~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

Whether you refer to them as hors-d’oeuvre (Hors d’oeuvre), canapés, appetizers, tapas, tiny foods, or just good ole’ snicker-snacks… I am here to confirm that delicious-nutritious things come in small packages.

Party Food Lingo Decoded

Just in case you’ve ever been confused about party food lingo, here are a few short definitions to help you sort it all out… and also keep in mind that you want to avoid items that are drippy, sticky or potentially messy. Your guests should be able to handle and eat them easily.

Canapés

Canapés is a French term meaning “couch.” They are small, decorative, bite-sized items that traditionally have three parts: a base such as crostini, cucumber disc or a cracker, the main element (example, pate) and a garnish or sauce on top. Think of it as a more layered or complex bite. They are typically savory and can be served warm or cold.

Hors-d’oeuvre

Bite-sized morsel before a meal, and usually referred to as a finger food.  Prepare to sustain guests while the main courses were being prepared. Typically an hors-d’oeuvre is one or two bites in size.  Portion sizes of ½ to 1 oz of food is more than enough. They can be served at long parties that occur after a regular meal time. Or as a mid-afternoon party where there is no intent to serve dinner, or an evening party that occurs after dinner.

Amuse-bouche

Amuse-bouche is typically a little treat sent out by the chef at a restaurant to welcome guests while they decide what to eat. These are usually one-bite morsels to tease the palate at the beginning of a multi-course meal… simply miniature versions of full-sized dishes. A recipe that makes four full-sized servings can probably produce 12-15 miniature servings.  An example would be a small soup or puree served in a single shot glass portion.

Appetizer

They are not actually considered an hors-d’oeuvre as they are created to harmonize with the following courses of the meal (multi-course menu). They are slightly larger than the amuse-bouche and often require utensils to eat, rather than just being finger food.

Tapas

Refers to an offering of many small, shared dishes of snacks or appetizers. Tapas can be served warm or cold, and are typical of Spanish cuisine.  Often they are informal and are commonly eaten standing up. The main course typically doesn’t follow, making the tapas the main even for food served.

Crudites (ˌkro͞odəˈtā)

Crudites are raw vegetables sliced into thin strips, usually one bite-size (to discourage double-dipping) and served with an accompanying dip or sauce. Ever been asked to bring a veggie platter?  Same thing… and even though they are simple and fuss-free in ingredients, they manage to be the prettiest thing on the table.  If you want to dress up a platter of crudites, add fresh edible flowers and herbs.   I like to make my crudites/veggie platters the center of attention by creating veggie bouquets.  I designed an e-book to walk you through how to make them step by step if interested. :) Click (here) to order the ebook.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw walnuts, soaked
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated
• 1 Medjool date
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1 celery stalk, rough chopped
• 2 Tbsp tahini butter
• 2 Tbsp raw coconut amino
• 2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill, minced
• 2 large English cucumbers

Preparation:

1. Place the walnuts and sunflower seeds in a bowl, along with 3 cups of water.  Let them soak for 4+ hours.  Once done soaking, drain and discard the soak water.
   • The soaking process softens the walnuts and sunflower seeds for blending as well as reducing the enzyme inhibitors for easier digestion.
2. In a separate bowl, rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes and the one lonely date in enough water to cover them for at least 15 minutes.  This will soften them for blending purposes.
   • Once done soaking, drain, discard and hand squeeze the excess water from them.
3. In the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, combine the walnuts, sunflower seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, the date, onions, celery, tahini, coconut amino, vinegar, and black pepper.  Process to a paste-like texture or leave it more chunky… it’s up to you.
   • If you don’t have raw coconut amino, you can use Tamari or raw Braggs amino.
   • If you don’t have raw apple cider vinegar, you can use raw coconut amino or even lemon juice.
   • If you have to avoid nightshades, you can omit the sun-dried tomatoes.  I added them to add a nice depth of flavor so feel free to add any other spice if you feel it is needed.
4. Hand mix in the fresh dill.
5. Slice the cucumber with a mandolin to get even sliced cucumber chips.  Don’t make them too think that they won’t hold the pate.
6. Leave the skin on unless the cucumber isn’t organic.
7. I used a 1 tsp cookie scoop to place the perfect dollop on top of each cucumber disc.  Garnish with sprigs of dill and minced sun-dried tomato.
8. Store leftover pate, separately, in the fridge for 3-5 days.