Category: Appetizer

Recipes for appetizers and snacks.

Categories
Appetizer Snack

‘Olive’ making snacks for a crowd of readers

Green olive dip is super easy to make, coming together in a matter of minutes. With a creamy, brine-y flavor, it’s great with everything from crackers to fresh vegetables.
Green olive dip is super easy to make, coming together in a matter of minutes. With a creamy, brine-y flavor, it’s great with everything from crackers to fresh vegetables.

One of the best parts of hosting events in our office is that I can make food I know Joey will hate and share it with everyone who comes.

Last week, when we hosted a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the newly finished windows on our Newton building, I pulled out one such recipe, which featured green olives.

Oh, and it also had mayonnaise in it.

Which means it was a double threat to Joey’s sensibilities.

But he was definitely in the minority, as the bowl was wiped clean by the end of the evening, and the cracker tray was only littered with a few crumbs.

I think it was a hit.

And now I might have to make another batch for me to enjoy, too, because it was really, really good—well, if you like olives.

This recipe comes from the blog “Simple Recipes.” You can find the original at https://simplerecipes.me/2-minute-green-olive-dip/. I added extra seasoning in my version.

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Green Olive Dip

Green olive dip is super easy to make, coming together in a matter ofminutes. With a creamy, brine-y flavor, it’s great with everything from crackers to fresh vegetables.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Keyword cream cheese, easy dip, easy snack, garlic powder, green olives, mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, onion powder, pimentos, snack table

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise I used Miracle Whip
  • about 12 ounces green olives with pimentos
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • salt to taste.

Instructions

  • Add the cream cheese and mayonnaise to a food processor or blender and process until the mixture is smooth.
  • Drain the green olives, but reserve the juice, and give them a rough chop.
  • Add the olives, along with the onion and garlic powder, to the processor and pulse several times to combine the ingredients.
  • Start by adding one tablespoon of the olive brine and pulse to combine. Continue to add more brine, about a tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between, until the dip reaches your desired consistency.
  • If needed, mix in some salt.
  • Serve with crackers, pita bread or fresh vegetables. Store the dip in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

This was super easy to make, so if you ever forget you need to take a snack or are crunched for time, this is a good dip to throw together quickly.

I especially liked it on carrots, but it was great on wheat crackers and other goodies, too. The flavor profile is definitely olive-forward, but it’s not overpowering, and the cream cheese, mayo and seasonings help to balance it out.

Plus, it was kind of pretty. It might make for a good Christmas treat, with its red and green flecks.

And despite Joey’s protests, he was solidly overruled by all the wonderful people who took the time to celebrate with us. It was great to have everyone in our office, even if they didn’t leave me any leftovers.

This piece first appeared in print Oct. 2, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Breakfast Snack

Hashing out language isn’t always an easy task

Hash browns sausage bites are crispy and cheesy, with just enough seasoning. They’re great for a snack table or for a brunch buffet.
Hash browns sausage bites are crispy and cheesy, with just enough seasoning. They’re great for a snack table or for a brunch buffet.

Editing for the newspaper leads me into strange rabbit holes sometimes.

This week, it was a fair amount of research on hash browns.

I have always spelled it as one word “hashbrowns,” but it turns out that I’m wrong. Also, apparently it’s not “hash brown,” although you can have “hash brown potatoes.” If it’s on its own, hash browns is always a plural noun, like pants or sheep.

So, technically, you wouldn’t have one “hash brown.” Instead, you have one hash browns. Which still doesn’t sound right, if I’m being honest.

Despite the research, and no matter how you spell it, though, they’re delicious, and they were a great addition to this week’s recipe.

This recipe comes from the blog “Charm Recipes.” You can find the original at https://charmrecipes.com/how-to-make-crispy-hashbrown-and-sausage-bites. I added extra seasonings in my version.

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Hash Browns Sausage Bites

Hash browns sausage bites are crispy and cheesy, with just enough seasoning. They’re great for a snack table or for a brunch buffet.
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Snacks
Keyword appetizer, bell pepper, eggs, football snack, frozen hashbrowns, garlic powder, green bell pepper, hash browns, onion, paprika, party snack, red pepper flakes, sharp cheddar cheese, thyme

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 1 green bell pepper finely diced
  • 3 cups frozen shredded hash browns thawed
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a mini-muffin tin by spraying the wells with cooking spray. (I ended up needing to do two batches, so if you have two, prepare them both.)
  • Add the sausage, onions and peppers to a large skillet and saute over medium heat, breaking apart the sausage as you do, until the sausage is cooked through and the veggies are soft.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and drain off any excess fat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the hash browns, cheese, eggs, flour and seasonings, and stir well. Stir in the slightly cooled sausage mixture, as well.
  • Fill each well of the mini-muffin tin with the mixture, pressing it down firmly so that all the wells are filled compactly to the brim.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and crispy.
  • Carefully run a knife around the edges of each bite to help release them from the tin, and transfer them to a plate.
  • Repeat with the remaining mixture.
  • Serve warm, although these were also tasty at room temperature. If you wanted a dipping sauce, these would pair well with a little cream gravy or some salsa on the side, too, but they don’t really need anything extra.

These were addictive. I made them for the snack table for a fantasy football draft this weekend, and I didn’t bring a single one home. They are crispy and easy to just pop in your mouth. They’d be great for a brunch, too.

And they gave me the opportunity to understand the complexity of spelling out hash browns, but truth be told, after all the digging into etymology, I might just stick to saying “shredded potatoes” from now on, just to be on the safe side.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 4, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Salad Side Dish

Here’s a fresh summer salad that is right on ‘cue-cumber’

Cucumber and basil salad is a great way to use fresh summer vegetables in a healthy and flavorful dish that is easy to make and doesn’t have a lot of leftovers to deal with.
Cucumber and basil salad is a great way to use fresh summer vegetables in a healthy and flavorful dish that is easy to make and doesn’t have a lot of leftovers to deal with.

There are a lot of ways people define the beginning of summer.

For some, it’s the day school lets out.

For, others, it falls on the summer solstice.

For me, it was last week, when I saw the first crop of excess cucumbers nestled in a box in the local post office.

I mean, is there anything more telling of summer in Kansas than a gardener giving up on trying to ply their friends and family with fresh produce and depositing it somewhere for the enjoyment of the public at large?

I know from watching some of my friends who garden that the act is sometimes more like desperation than generosity, but there is something special about people sharing the literal fruits (and vegetables) of their labor with the rest of the community.

But, of course, there is still the question of what to do with all that fresh produce, so in comes this week’s recipe for a super simple salad that uses both fresh cucumbers and basil and is perfect for a hot summer day.

This comes from the blog “This Wife Cooks” by Holly Gray. You can find the original post at https://thiswifecooks.com/cucumber-basil-salad/. I added some garlic powder in my version.

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Cucumber and Basil Salad

Cucumber and basil salad is a great way to use fresh summer vegetables in a healthy and flavorful dish that is easy to make and doesn’t have a lot of leftovers to deal with.
Course Appetizer, Salad
Keyword cucumber, English cucumber, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, garden fresh, garlic powder, lemon juice, olive oil, summer lunch, summer side dish

Ingredients

  • 1 large English or regular cucumber
  • 3 tablespoons fresh basil cut into thin ribbons
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cut the cucumber into about one-inch slices, and then cut the slices into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a mixing bowl.
  • Add the basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and stir well to make sure the cucumber is well coated. (I used a mixing bowl with a lid and just shook it gently to coat it all more quickly.)
  • Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for about two hours or until it’s completely chilled. Give it another good stir, and serve.

This was extremely simple, was really quick to make and it only made a couple servings, so it was the perfect amount for our small household.

I was a little worried I wouldn’t like the lemon juice, but it wasn’t overpowering at all, and the mixture really let the cucumber and basil shine.

Plus, it used up a whole cucumber, which—if my calculations are correct—means I and everyone else reading this only needs to make this five times apiece to use up all of this year’s crop.

Let’s get to it, everybody.

This piece first appeared in print July 24, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Air Fryer Appetizer Main Dish Side Dish

Wrap up your dinner plans with crispy lumpia

Lumpia is a Filipino dish that can be made by either deep frying or air frying. They’re full of ground pork, cabbage and spices.
Lumpia is a Filipino dish that can be made by either deep frying or air frying. They’re full of ground pork, cabbage and spices.

There are many times when I silently curse my past self for inconveniencing me in the present.

I’ll fail to put something away correctly or decide I’ll totally remember we’re out of something rather than putting it on the shopping list, etc.

But the past couple of weeks, I have been pretty proud of past me for making my life slightly easier.

About a month ago, I found myself with several inches of leftover fresh ginger, and rather than letting them go to waste in the refrigerator, I peeled them (something I really don’t like doing) and put them in the freezer.

Now, when I just need an inch, I have pre-peeled ginger at the ready. I’ll be sad when I use it all up, but in the meantime, it definitely came in handy with this week’s recipe, which turned out really well.

This comes from cookbook author Rasa Malaysia on her website. You can see her original post at https://rasamalaysia.com/lumpia-filipino-spring-rolls-recipe/. I added extra garlic and cabbage in my version.

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Lumpia

Lumpia is a Filipino dish that can be made by either deep frying or air frying. They’re full of ground pork, cabbage and spices.
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Filipino
Keyword air fryer, cabbage, chicken bouillon, deep fried, egg roll wrapper, eggs, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, ground pork, lumpia, minced garlic, soy sauce, spring roll wrappers

Ingredients

  • 1 package lumpia egg roll or fry-able spring roll wrappers
  • 2 pounds ground pork I used a pork/beef combo
  • 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 inch ginger minced
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 crushed chicken bouillon cube or 1/2 teaspoon bouillon powder
  • 2 eggs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 to 10 ounces green cabbage shredded
  • cooking oil if deep frying or cooking spray (if air frying)

Instructions

  • If your wrappers are square, cut the stack down the middle so that you have two stacks of rectangular wrappers to use. (It’s a good idea to keep these under a damp paper towel while you work so they don’t dry out.)
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, bouillon, eggs, salt and pepper, and cabbage, and mix well to combine.
  • Fill a small bowl with some water, and lay one of the rectangular wrappers in front of you, with one of the short sides facing you.
  • Using your fingers, dipped in the bowl of water, wet the last half-inch or so of the short end furthest from you. Add a couple tablespoons of the mixture at one end of the wrapper, and then roll it tightly, careful not to let the filling squeeze out the sides, until it’s completely rolled up, pressing lightly to seal the wrapper. Set it aside.
  • Repeat until all the filling and/or wrappers are used.
  • If you’re deep frying the lumpia, heat about one-half inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry them, a few at a time, turning them to get them golden brown on all sides, and then transfer them with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate. (You may want to temp them to make sure they are at a safe internal temperature, too.)
  • If you’re air frying them, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees, lightly spray your lumpia with cooking spray and air fry for about nine to 12 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat is 160 degrees.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Joey mixed up a spicy, mustard-based sauce for us to eat these with. Honestly, these would be a great side dish for an Asian meal, but we just ate them as our main dish.

They were lightly flavored, which made them an especially good vessel for a nice sauce, but they were also crispy and very tasty.

And I didn’t even have to peel any ginger to make this particular dinner work. If only past me hadn’t decided to put off doing the dishes until the next day, too, her planning would have been perfect.

This piece first appeared in print June 19, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Main Dish

It’s a wrap on these tasty dumpling pockets

Rice paper dumpling pockets take a lot of the work out of traditional Asian-style dumplings, but they pack all of the flavor. With a great combination of ground pork and shrimp, along with lots of great spices, these are a good, quick meal.
Rice paper dumpling pockets take a lot of the work out of traditional Asian-style dumplings, but they pack all of the flavor. With a great combination of ground pork and shrimp, along with lots of great spices, these are a good, quick meal.

I know it’s January and I should have tons of goals in my mind for 2025, but honestly, I haven’t considered very many resolutions for myself.

Well, I do have a couple, but of course, they’re all cooking related.

The first is to master my new pasta roller, which already had its maiden voyage with some pretty stellar results.

The second is to get really good at making dumplings. My first few attempts have been good but not as much of a success as I hoped, and in 2025, I’m really shooting for the grand daddy of them all: soup dumplings.

With those lofty goals in mind, I started out easy with a dumpling recipe that didn’t require any dough making—just some assembly and an oven—and I was very pleased with the results overall.

This comes from the Instagram account @saltNpiipa, which is created by father and son duo Michael and Nathan Le. They have a fun dynamic. I recommend giving their channel a watch. I added a little extra garlic, changed the sesame oil amount, and decided not to make the very spicy sauce they recommended.

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Rice Paper Dumpling Pockets

Rice paper dumpling pockets take a lot of the work out of traditional Asian-style dumplings, but they pack all of the flavor. With a great combination of ground pork and shrimp, along with lots of great spices, these are a good, quick meal.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword chili crisp, dumplings, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, green onion, ground pork, minced garlic, rice paper, sesame oil, sesame seeds, shrimp, soy sauce, spring roll wrappers

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 10 ounces raw shrimp minced
  • 3/4 cup green onion chopped
  • 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • about 16 sheets rice paper spring roll wrappers
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and set it aside.
  • In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients (except the rice paper and olive oil), and stir to combine.
  • Set up a wrapping station. You will need a deep dinner plate with the bottom just covered in warm water, a clean spot on the countertop, your bowl of filling and your prepared baking sheet.
  • To make the dumplings, carefully dip a sheet of rice paper into the warm water. Let it set for a few seconds until it is pliable.
  • Carefully place it on your countertop and place a large scoop of the filling in the middle (maybe just shy of 1/4 cup’s worth). Fold the sides in over the filling and then one of the ends. Then, as you fold the last end up, roll the dumpling a bit to get as much air out as you can. Basically, you’re making a packet with all four sides of the rice paper being folded over toward the center.
  • Place the packet onto your prepared baking sheet and repeat until all of the filling is used or you run out of rice paper. (You can always saute any remaining filling and eat it over rice later on.)
  • Brush the dumplings all over (top, bottom and sides) with olive oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  • When the filling is cooked through (at least 160 degrees internal), turn your broiler on high and let the dumplings brown for just a couple of minutes. Watch them closely, and as soon as they are as brown as you want them, take them out of the oven.
  • Serve with your favorite Asian-style dipping sauce.

These were really tasty. I tried to be fancy and eat mine with chopsticks, but I had trouble with them falling apart a bit. I think I needed to wrap them a little more tightly to keep the structural integrity.

Regardless, we really enjoyed these. Joey opted to dip his in a spicy sauce with chili crisp. I was more in the mood for soy sauce with some sesame seeds. Both were great.

And now that I have my feet wet in the world of dumplings, the next project will be conquering the wrappers. Or maybe I’ll just buy rice paper a few more times—you know, just to get the hang of things.

This piece first appeared in print Jan. 2, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Snack

The devil’s in the details for this addictive snack mix

Devil’s Chex is an addictive, tasty snack that comes together quickly and easily and is the perfect addition to the snack table for a get together or a movie night on the couch.
Devil’s Chex is an addictive, tasty snack that comes together quickly and easily and is the perfect addition to the snack table for a get together or a movie night on the couch.

There is a museum in Key West, Florida, that claims to house a haunted doll named Robert.

According to the museum’s website, thousands of people take the trip to see this supposedly haunted toy every year. Part of the local legend is that being disrespectful to the doll can lead to bad luck, which is why the museum also features tons of apology letters from people who are sure they have been cursed.

As a general rule, I view legends like haunted dolls as silly stories, meant to make kids nervous while sharing them at slumber parties. I will say that I have been known to knock on wood or make a wish while blowing out candles, though. (You can never be too careful.)

I approached the warning accompanying a recipe from Joseph Schmitz of Prairie Village for “Devil’s Chex” with the same skepticism.

“Regardless, it’s the Devil’s Chex because you can’t stop eating it no matter how much your mind says, ‘No. Stop, please,’” he wrote. “The Chex does not care. It owns you now.”

That description got me. I just had to see what the Schmitz Family recipe was all about, warning or not.

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Devil’s Chex

Devil’s Chex is an addictive, tasty snack that comes together quickly and easily and is the perfect addition to the snack table for a get together or a movie night on the couch.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Keyword butter, Cheez-It, Chex mix, corn Chex, easy snack, football snack, garlic powder, holiday snack, onion powder, peanuts, rice Chex, seasoned salt, seasoning salt, snack table, wheat Chex, Worcestershire

Ingredients

  • 2 cups corn Chex
  • 2 cups rice Chex
  • 2 cups wheat Chex
  • 1 cup Cheez-its optional
  • 1 cup peanuts optional
  • 6 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, add the cereal, crackers and peanuts, and stir to combine.
  • In a small bowl, combine the butter, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine, and then mix it well with the cereal. Spread the coated cereal mixture into a large roasting pan or onto a couple rimmed baking sheets.
  • Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Joseph said he thought it might just be the same recipe as the one on the Chex box, but after a little Googling, I found that the Schmitzes have adjusted their recipe a bit from the original over the years.

I decided to make a half batch of the recipe, and it does brown up just a bit quicker than the full one, so be sure to keep an eye on it if you do the same.

This was very tasty, and I never should have doubted Joseph’s warnings—it got me. Despite setting the bowl out of my own reach several times, I found myself with multiple handfuls throughout the evening. It would be a fabulous companion to a board or card game night.

So, I guess I believe in one superstition after all. The good news is that this one isn’t too scary. It turns out that Devil’s Chex turned out to be downright heavenly.

This piece first appeared in print Dec. 5, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Dessert Snack

With the holidays in view, it’s time to dip into the season

For those in need of a quick and easy dish for the snack table this holiday season, this cranberry cream cheese dip is a fabulous addition for your guests.
For those in need of a quick and easy dish for the snack table this holiday season, this cranberry cream cheese dip is a fabulous addition for your guests.

As we head into the home stretch of 2024, we’re officially entering snacking season.

It’s that time of year when we all concede to our stretchy pants, eat with friends and family, and hope that our New Year’s resolutions will save us from having to size up when shorts season comes around again.

That being said, I want to let you know that I fully recognize that I’m complicit in the annual sweets and snacking, as I share interesting holiday dishes with you. The next month or so won’t be any different, though, so you’ll either need to shield your eyes when you see my name on the page for the next several weeks or just give in to the joy of the season.

This week’s holiday delicacy comes from Michelle Goth, who writes the blog “Blackberry Babe.” You can find the original post at https://blackberrybabe.com/2016/11/20/easy-cranberry-cream-cheese-dip/. I doubled the cranberry sauce and left out the sugar entirely in my version below.

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Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

For those in need of a quick and easy dish for the snack table this holiday season, this cranberry cream cheese dip is a fabulous addition for your guests.
Course Appetizer, Dessert, Snack
Keyword cranberry, cranberry sauce, cream cheese, easy dessert, easy dip, easy snack, graham crackers, holiday snack, vanilla wafers, whipped cream, whipped topping, whole berry cranberry sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 8- ounce packages cream cheese softened
  • 14 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 1/2 cup whipped cream or whipped topping I used extra creamy

Instructions

  • Add all three ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat for several minutes until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve with graham crackers, cookies or fruit for dipping.

This was super, super easy to put together, and despite what I said in the beginning about my sweets advocacy, I didn’t feel the need to add sugar like the original recipe listed. I felt like it was plenty sweet enough with the extra cranberry and the whipped cream.

It wasn’t overly cranberry heavy on the flavor, even with the addition, so those who aren’t into that tartness won’t have to worry about this one.

You could also substitute fat-free cream cheese and whipped topping to really cut down on the calories, if you wanted to.

So, yeah, actually, I take back what I said about being a terrible influence. If you make a few modifications, it might not be so bad for your diet. (Of course, for next week, all bets are off.)

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 21, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Air Fryer Appetizer Snack

Get your snack game in full bloom this week

Mini blooming onions are pearl onions that are battered and fried to create the same great flavor as the classic carnival dish without all the effort and mess.
Mini blooming onions are pearl onions that are battered and fried to create the same great flavor as the classic carnival dish without all the effort and mess.

We were enjoying some time with friends at the Kansas State Fair one year, when I told Joey I was in the mood for a blooming onion and was going to go around the corner to buy one.

I asked if he wanted his own, and he looked at me like I had two heads.

“No. I’m good to share. That’s a lot of fried onion,” he told me.

Fair enough.

While I was waiting for my onion, two ladies in front of me received theirs. They immediately turned around and said, “Hey, while we were waiting, we decided we don’t want this. Do you want it?”

I figured, “Why not?”

When I showed up back to our friends with two blooming onions in tow, I felt like the universe had spoken, but I’m pretty sure Joey thought I made up the whole story just so I wouldn’t have to share with him.

That’s why this week’s recipe really appealed to me. It was a good way to get the flavors of a blooming onion in a small, easy-to-make version.

This recipe, from Trisha Haas, comes from the blog “Salty Side Dish.” You can find the original post at https://www.saltysidedish.com/fried-pearl-onions/. I doubled the seasonings in my version (except the salt). Also, if you want to use an air fryer for this, see her recipe for the directions.

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Mini Blooming Onions

Mini blooming onions are pearl onions that are battered and fried to create the same great flavor as the classic carnival dish without all the effort and mess.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Keyword bloomin’ onion, blooming onion, carnival food, cayenne, fair food, fried food, garlic powder, onion, onion powder, paprika, pearl onions

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces frozen pearl onions thawed and drained well
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Vegetable or canola oil for frying I used about 1 cup

Instructions

  • Drain the thawed pearl onions well, and lay them on some paper towels to help dry them as much as possible.
  • In a bowl, beat the eggs, and set it aside.
  • In another bowl, stir the flour and seasonings together and set it aside.
  • Add oil to a skillet (I used a six-inch pan and fried in batches) to about one inch in depth. Heat it over medium-low heat until the oil registers 370 to 400 degrees on a candy thermometer.
  • Prepare a plate by lining it with paper towels, and set it aside.
  • Coat the onions in the beaten eggs, and then transfer them to the bowl with the flour, tossing to coat them completely.
  • Tap off any extra flour and carefully drop the coated onions into the hot oil. Let them fry for five to eight minutes or until the onions reach a deep brown color to your liking.
  • Remove the fried onions from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on the lined plate to drain.
  • Serve the onions while hot, along with your favorite dipping sauce.

These were really tasty. I will say that the cayenne pepper made them have just a slight, lingering spiciness, so if that’s really not your cup of tea, I would leave that out of the mix.

The unfortunate side effect is that our house smelled like the midway at the fair for a bit, though, so be warned. You won’t be able to sneakily give this recipe a try. Everyone will know you made it.

But if you like a blooming onion like I do, this was so much easier to make, and it was less work and mess than even onion rings, which I also appreciated.

Joey shared this plate with me as a nice side to a meal, and I opted not to remind him of the free blooming onion story. I’m still not totally sure he believes my version of the tale. Regardless, I would also like to state for the record that he didn’t end up complaining about getting to indulge in some fried, onion-y goodness, either.

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 7, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Air Fryer Appetizer Snack

Have a ball in the kitchen with a new potato dish

Garlic potato balls are made in the air fryer and are a wonderful texture, with a crispy outside and a mashed-potato-like inside.
Garlic potato balls are made in the air fryer and are a wonderful texture, with a crispy outside and a mashed-potato-like inside.

I love watching cooking shows when I have a free moment.

One of my favorite TV chefs is Lidia Bastianich. She specializes in all kinds of Italian dishes that look positively amazing. Going to her restaurant in Kansas City someday is definitely on my bucket list.

I have only tried making a couple of her recipes over the years. Honestly, I’m a little intimidated by her ability to make even complicated food look effortless.

That being said, I rarely have the same hangups when I watch videos on social media from amateur cooks. I figure if they can do it, I can do it.

Well, I was humbled a bit with this week’s recipe, because although I made something delicious, it wasn’t nearly as pretty as the product the influencer managed to create.

This came from a TikTok user, “PlanetFood.” I added extra seasoning in my version and eliminated a garlic butter sauce, just to try to cut down on the mass of calories in this dish.

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Garlic Potato Balls

Garlic potato balls are made in the air fryer and are a wonderful texture, with a crispy outside and a mashed-potato-like inside.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Keyword air fryer, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, potatoes, Russet potato

Ingredients

  • 2 large Russet potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

  • In a large pot, boil the cubed potato they are fork tender.
  • When the potatoes are done, drain them well and add them to a large bowl. Add the garlic powder, onion powder and paprika.
  • Mash the potatoes with a masher or fork until the mixture is smooth.
  • Incorporate the cornstarch until it forms a thick mixture that you can easily shape with your hands. If it’s still too sticky or wet, add more cornstarch, a little at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
  • Roll the mixture into packed, one-inch balls.
  • Add the balls to the basket of an air fryer (you could also fry these the old-fashioned way in oil), and spray them lightly with cooking spray. Try to space them apart. You might have to fry them in batches.
  • Air fry the potato balls at 200 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they are golden brown.
  • Serve immediately.

These were tasty. They are crispy on the outside and like mashed potatoes on the inside. That also means you should be careful about how quickly you pop them into your mouth. They get pretty hot on the inside.

Mine kind of deflated a bit, and they stuck together more than I expected. I should have given them a better spray of cooking oil and maybe made sure the mixture was packed a little tighter.

Regardless, I really liked these, and I think I might have to give them another try sometime to share on a snack table during a football game.

And I learned my lesson about not being too egotistical about which recipes seem “easy” out there online. I need to keep reminding myself that I’m no Lidia, even if sometimes I play her in the newspaper.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 26, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Side Dish Snack

Bruschetta a nice slice of delicious summer living

Bruschetta is a great summer appetizer, featuring tons of fresh flavors, from ripe tomatoes to bright basil and bursts of garlic.
Bruschetta is a great summer appetizer, featuring tons of fresh flavors, from ripe tomatoes to bright basil and bursts of garlic.

While planning a snack menu for a recent get-together at our office, I decided the summer heat dictated some nice, cool appetizers.

After settling on some dips to go with crackers, I decided I wanted something summery and full of fresh garden vegetable flavors, so I began researching bruschetta. According to “The International Kitchen” website, the dish, featuring toasted rounds of bread, was introduced in ancient Rome, where laborers were fed day-old bread.

Also, for the record, the dish I made technically isn’t bruschetta, since I opted not to toast my bread (it was just so hot that day), but I’m going to say it was a win anyway, especially because it featured lots of beautiful tomatoes, fresh basil and tons of garlic.

The recipe I used is from the website “Delish” from a post by Makinze Gore. You can find the original post at https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a27409128/best-bruschetta-tomato-recipe/. I added extra garlic and pepper in my version.

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Bruschetta

Bruschetta is a great summer appetizer, featuring tons of fresh flavors, from ripe tomatoes to bright basil and bursts of garlic.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Keyword baguette, balsamic vinegar, easy snack, fresh basil, fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, snack table, summer, tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced or thinly sliced
  • 4 large tomatoes diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped thinly
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 large baguette cut in one-quarter-inch slices

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and saute, stirring regularly, for two or three minutes until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat, and set it aside to cool.
  • Place a colander over a bowl to catch liquid, and add the diced tomatoes to the colander. Add about one-half teaspoon of salt to the tomatoes and stir to combine.
  • Let the tomatoes sit for at least five minutes so that they release some of their juices.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and stir gently. Stir in the garlic and oil, and then cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.
  • Let the mixture marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
  • Serve the mixture with the sliced baguette. You can lightly oil or butter the slices and set them under the broiler in your oven for a few moments to lightly toast them, or just serve them as is.

This was fresh and delicious. Don’t let the red pepper flakes scare you (although you could leave them out). They really just enhance the flavors and don’t make the dish spicy. Also, the balsamic vinegar was completely on point. Don’t skip it.

It was nice to have a cold, tasty appetizer to share with guests at our get-together. As a bonus, the leftovers lasted well in the fridge for a few days, giving us time to enjoy it even more.

Plus, it’s always nice this time of year to enjoy a delicious appetizer that doesn’t require too much added heat to create.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 1, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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