Whipped ricotta crostini three ways

This might become my new go-to appetizer recipe for when I need to make something in a hurry. It seems so simple, and it is, but it is also so much more delicious than you'd expect from something that takes about 5 minutes to throw together. I topped mine three different ways but my hands down favorite is the honey topping, it is salty and just a little sweet and would be perfect for before or after dinner.

Ingredients:

1 cup ricotta cheese
1 ounce cream cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons oil
toppings: lemon zest + olive oil + coarse salt; za'atar spice + olive oil; a drizzle of honey
1 baguette, sliced 1/2" thick on an angle

Directions:

Place ricotta, cream cheese, salt, and oil in a small bowl and mix with an electric beater on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or until it is no longer grainy and is nice and fluffy. Take your baguette slices and toast them in a 350* oven for a few minutes until you've reached your desired level of crispness. Top each baguette slice with a dollop of whipped ricotta, then add a sprinkle of lemon zest, salt, and olive oil. For the za'atar topping just sprinkle za'atar on top and drizzle with a little olive oil. For the honey topping just drizzle a small amount of honey over top of the cheese.

Soft pretzel sticks

Growing up we always called these "hot pretzels", I've been told that no one else says that. Just like no one else calls nachos "chips and cheese". Whatever, soft (hot) pretzels are delicious and relatively easy, although they do require a few steps and a bit of time. These are delicious served with cheese sauce or this mustard (or this mustard!).

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups flour
10 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda
coarse salt for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Combine butter, water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixture. Stir things together and allow it to sit until it becomes nice and bubbly and the yeast has dissolved into the water. Then add salt and flour and mix with a dough hook for 3-5 minutes on medium-low until the dough is smooth, elastic, and forms a ball that pulls away from the side of the bowl. Knead it for a few times by hand and then place back in your bowl. Cover with a towel and allow it to rise for 1 - 1.5 hours until it doubles in size. After it has risen, preheat oven to 425 and bring 10 cups water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot. Cut dough in six pieces and roll each into a log with your hands that is about 1/2 an inch thick. Cut into sticks that are about 3-4 inches in length (or however big you want them, but just remember that they will puff up). Roll out all the dough, then drop four pieces at a time into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds, then place on a cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle the boiled dough with coarse salt and repeat with dough until your cookie sheet is full. Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool pretzels on a cooling rack and continue with the rest of your dough.

Spinach artichoke dip

I love spinach artichoke dip. It's creamy, warm, and gooey, but it is also loaded with veggies which always makes me think that I'm being at least somewhat healthy. It is actually not that hard to make your own, feel free to change the amount of cheese or veggies to your liking. I've also added a shredded zucchini on occasion, which is also really tasty.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup veggie stock
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 a small onion, minced
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a sauce pan, melt butter over low heat and add flour. Whisk together and cook for a few minutes until it is thick and bubbly. Slowly whisk in stock to the roux and simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken (it should be able to coat the back of a spoon). Season with garlic powder, pepper, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Add 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella and stir until melted. In a separate pan heat oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes until softened. Add spinach and artichokes and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add this mixture to the roux. Stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes so that everything comes together and is thick and bubbly. Transfer this to an oven-proof dish that is sprayed with non-stick spray. Top with 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons parmesan. Broil until the cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes, but watch it carefully. Serve with crostini or tortilla chips.

Sweet and sour grapes

I can't stop eating these, seriously. They are so good and they taste like candy, but you don't have to feel too bad about eating them since they are just grapes. You'll need citric acid in order to make these, which really isn't hard to find. I found some at the bulk food store by my house and it was very inexpensive.

Ingredients:

1 handful green grapes
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon citric acid (adjust to control how sour they are)

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine sugar and citric acid. Wash green grapes but don't dry them. Toss a few at a time into the sour sugar and swirl the bowl around to coat. Transfer to serving dish and continue with the rest of the grapes.

Roasted chickpeas

These are the perfect snack - they are crunchy, salty, and (best of all) healthy. You could really season these however you'd like, but I really like the smoky and barbecue-like flavor that paprika gives. These will keep for a few days if you put them in tupperware or a ziplock bag. The chickpea skins tend to burn a little more easily so if you're worried about burning them you may want to peel them first.

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika (there are two kinds, get the smoky not the sweet)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a pan with sides (jellyroll pan) with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl combine your drained and rinsed chickpeas with your seasonings. Mix and massage with your hands until they are evenly coated. Pour onto the foil-lined pan and bake for 30-40 minutes total. At the 15 minute mark take them out and shake the pan to prevent sticking. At the 30 minute mark shake the pan again. Bake for increments of 5 minutes shaking after each until you've achieved your desired level of crispiness. Let them cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a dish to serve.

Date energy balls

When I first made these and was talking to my housemate about them she thought that I called them "date energy balls" so that I would have something to snack on that would give me the energy to go on a date, which is definitely true; these would give you great pre-date energy and would hold off your hunger for a while too! But really they are just made using dates. These will really kick your hunger and they are a great after-work but before dinner snack or a pre-gym snack.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pitted whole dates (not the chopped kind that are rolled in flour)

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup any other dried fruit (including more dates) that you like

1/2 cup any other nut that you like (including more walnuts)

1 cup quick oats

2 tablespoons flax seeds

1/4 cup dried coconut (if you like it, see note below)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Throw the nuts in a food processor and roughly chop them. Then add the dried fruit and blend until the fruit starts to break down. Add the oats, flax seeds, coconut (if using)*, and vanilla. Process until it becomes a dough. If it is dry and not turning into a dough, add a little water and try again. Wet your hands and take a small amount (like a good, rounded spoonful) and form it into a ball. Form all of it into balls and then toss in the freezer. You can eat them frozen or thaw them, either way they are delicious!

*You can really flavor these any way you want. You could add cinnamon, or cocoa powder, or actual chocolate, or really anything you want to flavor it up. I just don't really like cinnamon or chocolate so I didn't add it.

Cheese crackers

Ok, let's just be real, these are cheez-its and they are spectacular. They're also super easy and you can pronounce everything in them, which is nice for a change. This recipe only makes a small amount - the picture has all of the crackers in it. I made a batch to bring to a friend's place for game night once and they were gone almost instantly, so maybe make a few batches unless you're just going to eat them yourself while binge watching Scandal or something. 

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup extra sharp cheddar, shredded

1/2 teaspoon salt, (use 1/4 tsp if you used salted butter)

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or 1/4 if you want them spicier)

coarse salt (like kosher salt or sea salt flakes) for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Throw everything except the coarse salt into a food processor and blend until it turns into dough. Form the dough into a circle, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for an hour. Unwrap dough and roll out on a floured surface until it is the thickness you like. I like my crackers on the thin and crispy side so mine were probably like 1/8" thick or maybe a little thinner. Cut into squares with a pizza cutter, sprinkle with salt, and transfer to a baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper, which made things a little easier). Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-12 minutes, or until the bottoms are getting a little color. You don't want to over bake these since they'll crisp up even more once they cool. Transfer to a cooling rack and (if you can wait) let them cool down a bit. Then eat them. Or put them in an airtight container, I guess.