Summer Party Recipes – Quick Summer Appetizers

Here are some simple summer appetizers that are quick to put together. Summer is a great time for entertaining at parties, holidays, graduations, with family, or just spending time with your friends. Make your get-togethers easy and fun with these fast and delicious summer appetizers.

Goat Cheese Mushrooms: Take some large mushrooms (remove stem) and fill each cap with a combination of crumbled goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained and chopped), chopped walnuts, and fresh mint (minced). Top each filled mushroom with a little grated lemon zest.

Tomato Roasted Corn Pita Dipper: Combine in a bowl, 2 medium tomatoes (diced), 2 celery stalks (diced), one-half cup sunflower kernels, one-half cup roasted corn kernels (these are available in the frozen food section – just thaw and drain prior to using), 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped), 1 cup low-fat sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve in small bowls with warm pita bread cut into bite-size pieces for dipping.

Cranberry Toasts: In a mixing bowl combine plain whipped cream cheese with dried sweetened cranberries (roughly chopped), chopped walnuts, and some grated lime zest. Thinly slice some French bread and toast until lightly browned. Spread the cranberry mixture on each bread slice and serve.

Watermelon Sandwiches: Using seedless watermelon, cut slices about one-half inch thick. Cut the rind off each slice and trim into squares that are the same size like a loaf of bread. Place a layer of thin slices of prosciutto over one slice of watermelon. In a small bowl combine some plain Greek yogurt with crumbled feta cheese or blue cheese. Top the prosciutto with this mixture. Place another slice of watermelon on top of the yogurt spread and then cut the watermelon sandwich into bite-size square pieces and chill until ready to serve.

Laura Cokherell, a food lover, maintains her site at www.quick-salad-recipes.com, offering easy solutions to meal preparation for everything from breakfast to dessert, including these easy summer appetizers. Creating healthy and natural meals has never been easier or faster with these quick recipes that use just a few ingredients, simple preparation, and natural food.