A dinner party wouldn’t be complete without crowd-pleasing appetizers. Create healthy, delicious appetizers with Paleo ingredients using these eight easy recipes. Your guests will be happy, whether they are Paleo or not! D. Scott Carruthers shares his favorites below.
Apricot Bacon Wraps
Ingredients:
1 The container of the whole, pitted, dried apricots
1 Can water chestnut
10 Strips of bacon
20 Toothpicks
Directions:
Cut bacon in half. Wrap it around one apricot and one slice of water chestnut. Pierce a toothpick through the whole bundle. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes to a half hour, or until the bacon is brown and crispy. You might need to broil for the last few minutes to get a nice golden brown look.
Sweet Potato Chips
Ingredients:
3 Sweet Potatoes
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Directions:
Make the sweet potato chips by washing, peeling, and then slicing each potato into thin disks. Toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then bake for ten minutes per side in a 375-degree oven.
Creamy Green Dip
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp mixed herbs (cilantro, parsley, basil, or chives)
2 Avocados
1 Lime
1 Cup coconut yogurt
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp salt
Directions:
Pit, and dice the avocados, and toss the pieces into a food processor along with your other ingredients. Blend until the dip is a consistent, creamy texture. This dip is great served with the sweet potato chips, listed above!
Skinny Deviled Eggs
Ingredients:
12 Eggs
2/3 Cup Greek yogurt
1 Tsp salt (more to taste)
1/s Tsp pepper
1 Tsp paprika
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Directions:
Hard boil the eggs. Once cool, peel and slice the eggs in half. Take the yolks out and place them in a bowl. Add the yogurt, salt, pepper and dijon mustard to the yokes, and blend until smooth. Fill a pastry bag with your yolk mixture, and then place a dollop of the mixture into each egg white. Dust with paprika.
Seasonal Crudités
Ingredients:
5 Varieties of seasonal vegetables in bright colors
Directions:
The secret to creating a beautiful crudité platter is all about the presentation and the quality of the vegetables that you use. Ideally, you will buy your vegetables the day before, or even on the day of your dinner party. This will ensure that they are fresh and flavorful.
Farm-stands and C.S.A. programs are a great way to source fresh, high-quality seasonal vegetables. You can also look at health food stores, and talk to the produce worker about what just came in from local farms. The grocery store workers that shelve produce are a wealth of information!
Once you have the best quality raw veggies, you need to wash them and chop them. Cut each variety into long, two-inch-long, narrow strips, and pleasingly arrange onto a platter.
Pinwheel Turkey Wraps
Ingredients:
24 Turkey Slices
1 Avocado
1 Large tomato (or 2 small)
12 Slices of bacon
1 Head green leaf lettuce
Toothpicks
Directions:
Cook the bacon until crisp on the stove top. Let them cool. Next, slice your tomato. Slice the avocado as well. Wash the lettuce and layout individual leaves. Top each leaf with two slices of turkey, one slice of bacon, tomato, and avocado. Wrap it up into a tube shape. Cut the tube into individual disks, and secure each pinwheel with a toothpick.
Honey Garlic Wings
Ingredients:
36 Chicken wing
3 Tbsp chopped garlic
2/3 Cups Honey
1/4 Cup Coconut Aminos
2 Tbsp chopped ginger
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Directions:
In a bowl, combine chopped garlic and chopped ginger and mix. Add in honey, coconut amino, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. Stir for a few minutes, and then toss in the raw chicken wings. Make sure that each wing gets coated in the sauce, and then let them marinate in the refrigerator for one to two hours.
Next, spread the wings out evenly on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. Flip the wings, and then continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.
Deluxe Cucumber Salmon Stacks
Ingredients:
1 Cup raw cashews
1 Small lemon
1 Small head garlic
1 Tsp salt
2 Pound smoked salmon
2 Medium organic cucumbers
1 Bunch fresh parsley
Directions:
Wash, dry and semi-peel the cucumber (uniform stripes are ideal). Next, cut the cucumbers into disk shapes, and spread out along a plate. Top each disk with a chunk of smoked salmon and a dollop of cashew dip, and a sprig of parsley. To make the cashew dip, combine cashews, juice from the lemon, diced garlic, salt, and a touch of water in a food processor.
These appetizers are healthy and fun to make. Your guests may not all be following the Paleo Diet, but they are sure to find these appetizers satisfying and tasty. Have fun creating your Paleo appetizers — try serving a combination that balances meat and veggies for an ideal spread.
D. Scott Caruthers is a food enthusiast who writes widely about his favorite dishes. His passion began at a young age when he was raised helping out in his family’s restaurant.