appetizers

Grilled Artichokes and Bomb Ass Dipping Sauce

Grilled Artichokes and Bomb Ass Dipping Sauce

If you’ve ever been to Hillstone/Houston’s, you’ll know about the unreal grilled artichokes. Huge Globe artichokes seasoned heavily with steak seasoning and charred to perfection. They’re served alongside a delicious remoulade, and are a memorable appetizer.

Growing up, we only ate steamed artichokes with mayonnaise. Our artichokes never graced the piping hot grill or bathed in lemon juice. After having grilled arties at Hillstone all these years, I decided to make them at home. Prepping artichokes is much easier than it looks - follow along for the tastiest artichokes.

Strawberry Avocado Salsa

Strawberry Avocado Salsa

Easiest recipe ever. In the hot weather of the summer time, I love having a bunch of recipes on deck to simply throw together. Plump, sweet strawberries and rich, creamy avocado are chopped up and dressed in a tangy dressing of lime juice, ginger, and honey for the simplest appetizer.

Prosciutto Nectarine Ricotta Bites

Prosciutto Nectarine Ricotta Bites

Toasty French baguette slices topped with fluffy ricotta, sweet grilled nectarines (or peaches), salty prosciutto, and herbaceous basil. The fresh intensity of a few flakes of Maldon salt and a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar on top set off this appetizer. This crostini is a combination of classic flavors in one bite. And an added benefit: you can get everything you need at TJ’s! There are no rules to this one - make as many as you want, and as messy as you want :)

Ricotta Fig Phyllo Cups

Ricotta Fig Phyllo Cups

Figs. Sweet, unctuous flesh with a light berry taste that practically transform in the oven. My favorite recipes are ones you can throw together, not worrying about technique or messing things up. Ricotta Rig Phyllo Cups are a fail-proof appetizer or snack that will impress the hell out of your friends with any effort on your part. Flakey (pre-made) phyllo cups filled with honeyed ricotta and figs, topped with a few flakes of Maldon to balance things out. Seriously quick and satisfying.

Beef Enoki Rolls

Beef Enoki Rolls

Ooooh these are little rolls of magic! Lately I've become obsessed with enoki mushrooms. The bouncy texture, how easy they are to cook, and the way they soak up whatever flavors surround them. They are dirt cheap, and you can toss them into virtually any dish. Growing up, I think I've only really eaten enoki mushrooms when I've gone out to eat hot pot with friends. I always enjoyed them, but they were definitely an afterthought. (Hello, beef!) Recently, however, I've been eating enoki with everything - stir fries, soup, noodle dishes, even salads. Their sweet, mellow flavor is so yum. 

I was inspired by these Japanese Beef Enoki Rolls that I had as part of a lunch set the other day, and couldn't get enough of them. They are simple to prepare and the marinade is actually super versatile and can be used for cooking other protein. Beef Enoki Rolls are tender, juicy, and almost taste like beef jerky - a harmonious blend of soy, ginger, garlic, sake, and sesame oil create an incredibly savory marinade for the thinly sliced beef. Soaking the enoki mushrooms in warm, salted water allows them to soften and gain some flavor. Finally all you've got to do is wrap small bundles of mushrooms in the marinaded beef and pan fry. Searing the meat takes a few minutes, and then you're in flavor heaven. Let's get cookin!

Lazy Chicken Wings for One

Lazy Chicken Wings for One

I'm going to let you in on one of my tried and true 'recipes', which is totally just a little trick I've been doing since high school whenever I'm really lazy and REALLY hungry. I love chicken wings - and here in Hong Kong, grocery stores sell bags of frozen mid-joint chicken wings. These are my favs - don't get me wrong, I like drumsticks too, but I really love just the wings. In my little HK kitchen, I don't have a proper oven (just a toaster oven). This method of cooking chicken wings on the stove-top is quick, fail-proof, and super flavorful. 

Sometimes you don't have time to go grocery shopping, but you can bet that there'll be some frozen chicken wings in your freezer. You can make these wings with virtually any sauce or marinade that you have in the kitchen, making this the perfect lazy meal! There are simply 2 steps, and 3 ingredients. Simmer the chicken in chicken broth until they're nice and plump (my trick to knowing when they're finished is when the blood clots come out :) and then tossing them in sauce in a skillet. 

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

Growing up, I've gotta admit that I really loved Fig Newtons. But, raise your hand if you've actually never had a fresh fig before! I didn't try the actual fruit until fairly recently. I fell in love with their rich, earthy flavor... sweet, with a slightly chewy texture. They're so simple to eat. You can slice them up and eat with with yogurt or açai, throw some pieces onto a cheese board, or add them to pizza or flatbread with some burrata. Today's recipe is a fast, elegant appetizer that takes minutes to put together. 

Sweet Potato Toast

Sweet Potato Toast

Sweet Potato Toast is amazing!! It's so vibrant and colorful, and is a nutritious alternative to your regular wheat toast - not to mention it's paleo and gluten free! There are endless topping options, and today I'm sharing some yummy ideas with you to get you inspired. Sweet Potato Toast works with sweet or savory ingredients, and is so satisfying that a few of these make a wonderful meal. I'm all about using whatever you've got in the kitchen already, and the hearty, sweet flavor of the sweet potatoes is a great vessel for tons of versatility.

Honey Lime Summer Corn Salsa

Honey Lime Summer Corn Salsa

This is a bright and zesty recipe to enjoy some of summer's best produce!! It can be enjoyed with chips as a dip, or eaten as a summer salad. Golden brown kernels of corn come together with tomatoes, creamy avocado, red onion for bite, black beans, and tons of fresh cilantro in minutes, and are tossed with the most amazing Honey Lime Vinaigrette. This combo is seriously delicious - the combination of lime juice, earthy, warm cumin, honey, and extra virgin olive oil is the absolute perfect way to bind these ingredients together. The best part is that the flavor of the dip gets better as it sits - so it's great to have out during an event, or to make ahead for lunch! Let's get cookin! 

Bacon Wrapped Peaches

Bacon Wrapped Peaches

Ok, I think we can all agree that everything...everything is better with bacon. Crisp, salty, fatty delicious bacon. BBQ season is here and grilling fruit is definitely one of my favorite ways to celebrate summer. The caramelization of the fruit is really delicious with the flavor of the bacon, and adding a simple reduced balsamic vinegar makes this the easiest appetizer ever. Finish the peaches off with fresh sprigs of mint for a flavor explosion in your mouth. Serious good eats. Watch my newest video recipe below! :) Let's get cookin!