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!

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

Ingredients:
12. oz tortellini pasta (I used frozen sun-dried tomato tortellini)
2 tablespoons earth balance buttery spread (non dairy)
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons pesto sauce (I use the Dorot frozen cubes. 1 cube = 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
12 oz. artichoke hearts

Directions:
Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Once cooked, remove from water and set aside. Reserve 1 cup of water and set aside. Heat up earth balance in a large pot until melted. Add the flour and whisk together until smooth and combined. Add the milk and whisk together until smooth and combined. Continue to whisk together until thickened. Add the pesto and season with salt, pepper and garlic. Drain the artichokes and add to the sauce and whisk together with sauce. Once nice and thick, turn off heat and add the pasta into the sauce. Mix together and serve with freshly chopped basil and red pepper flakes. (optional, for those that like it spicy!)

*Tips&Tricks: If you do not like artichokes, you can replace them with wilted spinach, sauteed mushrooms and onions, or simply stick with pasta. You can also swap the tortellini for your favorite pasta! If you want to make this dairy, simple use butter instead of the earth balance and use milk or heavy cream instead of soy milk. If serving this dairy, be sure to add some parmesan on top after it’s cooked. There is nothing like yummy fresh grated parmesan!

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

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.

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

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!

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

Ingredients:
1 pint of roasted grape tomatoes (get recipe HERE)
1 bag of spinach (about 4 cups)
3 cloves of garlic, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons earth balance natural buttery spread
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups of almond milk (or soy)
8 oz. pasta (I used Trader Joes Garlic Basil Linguine but any long pasta will do such as fettucini or spaghetti)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon basil, chopped

Directions:
Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. While the pasta cooks and you roast the tomatoes (recipe HERE) saute olive oil and garlic in a large pot. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Once wet and wilted, it will reduce in size. Remove from heat and set aside. Using the same large pot, melt the earth balance buttery spread and add the flour. Whisk until combined and slightly thick. Add the milk and whisk until combined and continue to whisk over medium heat until smooth and thick. If you want it to be thicker, you can add an additional tablespoon of flour. Once sauce is thickened, add the spinach and tomatoes and combine well. Add pasta to pot of sauce and whisk together. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper and stir several minutes over heat then turn off fire. Add fresh lemon basil and mix together before serving.

*Tips&Tricks: You can easily make this recipe dairy by using butter instead of the earth balance, and using heavy cream or cows milk instead of almond milk. If you make this dairy, serve with parmesan cheese shredded or grated on top.

~ Recipe submitted by Nina Safar

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.