Creamy Peanut Soup

With only a few handful ingredients, you can make a rich and luxurious tasting peanut soup. Adapted from The Williamsburg Cookbook, Creamy Peanut Soup is a thick and satisfying easy appetizers or snack. Use unsweetened peanut butter to make a savory soup. The smooth variety is better for making soup rather than the chunky peanut butter. You can garnish the vegetable soup recipe later with chopped peanuts. To make a simple peanut soup, inspired by African cooking, you need onions, celery, olive oil, flour, chicken broth preferably fat-free, smooth peanut butter, light cream, and chopped nuts. This uncomplicated dish can make a healthy meal for the whole family and a fun appetizer recipes for dinner with friends.

Ingredients
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. flour
2 qts. fat-free chicken broth
2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 3/4 cup light cream
Chopped peanuts for garnish

Preparation Instructions
1. In a large soup pot, over medium-high heat, sauté onion and celery in the olive oil until they are soft, but not brown.Stir in flour until it is well-blended.

2. Increase heat. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.Remove from heat. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and puree.

3. Add peanut butter and cream. Stir to blend thoroughly.

4. Pour soup back in pan, and heat over low heat until it is just hot, but not boiling.

5. Remove from heat. Serve, garnishing each serving with chopped peanuts.

Creamy Zucchini Soup

This creamy zucchini vegetable soup recipe doesn't use any cream to make it thick and luscious. The zucchini, when softened and pureed together with the onions and beef stock turns to a rich thick liquid that warms the soul and refreshes the mind and goes excellently well with crusty bread or crackers. The addition of bacon to this easy appetizers gives it a mouthwateringly savory flavor. The garlic, sweet basil and fresh parsley add spice, aroma, and wonderful complexity. For a vegetarian version, you can simply eliminate the bacon and use vegetable stock instead of beef stock then prepare the appetizer recipes as directed.

Ingredients

2 strips bacon
4 cup zucchini, coarsely grated
1 small onion, chopped
2 cup beef stock or 2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. fresh sweet basil
1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Preparation Instructions
1. In a small frying pan, over medium-high heat, fry bacon until strips are crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Using a large kettle or Dutch oven, combine bacon with all remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until zucchini is soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Transfer kettle contents to a blender container. Process on puree until mixture is smooth. Reheat and serve.

Salmon Pancakes With Caviar

Salmon and caviar are two highly valued ingredients in gourmet cooking easy appetizers. This exquisite combination is a favorite topping in gourmet pizzas and lavish fillings for crepes. For this recipe French healthy meal  hef Georges Blanc shows you how to make breakfast fit for royalty, by incorporating salmon and caviar in pancakes. Start your day feeling like a queen with this gourmet take on a typical American breakfast item. Enjoy the silky soft texture and mild distinct flavor of salmon as it melts on your tongue and revel in the sea-salty taste and bright pearly quality of caviar as it gently pops in your mouth. This is also best as appetizer recipes.

Ingredients
17 ½ oz. of mashed potatoes
3 spoonfuls flour
4 eggs
2 cups cream
salmon cut into 48 two-inch squares
2 oz. caviar
1 lemon
1 ¾ oz. clarified butter
1 tomato, dill

Preparation Instructions
1. To make the batter, make mashed potatoes and combine them with the cream and flour. Add the eggs one after the other and whisk them all together until you get a creamy and even consistency.

2. Slice the salmon into small squares about two inches in length and as thin as sashimi. Carefully spread a spoon of caviar on a piece of salmon and top with another salmon piece so that the caviar is sandwiched between two slices of salmon.

3. In a frying pan, melt the butter and when hot enough, drop the pancake batter shaping it into a small circle about the size of a fist. When the bottom of the pancakes has browned, place the salmon and caviar on the top of the pancake, and flip the pancake to cook the other side.

4. To make the sauce, sauté strips of lemon peel in butter and season with salt.

5. To serve, place some sauce at the center of the plate and arrange three salmon-caviar pancakes on top. Decorate with small pieces of raw salmon and caviar on the side, bits of tomatoes, and sprinkle with fresh dill.

Nachos for Holiday Party

Holiday party food is usually loaded with simple carbohydrates, high-sodium processed foods, and saturated fat. Say no to the unhealthy stuff this year and prepare the following quick and easy appetizers finger foods. Your body and your taste buds will thank you. Tasty little healthy meals. Bites of food that look spectacular and are intensely flavorful.

Appetizer Recipes Ingredients:
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp (10 mL) mustard
1 Tbsp (15 mL) apple juice concentrate
Black pepper, chipotle powder, and salt to taste
1 avocado, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 mango, chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) red onion, finely chopped
2 cups (500 mL) cooked black beans
1 - 16 oz (450 g) package whole grain baked tortilla chips
Cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, apple juice concentrate, black pepper, chipotle powder, and salt. Set aside.

In separate bowl, toss the avocado, red bell pepper, mango, onion, and beans with the dressing. Place tortilla chips on serving plate and top them with bean mixture. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.

Serves 16.

Each serving contains: 209 calories; 6 g protein; 6 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 34 g carbohydrates; 5 g fibre; 127 mg sodium

Corn Chowder

A hearty vegetabe soup recipe that is rich in flavor yet light on the tummy, corn chowder is an all-vegetable dish that makes a luscious easy appetizers, snack or meal. Serve with saltine crackers or crusty bread and a side of salad for a real sumptuous appetizer recipes treat. His recipe uses canned cream corn for a thick and delicately sweet soup. Potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, milk, cheese, and flour are also included in making the dish

Ingredients
2 cups diced potatoes
½ cup chopped carrots
½ chopped celery
¼ cup chopped onion
2 cups boiling water
¼ cup margarine
½ cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk
10 oz. Cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 (16 oz.) can creamed corn

Preparation Instructions
1
Pour the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into a large pot. Add the water and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

2
In another saucepan, melt the margarine. Whisk in the flour, then the milk. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted.

3
Add the flour mixture to the vegetables. Add the corn (including the liquid from the can). Heat without boiling.

Bacon Water Chestnut Wraps

The holidays around the house just wouldn't be the same without these classic wraps easy appetizers. Through the years, Christmas Eve guests have proven it's impossible to eat just one. Bacon wrapped water chestnuts can be made for progressive dinner healthy meals.

 Appetizer Recipes Ingredients:
1 pound bacon strips
2 cans (8 ounces each) whole water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce

Directions
Cut bacon strips in half. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until almost crisp; drain. Wrap each bacon piece around a water chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Place in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mayonnaise and chili sauce; pour over water chestnuts. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.

Zucchini And Eggplants Cream With Saffron

This uber healthy zucchini and eggplant rendition is perfect as a light easy appetizers in preparation for a full course dinner, and can be enjoyed either cold or hot with some crackers or French bread. The addition of Saffron, the most precious and expensive spice in the world, makes this healthy meals a bit more indulgent than the usual eggplant and zucchini recipe. Pair this with a glass of Château Romarin rosé for a stimulating starter appetizer recipes.

Ingredients
2 lbs. zucchini
1 lb. eggplants
1 teaspoon honey
2 lbs. chicken
½ teaspoon saffron
salt
pepper

Preparation Instructions
1.Cut the bottoms and the tops of the Aubergine or large eggplant. Place in a foil and drizzle some olive oil. Wrap snuggly inside the foil like a candy wrapper. Place in the hot oven for about 30 minutes.

2.Cut the tops and the bottoms of the Zucchini or Courgettes, slice vertically, and dice into large bite sized pieces. Sautee zucchini in olive oil.

3. Cut the baked eggplant into two and scrape the flesh out using a spoon. Place eggplant inside the frying pan while the zucchini is cooking. Add butter, salt and pepper, and a little honey to caramelize. Add the chicken and saffron and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced.

4. Use a food processor or blender to puree into a cream. Serve in little bowls. Enjoy either hot or cold.