Appetizers

Animal Style Fries with cheese, caramelized onion and special sauce. A copycat In & Out recipe using sweet potato fries.

Sweet, tangy Chili Lime Glazed Grilled Shrimp can act as an appetizer or main entrée! This quick and easy recipe requires only a few basic ingredients and hardly any time to prepare!

Foil Packet Shrimp with lemon, garlic and butter is a quick and easy method for making shrimp. This recipe includes instructions on how to grill shrimp in foil packets as well as baking instructions.

Salty-sweet and crunchy maple rosemary roasted nuts are the perfect snack or appetizer for entertaining guests. These warmly-spiced nuts are great as an edible holiday gift!

You guys know me well enough to know I have a difficult time writing posts about roasted nuts without making some sort of innuendo in the poorest of taste, so I’m going to skip the intro and get straight down to business before you unfollow me for life.

These maple rosemary roasted nuts are just what you need for entertaining during the holidays. They have that irresistibly sweet-salty-crunchy trifecta, and they’re just so easy to make!

Rosemary and cinnamon give the nuts this burst of flavor that keeps you wanting more. You can make these in bulk in advance (they keep for up to 2 weeks in a sealed jar!), and they’re quite the little crowd pleasers!

Stuffed grilled avocados with grilled shrimp and delicious mango salsa. These stuffed avocados are perfect for sharing with friends and family all grilling season long. This post is sponsored by the California Avocado Commission. Have you fired up your grill yet? We had a pretty mild winter here in the Sierra Nevada, so we’ve been …

Roasted beet salad with vanilla bean-infused herbed whipped ricotta, roasted almonds, and citrus dressing is a beautiful sharable dish that’s perfect for serving for brunch. This post is sponsored by Nielsen-Massey. How’s your brunch game these days? If you’re like me and you are planning on entertaining more now that the weather is warming up, …

Tender shredded chicken stuffed sweet potato skins with goat cheese, pecans, and bacon. A comforting appetizer to share on game day! This post is sponsored by the American Pecan Council. The way I see it, these tasty potato skins are perfect for serving at your Game Day party, or really any gathering! They’re just the …

Looking for a healthy appetizer option? This roasted beet crostini includes a homemade herbed vegan “ricotta” cheese for a dairy-free, nutritious appetizer. A balsamic reduction and honey drizzle makes for the perfect bite. Can we just discuss the fact that roasted beets are basically candy? Okay, maybe not for beet naysayers, but for me, a …

Warmly-spiced maple caramelized pears with walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and golden raisins atop gooey baked brie. This ultra tasty appetizer is packed with flavor and perfect for sharing during all of your fall festivities I found it only appropriate that I should share an ooey gooey melty cheese recipe while I’m travelling in Switzerland, a.k.a. the …

BBQ “pulled” jackfruit on top of roasted sweet potato rounds make an awesome healthy vegan “slider” for your football festivities.  It’s been far too long since we’ve enjoyed us a sweet potato round! Back in the day, I was obsessed with making appetizers out of sliced and roasted sweet potatoes, to the extent that I …

How to make a fall-inspired meat and cheese board using seasonal ingredients that you can find at any grocery store. You don’t need to jump through hoops to pick up easy-to-find and sure-to-please ingredients for your charcuterie! This post is sponsored by Milton’s Craft Bakers.   With the holidays rapidly approaching, and with football season …

Creamy, zesty sour cream & onion dip made dairy-free, vegan, and paleo-friendly. This luscious dip (or dairy-free queso) is perfect for sharing with friends and family on game day!   Every once in awhile, I make confessions about the foods I miss from way back before I started eating a restricted diet. Fudgesicles, Dulce de …