Tasty, Quick & Easy Holiday Party Appetizers
There’s no denying it. Holiday parties are fun. Especially parties full of an array of finger foods that can be eaten in one or two bites. But how do you make your party more eco-friendly?
Here are a few tips:
Try to make the foods you serve as low on the food chain as possible. Serve less meat and cheese, and more vegetables and beans. For protein, remember that eggs are less production-intensive than meat or cheese and nuts are always good. When you do use meat and cheese, look for organic, responsibly-raised animal products. And remember, with cocktail appetizers such as these, a little of everything goes a long, long way, so you can feel a little better about splurging for the holidays.
Top a cracker or crostini with oil-packed, dolphin-friendly canned tuna, chopped olives, and grated hard-boiled egg.
Dollop mascarpone cheese over slices of pear and drizzle with local honey.
Sauté wild mushrooms with organic shallots and sherry and serve on crostini with fresh thyme and toasted walnuts.
Chop dried figs and mix with organic cream cheese and local honey. Use as a spread for crostini.
Cut little pockets into dried figs and stuff with nuggets of organic blue cheese.
Puree cooked white beans with rosemary, roasted garlic, and olive oil and use as a spread for crostini.
Wrap thinly sliced ham around a crisp apple slice and melt a sliver of Gruyere cheese over it (use organic ingredients). Serve on slices of baguette.
Hollow out baby potatoes and fill with sustainable California caviar, crème fraiche, and chopped red onion.
Caramelize onions and serve on top of crostini with fresh thyme and blue cheese.
Top rounds of cucumber with wild, sustainably-caught Alaskan smoked salmon, chives, and crème fraiche.
Note: Whenever possible, choose organic ingredients.
Image: beet-and-burrata crostini by the bitten word
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2 Comments
December 13th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I’m thinking of skipping the holiday meal all together and just going with tapas style treats like these. That way people can try different flavors. Thanks for the easy recipes, Vanessa, they all look great!
December 14th, 2008 at 5:04 am
Ditto, Sara.
This year, I’m skipping that post-Christmas, wary-eye-on-the-scales feeling of sluggish guilt. That means eating good food in small quantities, not average food in vast amounts.
And appetizers are the way to do it. (Thanks, Vanessa).
Also, small portions, carefully spaced out, get people talking. This is the bedrock of Mediterranean cuisine. And what better time than Christmas?
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