Combining light meals and snacks can be a great way to avoid overeating at mealtimes. Spicy chickpeas at 6:00 followed by broiled trout with a salad at 7:00 is a perfect example. But whatever the reason, here's a delightful collection of recipes for those times when you want a little something.
Combining Clementines and Prosciutto is so simple, so obvious, that when I thought of it I almost literally slapped my forehead.
These sausage rolls are easy to make - even for breakfast. But they're also a great item at a tapas party and are perfect on Superbowl Sunday.
I was nine or 10 when I got the assignment: make sausage balls. Those first balls were made with Bisquick, ordinary country sausage, and cheddar cheese. These are a bit more sophisticated.
The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's day are the party season. And whether you're preparing Christmas dinner or need to take something to a New Year party, it's also the season for hors d'Oeuvres, canapés, munchies, tapas, whatever you prefer to call bite-sized morsels.
Stuffed mushrooms are always a popular hors d'oeuvre, this unusual recipe has an Italian twist and features pancetta and sun-dried tomatoes.
Serves 4.Chicken Stir Fry is one of my favorite recipes for leftovers. In this case leftover roast chicken was transformed into an Asian meal in 30 minutes.
Serves 2.Popovers are a great quickbread suitable for breakfast with some jam, conserves, or marmalade but also make a great quick and fancy roll for a dinner menu.
Makes 6.According to my Spanish friends it should contain nothing but potatoes, eggs, and seasoning. these omelets are often featured in tapas bars and served at room temperature.
Serves 2.I make a Greek version of the famous Insalata Caprese - in fact it's my standard lunch during tomato season. <i>Serves 2.</i>
This pasta salad with seafood features shrimp, crab, and smoked salmon, dressed in the oil and lemon juice.
Serves 2.Picnics seldom go acording to schedule and so you need munchies at picnics and tailgate parties. Some can be eaten in the car (fresh fruit is perfect in this role) and others can be quickly unpacked and enjoyed while the main dishes are readied for eating.
These slices of pepper stuffed with goat cheese make a beautiful display on a platter. They are equally good hot from the oven, at room temperature or even cold.
This artichoke bruschetta makes a great appetizer. Use the best olive oil you can get then simply spread it on a piece of bread.
Serves 4 - 6.It's the season for parties, whether in your home, someone else's home, at work, or at church. One of my favorite party types is the tapas or meze party. These consist of lots of small bites and needn't be limited to traditional Spanish tapas or Greek mezes. But even for dinner parties and pot-lucks a selection of small bites is always welcome.
Gougeres are bite-size savory puff pastries generally made with cheese. Best of all, these can be frozen and reheated. The prosciutto is my own addition - and I really like it (think of ham and biscuits with a French accent).
Makes 24.This recipe for cherry tomatoes stuffed with herbs and cheese is an easy and delicious appetizer.
Saganaki, a great appetizer, is one of several Greek cheeses dredged in flour, fried in olive oil, and drizzled with lemon juice.
This recipe for Curried Chicken Salad is sweet, spicy, and savory and extraordinarily good. It's perfect stuffed in a pita, layered on a sliced croissant, or nestled in a lettuce leaf.
Serves 2.Tabouleh is great at any time of the year, but is best with fresh local ingredients so I particularly look forward to it as a summertime treat.
Carpaccio is an Italian recipe for a raw beef appetizer dressed with a lemony mayonnaise. My Carpaccio recipe uses a balsamic vinaigrette and is a great summer meal.
Serves 2.My recipe for gazpacho is somewhat untraditional, but it rich, lucious, and packed with the bright flavors of summer - everything one could ask for in a gazpacho recipe.
Serves 4.Ranger Cookies have long been a favorite of mine. This recipe for ranger cookies makes 15 large cookies or 3 dozen small cookies.
This recipe for stuffed tomatoes in unusual in it's inclusion of feta cheese ad capers. But a stuffed tomato is hard to beat however it's made.
Makes 4.This recipe for parmesan crisps couldn't be any simpler. And because it's so simple, the quality of the ingredients is essential. So don't skimp,
This recipe for smoked salmon bruschetta can be prepped hours in advance and refrigerated, but are quick enough to make and serve in 15 minutes.
Serves 2.Deviled eggs are a popular component of cookouts and picnics - not to mention being a great snack at any time of year. They can be made a day or two in advance, are perfect for eating with your fingers, and are almost universally loved.
I typically serve this spicy Moorish Chicken recipe in pita bread, but it's also great served on rice or couscous. It's quick, easy and delicious.
Serves 2.These Proscuitto and Goat Cheese Crostini are an invention of mine based on a spread sold in Europe. I recreated this delicacy after my second trip to the old world. Spread on lightly toasted slices of baguette, or even on crackers, it's a great little munchie.
Makes 12 - 15 crostini.Broiled trout is a great dinner option. Quick and easy, it's perfect for a weeknight meal and because trout is usually farm-raised it doesn't cause harm to declining wild fish stocks.
Serves 2.Hummus bi Tahini (Chickpeas with Sesame Paste) is wildly popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It's great with a round of pita, raw carrots, celery, and cauliflower.
As a rule, I'm not a huge cookie fan, but I am a huge picnic fan and cookies can't be matched as a dessert to take on picnics. These Applesauce Cookies are soft, spicy and frankly irresitable.
Soy sauce gives the salad dressing a hearty flavor that makes it perfect for salads featuring grilled meat.
This version of tuna salad includes bell peppers, capers, red onions, and the shredded. Serves 2.
Fried Chickpeas are a cinch to fix and make a great little snack to enjoy with a glass of wine or a cocktail before dinner.
You don't have to be vegetarian to enjoy the rich flavor of carmelized leeks. This quick and simple dish is amazingly full of flavor. Serves 2.
Use whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand for this delicious turkey salad recipe from Linda Larson, About Guide to Busy Cooks.
Serves 2.A bad pun, but a great dish from the About Guide to Chinese food, Rhonda Parkinson. This recipe combines Asian ingredients with ordinary bowtie pasta for a delightful fusion dish.
Serves 2.
