507 aplet recipes

Broiled vegetable medley with zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, and onion brushed in garlic-rosemary olive oil. A simple Mediterranean-style appetizer or side ready under the broiler in 10 minutes.

Super nachos with a quick stovetop cheese sauce made from nacho cheese, milk, and chili powder poured over tortilla chips and topped with sliced jalapenos. Ready in under 20 minutes.

Crab and cucumber rolls are a no-cook appetizer with seasoned crab salad stuffed inside hollowed-out cucumber and sliced into elegant bite-sized rounds. Cool, crisp, and ready in minutes.

Bacon-wrapped rumaki with marinated chicken livers, water chestnuts, and scallions broiled until the bacon crisps. A retro tiki bar appetizer with soy-sherry-ginger soak.

Spinach dip with sour cream, mayonnaise, and chopped onion. Four ingredients, no cooking, and it tastes even better after chilling overnight.

Fried eggplant and yellow squash drizzled with taratour (Lebanese tahini-lemon sauce), served with pita wedges. A Middle Eastern appetizer with crispy, golden vegetables and creamy sauce.

Cajun-spiced fried eggplant or zucchini gets a triple coating of seasoned flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs before hitting hot oil. Cayenne heat with a surprising powdered sugar dusting at the end.

Light fiesta shrimp dip with reduced-fat cream cheese, picante sauce, horseradish, and cumin. A creamy, zesty cold dip with real chopped shrimp served with vegetable dippers.

Greek marinated smelts fried in flour, then simmered in a white wine and vinegar marinade with herbs and mustard. A classic cold appetizer served chilled, perfect for a meze spread.

Deep-fried corn and sausage fritters with beaten egg whites for an extra-light, puffy texture. Fresh corn kernels and crumbled sausage in a paprika-spiced batter.

Pecan cheese crisps made with sharp cheddar, dry mustard, and cayenne. A slice-and-bake savory cracker that makes 84 crispy, cheese-packed rounds.

Five-spice tofu simmered in soy sauce, star anise, and molasses for a deeply savory, aromatic Chinese-style appetizer. Make-ahead and keeps in the fridge for a week.

Bacon-wrapped crabmeat balls with sherry, lemon juice, dry mustard, and fresh bread crumbs broiled until crispy. An elegant appetizer that makes about 2 dozen bite-sized hors d'oeuvres.

Belgian endive leaves filled with whipped cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, piped into elegant rosettes. A make-ahead appetizer that looks stunning on any party platter.

Baked potato skins filled with chopped smoked salmon, sour cream, and topped with red or black caviar. An elegant four-ingredient appetizer that turns a humble potato into something luxurious.

Howard Karten's salsa is a Mediterranean-leaning chunky tomato dip: peeled tomatoes, red onion, black olives, cumin, garlic, oregano, and red wine vinegar. No chiles, no cilantro, all flavor.