Appetizers — Page 13

Beer Cheese Dip

May 13, 2015 By Susannah 3 Comments

Susannah from Feast + West here with a lovely summer appetizer. Summer is the time of year when eating outdoors is mandatory if the weather is nice. Cookouts, picnics, barbecues… There’s never enough excuses to be outside, forgetting about winter.

One of my favorite summertime activities is drinking craft beers on the patio with friends and watching the sunset and the fireflies while we catch up on our work weeks. An appetizer is always nice too and dips are a quick and easy one that all can enjoy. This easy Beer Cheese Dip is garlicky, cheesy and mildy spicy. It’s a perfect match for these uber soft German Pretzels I shared on Feast + West.

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Raspberry Crostini with Ricotta, Honey & Walnut

April 24, 2015 By Cat Elsby Leave a Comment

Hi all, Cat from The Rustic Willow here again! I hope everyone is having a delightful spring. If your weather has been anything like Colorado’s then you’re probably experiencing sunny, 70-degree weather one day, and snow the next. My body, my lawn, and my car are so confused! Once we all start adjusting to the warmer weather, the snow swoops in and ruins our hopes and dreams.

Although I have mixed feelings about the weather of Colorado, I definitely don’t have mixed feelings about this recipe I whipped up to show you all. I’m always looking for simple breakfast ideas that stray away from the normal bacon & eggs breakfast. And this breakfast blew my socks off.

There’s nothing I love more than bread. Seriously–I think bread in everything is just phenomenal. So, having this lightly toasted bread was good enough for me. And then I topped it with creamy ricotta cheese, fresh raspberries and crushed walnuts. To finish it off I drizzled honey over everything.

The creaminess of the ricotta mixed with the sweetness of the raspberries, the crunch of the walnuts, and the deliciousness of the honey was so refreshing and scrumptious.

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Pistachio Orange Asparagus

April 23, 2015 By Alli Smith 1 Comment

Orange Pistachio Asparagus

I’ve been on an orange and pistachio kick lately – two of my favorite flavors.

I firmly believe the old adage that we eat with our eyes first so I always pay special attention to presentation. I don’t like to serve anything that isn’t appealing to the eye.

Asparagus is a beautiful spring vegetable and one of the easiest side dishes to prepare. Pistachio Orange Asparagus takes my favorite roasted veggie to a whole new level. The orange juice and grated peel adds a refreshing citrus note and the intense flavor of the toasted pistachios combines wonderfully with the tangy citrus flavor of the orange.

When prepping asparagus, always snap off the woody ends and discard. If you’re in doubt of how far up the stalk to go, bend the asparagus spear and it always breaks at the correct place. To save time, I grab a few spears at a time, stems in one hand and the woody end in the other and just snap away. It doesn’t take long at all.

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Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Pinwheels

April 22, 2015 By Erin Skinner 3 Comments

It’s been a while, but I absolutely love hosting a good party.

Whether it’s a dinner party, a sports-related party or a get-together with friends, I love them all. I love opening up my home to entertain, and I love spending time with people I care about and making fun food to go along with whatever event we’re celebrating.

However, I’m not the best when it comes to making party-friendly appetizers and finger foods.

Main dishes? I’ve got those in the bag.

Dessert? I could probably bake something up in my sleep.

But starters? Umm…

I generally either forget about apps until the hour before my guests arrive and then frantically have to throw something together or tap a friend to bring a starter because that’s not really my forte.

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