat the tofu sticks in egg then dip into crumbs. Place on a lightly greased baking pan (I use cooking oil spray) and bake in oven on 400′ for 20-25 minutes until crispy. Serve with hot dipping sauce.
Hot Dipping Sauce:
1 cup of mayo
1 tsp. sriracha sauce sauce
Blend together. Add more sriracha sauce if desired.
*Tips&Tricks:You can make this dairy by adding grated parmesan to the crumbs and freshly chopped herbs like basil, parsley or cilantro. You can also season the crumbs with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, chile powder or your favorite seasonings.
