The tapenade is a dip or paste made with olives (black or green), anchovies and capers. This appetizer comes from Provence, France and is great with fresh bread or toast. With the help of a food processor, or blender, this hors d’oeuvre is ready within 5 minutes.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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Ingredients
- 200 g black olives pitted
- 1 Tbsp capers
- 20 g anchovies filets in oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 lemon (juice only)
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in an electric blender. Pulse a few times until finely chopped. The tapenade should have small pieces of olives. Do not over blend!
- Serve with crackers or fresh baguette slices.
This post was posted in Appetizers
Smoked Salmon Puffs
These irresistible little puffs are filled with a delicate cream made of smoked salmon. Excellent as an appetizer with a glass of Champagne!
| Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Cook Time | 50 minutes |
| Servings |
small puffs
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Ingredients
Dough
- 200 ml water or milk
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 3 pinches of salt
- 120 g all purpose flour
- 3-4 eggs
- 1 egg yolk (optional)
Salmon filling
- 250 g smoked salmon cut into pieces
- small onion minced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100 ml heavy cream( 35%) very cold
- Some fresh dill, or chive, minced
- Few pinches of paprika for decoration
Ingredients
Dough
Salmon filling
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Instructions
Dough
- Preheat oven to 390 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a pot, add water, butter and salt. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
- Add flour and mix well, until the dough comes away from the walls and forms into a ball.
- Add the eggs one by one. Stir well. The dough should become smooth and shiny.
- Place saucepan back on the heat and keep mixing for about 30-50 seconds, to dry out the moisture. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag.
- Pipe puffs (no bigger than a walnut). Space the puffs on the baking sheet, because the dough will rise.
- Lightly brush the top of puffs with egg yolk.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the puffs are puffed and golden brown in color. Do not open the oven while baking. Remove from the oven, let them cool down completely and carefully transfer to a flat surface.
Smoked salmon filling
- In a food processor, combine the smoked salmon with the onion, garlic, sour cream and olive oil. Process until smooth.
- Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix once more.
- Whip heavy cream, until soft peaks form.
- Gently fold in salmon mix into the whipped cream. Add the minced fresh dill.
- Cut puffs in half. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag and fill the puffs. Replace the top.
- Dust puffs with paprika. Serve right away or keep in the refrigerator.
This post was posted in Appetizers
Baked Feta (Feta Psiti)
Baked Feta (Psiti) is a traditional Greek dish. It is very easy to prepare at home and will become one of your favorite appetizers.
| Prep Time | 3 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
servngs
|
Ingredients
- 200 g feta cheese (in one block)
- 2 pinches oregano
- Some chili pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Place the feta in an oven-proof dish. Add the oregano and chili pepper flakes followed by the olive oil.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Serve hot with fresh bread or pita.
This post was posted in Appetizers
Cucumber Bites With Boursin Cheese and Salmon
The freshness of the cucumber and the bite of Boursin cheese in this smoked salmon roll will hit all of your taste buds.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
persons
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Ingredients
- 1 english cucumber
- 8 thin smoked salmon slices
- 90 g Boursin cheese
- some fresh dill (optional)
- 2 pinches paprika (optional)
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Cut the cucumber into slices (1/2 cm). Cut each slice of smoked salmon in half lengthwise (smaller than your cucumber slice).
- Spread 1tsp of Boursin™ cheese on each salmon strip and roll it up.
- Top each cucumber slice with a salmon roll. Insert a wooden stick down the center to keep everything together. Garnish with finely chopped fresh dill and paprika. Serve at once or keep refrigerated until needed.
This post was posted in Appetizers
Easy Puff Pastry Cheese Sticks
These crispy, flaky, cheesy sticks require just a few ingredients and 15 minutes of your time. Very easy to put together with absolutely no experience needed. They go with dips, salads, soups, beer and yet, kids favorite crunchy snack.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 8 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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Ingredients
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 1 egg yolk
- 50 g shredded cheese
- Some Herbes de Provence or any herbs of your choice
- freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a parchment paper roll out the puff pastry.
- Whisk the egg yolk and spread evenly over the puff pastry.
- Sprinkle cheese, herbs and pepper on top of the yolk mixture. Slice with a pizza cutter into 1 cm strips.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes.
This post was posted in Appetizers, Puff Pastry
Creamy And Buttery Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are the perfect healthy appetizers and always welcome at a party. This is very easy recipe with softened butter and a bit of garlic.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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Ingredients
- 10 hard boiled eggs
- 2 tsp softened butter
- 1 1/2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves
- salt to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- fresh dill
Ingredients
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Instructions
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Carefully peel the eggs and slice them in half lengthwise. Remove yollk and transfer it to a medium bowl.
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Mash the yolk with a fork until crumbly.
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Add the mayonnaise, butter,garlic, salt and pepper and combine until incorporated.
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Place the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a medium tip (or teaspoon), pipe the yollk mixture into the whites.
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Garnish with fresh dill.
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Refrigerate before serving.
This post was posted in Appetizers
Tuna pate with smoked salmon
Delicious Tuna and Smoked Salmon Pate is an amazing appetizer served with fresh or toasted bread.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Passive Time | 6 hours |
| Servings |
servings
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Ingredients
- 160 g tuna in water drained
- 5-6 slices smoked salmon
- 160 g mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 onion chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh dill to taste
Ingredients
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Instructions
- In a bowl, combine together mascarpone cheese and tuna, mash it with fork.
- Add chopped dill and minced onion, salt and pepper.
- Add finely chopped smoked salmon and stir together.
- Transfer to a small dish and garnish with chopped fresh dill or with thin slices of salmon. Cover with food plastic wrap.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
This post was posted in Appetizers
Cheese and Garlic Stuffed Tomatoes
You can serve this Cheese and garlic stuffed tomatoes as a starter or as a salad.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
people
|
Ingredients
- 18 large cherry tomatoes
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup grated cheese american, cheddar, etc.
- fresh herbs chives, parsley, basil leaves
- 2-3 Tbs mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Cut off the top of cherry tomatoes. Keep the tops for presentation.
- Using a small spoon, scoop out the insides of the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes upside-down on a paper towel.
- Remove juice and seeds from the pulp. Mince the pulp.
- Press garlic using a garlic press. Mix the cheese and garlic together.
- Add mayonnaise, finely chopped herbs and tomato pulp. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
- Using a spoon, add cheese filling to the tomatoes and place the tops back on top of your cherry tomatoes.
- Refrigerate tomatoes before serving.
This post was posted in Appetizers
Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimps
The reason I love making Puff Pastry-Wrapped Shrimp so much is because the ingredients are so simple and I almost always have frozen shrimp and puff pastry in my freezer. The puff pastry wrapped-shrimp are my kids favorite appetizers, they call them shrimp in the blanket.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 12 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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Ingredients
- 20 medium peeled shrimps
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 1 egg
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Season shrimp with salt, pepper and seasoning.
- Roll out the pastry dough and cut into 1 cm wide strips.
- Starting at the top, wind one pastry strip around one shrimp, slightly overlapping the pastry and ending just before the tail. Repeat with each shrimp.
- Place shrimp onto the baking sheet. Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork, to make egg wash. Brush the shrimp pastry with egg wash.
- Bake for about 12 min, or until golden brown. Do not overcook.
This post was posted in Appetizers, Puff Pastry
Salmon in Puff Pastry
Who says you need to make a special dough for amazing appetizers? Thank goodness for puff pastry! It is so easy to use and you can buy it in the freezer section at any grocery store. I want to introduce you to this delicious puff pastry packets that are filled with salmon, sour cream and herbs. And can be served with any green salad of your choice. It’s great for brunch, lunch, or light dinner. This will definitely be on my holiday table this year.
| Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
|
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 200 g fresh salmon skinless, boneless
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Some fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 sheet all butter puff pastry
- 1 egg
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped onion cook and stir until tender.
- Cut salmon into small cubes. Season with salt and pepper, add sour cream, cooked onion and fresh dill. Gently mix.
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Gently roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/2 cm. Using 8 cm round cookie cutter carefully cut out circles.
- Place pastry rounds on a flat surface, divide salmon mixture between them and spread one tea spoon over pastry, leaving a 1/2 cm border all around.
- Brush pastry borders with water. Top with pastry rounds and press edges together firmly to seal.
- Place the pastry packets on baking sheet and brush with egg yolk.
- Make a small hole in the middle of the top of each lid. Use a paring knife to score the top of the pastry as desired. Be careful not puncture through.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden.
This post was posted in Appetizers, Puff Pastry