Which Are the Best Appetizers?

Holding a wine tasting party is a great idea if you are interested in getting together with friends or family, especially ones you haven't seen for a while. If done properly, it provides an atmosphere that is relaxing and allows everyone to catch up with everyone else and simply socialize. Because you generally don't have to worry about making a dinner, a wine tasting party tends to be easier to throw than a big dinner party, but that doesn't mean that it isn't as classy!

Although the point of a wine tasting party is to have a great selection of wines, it is equally important to have a good selection of appetizers for your wine tasting party. Some people will refer to them as hors d'oeuvre, which is a French word meaning "apart from the main work". Whatever term you are familiar with, a good selection of appetizers will not only enhance the flavour of the wines, but will also add to the enjoyment of your guests. If served properly, your guests may be too distracted by the appetizers to drink a lot of wine, and hence will be safe to drive home.

This article will discuss a few of the more common gourmet appetizers for parties that will add to the evening, but are also fairly simple for you to prepare in advance.

Prosciutto-wrapped Bread Sticks - a fairly common appetizer seen at many wine tasting parties. Prosciutto is like a salty form of ham that is wrapped parmesan cheese and dough and then baked. This tends to be rather salty and will result in a dry mouth for your guests. Don't despair, as this will encourage your guests to keep the wine in their mouths for longer before swallowing it, which will enhance the experience for your guests.
Cheese plate - having the right cheese and wine combination is very delicious. For a great idea, why not choose your cheese from the same region as the wine you are tasting? However, if this isn't possible, lighter wines are best paired with mild-flavoured cheeses, and full-bodied wines go with the more pungent cheeses.

Bruschetta - This is a great dish that is grilled bread, olive oil, tomatoes and red peppers, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Green onions are a variation, but you can add almost anything you like, such as mushrooms, cured meats and various cheeses Because of the spiciness, it gets your taste buds warmed up and ready for the wine!

Fruit platter - any type of wine seems to go well with fresh fruit. However, you should be aware of a few things. Avoid extremely sweet fruits, as these might change the taste of whichever wine you are tasting.

Tapenade - this is popular appetizer that is a pureed snack made from olives that contains black olives, anchovies, garlic and olive oil. Spread on top of a cracker or small piece of bread, it is an easy one to prepare and serve

Despite the thousands of possible appetizers, you'll find that the freshest but simplest foods will enhance the flavour of wines. Therefore, foods like breads, cheeses and fresh fruits are usually on the top of the most popular appetizers. However, in addition to curing a bit of hunger for your guests, they might also spend a lot of time talking while eating that they may not have a lot of wine, and therefore will be safe to drive.

Using Fruit And Seafood For Making Healthy Appetizers And Salads

Fruit and seafood are two of the absolute healthiest types of foods you could ever eat although many people do not think of combining the two groups to create delicious meals including appetizers and salads. Fortunately, fruit is good for you in any form whether it is canned, dried, fresh, or frozen so choose the kind you like best and experiment with a few new types when creating savory seafood Asian appetizers for parties.

Fruit is a sweet, healthy alternative for appetizers and it is chock full of antioxidants and minerals although each type has a slight variation in the exact nutrients it contains making it a good idea to incorporate a wide variety into your diet. The natural sweetness of fruit simply cannot be rivaled and you have many colorful choices to pick from.
 
Orange colored fruits such as apricots, mangos, peaches, and of course, oranges, are excellent sources of Vitamins A and B-carotene and reddish or purple colored fruits including blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, and red grapes are full of antioxidants, which are needed to help fight off diseases and illnesses as well as for combating the natural aging process.

Use apples with white cheddar cheese and chopped walnuts with flakes of crab meat along with torn greens to create a delicious and different type of salad. Shrimp is wonderful with melons such as watermelon and you can easily make a fresh mango salsa to serve with many types of seafood.

Use fresh mangos, jalapeno chili peppers, red bell peppers, red onions, crushed garlic, and the juice of a fresh lime to create a mouthwatering salsa that will be perfect for serving with the seafood of your choice as an appetizer. Alternatively, make quick fruit and seafood kabobs on the grill with shrimp, strawberries, apples, pineapples, and bananas.

Pair your favorite fruits with a long list of seafood including clams, cod, crab, lobster, mackerel, oysters, pollack, prawns, salmon, sardines, scallops, and shrimp just to name a few for concocting your own fruity seafood recipes. You can also add in cooked pasta to your fruit seafood salad for an even more filling dish that could be enjoyed as the main course as well as an appetizer.

Fruity Crab Salad Recipe

What You Need

• 4 cups fresh fruit, your choice, cut into bite sized pieces
• 12 ounces frozen crab meat, thawed
• 1-1/2 cups celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 6 cups mixed salad greens, torn

How to Make It

In a large mixing bowl combine the fresh fruit, thawed crab meat, and celery then set aside. You can use the fruit of your liking and options such as berries, cantaloupe, honeydew melons, and pineapples all make great choices for this salad.

To make the dressing, add the mayonnaise, yogurt, milk, and curry powder to a small mixing bowl and stir well.

Divide the torn salad greens amongst 6 plates and top each with the fruit and crab mixture before drizzling the dressing on top.

Serves 6

Pasta and Summer Vegetables Recipe

If you read my recipe for Tomato Salad, you already know that I love the summertime. I hope you do also. During the summer, everything is just bursting around you. Vegetarian appetizers for parties are at their peak of ripeness and flavor. Everything is just so good. You never think about wintertime and the lower grade of vegetables that are available.

If you have a garden, you can grow everything that is in this dish. Because of that, it will be that much better. This is another incredibly simple and very delicious dish that you can prepare in about 15 to 20 minutes. I like to use Penne Pasta with lines. Always get the lines because that is what holds on to the sauce. Who wants the sauce sliding off of the pasta? You can use any type of files that you like. Now let's start cooking.

Ingredients:

- 3 Large, Blood Red Native Tomatoes
- 1 Medium Zuccini
- 1 Yellow Squash
- 1 Medium Onion. Red, Yellow or White
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- ½ pounds of dry pasta
- 7 Fresh Basil Leafs, Torn
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Crusty Italian bread

1. Bring a Large Pot of water to the boil. Salt the water liberally and cook the pasta until Al Dente. A little bit hard. While waiting for the word to boil and while the pasta is cooking, do steps 2-9
2. Coarsely Chop the Tomato, set aside
3. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then in half lengthwise again. Very coarsely chop, set aside
4. Do the same for the Yellow Squash, set aside
5. Coarsely dice the onion, set aside
6. Coarsely chop the garlic, set aside
7. In a frying pan on medium/high, sauté the onion and garlic until slightly soft. Salt and pepper to taste
8. Place the Zucchini And Yellow Squash in with the onion and garlic. Sauté until slightly softened
9. But the tomatoes in the frying pan and sauté until softened slightly
10. Place the pasta in the frying pan along with 1-2 Ladle's of pasta water
11. Cook everything on Medium/High heat until the vegetables are slightly more softened. 3-5 minutes
12. Turn off the and throw in the basil and toss.

When the is turned off and the basil hits the hot pasta and vegetables, WOW, do you get a taste explosion. That is what summer is all about.

You have just repaired an incredible meal. Toss with grated Parmesan cheese and serve with the beverage of your choice. A glass of white wine is my choice. Also serve with crusty Italian bread. If you can, sit outside and need this meal. It's way too hot in the kitchen.

Thank You Very Much For Reading My Article. I hope you enjoyed it.

Gourmet Foods Are Everywhere

The number of companies selling items labeled "gourmet" is increasing rapidly, particularly gourmet food items. At one time, getting gourmet food meant going to an expensive, upscale restaurant and giving over a week's worth of pay for your dinner! Now, you can get gourmet foods from your local grocery store and from countless online retailers, and even through several direct sales companies who come into your home to give taste testing parties for you and your friends. Home taste testing parties are extremely fun and you get to try the foods before you buy, which makes it easier to decide what you want.

 

What exactly is "gourmet appetizers for parties"food, and how is it that everything from soup to nuts to brownies have been given the label "gourmet"? The actual definition of the word gourmet isn't food at all; it's: a person who is devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment, especially good food and drink. We typically refer to foods themselves as gourmet now, rather than the people who enjoy these good edibles!

"Gourmet" seems to have become the catch-all phrase used to describe foods that taste good, and that are considered to be of higher than average quality. We also might label foods gourmet if they are hard to find.

Does your grocery store offer gourmet-to-go? These are dinners you can take home and serve instantly- that are designed to taste like you made it yourself. Roasted chicken and seafood dinners are commonly offered through the grocery gourmet food section. Gourmet in this case simply means it's going to taste good- and the idea is it's better than your typical fast food stop.

Actually, gourmet foods are all around us, and they give us great and simple gift giving opportunities! People often bring food to house warming parties, or to give the host when invited to dinner. Grab a gift basket of gourmet goodies and your host will be extremely appreciative of the gesture. If you bring dessert items, you may even get to taste them after dinner is served!

Packaged gourmet foods, like nuts, snacks and cheese make great gifts for all types of occasions. They typically come pre-packaged in attractive packaging, and many can be found in gift baskets which saves you time since you don't have to wrap them before giving.

Some foods labeled gourmet are actually boxed mixes that you then add other ingredients to, or cook with, in order to create the finished product. You can find gourmet brownie mixes, sauces and marinades, and even soups. A popular cooking show on the food network often uses these packaged items to make "almost homemade" meals- but the use of these gourmet packaged goods make it much faster to bring the dinner to the table- giving you more time to enjoy with your family and less time standing in the kitchen.

From coffee to dessert- and everything in between, you can now enjoy gourmet versions of all your favorite foods simply by looking up gourmet foods online or making a quick stop to your local grocery store's gourmet section.

Tasty And Irresistible Gourmet Food Items

Culinary arts have encouraged us to produce something new and unique every time we want to prepare mouth watering dishes. Gourmet food items are also prepared with skilled culinary arts and they also require sophisticated preparation and luxurious presentation. You will see that gourmet meals are generally presented in various courses so that the people can truly enjoy the exotic aroma of the delicious items. People with passion for eating great meals and refined taste must surely consider ordering these special meals very time they go out for dinner or lunch.

Gourmet meals are not only very tasty but they are also very nutritious as they are prepared with unique ingredients and herbs. For more information about the special meals, it is very important for you to read the below mentioned points as they would tell you about the tips and tricks that you need to keep in mind while purchasing these items.

1. If you are purchasing frozen gourmet meat and seafood then you must always keep certain things in mind. Make sure that you buy good quality products with portion control, flash freezing and vacuum sealing.

2. Portion control is a great way through which you can save a lot of time on preparing the meal. It also reduces the fat and other by products that comes with the meat and can be harmful for your health.

3. Vacuum sealing is very important for keeping the freshness of the seafood intact. You can keep the vacuum sealed meat in your freezer for more than four months after purchasing it. The gourmet meat and seafood is filled with extra juice that makes it easier to cook them.

4. Flash freezing is another through which you can conserve the freshness of the seafood. Some of the most expensive sea food that is preserved in such a manner is the Pacific Salmon, Orange Roughy, Caribbean lobster and the Alaskan crab. If your local store does not use the flash freezing system, then you must never purchase the food items from those stores.

5. There are multiple online foods operating on the internet that sell well preserved gourmet food meat and seafood to the customers. If you require purchasing the items on a daily basis, you must take the help of these stores.

So, what are you waiting for, just go to the market and enjoy the sumptuous delight offered by the gourmet appetizers for parties meals.

Salad Recipe Ideas

The best salad recipes are available for everyday and in almost every occasion. There are salad recipes if you want a light dinner, to bring to potluck parties, if you are on a diet, to use as side dish for school lunch meal or for a holiday party such as Christmas, Thanksgiving or Halloween.Salads are Asian appetizers for parties favorite.

Various salad recipes are available in different types which make it easy for you to narrow your choices. Some of these types are vegetable, greens, bound, fruit, entrée and dessert. When it comes to choosing the best salad recipes, it helps if you know what kind you want to eat or serve.

Green Salads:

If you are searching for a healthy and satisfying side dish or appetizer, nothing beats green salads. They are simple, easy and quick to prepare. For people who are on a weight loss program, green salads can become their main dish.

Vegetable Salads:

They contain all vegetables other than green and leafy such as lettuce and cabbage. Vegetable salads are low fat and healthy options. They are popular as side dishes but you can also opt to make them as appetizers or even as main dish.

Entrée Salads:

This type of salad is served as the main meal. Usually, they include meat, chicken, beef, seafood or fish. You can mix them with greens or vegetables. These salads are packed with nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and vitamins. Some examples are chef salad, Caesar salad and cob salad.

Dessert Salads:

This type of salad is popular at large gatherings or potlucks. A perfect ending to a perfect meal. You can have recipes for cookie salad, fruit salads, salads with whipped or gelatin topping or any sweet versions.

Bound Salads:

Bound salads are usually made with thick sauce such as pasta salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, chicken salad. The most popular bound salad is pasta which takes many forms. Some have Italian flavor while others are Asian inspired. Pasta salads are very versatile that they can be served as your main dish, appetizer, side dish or even dessert.

Choosing the best salad recipes for a meal can be quiet difficult for the simple reason that there are so many available choices out there. That is why it helps to know the type of salad that is appropriate for the occasion or that will fit your budget and requirements. You can find some ideas online from Food Network, Paula Deen, Emeril or Rachael Ray.

For example, you can make a homemade angel hair pasta salad using whole cooked and peeled shrimp and chicken breast. Or you can substitute them with seafood or meats. For this type of salad, ranch dressing seems to be a good choice. However, you can use any bottled, homemade vinegar or creamy will do.

Other ingredients are 4 sliced green onions, chopped bell pepper, thinly sliced medium carrot, a can of sliced mushrooms, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, a teaspoon or oregano, cloves of garlic, salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta as directed in the package. Make sure that you follow instructions accordingly so as not to overcook the pasta. In a large bowl, combine and mix vegetables, cheese, chicken and spices. Add the pasta, mix, then pour in the dressing sparingly while mixing it into the salad. Add pepper and salt to taste. This salad is best served cold.

Oven Baking Versus Frying Your Foods

You already know that deep frying is bad for you, but that does not mean it is easy to give up your favorite foods like hot wings and onion rings. There are ways that you can turn to oven baking some of these foods that you love so much, but your fear is that you are not going to like a different version as much and that will ruin your favorite foods. Though these deep fried appetizers for parties, foods do taste a bit different in the oven, you may be surprised to find that they are not as bad as you thought, and that once you have them a few times you may look forward to your new way of preparing your much healthier versions of your favorites.

Oven baking is a different taste, though perhaps not as different than you may think. You do get less oil, but for the sake of your heart, that is a great thing. Instead of immersing these foods in oils that can lead to heart problems, you can do oven baking with healthy oils that you use far less of. You can still get that crisp deep fried coating about your foods, but you use far less. Use healthy oils like canola or olive oil and lightly brush some on these things instead of immersing them in them. That way they still crisp up some, but you are taking in far fewer calories.

   

One of the most commonly deep-fried foods is the chicken wing. Born in Buffalo, New York, the chicken wing grew wildly in popularity and is served in any bar that serves food, and in many restaurants. You don't have to deep fry these to these to have them be juicy and crispy. You can go to oven baking your wings buy brushing them lightly with a healthy oil, and then laying them out on a rack so that they are not resting on your cookie sheet. They will crisp up and you can then coat them with your favorite sauce. If you do it right, you won't know the difference.

You can also cook breaded items with oven baking instead of throwing them in a deep fryer. These first come out for the oven a while ago and did not work out very well, but that has all changed. These items you can get in the freezer section are better than ever, and you can find recipes to make your own with healthy breading and new ingredients that you may love. These go through oven baking in the same way as the wings, generally coming out crispy and yummy just like they would from the deep fryer at your favorite bar.

While oven baking these foods does make them healthier, you still know they should not be the staple items in your diet. You should have them for a treat on occasion rather than planning your family eating plan around them. However, if you cook the this way with oven baking, you can have them more often than you use to without as much worry about the long term effects on your heart and your overall health. Your waist line may think you as well too.

Healthy Dishes in Your Thanksgiving Appetizers Menu

Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to show gratitude to your relatives, family and friends. For some it is also an opportunity to test new varieties of dishes to entertain the guests. Good food always increases the delight of family get together. A thanksgiving recipe always includes stuffed turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, soufflés, yams and stuffing.

 

Before the big meal begins most of the people would like to sit and nibble something. Thanksgiving appetizers are meant for this purpose. It should be a delicious warm up before the heavy meal. There are over 100 options to choose from when you think of appetizers. But when you make a menu of appetizers you need to remember to include a wide variety of dishes like soup, dips, quiches and tarts. But these appetizers can be really healthy. This will prevent people from stuffing themselves with the heavy meal. Some of the delicious and healthy thanksgiving appetizers are:

• Many people like to have lots of sweets. Serving a fruit bowl will help to reduce the people's cravings for deserts and other sweets. So, it would be better if you serve a bowl of dried fruits. It will also be good if you serve fruit salad you can serve that with a hollowed out watermelon or a pumpkin as the centerpiece.
• Bruschetta will be an awesome appetizer. It is made by toasting the grain bread after brushing it with olive oil. You can also add toppings like chopped tomatoes, artichokes, eggplant, and chopped olives. Olive oil is a healthy fat and it helps to reduce cholesterol.
• Another attractive and satisfying low calorie dish would be smoked salmon and cucumber. It will be a bit of luxury but will definitely attract your guests.
• Placing a tray full of pre cut vegetables on the table might attract some of the guests. It is healthy. You can make it look colorful by placing different types of vegetables like carrots, grape tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.
• Salsa and chips is usually a part of the thanksgiving menu. Make your own tortilla chips and have homemade salsa. It will taste fresh and healthy.
• Having low fat cheese platter along with fruits and vegetable platter will give your guests a good choice. You can serve it with sodium crackers.

It will be necessary to fix you thanksgiving Asian appetizers  for parties according to the likes and interests of your guests. You can also be a bit experimental. If you have lots of time then you can make some interesting fun appetizers especially for kids.

Three Easy Party Appetizers for Low Fat Food

Eating low fat recipes should not mean depriving yourself. It is possible to enjoy delicious food without sacrificing flavor. You can lower the fat in existing recipes by switching regular cheese for low fat cheese or whole milk for skim milk, or you can follow low fat recipes.

This applies to appetizers as well as entrees and if you are hosting a party or buffet you can make low fat appetizers without anybody guessing, because they will taste so good! Here are some good ideas for healthy and easy party appetizers for parties:

Tuna Stuffed Chili Peppers
This dish is great because it is so creamy. Creamy dishes tend to be high in fat and calories but by using the right kind of cheese and mayonnaise, you can make this dish healthy and low in calories. This recipe serves sixteen people.
What you will need:

• 3 oz low fat Neufchatel cheese
• 2 oz can chopped green chilies
• 2 tablespoons fat free mayonnaise
• 4 poblano peppers
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons minced green onions
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 6 oz can tuna in water

How to make them:
Core and de-seed the poblano chilies but leave them whole. Mix the mayonnaise and Neufchatel, beating the mixture with an electric whisk until smooth. Add the green chilies, tuna, cilantro, cumin, and green onion and stir well. Spoon this mixture into the poblano peppers. Cover and chill them for a few hours, then cut each stuffed poblano into one-inch pieces and serve garnished with sprigs of cilantro.
Crunchy Oven Fried Vegetables
This is a brilliant recipe for vegetarians and you can serve the oven-fried vegetables with a low calorie ranch dip. This recipe makes enough to serve sixteen people. The mushrooms tend to cook faster than the other vegetables. As soon as the vegetables are golden brown and tender, they are done.
What you will need:

• 4 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 1 cup fine Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 8 cups thick zucchini slices, cauliflower florets, button mushrooms or sliced onions
• 8 tablespoons low calorie Italian salad dressing
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

How to make them:
Spray cooking oil spray over a nonstick cookie sheet. Stir the parmesan, paprika, and breadcrumbs together. Drizzle the vegetables with the salad dressing and toss them well. Roll them in the breadcrumb mixture, and then arrange them on the cookie sheet. Bake for about ten minutes at 450 degrees F, turning once during the cooking time.
Plum Dipping Sauce
Do not forget the dipping sauces when planning your holiday appetizers. The following recipe makes a sweet and delicious dipping sauce, which is rich in color and has an amazing flavor. Everything from egg rolls and chicken kabobs to bread, veggies, and crackers can be dipped in here.
What you will need:

• 1 cup plum jam
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

How to make it:
Add all the ingredients to a pan and cook over a moderate heat until smooth. Serve the sauce warm with bread, crackers, or vegetable crudites for dipping.