Appetizers recipes

Marinated grilled portobello mushrooms in an olive oil vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Three cooking methods included: grill, broil, or bake.

Polenta triangles with green chiles, roasted red peppers, corn, and sharp cheddar. Cooked polenta set in a pan, sliced into triangles. Stovetop or microwave method.

Vietnamese-style marinated cubed beef with soy-garlic marinade and a bright lime dipping sauce. Bo luc lac (shaking beef) for an appetizer with toothpicks or main dish over jasmine rice.

Louse Ma Thoom is a Lebanese mushroom and almond pate: earthy sauteed mushrooms, garlic and thyme ground with toasted almonds into a rich, vegan spread for crackers, pita and crusty bread. A meatless meze star.

Sweet potato pancakes with creamy mushroom ragout pair crispy panko-crusted sweet potato cakes with a sage-and-shallot wild mushroom cream sauce. An elegant vegetarian appetizer or holiday side.

Savory crab quiche with a chili-cheddar pastry crust, smoky bacon, and a silky custard kissed with cayenne and dry mustard. Brunch or dinner, this one delivers.

Creamy spinach dip with Knorr vegetable mix, sour cream, and mayonnaise, served in a hollowed pumpernickel loaf. A no-cook party classic that hits the table in five minutes flat.

Obatzda, the classic Bavarian beer cheese spread with ripe Camembert, cream cheese, butter, and caraway seeds. Rustic, pungent, and ready in 10 minutes. A beer garden staple.

Blue crab cakes bound with ground water crackers and sauteed golden in butter, served with a homemade cayenne mayonnaise made with roasted red pepper, anchovies, and capers.

Tangy Italian antipasto spread packed with artichoke hearts, two kinds of olives, mushrooms, and a zesty vinegar-olive oil dressing. Make it ahead - it's better the next day.

Crostini with chicken livers sauteed in butter and white wine, finished with cream and brown gravy, spread on thin toasted French bread. A rich Tuscan-style appetizer ready in 35 minutes.

Easy horseradish crab dip blends sweet lump crab with cream cheese, sharp horseradish, and a touch of onion, then bakes until bubbly and golden. A 7-ingredient party appetizer that goes from bowl to oven in 15 minutes.

Creamy green tomato pie layers tangy green tomatoes and sweet onions on a Bisquick crust, topped with a sharp cheddar and mayonnaise mixture. A Southern garden classic with a golden bubbly top.

Turkish-style sauteed eggplant with a garlicky tomato sauce finished with vinegar. Salted and drained for silky, golden slices. Served warm or at room temperature.

Kobeba samakeyah are Lebanese fish-filled bulgur croquettes seasoned with cumin and cilantro, deep-fried golden, and served with homemade tahini sauce. A Middle Eastern classic.

Spring vegetable soup with matzo balls: a vegetarian Passover-friendly soup brimming with carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, and tender peas, finished with fluffy matzo dumplings and fresh dill.