My mom had her birthday this month and for her birthday, I put together an appetizer spread that we can all enjoy with some cocktails. I was able to come up with fast, easy, delicious plates, and prepare everything on time to celebrate.
Cheese and Charcuterie
I think cheese and charcuterie is a must have for any gathering, especially parties. I absolutely adore them. It’s not only delicious, but serving platter or boards look gorgeous when filled with cured meats and cheese. To build a beautiful platter and impress your family or friends, choose several types of cheese and charcuterie (depending on how big you want your platter or board to be).
You can also add fruit, nuts, pickles, olives, mustard, jam or marmalade. Also don’t forget good bread. You need good crusty slices of warm bread that will go with your cheese and cured meats.
One can go on and on about different types of cheese, but here are some suggestions for your plate:
- Hard cheese: Pecorino Romano, Manchego, Asiago, Comte
- Aged cheese: Gouda, Cheddar, Emmentaler
- Soft cheese: Roquefort, Brie, Goat Cheese
One of my all time favorite cheese that I had to include on my board was Red Dragon cheese from England. I’ve been loving this ever since I discovered it in a restaurant, and was so excited when I found it at my local Whole Foods. Mustard seeds and ale incorporated in salty cheese is really addictive.
Like cheese, there are many yummy options for charcuterie, but here are some of my favorites:
- Italian: Prosciutto, Speck, Calabrese Salami, Capicola, Genoa Salami, Soppressata
- Spanish: Chorizo, Jamon Serrano , Jamon Iberico
I always get the kid in a candy store feeling when I’m standing in front of a deli case, trying to decide what I want but if you don’t have time to do that, you can pick up great cured meat packets from Trader Joe’s. Try Daniele Gourmet Deli pack with Italian meats or Spanish Brand Deli Selection also from Daniele.
Avocado Mash with Shrimp
In addition to cheese and charcuterie, I wanted a salad type appetizer. I always need something green and decided on a creamy avocado mash, but with plump pieces of shrimp.
The best part of this appetizer is it takes about 15 minutes to prepare and you don’t need lot of ingredients.
Just mash avocados until you get a chunky, smooth consistency. Then add tangy Japanese kewpie mayonnaise. This not only adds tangy flavor to your avocados, vinegar in the mayonnaise will prevent avocados from oxidizing. You then add boiled shrimp that’s been chopped into 3/4 inch pieces.
Take your mash and place it on bed of greens and you’re done. I finished off the dish with tobiko roe, fresh dill and mini tomatoes. Tobiko roe is commonly used in sushi and adds crunchy texture, salty goodness as well as pop of color.
With this dish your party appetizer spread is complete. It includes meat, cheese, bread, veggies and seafood so there’s something for everyone.
Avocado Mash with Shrimp
Ingredients
- 7-8 large shrimp peeled, deveined.
- 3 large avocados
- 3 tbsp Japanese kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bag spring salad mix, washed and drained
Garnish
- 2-3 sprigs fresh dill (optional)
- 1 tbsp tobiko roe (optional)
- ½ cup mini tomatoes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring small pot to a boil and cook shrimp for 2 minutes. Drain water and transfer shrimp onto a plate with paper towel to blot excess water from shrimp. Chop shrimp into ¾ inch pieces and set it aside.
- In a small bowl, mash avocados until you get a chunky, smooth consistency. Stir in mayonnaise, shrimp and add salt.
- Place spring salad mix on a platter and place avocado mash on top. To garnish, add tobiko roe, fresh dill, and mini tomatoes.
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