Quick and easy party tricks to make entertaining a breeze!

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ARTICHOKE OLIVE TAPENADE

2 cups green manzanilla olives plus juice to cover

1 cup artichoke hearts drained

1 cup roasted red peppers drained

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

¼ tsp oregano

¼ tsp white pepper

Puree everything in food processor adding more olive juice as needed.

TOMATO TAPENADE

2 cups sundried tomatoes

¼ cup roasted garlic cloves

½ cup EVOO

½ tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh

¼ cup black pitted olives (optional)

If sundried tomatoes are dessicated put barely enough water to cover in a small pan and bring to a rapid bowl. Turn off heat and let sit. Drain and puree tomatoes with other ingredients.

HUMMUS

There are as many variations of hummus as there are chefs (spellings of hummous as well!)

4 cups Garbonzo beans cook your own or organically canned

Liquid to cover ( I use vegetable stock)

EVOO (start with 1 TB but you may need to add)

½ cup Roasted onions (caramelized)

¼ cup Roasted Garlic (roasted in EVOO in oven till golden)

½ tsp Sumac

1 tsp Herbamare (sea salt substitute)

1 tsp White pepper

2-4 TB tahini (add if necessary)

Put the beans plus cooking or canning liquid in food processor and whirl away till completely blended and no chunks. Add all other ingredients but tahini and EVOO. Whirl some more. Add tahini and 1 TB evoo. Taste and correct seasonings. Remove drizzle with more evoo and sprinkle with a little sumac and serve

GARLIC HUMMUS

4 cups Garbonzo beans cook your own or organically canned

Liquid to cover ( I use vegetable stock)

EVOO (start with 1 TB but you may need to add)

10 fresh Garlic cloves

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp White pepper

2 TB fresh lemon juice

2-4 TB Tahini (add if necessary)

2 TB Zaatar

Put the beans plus cooking or canning liquid in food processor and whirl away till completely blended and no chunks. Add all other ingredients but tahini and EVOO. Whirl some more. Add tahini and 1 TB evoo. Serve topped with olive oil and zaatar.

WHITE BEAN SOUTHWESTERN HUMMUS

4 cups Cannellini beans (cook your own or organically canned)

Liquid to cover (I use vegetable stock)

EVOO (start with 1 TB but you may need to add)

½ cups roasted red peppers

¼ cup Roasted Garlic (roasted in EVOO in oven till golden)

1 TB Big Lou

1 tsp herbamare

1 tsp white pepper

2-4 TB tahini (add if necessary)

Put the beans plus cooking or canning liquid in food processor and whirl away till blended. Add all other ingredients but tahini and EVOO. Whirl some more. Add tahini and 1 TB evoo.

BLACK BEAN HUMMUS

4 cups black beans cook your own or organically canned

Liquid to cover (I use vegetable stock)

EVOO (start with 1 TB but you may need to add)

2 chipotle peppers

¼ cup caramelized onion

¼ cup Roasted Garlic

½ tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp herbamare

1 tsp white pepper

2 TB Tahini (add if necessary)

Put the beans plus cooking or canning liquid in food processor and whirl away till completely blended and no chunks. Add all other ingredients but tahini and EVOO. Whirl some more. Add tahini and 1 TB evoo.

EDAMAME HUMMUS

4 cups cooked Edamame beans

Liquid to cover (I use vegetable stock)

Sesame oil (start with 1 TB but you may need to add)

T TB wild roasted sesame seeds

1 TB fresh minced ginger

4 fresh garlic cloves

1 tsp wasabi powder

1 tsp herbamare

1 tsp white pepper

2 TB Tahini (add if necessary)

Put the beans plus cooking or canning liquid in food processor and whirl away till completely blended and no chunks. Add all other ingredients but tahini and sesame oil. Whirl some more add tahini and oil.

OTHER HUMMUS OPTIONS

Any bean you can think of

Any roasted vegetable

Any spice

Any nut

Have fun

ROASTED POTATOES

3 lbs Baby potatoes

½ cup Olive oil

1 tsp Herbamare

1 TB tiny girlfriend

Toss potatoes with olive and seasonings. Put whole baby potatoes to roast in heavy baking dish. Bake 375 for at least 40 minutes moving around frequently. Skins should darken and pucker slightly.

BUFFALO WILD WINGS

2 small heads of cauliflower or one jumbo

½ cup vegetable oil

1 TB Dooters Cajun Creole

1 tsp Herbamare

Break cauliflower apart into florets. Toss in mixture and roast for 20 minutes at 375. Take out and cool.

1 cup Just Mayo

1 TB Dooters

1 cup Panko

Whisk mayo and Dooters together. Put panko in a pie plate. Roll each cauliflower floret into mayo mixture and then roll into panko and put back on baking sheet. Cook for 15 more minutes until panko browns.

Serve with wing sauce

1 cup Franks Hot sauce

1 cup smart balance

1 tsp Dooters

Heat mixture together.

VEGAN BLUE

1 cup firm Tofu crumbled

1 tsp Garlic powder

2 TB Lemon juice

½ cup Apple cider unfiltered

2 cups Vegannaise

2 TB Tahini

¼ cup Parsley chopped

¼ cup Roasted garlic

2 tsp Herbamare

1 tsp White pepper

Crumble tofu. Whisk all ingredients together except parsley. Puree parsley with 1 cup of dressing. Remix.

FALAFEL QUICK AND EASY

2 cans garbonzos

3 TB tahini

11/2 tsp baking soda

1 TB Big TA or Zaatar

¼ cup plus garbonzo flour

1 tsp Herbamare

Drain garbonzos reserving liquid. Pulse beans in food processer till crushed but not too smooth. Mix all other ingredients together in a bowl with beans and add enough tahini till it’s sticky. Fry medium low in shallow olive oil. Flip carefully!

FALAFEL TRADITIONAL

4 cups Garbonzo beans dried

1 cup chopped parsley

12 garlic cloves

2 large onion chopped

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp white pepper

½ tsp cayenne

2 TB unbleached flour

½ tsp coriander

1 tsp baking soda

Vegetable oil for frying

Soak beans in water to cover for 24 hours and then drain and peel the tough outer skin off. Mix beans, garlic, parsley, onions and puree, add all other ingredients and puree again. Set mixture aside for thirty minutes or longer and then knead thoroughly adding more flour or water depending on consistency. Spoon mixture into coop and eject into fryer. Cook till the color of dark brown sugar on both sides.

TATZIKI

1 TB Pulp of cucumber from juicing (optional)

One cucumber seeded, peeled and diced

1 bunch of spring onion sliced

2 cups soy yogurt plain

2 TB lime juice

1 tsp Zaatar or Big T.A. everything seasoning

½ tsp sea salt flakes

¼ tsp white pepper

Drain liquid from cucumber by allowing sitting in a colander and drain. Whisk all ingredients together.

PHYLLO STUFFED WITH BRIE AND FIGS

Prepare five to seven phyllo sheets with butter. Put wheel of brie in center. Top brie with ½ inch of fig jam. Wrap phyllo to close. Bake 350 for 25 minutes.

BREAD PUDDING WITH APRICOTS

2 boxes of Hawaiian sweet bread

1 quart vanilla soy milk

2 TB ground chia or flax meal

1 lb apricots

½ cup cane sugar

Tear bread into pieces and let dry out over night. Mince apricots to the size of raisins. Over medium heat whisk soymilk, cane sugar and flax together and add apricots. When starting to thicken remove from heat and let cool. Pour over bread and let soak up all moisture possible. Bake in 340 degree oven for 30 minutes.

PUMPKIN PIE MARTINIS

Pumpkin pie cream liqueur

Vodka

Pumpkin pie spice

Vanilla

Mix martini with equal measure of vodka and pumpkin if you like sweet. Add a little more vodka if you don’t. Add a pinch of pie spice and ½ tsp of vanilla to each martini. Shake well. Pour over ice into a wine glass or go straight martini with sugar o