Parties & Picnics | Taste For Life

Upcoming picnic or party? Score appreciation with the perfect recipe.

Rosemary-Roasted Hazelnuts

Ingredients

1 cup dry-roasted DuChilly hazelnuts
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
[q:1/4] to [q:1/2] tsp sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix the hazelnuts and oil in a small ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the rosemary on top, then roast for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and toasted. Toss with salt to taste, and serve warm.

Sweet and Salty Trail Mix

Prep Time

5 minutes

Number of Servings

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup sea salted peanuts
[q:1/2] cup tamari almonds
[q:1/2] cup raisins
[q:1/4] cup chocolate chips
[q:1/4] cup peanut butter chips

Directions

Gently toss ingredients together.
Store in airtight container.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

[q:1 1/2] cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons butter, melted
Pinch salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt
Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.

Spooky Spider Crackers

Prep Time

20 minutes

Number of Servings

12 spiders

Ingredients

[q:1/2] cup low-fat cream cheese, softened
24 round crackers
96 small carrot sticks, cut thinly
48 currants

Directions

Spread 1 teaspoon of cream cheese evenly over each of 12 crackers.
Place 12 remaining crackers over to form sandwich. This will be spider’s body.
To make spider legs, carefully place 8 carrot sticks into each cracker sandwich—four on each side.
Top each cracker sandwich with 1 teaspoon of cream cheese.
To make spider eyes, place 4 currants on top of each spider body. Chill until served.

Chocolate Coconut Haystacks

Prep Time

15 minutes

Number of Servings

2 dozen treats

Ingredients

[q:1/2] lb dark chocolate (make sure it contains no dairy, gluten, or nuts)
[q:1/4] to [q:1/2] cup shredded dried coconut

Directions

Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate over low heat. Add coconut and stir until coated.
Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature until lukewarm.
Drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before eating.

Raw Salted Caramel Apple Dip

Ingredients

2 cups pitted medjool dates
[q:1/4] cup raw nut or seed butter (almond, cashew, sesame tahini, sunflower)
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
[q:1/2] tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
Soaking water, as needed

Directions

Soak dates for at least 4 hours in water.
Drain dates, reserving the soak water.
Add dates to a food processor along with all other ingredients, except soaking water.
Blend on high until dates are smooth. Add soaking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached (for a sauce to pour or drizzle, add more water).
Store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to a week.

Cherry Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

4 pints of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small white onion, peeled and chopped
[q:1/4] tsp salt
[q:1/8] tsp freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small chopped jalapeño pepper, remove the seeds
[q:1/2] cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp lime juice

Directions

Toss all ingredients together.

Corn & Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients

1 jalapeno chili pepper
1 red bell pepper
4 ears fresh corn shucked
[q:1/4] cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 (15 oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
[q:1/2] cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely choped
[q:1/4] cup finely chopped organic red onion
[q:1/2] tsp minced organic garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
[q:1/4] tsp cayenne pepper
[q:1/2] tsp salt
[q:1/4] tsp black pepper

Directions

Heat grill to medium hot. Place peppers on grill and cook, turning, until skin blackens. 5 to 10 minutes for jalapeno and 10 to 15 minutes for red pepper.
Place grilled peppers in a brown paper bag, let stand about 10 minutes. Remove peppers from bag. Peel away and discard charred skin. Rinse your fingers from time to time under cool running water if necessary but do not rinse the peppers. Remove and discard stems and seeds.
Mince jalapeno and transfer to large bowl
Cut red pepper into [q:1/4] inch pieces, add to jalapeno, and set aside.
Place ears of corn directly on grill. Cook until brown and tender, turning often, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill, and let cool slightly. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels from the cob; add to peppers.
Add lime juice, black beans, parsley, red onion, garlic, olive oil, and cayenne to corn and pepper mixture, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Kid-Friendly Pineapple Mango Salsa

Ingredients

2 cans (14.5 oz sized) diced tomatoes
[q:1/2] cup chopped sweet onion
[q:1/4] cup chopped fresh cilantro
[q:1/2] cup chopped mango
[q:1/2] cup chopped fresh pineapple
2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
[q:1/4] tsp pepper
Salt to taste

Directions

Blend ingredients together.

Herb-Fennel Pickles

Prep Time

15 minutes

Number of Servings

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 cups fresh fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 to 2 fresh rosemary sprigs OR 1 to 2 Tbsp dried rosemary
1 to 2 fresh tarragon sprigs OR 1 to 2 Tbsp dried tarragon
1 Tbsp salt or salt substitute
[q:1/3] cup vinegar
1 cup cold water

Directions

In a clean glass jar, pack in fennel and herbs until [q:3/4] full.
Gently heat salt and vinegar and in a small saucepan for a few seconds until salt has dissolved. Remove from heat and add cold water.
Let liquid cool and then pour over fennel, rosemary, and tarragon in glass jar. Add additional cold water as needed to cover fennel. Leave room at top.
Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Keep refrigerated and eat within a week.

Nutrition Info

9 Calories, 2 g Carbohydrates, 1 g Fiber, 0 g Total fat, 885 mg Sodium

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