mini caprese sandwiches

• 4 Middle Eastern flatbread (pita bread rounds without pockets)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup coarsely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon mixed dried Italian seasoning herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram)
• 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vinaigrette or light balsamic salad dressing
• 2 cups mixed baby salad greens or spinach leaves
• 2-3 balls fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (about 8 ounces)
• 2 large plum tomatoes, sliced

1 Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place flatbread rounds on a pizza stone or baking pan; drizzle with oil, spreading evenly. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese and seasoning mix. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown and cheese is melted.
2 While the flatbread is toasting, create a light pesto by mixing together in a small bowl the walnuts, fresh basil, garlic and salt.
3 Remove flatbread from the oven to a cutting board. Turn the pieces over. Drizzle with dressing, spreading evenly to the edges. Using a sharp chef's knife, cut each round into six wedges. Top each wedge with a small amount of the greens. Place one slice of mozzarella cheese over greens; top with pesto and one slice of tomato. Top with remaining pita wedges, cheese side up forming 12 mini sandwiches. Serve immediately.

✬These are great for any kind of party, indoor or out.  Adults and kids both love them!  They are easy to make and taste great!

tofu spinach pockets

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground cumin
Salt/pepper to taste
1/4 pkg of silken tofu, drained
1/8 tsp nutmeg
oil for sauteing

-Saute onion in oil till soft.
-Add spinach and spices. Cook till excess water from spinach has evaporated.
-Add tofu and continue cooking for another 10 min.
-Set aside to cool completely, or refrigerate. The filling MUST be cool, or you'll run into problems when filling and folding.

**you can use pizza dough, phyllo dough or any kind of dough you like.


-Preheat oven to 350. Grease a baking sheet
-Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut 4.5" circles. Fill with a tablespoon of spinach mix. Fold over filling and press edges together.
-Brush pastry with olive oil
-Bake for 30 min.

beer cheese fondue

1 clove garlic - peeled
12 oz. can OR bottle of flat beer
3 Tbls. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1 splash hot sauce
1 pinch salt
1 dash ground mustard seed
1 lb. aged cheddar cheese - cubed OR shredded
1 loaf French bread - cubed


-Mince garlic clove; set aside.
-In a saucepan, stir together a small amount of beer and flour; once a paste has formed, stir in remaining beer and all other ingredients, except cheese.
-Over medium heat, heat mixture through.
-Slowly add cheese, stirring as you add it to the pan, until all cheese has melted.
-Transfer contents of pot to a fondue pot.
-Serve with French bread cubes to dip in cheese.

artichoke dip

• 1/2  cup  (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1/4  cup  reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 3  tablespoons  grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 2  teaspoons  minced garlic
• 2  teaspoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  (9-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts (about 2 cups), thawed and chopped
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Stir in artichoke hearts. Spoon artichoke mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until artichoke mixture is hot and begins to brown. Serve warm.

pesto cheese filled tomatoes

• 3 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese (or Neufchatel), cut into chunks
• 2 pints (4 cups) cherry tomatoes, washed and dried

Toast pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until light golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.

Combine the basil, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts and add the rest to the basil. Process until the pine nuts are ground. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the soft cheese and pulse until smooth and creamy. 

Shortly before serving, make an X on the bottom side (opposite the stalk) of each cherry tomato with a serrated or sharp paring knife. Scoop out the seeds with a grapefruit spoon or your fingertips, taking care to keep the tomatoes intact. 

Scrape the pesto cheese filling into a piping bag  or small plastic food bag with a 1cm hole snipped in one corner. Pipe a rosette of filling into each cherry tomato cavity. Garnish the cherry tomatoes with the remaining pine nuts.

white bean dip

1 (15-oz) can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Puree all ingredients in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy with pita chips, as a sandwich spread, or with raw veggies.

stuffed cherry tomatoes

1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 3 hours
3/4 cup walnuts, soaked for at least 3 hours
1 tbs minced shallot
1 fat garlic clove
1 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 tsp curry powder (or yellow curry)
1 tsp sea salt
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
a few turns freshly ground pepper
2 tbs flax seed oil or other
1/8 cup cold water
Optional garnishes:  extra curry powder, chopped fresh tarragon leaves or thyme leaves, black lava sea salt.
Slice off the tops of the cherry tomatoes.  With a melon baller, carefully scoop out the seeds and inner membrane.  Slice a thin sliver off the bottoms so that they will become stable and not roll around.  Be careful not to cut off too much or you’ll have a hollow tomato.  Set them aside while preparing the pâte.
Add all other ingredients, except for the water, to a food processor and blitz until you get a hummus-like texture and not too smooth.  Taste to adjust seasonings if necessary.  Blitz again while drizzling in only enough cold water to smooth out the mixture until creamy.
When you stuff the tomatoes, it’s best to use a rounded 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, or a melon baller, along with something to help scrape it off.  If you’re using the lettuce garnish, line the inside of each tomato with a small piece of lettuce leaf.  Scoop in 1 to 2 rounded teaspoons of pâte depending on the size of the tomato.
Arrange on a serving platter and finish with an additional sprinkling of curry powder, some chopped fresh tarragon or thyme, and/or a sprinkling of black lava sea salt.