Vegan Appetizer Recipes

• 2 Haas avocados
• 1-2 Tablespoons lime or lemon juice
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper
• Chopped jalapenos, to taste
• Cumin, to taste
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Remove the meat of 2 Haas avocados from their skin. Begin by FIRST removing the little nubby thing that you usually find at the end of your avocado -- this will ensure it doesn't accidentally end up in your vegan guacamole!

Cut avocados in half -- do this by cutting from top to bottom on both sides of the avocado. Then holding both halves give it a little twist just before you pull the 2 halves apart. You'll be left with the pit on only one side of the avocado. Remove the pit and toss. Using a spoon, scoop out the avocado and place into a bowl, mashing it (with a fork) until desired consistency is reached.

Next, stir lime or lemon juice into the avocado. This is not only for flavor, but to keep the pretty green color. :O)

Finally, add chopped bell pepper and jalapenos. Sprinkle with cumin and sea salt, to taste.

Serve with tortilla chips, soft pitas, or pita crisps -- heat oven to 400F, cut pitas in half and lay halves on a baking sheet, bake until crisp, break into bite-sized pieces.

Yield: 1-2 cups, depending on size of your avocados

Variations:

• Add chopped tomato
• Vary the chiles, depending on your desired level of spice

• 3/4 cup Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter)
• 2 cups Follow Your Heart Cheddar Cheese (or other vegan cheese), shredded
• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 cup dairy-free sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons chives (can use the kind in a spice jar, or use chop fresh chives)

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cheese and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in flour, sour cream, baking powder and chives. Mixture will be very thick.

3. Spoon batter into ungreased mini muffin pans, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Remove muffins from pans immediately. Serve warm, gently reheating if necessary.

Yield: 4 dozen mini muffins

• 1/2 cup basil pesto (recipe below)
• 4 flour tortillas, 8-10 inches (I like Spelt tortillas)
• 40 slices veggie pepperoni
• 2 large plum tomatoes, or 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained and chopped
• 1 cup Follow Your Heart Mozzarella Cheese (or other vegan cheese), shredded

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Place tortilla on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Spread 2 Tablespoons of pesto on a tortilla. Arrange 10 pepperoni slices on one half of the tortilla, followed by tomatoes, bell pepper, and olives. Sprinkle the entire tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese.

3. Begin rolling the tortilla from the pepperoni side -- it's much easier to roll when everything is on one side of the tortilla. Roll tightly. Wrap in aluminum foil and set aside.

4. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

5. Place roll-ups in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Cheese will be melted. Carefully expose roll-ups to the air to cool completely, then re-wrap and place in refrigerator overnight to firm up.

6. Carefully unwrap roll-ups, and cut into 8 slices with a sharp knife. Insert one toothpick into each slice.

Yield: 36 appetizers

Variations:

• Add chopped spinach
• Substitute kalamatas for plain black pitted olives
• Substitute Cheddar for the Mozzarella

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 2-3 (or more!) cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 bunch basil (1/4 - 1/2 cup (loosely packed) leaves before chopping, depending on your tastes)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine in a food processor or blender until desired consistency is reached. Tweak the ingredients to your liking, if desired. Set aside. (You may or may not use this entire pesto recipe. If not, refrigerate leftovers.)

• 1 1/2 cups almonds
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts
• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Marash pepper, or use 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 1/2 teaspoons each oregano, thyme, rosemary, savory and marjoram, chopped fresh -- or use 1/2 teaspoon of each, dried
• 3 tablespoons walnut oil, or use extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher flake salt (or use sea salt

1. Mix nuts with herbs, syrup and oil. Spread in a large baking pan, and sprinkle with the salt.

2. Bake in a 300F oven, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, and nuts are golden under the skin (break some open to test), about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Let cool; taste and add a little more salt if desired.

4. Store cool nuts airtight up to 3 days at room temperature or 1 month in the freezer.

Yield: 5 cups

Variations:

• Experiment with different nuts
• Try changing the herbs

• 1 small winter squash (i.e., butternut, kabocha), halved and seeded
• 1/2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups shallot, chopped (about 3 shallots)
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 Tablespoon almond butter
• 1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal into 24 pieces
• Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing bread

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place squash on greased baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender. Remove and let cool.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium. Sauté shallot with salt in oil until golden, about 5 to 8 minutes. While shallot cooks, brush bread with oil and lightly toast in oven, about 10 minutes.

3. Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of squash for recipe and add to food processor. Add shallot and almond butter and blend until smooth. Spread squash purée over warm bread and serve.

Yield: 2 dozen

Variations: