Healthy and spicy appetizers for parties

Guests adore creative appetizers for parties. Let’s face it, next to decorations; the treats on hand go a long way to setting the atmosphere for your gathering. Knowing the importance of food to your party’s success (or failure!), here are a few ideas that offer something for every occasion, season and budget.

• Nation building, one veggie at a time. Use colorful and non-traditional vegetables to create a crudité plate that is both healthy and playful. For instance, a Mexican-themed tray could include sliced red and green bell peppers separated by some sliced jicama. Arranged as green, white and red, you have the Mexican flag! Or, if you prefer something less literal, choose vegetables native to your region, state or country. Either way, these appetizers for parties make a bold statement!

• A bountiful watermelon basket. This item takes a little planning and works best for the warmer seasons or climates, but makes a big splash and can do double duty as a table centerpiece. Carve out a watermelon either as an open half or as a basket with a handle. Be sure to keep the chunks of watermelon to add later as filling for the basket. Once the watermelon has been hollowed out, fill the basket with seasonal fruit such as sliced strawberries, watermelon and cantaloupe. As an extra flourish, use a melon baller to scoop out the watermelon or cantaloupe so that your watermelon basket will brim with pretty, rounded melon pieces. While watermelon works best as a basket because of its size, you can use this concept with any melon to create dramatic and colorful appetizers for parties.

• Soup shooters. These appetizers for parties are tasty if a bit more pricey, depending on the ingredients and guest list. Prepare a large batch of gazpacho, at least two varieties that are noticeably different in color and fill small glasses with a “shooter” worth of the chilled soup. These are best served as pre-poured helpings in clear cups (small, shooter portions) sitting in packed, crushed ice. You can repurpose a wide punchbowl or trifle container to house your shooter bar. To add to the visual impact, rim the glasses with salt or a small lime or citrus wedge.

• Street food extravaganza. The best thing about the explosion in food trucks is their exalting of easily portable cuisine. These mobile foodie connoisseurs offer easily adaptable ideas to appetizers for parties. Tamales, soups and grilled corn are a few items you can easily incorporate into your next soiree. Tamales, usually sold by the dozen, can be cut in half to help your budget and to keep to your finger-food philosophy. The best way to serve them is in a warming tray over a low heat so the tamales will not cool. Pair them up with a few salsas to add to the flavor. Grilled corn, particularly in late summer, is a fun party appetizer for an outdoor gathering. The key to this idea is to offer a good variety of condiments to satisfy all taste buds – butter for the traditionalists, chili powder and lime, truffle oil, curry powders, sea salts and cracked black pepper are also good choices.

Any of the appetizers for parties from this article will not only keep you on budget, but offer up a spicy, healthy and dramatic food extravaganza.