Brie and Apple Cranberry Chutney Crostini
- 1 seeded baguette, sliced
- 1 package of double or triple cream brie
- 1 jar of apple cranberry chutney (or whatever flavor you like)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the baguette into thin slices then place on a baking sheet. Bake for 4-5 minutes or until light golden brown. Spread a bit of brie on each toast and top with a dollop of chutney. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Crostini with Gorgonzola or Brie, Caramelized Onions and Pear
We were headed to our friends house on the Trask River last weekend and my wonderful friend Currié offered to make all the meals (don't I have great friends?). I wanted to pitch in a little bit so I offered to make an appetizer for Saturday night. While looking for great recipe ideas on my favorite food blogs, I stumbled upon this tasty looking recipe from Prudy at Prudence Pennywise. Prudy has a wonderful food blog that gives you great ways to make a delicious meal without spending a fortune. It was crostini topped with brie, caramelized onions and pear. They looked so pretty and I love all the ingredients so I was very excited to try these tasty treats. When I was shopping for the ingredients I decided to get a lower fat brie (won't do that again). It wasn't bad but it was fairly bland. Next time I will get double or triple cream brie because it's so creamy, delicious and worth the extra calories. I also saw some beautiful Gorgonzola cheese and decided to try two variations of this appetizer. I love Gorgonzola with onions and pear so I knew it would be great too. I can't tell you how easy they were to make and how delicious they tasted. They were a huge hit with everyone - I personally couldn't stop eating them. Thank you Prudy for an excellent recipe.
- 1 large baguette, sliced into thin slices
- 2 tsp of olive oil
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced into thick slices
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- Brie cheese
- Gorgonzola cheese
- 1-2 pears. sliced very thin
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the baguette into thin slices, place on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced onions and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once they are caramelized, add sea salt to taste and minced garlic. Stir frequently for 60 seconds then remove from heat.
Spread either brie or Gorgonzola over the crostini then add some caramelized onion and top with thin slices of pear. Garnish with parsley and eat. Enjoy.
Tomato and Fresh Basil Crostini with Feta and Roasted Garlic Cheese Spread
This is a delightful appetizer that is easy to make and tastes so delicious. I use my wonderful neighbor Cheryl's recipe for Roasted Garlic and Feta Dip (click here for link) and change it just a bit. The sliced tomatoes and fresh basil make this so light and tasty. I use the feta dip on half of the crostinis and a goat cheese spread on the other half.- 1/2 cup of feta cheese (I used low fat)
- 1/2 cup of sour cream (I used non fat)
- 1/2 head of roasted garlic, chopped (click here for recipe)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 vine ripened tomato, sliced thinly
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped finely into ribbons
- Fresh cracked pepper and sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine feta cheese, sour cream, 1/2 head of roasted garlic, salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and spray tops with cooking spray. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside. Lay the basil leaves on top of each other and roll into a tube, cut into thin slices. Spread the feta mixture evenly onto the crostini then top with a slice of tomato, sprinkle with sea salt & fresh cracked pepper and top with basil ribbons. Eat & enjoy!
If you want to do the goat cheese spread too:
- 1/2 cup of goat cheese
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1/2 head of roasted garlic, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Crostini with Feta & Roasted Garlic Cheese Spread
My lovely neighbor Cheryl has a delicious recipe for a Feta Cheese and Roasted Garlic Spread (click here for link) that I love. I used her base recipe and twisted it a bit to make it my own. We were at our friends house on the Trask River (near Tillamook, Oregon) this weekend enjoying some down time. I wanted to make a tasty appetizer while my friend Currie made a delicious dinner of stuffed pork chops and roasted asparagus. I did half of them with feta cheese and half with goat cheese. We gobbled them up quickly... they were a huge hit with everyone.- 1/2 cup of feta cheese (I used low fat)
- 1/2 cup of sour cream (I used non fat)
- 1/2 head of roasted garlic, chopped (click here for recipe)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb mushrooms, white or cremini, sliced
- 1/2 sweet yellow onion, sliced thinly
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 baguette, sliced thinly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine feta cheese, sour cream, 1/2 head of roasted garlic, salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and spray tops with cooking spray. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 15-20 minutes until caramelized. Remove from pan and set aside. Re-heat the pan over medium high heat adding remaining 1/2 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp butter. Add mushrooms and saute until golden brown. Add the onions back into the pan with the mushrooms and heat through - season with salt. Spread the feta mixture evenly onto the crostini then top with a spoonful of mushrooms and onions. Eat & enjoy!
If you want to do the goat cheese spread too:
- 1/2 cup of goat cheese
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1/2 head of roasted garlic, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Click here for a printable version of this recipe Read more...
Deviled Eggs
This is my mom's recipe and I love it. I grew up eating these eggs and look forward to having them every time I visit my parents. It's a perfect appetizer to take to any party.- 10 eggs, hard boiled
- 3-4 tbsp mayonnaise (more if you want it creamier)
- 2 tbsp dill pickle juice
- 1 small dill pickle, diced finely
- 1 green onion, chopped finely
- 1/4 tsp dried mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste (My Mom uses white pepper & celery salt)
- Paprika for garnish
Place the eggs in cold water and peel the shells off. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise so they are stable. Clean out the center yolks with a spoon into a shallow bowl. Use a fork and smash them until they are really smooth. Add the dill pickle, green onion, pickle juice, mayonnaise, dried mustard, salt and pepper then mix thoroughly. Taste and re-season if necessary. Spoon mixture back into the egg halves. Sprinkle tops with paprika. Enjoy.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are always a great treat. We recently had an "appetizer dinner" with friends and I made these mushrooms - they disappeared quickly and everyone raved about them. I usually make them with sausage but decided to try vegetarian this time and I am glad I did. I loved the flavors of garlic, red pepper & cream cheese together. These mushrooms were really delicious and I look forward to making them again.- 15 large button mushrooms, wiped clean
- 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3-4 tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded (divided)
- 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 block of low fat cream cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp Italian style bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a tin foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel then carefully remove stems. Add the mushroom stems, bell pepper, onion and garlic to a food processor and mix until chopped finely. Combine mushroom mixture in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of parmesan, mozzarella, basil, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Taste and re-season if needed. Scoop filling into mushroom caps. Sprinkle bread crumbs and remaining parmesan on top of each mushroom and place on baking sheet. Bake uncovered in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
