Easy Appetizer Recipes

Every time you have a party or want to go out for a small vacation, it is difficult to come up with new ideas for appetizers. These recipes can be used to prepare some quick dishes that will be appreciated by all.

This is one of my personal favorites. It is healthy as well as one of the easiest dishes to prepare.

Ingredients

• French Loaf
• Garlic Cloves, 6
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ¼ cup
• Cherry Tomatoes, 6
• Balsamic Vinegar, 2 tbsp.
• Basil, ¼ cup
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, ¼ tsp.
• Mozzarella Cheese, 2 cups
• Salt to taste

Steps

• Heat the oven to 400º F.
• While you heat the oven, de-skin (peel the skin off) the tomatoes and chop them. Finely chop the garlic as well.
• Take a large bowl and mix the chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, chopped basil (without the stem), pepper, and salt. Let this mixture rest for 10-12 minutes.

• Cut the French loaf bread in 2 inch slices. Apply olive oil with a pastry brush on one side of each slice. Then brown the slices on both sides by broiling them.
• Just before you serve the bruschetta on the non-oily side of the slices, spread the tomato mixture.

• On the mixture, spread some cheese and broil the slices again till the cheese melts. And now your bruschetta is ready. Serve it hot with Basil Pesto Sauce.

If you like mushrooms then this will culminate into one of your favorite dishes.

Ingredients

• Mushrooms, 1 lb.
• Butter, 6 tsp.
• Parsley, ½ cup
• Onion, 1
• Cheddar Cheese, (Grated) 1 cup
• Bread Crumbs, ½ cup
• Walnuts, ½ cup
• Salt to taste

Steps

• Wash the mushrooms and remove the stem. Chop the stem finely. Make a small mound in the mushroom caps and keep them aside. Finely chop the onion.
• Toast the walnuts slightly and then crush them into fine bits after they cool down.

• Preheat the oven to 350 ºF.
• Melt the butter in a pan. Place the mushroom on a baking sheet and brush them with melted butter using a pastry brush.

• Sauté the mushroom stems in the remaining butter till they become soft.
• To the sautéed mushroom stem, add parsley, chopped onion, cheese, bread crumbs, chopped walnuts, and salt. Stir fry the mixture well.

• Stuff the mixture in the mushroom caps. Now bake the mushroom caps for approximately 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven.
• The cheddar cheese mushrooms are now ready. It is to be served hot. It tastes best when served with cheese sauce.

A small note you would want to make is that these recipes can be prepared well in advance. Do not bake the mushrooms in advance, instead, fill them up and store them in the refrigerator. Take them out an hour before service time and then bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Serve warm.

This dish will add variety to the menu, when you have friends visiting you for a party.

Ingredients

• Finely sliced zucchini, 3 cups
• Baking Powder, 1 tbsp.
• Onion, (chopped) 1
• Grated Cheddar Cheese, 2 cups
• Thyme Leaves, 2 tsp.
• Flour, 1 ½ cup
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, 1 tsp.
• virgin olive oil, ½ cup
• Eggs, 3
• Little butter to grease the baking sheet

Steps

• Preheat the oven to 350 ºF.
• Grease the baking dish with butter.
• In a bowl, mix zucchini and salt. Keep it aside for 30-40 minutes, then squeeze out the juice from the zucchini.

• Take another bowl. Mix the flour and baking soda in it. To this mixture, add the zucchini, onion, cheese, thyme leaves, and black pepper. Mix all the ingredients well, so that no clumps of zucchini remain in the mixture.

• Whisk the eggs and olive oil together. Pour it on the zucchini mixture. Break all the clumps that are formed.

• Now transfer the entire mixture into the baking dish. Bake till the mixture becomes golden brown in color. It will take approximately 30-35 minutes for the same. Let the dish cool for about 5-7 minutes.
• After the dish cools down, make square pieces and serve warm.

Do try these recipes and give me the feedback for the same. Try and experiment with the ingredients and see what can further improve its taste, and if it is reported to be successful, I will try these variations myself.