These zucchini balls are absolutely delicious and perfect for entertaining, since the batter can be made ahead of time. They pair beautifully with Tzatziki dip and Traditional Greek Meatballs, making them ideal for a tapas-style spread or as delightful appetizers before a Mediterranean meal.
Tzatziki is a wonderful and versatile sauce that can be enjoyed in many ways. It’s delicious served as a dip with fresh vegetables, but it truly shines when paired with the Zucchini, Parmesan, and Feta Balls.
We recently spent a magical week sailing through the Greek Isles on a small cruise ship, where each stop seemed to offer a new flavor and story. One of the highlights of the trip was a hands-on cooking class led by a local chef who shared traditional family recipes passed down through generations. The […]
Want to get your family or friend gathering off to a spicy start? Try my son Phil’s Jalapeño poppers. Our family always requests this appetizer whenever we get together. I recently discovered that jalapeño peppers are easy to grow, and they easily get to a great size for these poppers. They are easy to find […]
If you are serving an entrée that is not too heavy, start your simple celebration with this delicious, fresh-tasting shrimp salad. Serve with our one-ingredient parmesan crisps and enjoy!
Seven simple ingredients go into the food processor and this appetizer is done! A perfect make-ahead dip for your simple celebration. We served it with pita bread and rainbow carrots, but you could use whatever you have on hand – crackers, fresh veggies, breadsticks, etc.
These tasty bites will be a wonderful addition to your Simple Celebration table. You can experiment with different fillings using the same method.
We had so much fun playing around with different ways to decorate our “snowman.” We ended up going the tropical route and served him on a plate with brown sugar “sand,” a tropical drink umbrella, a beach ball, and a sand dollar. How will you theme your snowman?
Something different to add to your simple celebration appetizer collection. Warm, creamy cheese spread on top of a slice of baguette – delicious!
Not only does this appetizer make a beautiful presentation, many steps may be made in advance of your simple celebration. You can either serve this as an appetizer or put 3 on each plate and make it a first course.
If you need an appetizer that requires no cooking, comes together in less than five minutes and is easy to transport, this shrimp dip is for you! Made with fresh shrimp
This “flatbread” is made from puff pastry, not the traditional pizza crust. The pastry adds a flaky goodness to this quick appetizer.
Putting this colorful dish together takes less than 10 minutes. It has simple ingredients, but has great taste and color!
It’s easy to make this recipe into a meal, just add cooked shrimp or chicken before baking. This makes a great lunch reheated the next day!
Here’s a crowd pleasing dip that will have you two-stepping right out of the kitchen!
This is a basic salsa recipe. You can add other ingredients you have on hand to change it up. We used avocado, chipotle, and fresh corn to create a salsa “bar.” Additions to the Salsa 1. Avocado – cut up one avocado into chunks 2. Chipotle – dice one chipotle chili in adobe sauce 3. […]
We love smoked salmon and wanted to develop a dip that was on the “lighter” side. In order to do this, we used creme fraîche instead of typical cream cheese. The cucumber adds a fresh crunch to the other delicious flavors. This dip turned out great. We hope you enjoy it as much as we […]
Vicki’s daughter, Jennifer, was in California on business and had this appetizer while dining out. She loved it so much, she got the recipe and wanted to share it with The Simple Celebration followers:
This dip will be the first gone at the party! The recipe can’t be any easier – only 2 ingredients!!
Assemble in this dish in advance, then pour marinade over the skewers 20 minutes before grilling.
This appetizer is delicious, simple, and full of flavor – just the way we like it! The sweet and savory flavor of chutney combined with the salty and crispy prosciutto and creamy mozzarella on top of crunchy bread tastes fantastic.
Put these cashews out for guests and watch them disappear. The crunch of roasted cashews mixed with the delicious flavors of fresh herbs and salt and an added kick of cayenne pepper – wow, it’s a party in your mouth!
What is halloumi? It is a cheese that is mild, yet delicious and can withstand the heat of a hot oven without melting. In this unique appetizer recipe, the cheese acts as the base for the figs and prosciutto. After baking, the prosciutto is crispy, the figs soft, and the cheese delectable. This very simple, […]
This is another great recipe to make in advance of your party – even weeks ahead. It is a great compliment to wine and is one that people have a hard time “eating just one.” This recipe is easy to double and will keep fresh in a Ziplock bag for several days after the party. […]
These cakes are absolutely delicious and are a real crowd-pleaser. The best part is you can make them several days ahead, thaw them before your guests arrive, and reheat for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
We made this fig appetizer at a recent wine tasting party and it was a hit. Everyone gobbled them up so quickly, we had nothing to nibble on while we cleaned up!
For our 200th blog party we decided on a simple, fun, no-cook menu. We headed to our fantastic local Italian market, Mazzaro’s, and bought a wonderful assortment of meats, cheeses, and other goodies. Our first stop was to the cheese counter where we met Charlie. We sampled many great Italian cheeses and settled on three – […]
These were a lot of fun to make (as you can see from the video link below). The rice paper rolls look like a plastic disc when you open the package. Once you thoroughly soak them, either by wiping them with a wet towel or dipping them into water, they become much more pliable […]
Wow your friends and family the next time you serve an appetizer or need to bring a pot luck dish with these delicious simple dumplings. This Asian recipe comes all the way from Australia thanks to Skye K. who is Jennifer’s (Vicki’s daughter), wonderful sister-in-law.
Another great way to use hard-boiled eggs. A tip for success – use creme frâiche instead mayonnaise, it allows the wonderful flavors of salmon, crab and herbs to shine through. The recipes are simple. You can even make them a couple of days ahead of serving (keep refrigerated).