I have been on a real Mediterranean kick lately, and this appetizer is no different! I know, I know, Tzatziki is supposed to be a sauce not a dip. But I can’t help it, I think it goes great with crispy baked pita chips. There are a million different recipes for Tzatziki sauce as each person has their own unique version. Below is my version, which is very quick and easy to assemble – but please take a look at this recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen and also this recipe from Simply Recipes for some great ideas and twists! I like my Tzatziki on the tangy side, so I sweetened up the pita chips to compliment! It is a combination I highly recommend.

Tzatziki Dip (Serves 8):

2 c non-fat Greek yogurt

1 c english cucumber, seeded and finely diced

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp dill

1 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Place yogurt in large bowl. Seed and dice cucumber and dry with paper towel to remove excess moisture. Add cucumber, garlic, lemon juice and dill to the yogurt. Stir to combine. Pour olive oil on top of yogurt mixture and stir until incorporated. Add salt and pepper and stir to season. Cover and leave in refrigerator for at least one hour.

Sweetened Pita Chips (Serves 8):

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

olive oil

6 whole wheat pitas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, sugar and salt in small bowl. Split each pita into two round halves. Working with one half at a time, drizzle olive oil onto pita and distribute evenly with pastry brush. Sprinkle seasoning on pita. Repeat with remaining pitas and stack all pita halves. Cut stack of pitas into 6 triangles (total of 72 pieces). Spread pitas out onto baking sheets in single layer and bake for 10-12 minutes or until browned and crispy. Allow to cool before serving.

I have a very clear philosophy when it comes to cooking: keep the ingredients simple, but make the ingredients the best they can be. If you are going to make a simple appetizer, like the one in this recipe, make each ingredient shine. In this recipe, I have marinated the cubes of feta in a light vinegarette and I have oven roasted grape tomatoes instead of using jarred sundried tomatoes. The parsley pesto is meant to swirl on the plate so each appetizer can pick up a little bit of the sauce. But you can serve the pesto in a little bowl for dipping as well. These little bites have big bursts of flavor and go well with a dry, white wine. Enjoy!

Here is a great way to use up your St. Patrick’s Day leftovers. Serve your leftover corned beef and cabbage as an appetizer! The only thing better than this classic pairing is the dollop of mustard sauce to go over the top. Tangy and bright, this mustard sauce will knock your socks off and is so easy to make – just two ingredients (plus salt and pepper).

Corned Beef and Cabbage Crackers (Serves 4):

12 0z cooked corned beef, chopped

1/2 c cooked cabbage, chopped

12 crackers

Mustard Sauce:

1/4 c fat free greek yogurt (or sour cream if you prefer)

2  1/2 tbsp whole grain mustard

dash of Salt

dash of Pepper

Mix mustard sauce in small bowl. Divide corned beef and cabbage evenly between the 12 crackers. Top each cracker with a teaspoon of mustard sauce. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

For this week’s recipe I tried to re-create a packaged pizza dip that I had fallen in love with. I incorporated sundried tomatoes into this appetizer to add a burst of flavor. And I’m happy to say, it worked! This dip is so easy, it’s full of pizza flavor and seems to be a real crowd pleaser. Though I make this dip with full fat ingredients, feel free to experiment with lower fat substitutes. Just give the dip more time to set up in the fridge. You can serve this dip with your favorite crackers or crostini as I did here.

Sundried Tomato Pizza Dip:

1 – 8 oz package of cream cheese

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 c mayonaise

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried basil

1 tbsp dried oregano (plus more for garnish)

1/2 c finely chopped sundried tomatoes packed in oil

Bring cream cheese to room temperature in large mixing bowl. Add in remaining ingredients and stir very well to combine. Put in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set up. Take out of refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving and garnish with a sprinkle of dried oregano. Enjoy!

I never really thought of fruit salad as an appetizer until it was served to me as a first course to a very delicious meal at a dear friend’s house. But it made total sense once I started eating this salad. It’s light and refreshing, it doesn’t fill you up and it’s the perfect start to a meal. Not to mention healthy! This very easy recipe requires no cooking time and very minimal chopping time. It makes way more than you would think, it easily serves four. Don’t skip the lemon flavored yogurt, it makes the dish! This recipe was originally published on AllRecipes.com and you can find the original recipe here. Try this for your next dinner party, you won’t be disappointed!

Waldorf Fruit Salad (Serves 4):

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped

1 Red Delicious apple, cored and chopped

1 nectarine, pitted and chopped

1/2 c walnuts, chopped

1/2 c dried cranberries

8 oz lemon flavored non-fat yogurt

Combine all ingredients in bowl, chill until serving time.

This appetizer recipe was inspired by two of my favorite Food Network stars, Alton Brown and Ina Garten. It was Alton’s idea to brine the shrimp before cooking and Ina’s idea to roast the shrimp cocktail instead of boiling it. The combination worked out great. This is my new favorite appetizer! Wait, don’t I say that every week? The homemade cocktail sauce was created without ketchup, without chili sauce and tastes fresh and natural. Run, don’t walk, to the kitchen and make this for your next get together!

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail (Serves 4):

1 and 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, shell on

1 and 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

For the brine:

1/4 c kosher salt

1/4 c sugar

1 c water

2 c ice

2 slices of lemon

1 handful of parsley

For the cocktail sauce:

14 oz crushed tomatoes

1tbsp worchestershire sauce

1 and 1/2 tbsp prepared horseradish

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp hot sauce

Leaving the shell on, cut through the back of the shrimp and remove vein under cold running water. In large mixing bowl, combine ingredients for the brine (salt through parsley). Add shrimp and stir. Place bowl in refrigerator for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove bowl from refrigerator, rinse each shrimp under cool running water and remove shell (leaving the shell on the tail only). Pat the shrimp dry on paper towel. Place shrimp in clean bowl. Pour olive oil, salt and pepper over shrimp and toss gently to combine. Lay shrimp out on one layer on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for approximately 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Shrimp are done when they are just pink and firm. Be careful not to over cook them!

To make the cocktail sauce – combine all ingredients, stir and chill until ready to serve.

There is a book that my sister gives out for housewarming gifts called The Great Salsa Book. When I tell you that this book contains every salsa recipe imaginable- think Cactus Salsa, Thai Peanut Salsa and Balsamic Berry Salsa. There is one recipe from this book that I used to beg my sister to make for me, the Smokey Barbecue Salsa. This salsa makes a perfect appetizer, it’s sweet and smokey and bursting with flavor. Yes, it does take an hour to cook, but trust me – it’s worth it! I hope you try it.

Smokey Barbecue Salsa (Makes about 2 cups):

1 c barbecue sauce (your favorite kind)

2 c peeled shallots or boiling onions

2 tbsp Chipotle puree (simply puree the peppers and the adobo sauce in a food processor)

2 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 c water

2 small ears of corn (I used 1 cup of frozen corn, thawed and drained)

Place barbecue sauce, shallots, Chipotle puree, molasses, maple syrup, vinegar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Add more water as necessary to prevent the mixture from getting too thick.

With sharp knife, cut the corn kernels from the cob. Heat large, heavy bottomed saute pan over high heat until almost smoking. Place no more than 2 layers of corn in the pan at a time and dry roast 4 to 5 minutes until smokey and dark, tossing continuously. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add barbecue mixture and combine thoroughly. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Don’t you just love when a recipe comes together? I had seen the idea of making these little prosciutto cups in a magazine over the holidays and I knew I wanted to make them for this site. You could literally put anything in these delightful mini cups, but I was craving the classic pairing of prosciutto and melon and I added in a sprinkle of basil to liven up these incredibly tasty and bite-sized little appetizers. They are also a breeze to make, so you should definitely try this at home.

Prosciutto Melon Cups (Serves 4):

6 paper thin slices of prosciutto

1 cantelope

1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take the six slices of prosciutto and cut in half to make 12 pieces. Spray mini-muffin pan with cooking spray. Arrange prosciutto slices in each muffin cup. Bake in oven for 7-8 minutes. Take prosciutto out of the oven and let cool for 2 minutes. While prosciutto is baking, cut cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds. Using a melon baller, scoop out flesh of cantaloupe. Chop basil. When cups are cool, remove from pan and fill with one melon ball each. Sprinkle top of cups with basil. Serve at room temperature.

When Bethenny Frankel released with her book Naturally Thin, I devoured it. She makes so much sense and gives the reader so many tools to use to control weight without dieting. So naturally when her new book, The Skinnygirl Dish, came out – I had to buy a copy. The day it came out. It’s not that I’m a fan girl…well, maybe I am. When I got Bethenny’s newsletter offering to sign and personalize copies of The Skinnygirl Dish I immediately regretted the decision to take the book into the kitchen with me to make the salsa recipe. I can’t send her a book to sign with food smudges already on it, can I? She might be grossed out. I would be. So without further ado, here is one of the recipes in the book, Aztec Black Bean Salsa. And it is so incredibly delicious. I made homemade baked tortilla chips to serve with this, the recipe will be published in my newsletter, so make sure to sign up! Also, the orginal salsa recipe doesn’t have avacado in it, but I added it to mine. Because I’m naughty. Enjoy!

Aztec Black Bean Salsa (Makes 6 cups):

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 c chopped red onion

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn, defrosted and drained

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 c finely chopped pear tomatoes

1 chipotle pepper (with or without adobo sauce)

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, onions, corn, olive oil, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Spread in a baking pan covered with foil. Place on top rack and roast for 15 minutes. Let cool.

Return roasted vegetables to bowl, add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine. Serve at room temperature.

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I had this salad as a side dish in an adorable French Bistro in upstate New York. The minute I tasted this, I knew I had to try to recreate this at home. This amazing salad is served slightly warm or at room temperature and couldn’t be any easier – only five ingredients! I’m not sure I captured the original dish exactly, but I like my version better.

Orzo Butternut Squash Salad (6 First Course Servings):

1 cup diced raw butternut squash (see picture below)

8 oz uncooked orzo pasta

3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 stick of unsalted butter

8 fresh sage leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium size sauce pan, bring good amount of water to a boil. Add squash and orzo to water, bring back to a boil and let cook for 12 minutes. Drain well. Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet. Add sage leaves and fry until leaves become dark and fragrant and butter begins to brown (approx 7-9 minutes). Remove sage leaves and drain on paper towel. In large mixing bowl, add orzo and squash. Drizzle brown butter in mixing bowl and add Parmesan cheese. Stir gently to combine. Salt and pepper cooked pasta to taste. Mold each serving in a ramekin or round cookie cutter. Garnish with fried sage leaves.