Appetizer recipe collection

Crispy fried tofu served with a Thai-style peanut dipping sauce made from garlic, cilantro root, chili, and rice vinegar. A spicy, tangy vegetarian appetizer or snack ready in 25 minutes.

A vibrant Moroccan-style salad of grilled and skinned bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, and Spanish onion dressed in a simple garlic, olive oil, and vinegar vinaigrette. Served chilled for a refreshing side dish or starter.

Sicilian eggplant caponata, a sweet-and-sour relish of roasted eggplant, onion, celery, tomato, capers, and raisins. Vegetarian, low-fat, and a classic Mediterranean antipasto.

Fiery hot salsa fresca with diced tomato, onion, sweet yellow and green bell peppers, and three habaneros for serious heat. Brightened with cilantro, oregano, and fresh lime juice. No cooking required.

Stuffed mushroom caps filled with a Mediterranean eggplant and tomato mixture brightened with garlic, basil and parsley. A make-ahead vegetarian appetizer you can serve warm or at room temperature.

Thai galloping horses (Ma Hor) made vegetarian with shiitake mushrooms, peanuts, garlic, and cilantro root on fresh pineapple chunks. A sweet-savory-spicy Thai appetizer.

This recipe comes from Sheilah Kaufman's book: "Simply Irresistible: Easy, Elegant, Fearless, Fussless Cooking."

Garlic guacamole with tofu: a vegan, lighter take on guacamole stretched with silken tofu and amped up with six garlic cloves, hot sauce, and curry powder. Bold flavors, half the avocado.

Garlic-parsley finger sandwiches blend fresh garlic, chopped parsley, and mayonnaise into a tea-time spread on thinly sliced white bread. Four-ingredient party appetizer cut on the diagonal.

Gateaux piments, Mauritian chilli cakes made from soaked chana dal, green chilies, turmeric, and fresh herbs. Deep-fried into crispy golden fritters.

Traditional Irish ginger marmalade made with bitter Seville oranges, lemons, fresh ginger root, and preserved ginger. A bittersweet, spicy preserve that's worth the slow simmer.

Authentic Jamaican beef patties with golden turmeric-curry pastry and spiced ground beef filling. Caribbean street food you can make at home, make-ahead friendly.

Layered black bean dip with a creamy cream cheese base, seasoned beans with lime and cumin, ripe olives, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. A no-cook Mexican-inspired appetizer.

No-cook layered Tex-Mex dip with mashed black beans, fresh avocado, spiced sour cream, cheddar, tomatoes, and olives. A crowd-pleasing party appetizer.

Boiled lobster medallions and claw meat served in a rich curry sauce made from the lobster cooking liquid, Calvados, white wine, and curry powder, finished with a butter-flour thickener.

Mexican shrimp cocktail with lime-poached shrimp, avocado, jalapeno, tomato, cilantro, and carrots in a concentrated lime-garlic broth. Served chilled on lettuce.