Category: Appetizer

Appetizer, Better Than Takeout, Entrée, Lightened Up, One Pot Dish

5 Minute Crispy BBQ Pizza

Annie

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I’ve been craving pizza lately and when I say craving, I mean CRAVING. I didn’t feel like making a cauliflower crust, I couldn’t find my go-to naan at Whole Foods, and I didn’t want to make dough from scratch. Instead I found Top This! Whole Wheat 13″ Crust in the freezer section. It was thin, crispy, and had a nice char flavor since it’s grilled. I went a little light on sauce/toppings since I wasn’t sure how this crust would hold up, but next time I make it, I can definitely go closer to the edge and add some more BBQ. The honey sriracha BBQ sauce pairs well with chicken sausage to give you a Crispy BBQ Sausage Flatbread.

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Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entrée, Lightened Up, One Pot Dish, Salad, Side, Snack, Vegan, Vegetarian

Exploring Greek Tzatziki

Annie

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This dip is light and refreshing. Originally a Greek yogurt dip, tzatziki is traditionally made with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, sometime lemon juice and fresh herbs like mint, dill, parsley or thyme. It can be used to top gyros, burgers, falafels, salads, “bowls” (see photo below) or a standalone dish. Clearly I took a non-traditional route, swapping avocado for yogurt as the base. I also used mint instead of dill and want to try this again with equal proportions to be more versatile. Even with the “lightened up” swaps, Avocado Tzatziki is still light, so fluffy and especially tasty. I’ve been dipping away with Kashi pita chips and 7 grain crackers, baby carrots and cucumber sticks.

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Appetizer, Better Than Takeout, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Italian, Lightened Up, Vegetarian

Cauliflower Pizza Crust for the Win

Annie

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I love Cauliflower Pizza Crust. This was another great Pinterest find. This recipe has been in my kitchen circulation for about 3 years now. Carbs have gotten such a bad rep, but I still like to dabble with different options like gluten-free. The only downside to this gluten-free curst is that it can be paaaaacked with cheese. Don’t get me wrong — I love cheese. It’s absolutely delicious, but I’m a firm believer in moderation. I cut back on the cheese and the crust was still a “crust.” I’ve cooked this crust many ways — on foil, on a pizza stone, directly on a baking sheet — and using the Silpat allowed for a crispy crust that perfectly browned on the bottom and was much more like a “true curst.” Who wants another slice?

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Appetizer, Entrée, Lightened Up, Mexican, Snack, Vegetarian

Craving Some Cheesy Quesadillas

Annie

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I’ve been craving quesadillas lately. I’m not entirely sure what spawned this craving, but I’m going to blame the nachos I had last week. (I personally blame Nacho Mama for posting all of her mouthwatering nacho finds around the Boston area.) This craving could also be contributed to the fact that I made an impromptu quesadilla while in St. Thomas, complete with pinto beans in the cheesy inside and topped with freshly chopped lettuce and salsa. Man, did that hit the spot. Instead, I give you Black Bean Spinach Quesadilla with a crunchy outsides (thanks, skillet) and a gooey inside full of refried black beans, spinach and cheese. They’re lightened up with plain Greek yogurt for sour cream and corn tortillas for flour. Happy Meatless Monday!

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Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Side, Snack, Vegan, Vegetarian

Perfect Summer “Chips” — Zucchini Chips

Annie

Sea Salt Zucchini Chips

Mmmmm, Sea Salt Zucchini Chips. I’ll keep this short and sweet, since that’s the whole point of this recipe. With BBQ season upon us and garden in bloom, who needs potato chips when you could have zucchini chips? They’re your burgers new best friend. Super easy to make, you just slice, bake and wait for the chips to come out in a crispy, crunchy perfection.

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Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Snack, Vegetarian

Get Spicy & Sweet with Spiced Nuts

Annie

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Ohh, these are tasty. So tasty, in fact, that I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing one while they cooled. And one more, and maybe just another… The kitchen smells heavenly while these Spiced Almonds, Pecans & Cashews bake. Another winning recipe from the brilliant culinary mind of Giada De Laurentiis in her cookbook, Giada’s Feel Good Food, the unusual mixture of spices creates a sweet, yet savory combo that anyone is sure to enjoy.

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Appetizer, Better Than Takeout, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Lightened Up, Side, Snack, Vegan, Vegetarian

Crisply Baked Spicy Bang Bang Cauliflower

Annie

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Let’s bring these bad boys back to basics. All the recipes I found for Bang Bang Shrimp or Bang Bang Cauliflower called for panko, breadcrumbs, mayo, honey, eggs, sugar, milk . . . I mean, man, those recipes were still delicious. Breaded, crisply fried and just packed with a kick. I needed a better, lighter option. I obtained a recipe for Bang Bang Shrimp using only four ingredients for the sauce via Pinterest. With some tweaking and using this as inspiration, I cut the original recipes’  fluff and kept all the flavor. (Double points if you add even more spice to your life and prep these Bang Bang Cauliflower, while listening to “Bang Bang.”)  A great option for anyone allergic to seafood, has gluten-free or vegan needs or just willing to try something different. Plus, these super spicy morsels are baked, not fried, and still get crispy and perfectly browned in the oven. Sounds like an all around winning dish to me.

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Appetizer, Entrée, Local Finds, Vegetarian

Simply Savory Kale Flatbread

Annie

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My mom discovered this recipe for a kale flatbread a couple summers ago in Southern Living; after some modifications, it’s too good not to share. Even my carnivore of a boyfriend approved and heartily inhaled one flatbread I made for dinner last winter (but probably along with one containing some form of meat). My parents and I traveled to Ohio this past weekend to visit my dad’s mom, and we made the flatbread for dinner on Friday night. My aunt and uncle grew curly kale in their garden and it’s thriving. Oh my goodness, the plant was so huge that it looked like a small 3 foot bush (see pictures below). Naturally we just had to incorporate abundant amounts of their homegrown kale into a meal, and we knew the Kale & Rosemary Flatbread was one such recipe that would do the job quite well. The rosemary adds a fantastic flavor and a fresh, yet savory element, especially along with the creamy fontina cheese and pungent parmesan cheese. In fact, there’s so much flavor that you forget your only topping is really just kale. So enjoy. Indulge a little, and pass that Kale & Rosemary Flatbread.

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Appetizer, Better Than Takeout, Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Lightened Up, Side, Snack, Vegan, Vegetarian

Simplified Veggie Rolls

Annie

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After trying Giada’s version of fresh spring rolls with the spicy chili Greek yogurt sauce this summer, here’s a much, much easier version: Veggie Spring Rolls with Sriracha Soy Sauce. Simple ingredients assembled in a fresh way. No complicated sauce or cooking soba noodles — just vegetables you have on hand paired with sriracha and soy sauce. When I want a veggie fix without a salad, these fresh spring rolls become option number two. Perfect for your next holiday party, get-together or perhaps even football showing (you need to balance out or substitute the chips and wings somehow, right?). The Veggie Spring Rolls somehow manage to be both extravagant and simple, but most importantly, always colorfully delicious.

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Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Local Finds, Salad, Side, Vegan, Vegetarian

Hearty Autumn Kale Salad

Annie

IMG_4952 I’ve been waiting for the leaves to change to resurrect this healthy and colorful Baby Kale, Sweet Potato & Apple Salad. The acidity of the fresh lemon juice and tartness of the dijon mustard both pair well with kale’s heartiness. The crisp apple, sweet potato and creamy delicata squash also somehow diminish and enhance the earthy and sometimes bitter flavors of kale. I’ve made this with curly kale, dinosaur kale or baby kale. I prefer baby kale for the milder taste. No matter the type of kale used, the subtle flavors in the salad and the crunch added by the walnuts create a salad you’ll want again and again. Continue reading “Hearty Autumn Kale Salad” →