appetizers Archives | butter loves company

mom’s famous spiced pecans

October 11, 2020 by Butter Loves Company

These Spiced Pecans are a perfect combination of sweet, salted, spicy, and crunchy. They are a staple on our tables during the holidays. While our holiday celebrations may look a little different this year, we will 100% have these spiced nuts to snack on while we watch movies and snuggle up.

As for spices, cayenne pepper and cumin are doing most of the work here, but the nuts are made sweet with a sugary glaze and are contrasted by a bit of salt. My mom’s original recipe doesn’t call for cinnamon, but I like to add a bit to warm up the flavor a little. The pecans are first boiled and then fried, bringing out the nuttiness and creating a super crunchy texture.

These are extremely hard to stop snacking on once you start and throughout the years have become a comforting flavor around this house. They are great for a holiday appetizer, an on-the-go snack, or for an edible gift for friends, family, or neighbors.

These spiced nuts are easy to make but I highly encourage you to read through the full recipe twice before starting. It is extremely helpful to prepare your workstation before you start any of the boiling and frying. The first time I made these I was running around looking for bowls and things. Everything worked out fine but it is a much more seamless experience if you are prepped!

the springiest snack spread

March 29, 2019 by Butter Loves Company

Spring is HERE! Thank goodness, amirite? I don’t care if winter coats are still necessary in New York, as soon at Daylight Savings hit and the temperatures rose above 50 degrees, I decided I would force warm weather feels in the kitchen. Bring on all the fresh herbs, veggies, and spring appetizer recipes.

One of my favorite things to do during the summer months is to take out a cheese board around 5 or 6 pm, when the sun is angling down to bless us with golden hour, opening a crisp bottle of wine, and put out a snack board for a pre-dinner bite.

We’ll nibble on all the juicy produce, savory cheese, and always, always, something salted and crunchy, like Harvest Snaps. I’m kicking off spring with this snack board filled with a super herb-filled green goddess dip (we’re talking dill, parsley, mint, basil and more), crispy greens like blanched asparagus and sliced cucumbers, rounded out with cheesy Harvest Snaps in their Parmesan Roasted Garlic and White Cheddar Flavors because, duh, a cheesy snack is destined for your snack board. I love that all the items on this board feel like wholesome options for starting the season.

This is the type of snack board you could pack up into little bags and take with you on a picnic in the park or put together really quickly for a last-minute plate to bring to a friend’s house. You can customize it with whatever dip or veggies you prefer, and Harvest Snaps also have so many flavors so you could try out a different one to mix it up!

Harvest Snaps are made from wholesome green peas, red lentils or black beans. Quick tip: if you are looking for Harvest Snaps in your grocery store, mosey over to the produce section and that’s where they’ll be. Find them near you here!

Happy Spring loves!

The Springiest Snack Spread

Ingredients

Green Goddess Dip (adapted from New York Times):

1/2 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup fresh basil
1 garlic clove
2 scallions, white and green parts
Juice of one lemon
Pinch kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise, optional

Celery Sticks

Sliced Cucumber

Green Grapes

Blanched Asparagus

Harvest Snaps in your favorite flavor (I used Parmesan Roasted Garlic and White Cheddar)

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor, add all of the ingredients for the Green Goddess Dip, and pulse until blended into a nearly smooth puree. Scrape into a small serving bowl.
On a medium flat platter, place the dip bowl on one side of the plate. Add the celery sticks, grapes, and cheese slices in clusters, saving a spot for crackers or Harvest Snaps. At this point you can refrigerate until close to serving time.
When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and add the Harvest Snaps. Serve!

Thank you to Harvest Snaps for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

homemade gravlax

December 29, 2016 by Butter Loves Company

Ever since I can remember, gravlax have been a staple on my family’s holiday table. No matter what the occasion, they’ve always been a sure sign of celebration. A magnet for cousins and friends to gather ‘round and share their latest updates and adventures. Grab a piece of toast, slather it with a dill or horseradish sauce, sprinkle that with sharp diced red onions, and dot it all with salty capers. Grab a teeny fork and peel away a slice or two of dilled gravlax to lay on top. With the comfort of family around, you take a big bite of your toast. Ah, yes. It’ll be a fun day.

While seemingly complicated, gravlax—originally from Scandinavia—are actually a breeze to make yourself. All it takes is fresh salmon, a few seasonings, and a day or two for them all to meld together. You’ll need salt as the cure, and then my mom always supplements with a combination of light brown sugar, dill, and coriander. She often uses lemongrass as well, but fresh lemongrass can be hard to come by so for the sake of this recipe, we’ll omit.

Wondering the difference between smoked salmon and gravlax? Gravlax are salt cured with spices (not cooked or smoked) and smoked salmon is either cold or hot-smoked—often resulting in a firmer, flakier texture. The Huffington Post delves a little deeper in this article.

Though salt-cured, because the gravlax are not cooked, you’ll want to make sure you start with the freshest salmon. Great accompaniments are bagels and cream cheese, dill sauce (even a quick mix of dill, Greek yogurt, lemon, salt and pepper), and horseradish.

So, as promised, here is the recipe for homemade gravlax, one of my favorite things. Hope you enjoy!