There is a part of my heart that will forever belong to a simple chip and dip, that loves a taquito, that will happily dig into a cheese ball. Simple is great. On the other hand, it's ... simple. Occasionally, I want to put on a show and impress people. Luckily, beautiful appetizers don’t have to be expensive or take long. Here are a few that’ll take no time, have only a few ingredients, aren’t expensive, and will leave an impression.
Fresh radishes with compound butter
Ingredients
1 bunch radishes
½ stick salted butter, room temperature (you can substitute vegan butter)
2 tablespoons fresh dill
1 teaspoon flaky salt (optional)
Trim the radishes so only a tiny bit of green stem shows. Trim off the root, just below where the radish becomes a point. Wash the radishes really well, allow them to dry, and then cut radishes in half the long way, through the green stem and radish point.
Place the butter in a mason jar or container with the dill. Using a stick blender, combine the two until the dill is completely incorporated. You’ll have a pale green whipped butter.
Use a butter knife to place a swipe of butter on each radish.
Sprinkle on additional dill or flaky salt if you’d like.
Artichoke and parmesan crostini
Ingredients
½ baguette, or one package of prepared crostini
24 ounces of marinated artichoke hearts in oil
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
Drain the artichoke hearts and set aside.
Slice the baguette into slices, no more than ½ inch thick. Rub each slice with the garlic clove and place into oven, on a cookie sheet, at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes, or just until the bread is lightly golden.
Blend half of the artichoke hearts, cheese and the rest of the garlic clove, using a stick blender, food processor, or regular blender. You want a consistent, well-blended texture.
Spoon a tablespoon of the blended mixture onto each crostini, and spread out. From the remaining half, place one artichoke heart on top of each crostini. If they’re particularly large, slice them in half.
Season with salt and pepper.
Shrimp and roast beef with cream on cucumber rounds
Ingredients
12 precooked shrimp, medium to large
¼ pound very rare deli roast beef, medium thickness
1 English cucumber, or 2 small-circumference long cucumbers
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh dill or chives to garnish (optional)
Slice the cucumber into long rounds, cutting diagonally, ¼-½ inch thick. Lay out the cucumber rounds on your serving dish. You should aim for 24 rounds, total.
In a bowl, mix the sour cream and mayonnaise together, combining well. Spoon a small dab of the mixture onto each cucumber round with a spoon.
Rinse and dry the precooked shrimp by setting them on a dry paper towel. Once dry, season them each with salt and pepper, lightly.
Place one shrimp atop 12 of the cucumber rounds. On the remaining 12 rounds, place half of a folded piece of roast beef.
You can garnish each with a chive or two, or a sprig of dill.
These appetizers can satisfy every possible kind of guest—and all are finger food, requiring nothing more than a napkin.