Appetizer recipe collection

Delicious! And simple to make in a large batch for appetizers. As made in Thrace, the soft-dough may be spread into a sheet and cut in squares before baking, or each shaped individually into daintly "bastounakia" (little canes or sticks). The word "trifti" identifies the texture - crisp and crumbly in the mouth.

Veal stew browned on the stovetop then finished in the microwave with beef bouillon, mushrooms, tomato, and onion in a flour-thickened sauce. Fork-tender veal in under 40 minutes.

Microwave veal roast rubbed with garlic and pepper, cooked on an inverted saucer to stay out of the drippings. Simple technique with timing charts for rare, medium, and well-done.

Homemade vegetable samosas with a crisp yogurt-enriched pastry wrapped around a spiced potato, carrot, and pea filling, fried golden and served with mango chutney. A classic Indian appetizer made from scratch.

Vietnamese vegetable spring rolls (cha gio chay) with cellophane noodles, tofu, shredded potato, tree ear mushrooms, and leeks wrapped in crisp rice paper. Fried shatter-crisp on the outside, tender and fragrant inside.

Stuffed beefsteak tomatoes packed with minced spinach, carrot, celery, and onion bound in breadcrumbs, topped with Parmesan. Vegetarian side or appetizer.

Crispy deep-fried spring rolls packed with stir-fried tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and julienned vegetables seasoned with garlic, curry paste, and soy for an addictive Thai appetizer.

Crispy vegetarian samosas with a spiced potato and pea filling, cumin and chili folded into golden fried pastry cones. The classic Indian snack, served hot with chutney or ketchup.

This delicious dip is perfect for crackers, chips and even vegetables.

Vietnamese spring rolls (cha gio): crisp rice-paper rolls stuffed with ground pork, crab, glass noodles, garlic, and shallots, fried to a deep golden crunch. The crackly fried appetizer everyone fights over.

Braised root vegetables served chilled with a reduced cooking-liquid vinaigrette. Carrots, leeks, turnips, and parsnips dressed in dill and coriander.

Sweet and savory sausage bites in a sticky pineapple-brown sugar glaze with green peppers and cherries. A retro party appetizer made for the chafing dish.

Homemade whole wheat crackers: a nutty, crisp copycat-style cracker with wheat germ, brown sugar, and butter. Rolled thin on the sheet pan, scored into squares, and baked in 8 minutes flat.

Whole pea soup with fresh tarragon, pureed silky smooth from soaked green peas, stock, and carrot. A simple vegetarian soup with just five ingredients and herbaceous depth.

This colourful starter makes a great supper or lunch dish served with new green peas or a leafy salad. Its bright colours make it appealing to both adults and children and it easy to make.

Wild rice and mushroom soup simmered in vegetable stock with red wine, bell pepper, and parsley. A vegan, broth-based soup with earthy depth and chewy wild rice in every spoonful.