Summer Appetizers

Summer appetizers need to be quick and easy. Something you can make ahead of time or at the last minute with just a few ingredients. Spend your time with your guests and not in the kitchen.

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See the acrylic two-tiered lazy susan on the patio table?  You will love how it saves room on the table.  For this party we put cut up fresh vegetables on the top tier and in the larger bottom compartments are the crackers, chips and fresh fruit.  

Greek 7-Layer Dip

Change up your traditional taco layer dip for a Greek flavored dip. Served with Stacy's Multigrain Pita Chips, this cold appetizer will be the first to go.

It has some of my favorite ingredients - feta cheese and kalamata olives.

This easy cold appetizer can be made ahead and refrigerated so that when your guests come you can spend time with them.

Layer your ingredients in a 9" round pie plate in this order:

1. Mix 1 3/4 Cup of plain Greek Yogurt with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of dried basil

2. 1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons of Athenos's Hummus

3. 1 Cup peeled and cut up cucumbers

4. 2/3 Cup of pitted and chopped kalamato olives

5. 1 Cup of crumbled plain or Greek seasoned feta cheese

6. 1/2 Cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes

7. 3 green onions chopped

Make it ahead of time so that the seasonings blend, refrigerate and serve it cold with Stacy's Multigrain Pita Chips.

Black Bean Salsa Recipe

Make this salsa a head of time so the flavors blend and you can enjoy your time with your guests.

2 Cans of Black Beans

2 Cans of Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles

1 Cup of Diced Celery

1 bunch of green onions diced

1 Cup of your favorite salsa

1/4 Cup of red wine vinegar

1/3 Cup of Cilantro

1/4 Tsp of pepper

Let it sit over night

Cold Appetizer Recipes

Living in Georgia, where the summers are hot we like to serve cold appetizers. I like being in the pool as much as anyone, and the last thing I want to do is to run in and out of the kitchen taking food out of a hot oven. Cold appetizers can be made a head of time so I can be outside enjoying my guests and the pool.

Some of our favorite and easy ideas are:

1. Good hard, cheeses and specialty crackers

2. Cream cheese topped with pepper jam and served with specialty crackers

3. Cut up vegetables served with ranch dressing

4. Cut up fruit with dip - mix two 8 oz packages of cream cheese with 1 cup brown sugar and 2 tsp vanilla extract

5.  Guacomole and chips

Guacamole Dip Recipe

Guacamole is a favorite appetizer at our house. Using all natural ingredients, guacamole not only tastes good, but is also filled with healthy fats as well. 

Just mix the following ingredients in a bowl and serve immediately or chill for an hour:

• 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt to personal preference
  
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Mexican Appetizer Recipes

I love the simplicity of Mexican appetizer recipes. This one was made for our 4th of July pool party and it was all but gone before the grilled brats were done. Our favorite chips are the organic blue corn and flax seed chips from Target.

Layer in a 9 inch pie plate:

1 Small Can of Refried Beans

1 Cup of Sour Cream

1 Cup of Salsa (I drained some of the juice so it wasn't so runny)

1 Cup of Mexican Cheese

Top with cut up green and red peppers

Easy Black Bean Dip

You will love this easy layered dip using refried black beans instead of conventional refried beans.

Simply layer the ingredients in an 8 or 9" pie plate.

1.  One 15-16 oz can of refried black beans

2.  One 16 oz container of sour cream

3.  One jar of your favorite salsa (drain some of the liquid so it's not so runny)

4.  Sprinkle 8 oz of cheddar cheese

5.  One small can of sliced black olives

Refrigerate until served.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Corn Salsa Recipe

This corn salsa recipe is one of our favorite summer appetizers. It helps to make it ahead of time so that the flavors blend.  If you like black beans and cilantro in your salsa it has these ingredients too - it's an easy make a head salsa, but it can also be made at the last minute.

We like to serve this cold appetizer with organic Blue Corn and Flax Seed chips from Target.

Ingredients are:

1 - 15 oz Can of Black Beans

1 - Cup of Corn

1/2 Cup of Diced Red Pepper

1/2 Cup of Fresh Cilantro

3 Tablespoons of Lime Juice or juice of one lime

6 Cut up Green Onions

2 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Cumin

It is best if you can make it the night before, but you can also make and eat this black bean salsa right away.

Mexican Appetizer Recipe - Taco Dip

Layer in this order
Refried Beans

Guacamole 

Sour Cream 

Jar of Your Favorite Salsa  

Top with Shredded Cheese, Green Onions and Diced Black Olives

Serve with Blue Corn and Flax seed Chips 

Southern Cavier

I served this recipe of Paula Dean's Southern Caviar at our latest pool party with about 15 guests. There was not much left over. I added a few ingredients of my own.

2 (15-ounce) Cans black-eyed peas, drained

2 (10-ounce) Cans diced tomatoes and green chiles (recommended: Ro-Tel)

2 cups Red bell pepper chopped

4-6 Green Onions

1 Teaspoon of Minced Garlic

1/2 Cup of Fresh Parsley chopped

1 (8-ounce) bottle Zesty Italian dressing

Try to make it the night before so the flavors can all mix together.

Serve this cold summer appetizer with corn chips.

Easy Hummus Recipe

We try to make and serve healthy summer appetizers when possible. One of my favorites is this easy hummus recipe using fresh garlic, lemon juice and good for you olive oil. Our favorite pita chips are the multi-grain chips by Stacy's and cut up vegetables, like carrots and celery for some extra color and good nutrition.

Hummus ingredients include:

1 15 oz can of chickpeas or garbonzo beans

Olive Oil

Juice of one Lemon

2 cloves of Garlic

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Parsley or Cilantro

Simply put in all of your ingredients in a food processor and mix to the consistency that you like. I like mine really smooth. Often I will add some of the drained juice from the chickpeas for more liquid.

This is a great summer appetizer that can be made ahead of time. Keep it refrigerated until it is time to serve. When there's no time to make your own summer appetizers, buy the Sabra brand of hummus and Stacy's whole grain pita chips.

Serve the hummus and chips in a nice chip and dip server. This appetizer always goes fast - it tastes great and is actually full of some healthy ingredients!

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