All posts filed under: Appetizers

Fried Green Tomato with Lobster Salad and Lima Bean Puree

This recipe was inspired by a dish I had years ago on vacation at a wonderful but now defunct restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard called Bittersweet. This is my favorite starter ever! I even had the catering company serve it at my wedding. You can also try it for lunch on a slice of toasted bread using the purée as a spread for a delicious open-faced sandwich. Serves 4 Lobster Salad 1 1/2 cups boiled, shelled lobster meat cut into chunks 1 Tbsp each vegan Mayonnaise and Coconut Yogurt 2 Tbsp finely diced Celery 1 tsp each finely chopped tender Celery Leaves, fresh Chives, and fresh Tarragon Dash of Heinz Ketchup or Sriracha Pinch of Salt and Black Pepper Lemon Zest for garnish Mix all ingredients except lemon zest in a bowl and chill. Lima Bean Puree 1 cup cooked Lima Beans 1/4 cup good Olive Oil 1 clove Garlic 3-5 chopped Basil leaves 3 Tbsp Vegetable Broth Salt if necessary to taste Puree in a food processor until smooth. If too thick add a bit more …

QUICK SNACK- Better than Snickers Medjool Dates

Published by Jacqueline King

When trying to consistently eat healthy, it’s important to have quick snacks in your arsenal for when you’re on the go or having a serious sweet-tooth craving. These creamy chocolatey little guys, I swear, taste better than a snickers bar! You won’t believe something so simple can be so delicious. I used 1/2 cup of hazelnuts and 1/2 cup macadamia nuts blended with 3/4 cups water and a sprinkle of salt in my Vitamix to make the nut butter, but you can use any kind as long as it’s unsweetened. The ideal way to make homemade nut butters is to soak and dehydrate the nuts first, there is a great tutorial here. If you are using store-bought look for labels that have only nuts and optionally salt in the ingredient list. These also make great party appetizers or mini desserts. I hope you love this quick and healthy treat! xJacq Ingredients: per person 2 Medjool Dates 2 tsp your favorite Nut Butter 1 tsp Raw Cacao Nibs Split the dates with your thumb and remove the pits. Stuff a teaspoon …

Salad with Green Beans, Pickled Persimmon and Dried Cherries

Salad with Green Beans, Pickled Persimmon, Dried Cherries, and Pistachio

Published by Jacqueline King

This is my favorite fall salad! It’s so scrumptious and full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The lettuce has a delicate, mildly sweet flavor that works beautifully with the sweet/tart flavor of the persimmon and dried cherries. The green beans add substance and the pistachios and shallot add a ton of flavor and crunch. It’s so good that I’ve decided to add it to my Thanksgiving menu this year. The great thing about making this for a holiday or dinner party is you can make the persimmon pickles and cook the green beans a couple of days ahead of time, making it really easy to put together on the big day. Ingredients: Serves 4 Green Beans: 1/2 lb Green Beans, trimmed 1 tsp salt Shallot: 3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 Shallot, thinly sliced, separated into rings Salad: 1 head Butter or Green Leaf Lettuce 1/4 cup Pistachios 1/4 cup Dried Cherries 8 slices Ginger-Chili Pickled Persimmon Sea Salt & Black Pepper Dressing: 3 Tbsp Vinegar from the Pickles 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Olive Oil Juice of 1/2 …

Sweet & Savory Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Published by Jacqueline King

We’ve had a warm fall so far so the tomatoes just keep coming. This is an easy and delicious way to preserve fresh tomatoes. Sun-dried tomatoes make a great addition to salads, pastas and wraps but these are so good you’ll want to eat them like raisins as a snack. I like using cherry tomatoes because they dry relatively quickly and since you can dry them skin side down, they don’t get sticky. You can use Roma tomatoes cut in half, they will just take much longer. If you dry slices of larger tomatoes, you will want to lay them on foil so they don’t stick to your baking sheet. When temperatures are hot enough you can dry them outside in the sun on a wire rack. Use cheese cloth raised on bricks so it doesn’t stick to the tomatoes to keep the bugs and birds off and bring them in at night. I did this when temperatures were hovering around 100*F and it took 2 days for my cherry tomatoes to dry. Larger tomatoes …

Fresh Lima Beans with Artichoke and Poached Shrimp

Published by Jacqueline King

Prepared correctly fresh lima beans are such a treat! These are not the mealy, mushy, tasteless beans of your youth. They have a bright, green, creamy flavor that pairs beautifully with delicate poached shrimp. I like to cook them till they are tender with still just a bit of bite. The preserved lemon adds a subtle complexity to this dish. It is available at specialty food shops and many supermarkets or you can make your own. Enjoy! -Jacq 4 appetizer or 2 main dish servings For Lima Beans: 2 1/2 cup Fresh Shelled or Frozen Baby Lima Beans 1 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth 1/2 cup Water 1/4 cup White Wine 3/4 cup Marinated Artichoke, drained and chopped 1 Tbsp Preserved Lemon, chopped Bring liquids to a boil in a saucepan, add lima beans and lower to a simmer until beans are tender but not mushy about 15 minutes. Drain (you can reserve liquid for another use) and stir in artichoke and preserved lemon. For Shrimp: 8 medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth 1/2 …

Deconstructed Ratatouille Salad

Published by Jacqueline King

I just got back from our annual vacation in Canada to find summer in Los Angeles still in full swing. The first few days of September have been scorching with temperatures hovering near 100*. My tomato plants are loving the prolonged heat and I came home to find them full of sweet, delicious fruit. I couldn’t resist posting this shameless tomato selfie on the BHF Facebook Page.. When my friend Paige saw the pic she commented “I want to eat you tomatoes!” so I gladly invited her over for a tomato-centric lunch. I also had a couple of little Japanese eggplant, yellow summer squash, zucchini and peppers in the garden so I thought of making ratatouille but wanted something lighter. I came up with this salad of grilled vegetables in a cherry tomato vinaigrette. It tastes delicious warm or chilled and is a fresh, healthy take on a summer standard. Enjoy! Ingredients: Serves 4 For Tomato Vinaigrette: 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved 1small Onion cut into 1/4 inch thick slices 1Shallot 2 cloves Garlic 2 …

Watermelon Radish and Cream Cheese Toasts (Smoked Salmon Optional)

Published by Jacqueline King

I love watermelon radishes! They are a bright, beautiful addition to the winter table. These are one of my favorite appetizers to serve around the holidays. They are quick and easy, not too heavy, and always a big hit. Watermelon radishes are a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and smoked salmon is high in heart healthy omega-3s. I am growing these in my garden this winter but they weren’t quite ready for the holidays so I picked some up at the farmer’s market. They can be a little difficult to find at regular supermarkets, but I have seen them at Whole Foods and other natural foods markets. If you’ve never tried them before- they look very similar to a turnip and taste savory and peppery like a regular radish, but are a touch sweeter and milder. Watermelon Radish and Cream Cheese Toasts (Smoked Salmon Optional) Makes approx. 25 Toasts Ingredients: 1 pkg. Pumpernickel Cocktail Bread or Mini Bagels cut in half* 3-4 lg. Watermelon Radishes sliced into large coins 8 oz. Cashew Cream …

Picked Peppers Pico De Gallo

Published by Jacqueline King

All through early fall there has been a plethora of peppers in our garden. Jalapeño, bell peppers, Anaheim and a variety of small sweet peppers abound. Quite frankly, I have peppers coming out of my ears. There are also spring onions, lots of them, so I was excited when I saw there were still beautiful heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market perfect for whipping up a fresh Pepper Pico de Gallo. The traditional version does not call for the sweet peppers but they add nice flavor, color and crunch. I also like to add a little dash of olive oil to bring the flavors together but I’m Californian and like to add olive oil to everything so feel free to leave it out. You can adjust the number of Jalapeños depending on how spicy they are and how spicy you like it. Enjoy with chips or as a flavorful topping to any mexican dish. Ok, that’s 7 peppers down… Ingredients: 3 small heirloom or Roma Tomatoes, diced 3 small Sweet Peppers or 1/2 lg Bell Pepper, seeded, diced 2 Spring Onions …

White Kidney Bean Hummus

Published by Jacqueline King

This recipe was given to me by our Summer neighbor in Muskoka Canada, Martha Stigler. She is a brilliant entertainer and prints a cookbook with her recipes every year to share with friends and neighbors. What a wonderful gift! Enjoy! -Jacq 4 servings, may be multiplied Ingredients: 1 15 oz can Eden Organics White Kidney (Cannellini) Beans 1/3 cup good Olive Oil 3 Garlic Cloves 3/4 tsp ground Coriander 1/2 tsp ground Cumin 1/2 tsp Hot Sauce 1/4 cup fresh Lemon Juice 1 tbsp Tahini Paste Kosher Salt & White Pepper to taste 3 Tbsp fresh finely chopped Cilantro (Coriander) Place ingredients except cilantro in a food processor and puree. Stir in half the cilantro leaves and garnish with the rest. Serve with warm Pita bread or Crudite.

The Simplest and Best way to Enjoy Heirloom Tomatoes

Published by Jacqueline King

Summer tomatoes are finally here! With fun names like Green Zebra, Brandywine, Lollypop, Pineapple each heirloom tomato seems to taste better than the next. In fact there may be nothing better than a fresh cut heirloom tomato EXCEPT- a fresh cut heirloom tomato with a sprinkle of truffle salt and a light drizzle of very good olive oil. Oh sure, you could turn them into sauce or place them on a bed of greens, but right now these fresh beauties are the real stars. Why not let them shine? Have as an easy appetizer or refreshing snack. In fact even my chihuahua Lola likes them and she rarely eats anything that isn’t spelled M-E-A-T so you know they must be fantastic 😉 Enjoy! xJacq