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It’s summer. It’s hot. Too hot – I think the heat is to blame for my missing culinary mojo. There’s just something about 95 degree temperatures that makes turning on my oven a little less appealing than normal.
With all the heat, blue skies, and an 85 acre pond in our backyard, we’re kind of used to last minute entertaining. So we keep the fridge stocked with simple, fresh ingredients that can be transformed into delicious eats without too much cooking involved.
For our recent Fourth of July festivities, I decided to keep things pretty effortless and portable, so people wouldn’t have to be tied to the table while enjoying the food. One of the most well received items on the menu were these easy Greek Salad Skewers. With only 6 ingredients and minimal prep time, these Greek Salad Skewers couldn’t be easier – or cuter!
Now, here’s where things get a little fun! I want you to share YOUR favorite appetizer recipe that uses 6 ingredients or less (see below for specifics) for the chance to win a $600 gift card. I’ve teamed up with American Express and their Dinner @ 6 promotion to create simple appetizer recipes that use 6 ingredients or less.
Are you seeing a theme here with the number 6? Let me explain. American Express recently launched two cash back credit cards – Blue Cash Preferred and Blue Cash Everyday.
One of the most exciting benefits of the Blue Cash Preferred card is that Cardmembers receive 6% cash back for purchases at the supermarket – the highest cash back rate available for grocery purchases! With these new Blue Cash® Cards, there are no spend minimums, cash back caps, ongoing enrollments or rotating categories of cash back benefits. Which is a pretty sweet deal when used responsibly.
Greek Salad Skewers
Ingredients:
12 grape tomatoes
4 ounces feta cheese, cut into 12 (1/2-inch) cubes
1 mini cucumber sliced into 12 pieces
12 pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons Za’atar*.
12 (4-6 inch) bamboo or wood skewers
Directions:
1. Thread the skewers starting with a tomato, then a piece of feta cheese, a cucumber and an olive. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
2. Just before serving, arrange skewers on a platter, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Za’atar.
Notes:
- I highly recommend finding Za’atar. It’s such a great spice (a blend of sumac, sesame seeds and herbs) to have on hand. I love the brand Urban Accents because it’s flavorful and readily available at my local market.
Follow Jamie on Instagram. We love to see what you're baking from MBA! Be sure to tag @jamiemba and use the hashtag #mbarecipes!
Requirements for Participation
One winner will receive a $600 Gift Card from American Express:
1. Submit your favorite APPETIZER recipe that features 6 ingredients or less. You MUST cut and paste the entire recipe into the comment form. If you have a blog, please also provide a link to the post.
2. You may submit 2 recipes – leave each recipe in a separate comment.
Seasonings, spices and herbs, garlic, vinegars and oils DO NOT count as one of the 6 ingredients.
3.. Contest ends July 23, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Entries that do not follow the directions above will be deleted without notification.
4. Winner will be posted in a follow up post by July 29, 2011.
5. Contest open to US residents only.
6. Winner will be chosen via random.org and will have 3 days to respond or a new winner will be selected.
Additional Entries
If you also have a MAIN COURSE recipe that uses 6 ingredients or less, be sure to head over to goodLife {eats} and enter on Katie’s blog as well. Good luck!
Disclosure
This post and the giveaway are sponsored by American Express. The views and opinions expressed within this post are my own.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
1 (10 ounce) can chunk chicken, drained
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Heat chicken and Buffalo sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing, stirring until well blended and warm. Pour into a shallow dish or pie pan and sprinkle with shredded cheese and broil until the cheese melts. Serve with chips, celery and carrots for dipping.
This is my favorite dip. Adapted from the Stop and Smell the Rosemary Cookbook:
7.2-ounce jar (1/2 cup) of roasted red peppers, drained
4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and patted dry
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 bunch green onions, white part only, coarsely chopped
6 ounces cream cheese, softened – I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese
Process in a food processor until smooth. Serve with blue corn tortillas chips.
Smoky Cheddar Parm Dip
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 garlic clove, minced
In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add butter. One it is sizzling add flour and whisk to form a roux. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk, reduce heat to low and stir – it should thicken within a minute. Add in cheeses, paprika and garlic and stir to combine. Stir until smooth. Turn off heat and pour into a bowl for dipping.
baked bbq onion rings
Ingredients:
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups panko bread crumbs
2 large sweet onions, sliced into 1/2-inch rings
cooking spray
Mix of Garlic powder, salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place two baking sheets in the oven and let those preheat too.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, eggs and flour.
3. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl.
4. Using tongs (or your fingers) dip onion slice in the barbecue sauce mixture, shake the excess off and then dunk on all sides into the bread crumbs. Lay on a cool baking sheet. Repeat until all onion slices have been dunked.
5. Remove hot baking sheets from the oven and spray lightly with cooking spray. Move coated onions to hot baking sheets. Spray the coated onions lightly with cooking spray.
6. Bake for about 6 minutes, or until golden, then use tongs to turn each onion ring over. Spray the other side of the onions with cooking spray and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Watch closely to make sure they crumbs are not browning too quickly or burning.
7. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
I’m loving all of these new appetizer ideas!!
My favorite appetizer to make is below. These fly off the platters and are so easy to make. You can even make them ahead of time and pop them in the oven right before guest arrive.
1 Bunch of Asparagus Spears
1 Container of Crescent Roll Dough
1 Tub of Spreadable Cheese (Alouette Garlic & Herb Cheese is my go to for this recipe)
Preheat oven according to package directions.
Trim off the ends of the asparagus.
Spread out the crescent rolls (do not separate) on to a floured cutting board, and seal all the seams.
Spread the cheese on the dough, leaving about 1/4″ border on all sides.
Using a pizza wheel, cut 1/4″ to 1/2″ wide strips of the dough.
Starting at the bottom of the spear, wrap up the dough up the length of the spear.
Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake according to package directions, but keep an eye on them, because depending on your oven, they may not take as long, and could burn.
Wasabi spread
1 brick of Cream Chese (8 oz)
Wasabi paste (or powder)
Sesame seeds, toasted
Soy Sauce
Rice Crackers
Chill the cream cheese. Split the brick horizontally so you have 2 skiny bricks.
(If using wasabi powder, reconstitue it with water… it should be pretty thick.)
Spread the wasabi paste on one of the cream cheese layers, then cover it with the second layer.
Apply sesame seeds to all sides of the cream cheese.
Pour soy sauce over the top and allow to puddle on the sides.
Serve with rice crackers (or your favorite crackers).
The potency of the wasabi is tempered by the cream cheese.
How much wasabi you use is up to you…
Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
1/2 cup Feta
1/2 cup shredded 4 Cheese Italian Cheese
1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
Directions:
Mix together 1/4 of the 4 cheese blend, mayonnaise, feta, and the mustard. Stir in artichokes and spinach. Spread mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with the rest of the 4 cheese blend. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until heated through.
Cream Cheese Pinwheels (appetizer)
Ingredients:
4 flour tortillas (I like the green spinach ones)
250g cream cheese, softened
250gm feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onion
3/4 cup dried cranberries
Combine feta and cream cheese in food processor, process until smooth. Add onions and cranberries and pulse until combined.
Spread on tortillas. Roll up tortillas and stack all 4 in a large zipper bag. Place in the fridge until ready to serve. Can be made a day ahead. When ready to serve, slice into rings/pinwheels.
Link: http://mymessykitchen.ca/?p=13
Hi! Here’s my second entry (for a main dish).
Tomato Butter
2 sticks butter – room temp (Cold butter wil not work!)
handful fresh basil
5-6 cloves garlic
1 small can tomato paste
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until completely mixed. Serve on hot pasta, toasted bread, baked potatoes!
Beer Cheese Dip – supper quick, easy and disappears too fast!!
2 Blocks Cream Cheese (softened)
2oz dry ranch mix (packet)
About 1/2 can any type beer
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
Pretzel crisps for dipping (can substitute chips, but the pretzel crisps seem to be a good scoop, gives some salt and crunch!)
1. Mix softened cream cheese with ranch mix
2. Mix beer into cream cheese until smooth and most bumps smooth out (you will still have a few bumps). You may need to add more or less beer, should have a very wet mixture, but not soupy
3. Mix in the cheddar cheese
Best if sits overnight, but I’ve served it right away too!
This is an awesome dip!! I think I will have to make some today now!!