Pizza doesn’t have to be just for lunch or dinner. It can be a great appetizer as well. As long as you steer clear of the dip dish crusts and the thick cheeses, it can even be light. I’m all for short-cuts, and although nothing beats a home-made, fresh pizza dough, taking a little help from the grocery store works too. It’s all about the toppings. Fresh mozzarella, fresh goat cheese, and pesto can take an ordinary pizza crust and turn it into something special.

The recipe for this appetizer is not only simple, but flexible. You can really put anything you want on store-bought pizza doughs. I find the combination of savory pesto, tangy goat cheese, and crunchy walnuts to be exceptional. Top it with some fresh mozzarella, and you have a delicious appetizer that pairs really well with white wine.

Simply follow this recipe for the herb pesto:

2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup walnuts

pinch salt

freshly cracked black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

1-2 tablespoons grated parmesan

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and buzz until a smooth, paste-like consistency is achieved. Once you have your pesto, simply spoon a couple tablespoons over your 8-inch pie crust. Top with fresh chevre goat cheese and grated mozzarella, as much or little as you want. Add some roughly chopped walnuts and season with a little salt and pepper. Then bake the pizza directly on the rack (for crispier crust) at 425 degrees for about 7 minutes.

Note: the pizza will bubble up, but this is normal. It’ll settle down, and most importantly you’ll have a crispy crust.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

1 recipe herb pesto (see ingredients above)

2, 8-inch pre-cooked pizza crusts (I used Boboli)

2 oz chevre goat cheese

grated fresh mozzarella

parmesan cheese (grated)

about 1/2 cup walnuts (rough chop)

salt

pepper

Method

Pre-heat oven to 425. Prepare pesto as directed. Spoon a tablespoon or two and spread evenly over each crust. Then top with dollops of goat cheese, grated mozzarella, chopped walnuts, and extra grated parmesan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake in oven directly on rack for about 7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!

These sweet and savory tartlets are perfect for a party. Puff pastry is baked until golden and crisp, then topped with sweet caramelized onions, fresh mozzarella, and for a salty bite, gorgonzola cheese. The beauty of puff pastry is that it can be used in innumerable ways. You can make desserts, appetizers, even main courses with it. And best of all, it comes readily available at your local store.

Ingredients

1 9×10 sheet puff pastry

1/2 large yellow onion (sliced)

salt

freshly cracked black pepper

3 teaspoons white sugar

About 1/2 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese

crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Olive oil

Method

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Shred about 1/2 cup of fresh mozzarella and reserve. Place one sheet of thawed puff pastry over a floured board. Using a 1-inch cookie cutter, cut about sixteen circles and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover puff pastry discs with wax paper and then place another baking sheet on top of it. This will keep the pastry flat and crisp and prevent it from puffing up. Bake pastry at 400 degrees for about ten to twelve minutes or until golden and cooked through. In the meantime, heat up a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large fry pan over medium high temperature. Once the oil is hot, begin frying onions, seasoning slightly with salt and three teaspoons of sugar, and cook down for about 10-15 minutes until deeply caramelized and soft, almost jam-like in texture.  Once pastry has baked, remove extra baking sheet and wax paper and transfer the discs to wire rack to cool.  Assemble by placing about a teaspoon or two of caramelized onions over each pastry disc, topping with shredded mozzarella and crumbled gorgonzola cheese. Transfer back to baking sheet and slide into the oven, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until cheese has slightly melted on top. Serve hot or cold and enjoy!

Optional: Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired.

Green Pea Cutlets with Mint, Feta, and Pine Nuts

These are my vegetarian versions of crab cakes: crisp on the outside;  moist and flavorful on the inside.  Green peas are ground, then flavored with mint leaves, feta cheese, red onions, and toasted pine nuts. Rolled in fresh bread crumbs and pan-fried, they’re the perfect bite for a party. Top with a lemon yogurt sauce for a fresh and creamy finish.

Ingredients

2 cups frozen peas (thawed)

1/3 cup chopped red onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1/3 cup feta cheese (crumbled)

3 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

freshly cracked black pepper

1 egg

1/4 cup flour

4 slices white or wheat sandwich bread (for breadcrumbs; about 2 cups)

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Vegetable oil

Ingredients for Sauce

1/2 cup yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon zest

squeeze of lemon juice

salt

liberal amount of freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Buzz three slices white or wheat bread in a food processor. Pour over a plate and mix with parmesan cheese. Reserve. Dry toast pine nuts in a pan over medium heat and reserve. Thaw and drain peas, then process in food processor until course paste is achieved. Then transfer to a mixing bowl and add chopped garlic, onions, mint leaves, feta cheese, salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Mix well, folding in pine nuts. Then add one egg, and 1/2 of bread crumb mixture (1 cup), mix and finish with 1/4 cup flour. Mix well. Take about a tablespoon of mixture and roll in your hands to form a ball, then dredge in the parmesan bread crumb mixture. Slightly flatten the ball to form a patty. Repeat this process until all patties are made. Then pour enough vegetable or canola oil in a large fry pan to come up about a 1/4 inch from the bottom of the pan. Fry in batches, about three minutes on each side or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel-lined plate.

For sauce, simply combine all ingredients. Dollop on top of cutlets and garnish with chopped fresh mint. Enjoy!

Herb Pesto & Goat Cheese Crostini

Crostini is simply toasted bread with a savory topping. You can create any flavor combination you like. It’s great for entertaining: simple, rustic, and flavorful. And best of all, you can prepare the components ahead of time. This recipe blends rich creamy goat cheese with a savory herb pesto. Simply spread over toasted slices of French Baguette. It’s easy to pop into your mouth and goes perfectly with white wine.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley ( roughly chopped)

1/2 cup walnuts (roughly chopped)

1 clove garlic (peeled)

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more if desired

freshly cracked black pepper

4 oz chevre goat cheese

1 french baguette (thinly sliced)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine parsley, walnuts, and garlic into a food processor. Puree, drizzling in olive oil, until smooth consistency is achieved. Fold in parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Pour pesto into a mixing bowl and combine with goat cheese. Season with extra pinch or two of salt if desired. Brush slices of baguette with olive oil and toast in oven until lightly crisp and golden. Let cool for five minutes. Then spread about a teaspoon or so of goat cheese-pesto mixture onto 3/4 of each slice of bread, leaving the tail end exposed for aesthetics. Serve with your favorite wine and enjoy!

Muhammara is a Syrian dip, similar to a pesto, consisting of roasted red peppers and walnuts. It’s smoky, sweet, and savory all at once. In this recipe, pita bread is toasted, then topped with goat cheese, Muhammara, and charred, oven-roasted fresno peppers. Fresno peppers are essentially red jalapenos. They can be found in your local grocery store, alongside their milder counterparts. The interplay of flavors makes this dish the perfect appetizer: tangy goat cheese, savory muhammara, and fiery fresno peppers. Best of all, the components can be prepared ahead of time and simply assembled when you’re ready to eat!

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

3 red bell peppers

Olive oil

Sea salt

Cracked Black Pepper

About nine medium sized fresno peppers

2 cloves garlic (peeled)

1/4 cup walnuts (chopped)

handful parsley

4 oz Chevre goat cheese

4 tablespoons whipped cream cheese

3 pieces pita bread (halved, then cut into thirds)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare red peppers by cutting down all sides and discarding the tops and inner ribs (white parts). Scatter the large pieces over a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Then, place fresno peppers onto separate baking sheet or pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast fresno peppers alongside red peppers at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until charred. In the meantime, combine cream cheese and goat cheese, season with salt and pepper and mix well until slightly softened. Cut each piece of pita bread into six equal slices and toast in a toaster oven until slightly crisp. Once peppers have roasted, remove from oven. Cover red peppers with foil and let rest for ten minutes. This will allow the skin to slip easily from the flesh. Remove skin and place red peppers into a food processor, along with two cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of olive oil, and chopped walnuts. Pulse until smooth consistency is achieved. Then season with salt and pepper to taste, fold in fresh chopped parsley, and set aside. For the fresno chilies, remove stems and cut each pepper in half. Reserve for assembly.

To assemble, simply spread goat cheese mixture evenly over each slice of pita bread and top with a teaspoon or so of muhammara. Then take half of a charred fresno pepper and place it over the top. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve. Enjoy!

I rarely do this; in fact, I welcome any and all Sandra Lee fans to muffle me with toasted coconut and canned fruit until I suffocate. However, there is something about artichokes, cream cheese, and pastry that just please the palate. This appetizer is the most basic thing I have done, however, I have a strong feeling that it will fare well with crowds. It neither alienates, nor intimidates the inexperienced palate. Artichokes are finely chopped and flavored with minced garlic, scallions, cream cheese, and parmesan, then dolloped over filo pastry. Bake at 350 degrees and enjoy!

Ingredients  (makes about 45 shells)

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (rinsed, drained, and finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

3 green onions (chopped)

handful flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)

4 tablespoons cream cheese (whipped)

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

45 pre-baked filo pastry shells (usually comes in packages of 15)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Drain artichoke hearts in a colander, rinse under water, dry with paper towel, chop finely, and place in large mixing bowl. Mince garlic cloves, chop green onions and parsley, and add to artichokes. Fold in cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. This recipe uses store-bought filo pastry shells. They typically come 15 per package. Simply spoon about 2 teaspoons (1/2 tablespoon) of mixture onto pastry shells, place onto baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until slightly golden-brown.  Serve immediately and enjoy!