Holiday season is for getting together and celebrating with loved ones. However, hosting at holiday season is not a piece of cake. Regardless of how many guests are coming, offering them the gourmet flavours worthy of the season takes preparation. Expecting a lot of people this year? Here are some tips for hosting a large group without a hassle.
In terms of the menu, hors d’oeuvres are a great way to satisfy everyone’s palate and get a party feeling going at home. However, most traditional appetizers include meat, and the concept of a meatless diet has been gaining a lot of popularity in recent years. So how do we feed guests in a way that will make everyone happy? Try vegetarian appetizers! Here are some recipes that will satisfy both vegetarians and meat lovers.
Individual appetites and tastes inevitably differ, so we wanted a variety that would suit everyone’s preferences.
Fast, easy appetizers
Dips are the perfect way to get a meal off to the right start. Try tofu and vegetable spread, broccoli hummus, roasted beet hummus and serve with fresh vegetables. Easy to make, and you can serve these dishes throughout the evening.
You might also like to try our latest: spinach dip with artichokes and seasoning. Packed with vegetables, this tasty frozen dip will make your life easier. All you have to do is heat the desired portion, and serve it up. It’s delicious with vegetables, chips, bread or rusks.
When hosting a crowd, you quickly realize that every guest is different. There are the big eaters, children, epicures, vegetable lovers, meat lovers, and people with a sweet tooth. Keep reading for a menu that will please everyone.
Gourmet appetizers for big eaters
Photo : Max l’affamé
Some people like a more substantial meal. For that little gourmet touch, serve your guests vegetarian stuffed mushrooms, these little fondue Parmesan bites, bean and goat cheese sliders, mini eggplant pizzas or, even, this tantalizing layered dip. In keeping with the vegetarian theme, these appetizers will delight everyone.
Appetizers for travellers
Surprise wanderlusts by serving up some appetizers from around the world. Spanakopita, which comes to us from Greece, is a delicious spinach turnover that makes a nice addition to our holiday menu. Samosas are a kind of pastry that comes from Northern India and Pakistan. This appetizer usually contains meat, but we came up with a vegetable samosa especially for you and your guests.
Tempeh is the star in this recipe for stuffed peppers. From Java, Indonesia, this vegetarian product has more protein than tofu and, according to some, it is even tastier.
There are also other ways to serve guacamole. This fried guacamole bites is great for people who love Mexican food.
Edamame is also gaining popularity these days, and rightly so. From the Far East, the legume is featuring in more and more of our recipes. This protein-packed vegetable not only tastes good, it’s good for you. Here are some suggestions for cooking with edamame, but you can also dream up your own recipe.
Lastly, vegetarian sushi is the perfect option for adding a fresh touch to your menu. Try out our recipe for harikiverki sushi.
Appetizers for vegetable lovers
What we love about vegetables is that they can be used in many ways and in myriad recipes. They can be served as sides, added to recipes, used to garnish desserts or, even, eaten all by themselves. Vegetables are easy to season and turn into delicious nibbles. Green beans are versatile vegetables: we love them with tarragon and zest, Lyon-style, in lemon-basil mixed vegetables or, even, as a cold salad, marinated in mason jars.
Recipes for kids’ appetizers
It’s no surprise that children are not big fans of vegetables. On the other hand, kids love croquettes, sweets and pizza. This holiday season, serve them these delicious vegetarian appetizers that they’re sure to love.
These broccoli croquettes and quinoa vegetable croquettes look like regular croquettes, but are packed with vegetables and nutrition: getting your kids to eat vegetables has never been easier.
These three recipes, for broccoli molasses muffins, honey vegetable cakes and goat cheese and cranberry chutney pops, are perfect for the holidays. They are slightly sweet and look like dessert, so little ones will eat them up, cleaning their plates in no time.
Appetizers for meat lovers
These four appetizer recipes won’t disappoint meat lovers. Pâté, falafel and tofu-stuffed eggs are perfect for tantalizing guests who have not embraced vegetarianism. Their meaty look will certainly please them. Who knows, maybe these guests will discover a bright side to meat-free eating?
Lentil, quinoa and sunflower seed pâté
7 ideas for dessert bites
Holiday season is also the one time of year where you pull out all the stops, with presents, champagne, decorations and, of course, succulent desserts. Have you ever eaten so many sweet treats you regretted it the next day (or after that)? Don’t worry: it’s happened to most of the world’s sweet lovers. On the other hand, holiday season only comes once a year, so we may as well enjoy it. This year, don’t deprive yourself: try out this selection of healthy, tasty desserts.
Goat cheese, dried fruit and nut bites
Double chocolate hazelnut maple cookies
Vegan salted caramel and apple doughnuts
Looking for more inspiration? Discover these 15 dessert recipes for a perfect Christmas.
How to save time on making appetizers
You’ve put together your menu for the evening, and the time has come to prepare it. It isn’t hard to prepare these appetizers, but it does take a little time to shop, prep and cook them. This year, we’d like to share three little tips that will save a lot of time when you’re making appetizers.
Cooking together
During holiday season, hosting doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Cooking together can be a lot of fun if there’s enough room in the kitchen. For more information and tips, read our article on the ABCs of the collective kitchen. Does having guests arrive earlier so you can cook the meal while chatting and celebrating seem like fun?
Get the family involved
Ask your family to help you with preparing for the eagerly awaited party. Kids can certainly help in the kitchen: even young children can knead dough, stir ingredients, wash vegetables, etc. Show them that cooking can be fun, and pay off when they get to be the first to taste the results of their labours. You get to enjoy family time while speeding up your prep. For more suggestions, see our 10 tips for cooking with kids.
Make appetizers ahead of time
Photo : Fraîchement pressé
You can prepare meals or do some of the preparation ahead of time using “meal prep” techniques. The first technique involves prepping and assembling the ingredients, then freezing them in resealable bags or containers.
The second technique involves preparing the entire recipe—chopping, seasoning and cooking—then refrigerating or freezing it. At dinner time, all you have to do is heat it up. For everything you need to know about preparing meals in advance, see our article. Using these techniques to prep your holiday appetizers in advance will put you ahead of the game, leaving you relaxed and ready to celebrate.
We challenge you to make your holiday dinner with a vegetable theme. Not quite ready yet? Try out a few of these recipes, which are so tasty and easy to make. On that note, we wish you a wonderful holiday season!
