Appetizer
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Pan Fried Onion Dip
This is hands-down one of my most requested appetizers/dips from friends and family. I cannot take any credit – this one hails from Queen Ina herself. Absolutely all of her recipes are perfect, whether you are making them for the first time or the hundredth time. I have said for years that if you follow her recipes, you cannot fail – they always turn out.
That being said, I feel like it takes my onions to carmelize A LOT longer than it indicates in the recipe. Not convinced I am doing anything wrong, but I keep meaning to scale back on the oil/butter and see if I can get the onion to caramelize faster. The recipe written as-is also has a lot of extra oil once the onions are cooked, which I don’t think is necessary, so I tend to drain my onions a bit before transferring them to the bowl with the creamy ingredients. The time it takes to make this dip is worth it though – it’s outstanding! I usually double it since most of the time it’s for a crowd. The store bought versions pale in comparison, unless you can find the Trader Joe’s take, which is pretty darn close in a pinch!
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Balsamic Cherry & Goat Cheese Crostini
I know summer is waning, and I have been meaning to share this recipe the past few months while cherries were in season, because this is the perfect summer appetizer! There is nothing better than great bread with some yummy cheese and a savory/sweet topping. Spread your baguette slices with goat cheese, top with the cherry mixture, and you have a perfect two-bite appetizer that takes very little time to make and assemble. A cherry pitter will make quick work of removing the pits, but a sharp knife will work too. Plan to have very red, cherry-dyed fingers, unless you wear gloves…
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Marinated Grilled Shrimp
My sister shared this recipe with me last summer, and it’s gone into high rotation in our household. You can use fresh or previously frozen (thawed) shrimp. A quick 20 minute marinade with pantry staples, and you have delicious shrimp that can be served hot, room temperature or cold! They make a great entree, or serve them as an appetizer. I prefer them with grilled veggies, but serve with whatever sides you wish.
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The Best Vegetable Dip
Admittedly, one of my favorite parts of my cabi Stylist career is getting to try all the different and fun foods my hostesses put out for their parties. This dip is from my hostess Lynn, and is hands-down my favorite vegetable dip of all-time. I have always loved a great dill dip, and this one is unique and flavorful…and super easy to whip up in minutes. The flavors will develop a bit as you let it sit, so best to make this ahead by a couple of hours and let it chill in the refrigerator.
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Texas Caviar
Hey friends…it’s been a minute! Got a little behind posting recipes – life got in the way! Hope you are all having a fantastic summer and holiday weekend! Wanted to share a favorite chip dip that is always a hit, and makes enough to feed a big crew. There seem to be several iterations of this recipe, but this is the one our family loves best. There is some chopping involved…
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Homemade Ricotta
While perusing the web for some new appetizer inspiration last summer, I came across a recipe that called for whipped ricotta with sautéed mushrooms, shallots and herbs on a toasted baguette. It sounded amazing, so I bought all the ingredients and made it one night. I purchased whole milk ricotta at the store, but since I am always searching for ways to improve upon a recipe that was already good, I found a recipe for homemade ricotta that was 4 ingredients (mainly pantry staples in my house) and took less than 30 minutes to make. OMG – so, so good! I will never buy store-bought ricotta again if I can help it!
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Sweet & Spicy Rosemary Cashews
Ina Garten gets all the credit for this awesome recipe! These nuts are based on the bar mix at Union Square Cafe in NYC, which uses mixed nuts in their recipe. I started making these a few years ago, and a whole batch has been known to disappear in one night! I highly recommend doubling the batch – these will keep well in an air-tight container for several days.
Ina’s original recipe calls for raw cashews, but they can be difficult to find and you need to roast them longer in your oven. I will be a large container of roasted and salted cashews – Costco and Aldi sell great ones at a fantastic price – and just warm them in the oven for a shorter time and omit the salt. Recipe below takes this into consideration, but if you start with raw cashews, make sure you add some salt!