The Frugal Chef » Appetizer Recipes & Videos

Sweet Potato Oven Fries with Basil Aioli

Mary Ann — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:29:51 +0000

My friend Carmen-Daisy taught me this. The sweet potato is roasted in the oven and then served along side a delicious basil ailoli. Aioli is a homemade mayonnaise with garlic. In this recipe I went ahead and used store bought mayonnaise to speed up the process. I can promise you this will be a hit at your table!

Print the Sweet Potatoes with Basil Ailoli Recipe Here

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Mary Ann — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:11:17 +0000

Quinoa is a common staple in the Andean region. It is considered a super food and is getting more and more common in the USA. I buy mine from Trader Joe’s – who happen to import it from Bolivia, where I grew up. We ate quinoa all the time as kids and I encourage you to try it out! Here is a nice and healthy recipe that I hope you will like!

Print the Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe Here

Gazpacho

Mary Ann — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:11:51 +0000

Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup that is deliciously fresh! It is made in a snap and is great as an appetizer or as a light meal. It is also quite healthy as it has no fat and is loaded with fresh veggies. Buen provecho!

Print the Gazpacho Recipe Here

Fresh Summer Salsa

Mary Ann — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:11:28 +0000

This salsa is always, always a hit when I make it. People love it so much that they sometimes eat it as a salad! It requires a lot of chopping but I promise you that you will be very pleased with the final result. You will need to have some bottled jalapenos because you will need to pour some of the liquid on the salsa when it is all chopped and mixed. This will give it enough heat without making it super spicy.

Here is what you will need:
1/2 a green cabbage, finely sliced
1 large cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
1 bunch radishes ,cut into very fine strips
4 tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
Salt
Juice from bottled jalapenos

Mix all of the vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle with some of the jalapeno liquid and the lime juice. Season generously with salt.

Serve with chips. Enjoy!

Print the Fresh Summer Salsa Recipe Here

Chips & Spicy Tomato Chipotle Salsa

Mary Ann — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:59:37 +0000

This salsa is very easy to make and is out of this world phenomenal! Use a little less Chipotle if you want less heat. Make this and keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Very, very nice!

Print the Spicy Tomato Chipotle Salsa Recipe Here

Salmon Ceviche Video

Mary Ann — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:46:24 +0000

Although one doesn’t typically think of salmon for ceviche, this is a wonderful way to prepare it. It is ultra fresh, has no fat and a great low carb meal! It is also loaded with flavor. Enjoy!

Print the Salmon Ceviche Recipe Here

Tabbouleh Video

Mary Ann — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 04:22:25 +0000

Tabbouleh is a very popular Middle Eastern salad that is made with parsley, bulgur wheat and other ingredients. It is super healthy and, although there is son chopping involved, quite easy to make. Check out the video!

Print the Tabbouleh Recipe Here

Roasted Beet Salad

Mary Ann — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:40:59 +0000

Beets are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. The greens have a higher content of iron compared to spinach. They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron. They are delicious to eat and easy to prepare. Here’s a video with step-by-step instructions on how to make these:

Print the Roasted Beet Salad Recipe Here

Italian Meatballs

Mary Ann — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:11:38 +0000

I am usually not a big fan of meatballs but these particular ones are truly amazing. The flavors will explode in your mouth and you will be in for a treat! Here is what you are going to need:

1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/2 TBS ground garlic
1 TBS dried oregano
1 TBS dried basil
Salt & Pepper

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until all the ingredients are very well blended. Form your meatballs – as large as you want. Add a very little amount of olive oil into a large skillet. Heat well. Add the meatballs and cook, flipping carefully until all sides are evenly browned and meat balls are cooked through.

You can serve these as is or you can mix them in with Marinara sauce and serve with pasta or as meatball subs. Or you can make these really small and serve them as an appetizer – with toothpicks- with some Marinara sauce on the side. However you decide, I am sure you will love them!

Print the Italian Meatballs Recipe Here

Caesar Salad Video

Mary Ann — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:11:44 +0000

Here’s a short video on how to make Caesar salad. I make my own croutons and dressing when I make this salad. Go ahead and use store bought ones if you prefer. No problem! Enjoy!

Print the Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe Here