Appetizers

Sausage and Asiago Stuffed Mushrooms

I really heart stuffed mushrooms. They’re easy, portable, and you can stuff them with just about anything. I brought these to a holiday party this year and they seemed to go over well. The only change I would make is choosing a stronger sausage…though I picked Italian, it was a chicken sausage and I thought the mushrooms could use a bit more kick than this really provided.

I found this on a blog called Sweetsugarbean.com, which I landed on after sorting through what I felt were twenty-bajillion mushroom filling suggestions!

mushrooms

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White Bean Spread

This is a dip we make over and over again and we never get tired of it.  It’s great for parties or just a casual snack at home.  I got this recipe from Serious Eats, and haven’t adjusted too much other than usually using canned beans, and cutting back on the garlic because of it.  I have made my own Za’atar, but I have a pre-made version from Penzey’s that I use just as often.

whitebeandip

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Bruschetta

One of my favorite appetizers/small plates, and super easy.  Pretty much a no-fail.  I also sometimes like to have it as a main dish in summer, when tomatoes are so fresh.  This can go with or without cheese; this time I went without.

bruschetta

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Steamed Vegetable Dumplings

Dumplings are possibly my favorite food.  I don’t think I ever get tired of them, and I recently decided I wanted to learn how to make them myself.  I got a bamboo steamer, some wrappers and wonton skins, and away we’ve gone!  And we have not been disappointed.  I got this recipe from my Asian Dumpling cookbook, by Andrea Nguyen, which has been awesome so far.

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Pork and Napa Cabbage Water Dumplings

This was my first attempt at making dumplings from scratch, and they were a hit.  I did use store-bought dumpling wrappers, but after subsequent trips to H-Mart, I think I have enough ingredients to start trying to make my own.  In theory, they taste better and are more forgiving when wrapping (a good thing, I must have destroyed a lot of wrappers while learning to do this!).  This is a great starter recipe for learning dumplings!  From my Asian Dumplings cookbook, by Andrea Nguyen.

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Guacamole

Needs no intro, who doesn’t love a good bowl of guac? 🙂  This is a tried and true Alton Brown recipe I’ve been using for years, and it’s always reliable.

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Blue Cheese Bacon Dip

Not even remotely healthy, but very tasty dip for parties and get-togethers!  I serve it with pita chips, crackers, and grapes. It’s one of my favorites.  Although it specifies half and half in the recipe, I’ve used heavy cream with success when it’s been the only thing on hand.   I believe this originally came from Cooking Light a couple of years ago.

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