Appetizer Ideas Needed!!!

Hi Everyone!

I'm having my graduation party this Saturday (yay!) and I was wondering if you could help me get some ideas on what to serve by giving me some of your fav appetizer ideas.

Thanks!

hummus and pita chips

stuffed mushrooms

deviled eggs

mini greek pita pizzas

k thats the extent of my creativity for today :)

congrats on graduating!

a fruit tray or a veggie tray are always excellent, and easy to prepare :)  Almost every time I throw a party, it's an "appetizer party" because I find it easier to prepare for those, and I don't get stuck in the kitchen all night.  Mini meatballs are also good.  Pita chips and hummus.  Lettuce cups filled with a tasty veg or bean mix are fun but sometimes unwieldy.

Take anything full-size and miniaturize it, and you'll always have a fun appetizer.

Cold appies:

Red pepper hummous with pita chips and/or crudite (veggies)

Fresh salsa with baked tortilla chips

Hot appies:

Crab or cheese-stuffed mushroom caps

Pear, walnut, and swiss toasts

Mushroom and gorat cheese toasts

Just a few off the top of my head...I LOVE making appies...let me know if you want any of the recipes, I am a make-it-from-scratch kinda gal.

btw they are all relatively low-cal versions.

congrats!!

yummy Fiesta dip:

-1 lb. (16 oz?) low or no fat sour cream,

-one packet of Hidden Valley Dips 'Fiesta Ranch',

-1 can of Red Gold petite diced tomatoes with green chilies (hot or picante mild) drained,

-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Mix all above ingredients.

If you want to boost the veg, add chopped bell pepper, olives, green onion...

*you must refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving, or it will be too runny.

-top with shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, diced olive to make it look pretty. serve with celery, carrots, red bell pepper,  cucumbers (my fave), or tortilla chips.

Super easy! I never have any left-over!

Instead of hummus (which EVERYONE always has), I make a Tuscan white bean pate by blending a couple cans of warmed white beans (canellini or Great Northern are good - drain and rinse) with olive oil, fresh minced sage, a clove of minced garlic, salt and pepper and a little dribble of balsamic vinegar on top. Crudites, sliced whole wheat baguette or some multigrain crackers are good dippers.

You can make Thai-inspired baba ganouj (a Middle-Eastern eggplant dip) by roasting 2 pounds of Thai or Indian eggplants (the small, round egg-sized ones, usually white or green) until soft and browned. Puree the flesh (scraped from the skins) with a bit of olive oil, a tsp of fish sauce (or soy sauce), the juice from a lime, a teaspoon of sesame oil, a handful of chopped cilantro and a spoonful of Thai green curry paste. Taste and add salt and more lime juice as needed. Great dip for cucumber and carrot sticks, or smeared into a lettuce leaf to eat with satay (grilled chicken skewers).

Also, here is a link to my low-fat spinach dip recipe. http://caloriecount.about.com/recipe/88574.ht ml

Gratz and good luck!

Meat Sauce

  1 clove garlic 1 chopped jalapeno` 1 chopped small white onion 1 tspn ground cumin 1 tspn  chili powder 1 tspn  chipotle powder 1 small lime jest and the juice 2 handfuls of fresh chopped cilantro 1 lb - ground meat (turkey, sirloin, chicken) 1 small lime   brown chopped garlic, onion, and jalapeno`, add chili powder, cumin, and chipotle pepper then add ground meat to brown, add chopped cilantro, then add lime jest, and  juice from the lime.  

  Cheese Sauce

1lb grated pepper jack cheese 2 table spoons of butter 2 table spoons of flour 2 cups of milk   melt butter in sauce pan, add the flour and wisk, then wisk in the milk, after the milk bubbles, slowly stir in grated cheese.   Salsa   4 tomatoes chopped 1 small onion chopped 1 jalapeno` chopped and seeded 1 handful of fresh cilantro (chopped) 1 small lime   put chopped tomatoes in bowl, add the chopped onion, and the chopped jalapeno`, then ad the freshly chopped cilantro, then jest one lime and add, half of the lime's juice. Stir and serve.  

Tortilla Chips

 1 package of corn tortilla chips Kosher Salt   cut tortillas into quarters, then bake on cookie sheet until crispy  do not cook over 2 minutes...1-2 minutes will be good. Salt with Kosher Salt. and serve. 

buffalo chicken dip.  (cream cheese, hot sauce, canned chicken breast, ranch dressing or bleu cheese.) 

you can google this and find several variations.  it's SO delicious.