You can make this Guinness and Cheddar cheese fondue recipe with a few simple ingredients. It is the perfect addition to a Friday night among friends or your next appetizer party. Warm and delicious! It’s a crowd pleaser Guinness and Cheddar Fondue went over really well at a party!! Every year one of the guys…
Appetizers
I consider appetizers a food group. I know this is by no means accurate, but there are so many to choose from. Usually on Friday nights my husband and I have appetizers for dinner. This is a tradition we established since our kids were little. They both enjoyed helping to prepare "dinner", and they also chose something to add to the feast. Were they healthy appetizers? Hmm not always.
My best friend who moved away a number of years ago used to throw the BEST appetizer parties. Better yet, she would usually send us home with a big care package. BONUS. There is another couple who still lives in town who happen to also throw amazing holiday appetizer parties.
This section has a great offering of both cold and warm foods. I personally like a selection of both when I am putting together a easy appetizers for a party. I did include one of my all time faves: empanadas!
Read though this list, and let me know if you have a favorite that you would like to see added.
Spanish Tapas – Mushrooms in Sherry Sauce
Mushroom tapas are cooked to tender perfection with onions and garlic, and then served on a crusty bread. Are you convinced yet? Did you know that Pennsylvania is the mushroom capital of the US? Yes, apart from being the sultans of snow we are also apparently the monarchs of mushrooms! Mushrooms are grown in former…
Traditional Irish Brown Bread
Irish Brown Bread is as typical as a pint of Guinness. It is a close cousin, or stepbrother to the Irish soda bread made with white flour. Although today both are equally popular, brown bread was initially more common because white flour was more expensive. People with less resources favored brown bread since it cost…
Spanish Style Shrimp Tapas
Shrimp and other seafood tapas recipes are extremely popular throughout Spain, given their coastline. This Spanish tapa is a twist on shrimp scampi. Theres more than one way to shrimp tapas! Spanish tapas come in many varieties. I’ve chosen a simple yet delicious preparation that works well as a shrimp appetizer or stirred into rice…
Authentic Tortilla Espanola – Spanish Potato Pie
Tortilla Espanola is a simple, delicious dish to enjoy as a main or appetizer. In Spain, it’s a tapas staple (appetizer). At home, we enjoy it with salad greens. Tortilla Espanola consists of 4 basic ingredients: potatoes, onions, eggs and olive oil. Salt and pepper are added to taste. As far as the origins are concerned, my…
Garbanzo Beans with Tomatoes and Onions
Garbanzo beans with tomatoes and onions is a simple yet delicious tapas dish. The delicate flavors of the onion and tomato along with soft creamy garbanzo when cooked is something you must experience with your appetizer happy hour. It is hard to believe that this funny little legume packs such a flavor and nutritional punch….
Fast and Easy Shrimp Ceviche Recipe
A delicious twist on the fish original. This Latin American appetizer is a party classic and oh so easy. Chop, mix done! What are you waiting for? Go make some ceviche, and don’t forget that nice cold beer to wash it down with. The origins of ceviche are as confusing as its multiple spellings. In…
Blender Salsa Verde with Mango
Here is a sweet, spicy, tangy quick and easy blender salsa for your next party! Tomatillo salsa with mango (or salsa verde with mango) is tangy, tart, and fresh-tasting. Read on and you’ll be eating this about 20 minutes. You won’t believe it’s this easy to make… Assemble all the ingredients for your tomatillo salsa,…
Mango Black Bean Salsa Recipe
Mango Black Bean Salsa is what I would call Fusion cuisine. It is neither Latin American or Caribbean, however, it utilizes ingredients that are native to that cuisine. Mango Black Bean Salsa works well as an appetizer, as a side dish, or even a relish. Mangoes have the natural advantage of being extremely nutritious. They…
Spanish Style Grilled Marinated Pork
This Spanish-style grilled pork or prueba de cerdo recipe has a bit of kick, but not too much to intimidate those who prefer a milder taste. It is a hearty tapas dish to say the least. The smoky flavor of the paprika and the crushed red pepper combine to awaken your taste buds! The melt…
Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Mango Salad
I recently tried Vietnamese sweet and sour mango salad at a dinner put on by students in the Culinary Arts program at Mercyhurst University. This is the school where I work; and which happens to have a great culinary program from which my son is a graduate. My husband, mother in law and I went….
Spicy Beef Puff Pastries – Pastelitos de Carne
Aah! Soft, flaky, mouthwatering puff pastry. Just the mention of this heavenly carbohydrate makes me close my eyes and dream of the endless possibilities, like spicy beef puff pastry appetizers, for example. Pastelitos de carne, as they are called in Latin America, are without a doubt one of my favorite snacks. My family loves them too! You…
Yuca Fritters – Carimañolas
Panamanian food is delicious Here’s another yuca recipe that happens to be one of my favorites: yuca fritters – carimañolas. But, before I go on, the correct pronunciation for this tasty tuber is you-kah, not yuck-ah(yucca). One is a root vegetable, the other a desert plant. Two similar spellings? Yes! This is where the similarities…
Avocado Toast with Mango and Queso Fresco
How to make avocado toast that will upgrade your brunch. This quick and easy Avocado, mango and queso fresco toast recipe came about all of a sudden. I was trying to experiment with some ingredients I had on hand. You know those nights when you don’t want to go to the grocery store and become…
Creamy Curry Chicken Salad Wraps
It seems that everyone, everywhere is eating wraps these days. And, why not? They are tasty and handy; plus the possibilities are endless. Just for you today, I’ve made creamy curry chicken salad wraps. They are good enough for lunch and dinner. Curry chicken wraps for the apps Actually we’re getting together with some…
