Appetizer Recipes
Buffalo Wing Hummus
Two fan favorite appetizers collide in this winning dip, which offers wholesome, snack-worthy appeal. Depending on one’s perspective, the lure of Super Bowl Sunday might be the good eats, funny commercials, big-name halftime show or, of course, the football! Whether you are in it for the action between the goal posts or the general game…
Loaded Dinner Nachos
You could say it was love after the first neatball! In all seriousness, I was truly skeptical when Laura Lapp first offered me a bite of the healthy meat alternative that she crafted in her kitchen. But it tasted great. By way of background, Laura began her experimentation process to address her two daughters’ decision…
Farmhouse Roasted Chestnuts
Lightly salted, these chestnuts are delicious served warm and straight from the shell. They’re perfect for Thanksgiving stuffing and soups too! Autumn is the time of year when the American Chestnut Trees in the northeast drop the nuts from their prickly burrs. As an interesting bit of trivia, there are typically three chestnuts per…
Vegetarian Meatballs (also known as neatballs!)
Since I started writing The Fountain Avenue Kitchen newspaper column and blog, I have had the privilege of meeting some truly fascinating people. I’m not referring to big name chefs or foodies either. I am talking about real people, just like you and me, who have some very interesting stories to tell. All of the…
Roasted Beets, Two Ways
There are so many ways to cook beets: steam, boil, roast, microwave. What is really the best way? After trying quite a few methods over the years, I have settled upon two that produce perfectly cooked beets. In my opinion, roasting brings out the robust flavor of beets, allowing for a certain creaminess while maintaing…
Roasted Tomatoes with Whipped Feta…and some kitchen experimenting
My sister is an artist. At a very young age, she stunned everyone with an amazingly accurate sketch of a horse. Eventually, she became a painting major at Rhode Island School of Design. I always joked that she got all the artistic abilities and I got none! As I grew older, I realized that my…
Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled String Cheese
When we were visiting my in-laws recently, we got talking about cheese. Most every night before dinner, we enjoy cheese and crackers when we are with them. Given the flavor journey I have been working on with Sargento Cheese, it was only natural that we talked about cheese a little more than usual! One evening,…
Roasted Parmesan Zucchini Bites
My favorite way to eat zucchini is a tie between zucchini bread and this recipe where the zucchini is broiled with a simple coating of fresh Parmesan. I’ve made these as rounds, sticks, and strips. They key is to cut them fairly thick and cook only until golden. This way, they won’t get mushy. Also,…
Cheese Crisps
Low-carb cheese crisps require only one ingredient (jalapeño slices are optional) and cook in 2 short minutes－and believe it or not, the microwave produces better results than the oven. Perfect with a glass of wine or as a flavorful alternative to a crouton. If I said you could make a light and flavorful…
Roasted Asparagus with Panko
Serve these deliciously crunchy spears as a satisfying side dish or appetizer – they can be finger food. For a delicious, gluten-free adaptation, substitute crushed Rice Chex for the panko. (Trust me, it works!) Many years ago, I read Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. The story chronicles her own family after they vowed…
Maple Cinnamon Roasted Garbanzos
Recently, I posted my new and improved technique for roasting garbanzo beans–also known as chickpeas. Additionally, I had fun experimenting with roasting various other types of beans lurking in my pantry. (To see the details, click here.) Somewhere between the black eyed peas and the butter beans, My Whole Food Life shared her sweeter version of this…
Baked Cheddar Spinach Squares
Easy, cheesy spinach squares are a retro appetizer that make an equally delicious side dish. The squares may be baked ahead and reheated and freeze well too. The look of today’s menu item may remind you of a crustless quiche. In this recipe, however, two eggs serve as a binder for the remaining ingredients…
