Showing posts with label appetizer recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label appetizer recipes. Show all posts

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Thai Chicken Summer Rolls

These Thai chicken summer rolls are filled with peanut saucy noodles, Thai basil, carrot, cucumber, cilantro and, of course, chicken. With more peanut sauce on the side. 

Food Lust People Love: These Thai chicken summer rolls are filled with peanut saucy noodles, Thai basil, carrot, cucumber, cilantro and, of course, chicken. With more peanut sauce on the side.

Our host for today’s Sunday FunDay event asked us to make summer rolls so that’s what I’ve named these guys but, honestly, at our house, we usually call these spring rolls. But I guess that gets confusing with fried spring rolls aka eggrolls also being called the same thing. 

One of the very first recipes I ever shared back in my first year of blogging was a version of this made with shrimp and a Thai sweet and sour chili sauce. So good! They hit the spot when I was feeling very homesick for Kuala Lumpur after a move to Cairo.

If you cannot be bothered to make rolls, my shrimp spring roll bowls are the ticket. So easy. 

Thai Chicken Summer Rolls

For the peanut sauce, I like to use a mix of crunchy and smooth because it looks more like the satay sauce you find in Southeast Asia. If you only have one or the other, use what you have! Still gonna taste delicious. If you cannot find Thai basil, you can substitute regular basil but it won’t have the same almost licoricey/aniseed flavor. Or you can just add more cilantro or use mint leaves which are another herb typical in Thai cooking.

Ingredients
For summer rolls:
2 ½ oz or 71g bean thread noodles (2 nests or bundles)
5 1/3 oz or 150g cooked chicken

1 large carrot
1/2 seedless cucumber 
1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

8 large rice paper wrappers aka spring roll skins
Small bunch cilantro

Small bunch Thai basil
Optional: 1 large jalapeño pepper

For the peanut sauce:
1 cup or 240ml peanut butter
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 cloves garlic, grated

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
Optional: minced red chili pepper
½ cup or 240ml boiling water

Method
First, make the peanut sauce so the ingredients have time to meld together. Whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, chili pepper, if using, and boiling water until smooth. 


Set aside.

Place the bean thread noodles in medium heatproof bowl, cover with almost boiling water; let stand about 5 minutes or until just tender, drain and rinse with cool water. Set aside to drain. 


Using kitchen scissors, cut the noodles into random lengths.

Julienne the carrot and cucumber. My cucumber said it was seedless but I still had to scrape the seeds out! I find a grapefruit spoon is the best tool for this.


Pinch off the tough stems from the cilantro and discard.


Pinch the leaves off of the Thai basil. Discard the stems. 


If using, cut the jalapeño in half and scrape the inside clean of seeds and membrane. Slice into thin slices. 

Slice the chicken into pieces. 


In a medium bowl, mix together the fish sauce, sugar and vinegar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add in the noodles and toss to coat. 


Add about ¼ of the peanut sauce.


Toss again. 


To assemble the rolls, place one rice paper wrapper in plate of warm water until just softened. 


Lift the wrapper carefully, letting the excess water drip off. I used my clean quartz countertop as the filling/rolling surface but you can use a clean flat plate, if you’d like. 

Place some of the filling horizontally in the center of the sheet closer to you starting with some Thai basil leaves and tender sprigs of cilantro. Top with some cucumber and carrot slices and a slice or two of jalapeño, if using. 


Top with 1/8 of the chicken. 


Finally, 1/8 of the noodles


Fold edge closest to you up and over the filling. Fold in the sides. 


Roll the sheet to enclose filling. The end will stick nicely as it rolls, securing your roll. 


Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Place the filled rolls on a large plate where they won’t touch UNLESS you are serving them immediately, otherwise, they like to stick to each other. Again, if not serving immediately, cover with cling film or a damp cloth and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Food Lust People Love: These Thai chicken summer rolls are filled with peanut saucy noodles, Thai basil, carrot, cucumber, cilantro and, of course, chicken. With more peanut sauce on the side.

Serve with warmed peanut sauce on the side. 

Food Lust People Love: These Thai chicken summer rolls are filled with peanut saucy noodles, Thai basil, carrot, cucumber, cilantro and, of course, chicken. With more peanut sauce on the side.

Enjoy!
 
It's Sunday FunDay and today, as mentioned above, we sharing recipes for summer rolls made with rice paper wrappers. Many thanks to our host, Renu of Cook with Renu

 
We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.



Pin these Thai Chicken Summer Rolls! 

Food Lust People Love: These Thai chicken summer rolls are filled with peanut saucy noodles, Thai basil, carrot, cucumber, cilantro and, of course, chicken. With more peanut sauce on the side.

.

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers

Made with just a few ingredients, these Italian sausage stuffed mini peppers are a quick, easy and delicious appetizer. They will disappear in no time flat, I promise!

Food Lust People Love: Made with just a few ingredients, these Italian sausage stuffed mini peppers are a quick, easy and delicious appetizer. They will disappear in no time flat, I promise!

I was invited to a get-together a while back and was looking for inspiration in my local grocery store for something to contribute when I came across a marked down bag of mini peppers. They were a lovely mix of bright colors, perfect for a party.

My first idea was just to make a dip and cut them in slices for scooping said dip but then, on the same shopping trip, serendipity sent me Italian sausage on a two for one sale. SOLD! 

Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers

I used hot (spicy) Italian sausage for stuffing the mini peppers but you can substitute mild, if you prefer. 

Ingredients
8 oz or 225g hot Italian sausage
8 oz or 225g mini peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 oz or 28g extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated

Method
Brown the Italian sausage over a medium heat in a nonstick skillet, breaking it up into crumbles as you go. 


Drain on a paper towel. If your crumbles are not small enough for stuffing, you can chop them smaller with a sharp knife. 


Cut the mini peppers in half. I tried to leave the stems intact where I could because I like how they look. They are, of course, not edible. 


Put the peppers in a bowl, drizzle them with the olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle on the salt and toss again to distribute the salt evenly. 


Preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C and line a baking pan with baking parchment or a silicone liner. Spread the mini pepper halves on the lined baking pan. 


Spoon the sausage crumbles into the pepper halves. 


Top with the cheese. 


Bake in your preheated oven for 10 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through to make sure they cook evenly. Broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese. 

Food Lust People Love: Made with just a few ingredients, these Italian sausage stuffed mini peppers are a quick, easy and delicious appetizer. They will disappear in no time flat, I promise!

Serve warm. Enjoy! 

Food Lust People Love: Made with just a few ingredients, these Italian sausage stuffed mini peppers are a quick, easy and delicious appetizer. They will disappear in no time flat, I promise!

Welcome to the 9th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter I. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the I recipes below:


To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.



Pin these Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers!

Food Lust People Love: Made with just a few ingredients, these Italian sausage stuffed mini peppers are a quick, easy and delicious appetizer. They will disappear in no time flat, I promise!

.

Sunday, December 28, 2025

Spicy Baked Artichoke Dip

This spicy baked artichoke dip is creamy, cheesy and delicious but oh, so easy to make! It can be prepared ahead and baked when you are ready to serve. 

Food Lust People Love: This spicy baked artichoke dip is creamy, cheesy and delicious but oh, so easy to make! It can be prepared ahead and baked when you are ready to serve.

It was four days before Christmas. As I finished checking out at my local grocery store, the self-check employee wished me a merry Christmas. I returned the good wishes and then laughed, saying, I’m sure I’ll be back before then! 

I was, in fact, there at least two more times. And my daughter was there once. We have lists! We plan ahead! And, yet, multiple trips to the store seem to be unavoidable somehow. Tell me it’s not just me, please. 

With the goal of not having to go out again for a while, I challenged my fellow Sunday FunDay bloggers to share appetizer recipes that can be made with the store cupboard and/or refrigerator/freezer items they usually have on hand. I’m thinking for New Year’s Eve but, truly, any party would do. 

Spicy Baked Artichoke Dip

This recipe calls for mayonnaise. DO NOT substitute Miracle Whip or salad cream – they are too sweet. 

Ingredients
1 cup or 240g mayonnaise 
1 1/2 cups or about 190g finely grated Parmesan
1 can (14oz or 400g) quartered artichoke hearts, drained weight 8 1/2oz or 240g
1 small hot red chili pepper

Optional additions: Sometimes we like to add crabmeat, cooked shrimp or crispy bacon before baking the dip to bubbling richness. 

To serve: crackers or toasted baguette slices

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. 

Lay the drained artichoke quarters out on folded paper towels so they can dry while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 


Mince the chili pepper. 


Measure the mayonnaise and Parmesan into a mixing bowl. 

Chop the artichokes roughly, discarding any tough pieces of the outer leaves. 


Add them into the mixing bowl along with the chili pepper and mix all the ingredients together.


Spoon the dip into the baking pan. 


Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes for a smaller, deep ovenproof dish. Or for a little less time in a bigger, shallow pan. The dip should be golden on the top and bubbling hot. 

Food Lust People Love: This spicy baked artichoke dip is creamy, cheesy and delicious but oh, so easy to make! It can be prepared ahead and baked when you are ready to serve.

Serve the dip with crackers or sliced baguette. Leftovers are great in a baked potato or piled on toasted baguette slices and warmed in an oven. 

Food Lust People Love: This spicy baked artichoke dip is creamy, cheesy and delicious but oh, so easy to make! It can be prepared ahead and baked when you are ready to serve.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today, as I mentioned above, we are sharing appetizer recipes made with ingredients we usually have on hand (and hope you will too!) Check out the links below. 

 
We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.




Pin this Spicy Baked Artichoke Dip!

Food Lust People Love: This spicy baked artichoke dip is creamy, cheesy and delicious but oh, so easy to make! It can be prepared ahead and baked when you are ready to serve.

.

Sunday, November 9, 2025

Creamy Duck Liver Mousse

The perfect make-ahead appetizer for your holiday feast, this creamy duck liver mousse is flavorful and rich. Serve with sliced baguette and let guests dig in! 

Food Lust People Love: The perfect make-ahead appetizer for your holiday feast, this creamy duck liver mousse is flavorful and rich. Serve with sliced baguette and let guests dig in!

I was practically skipping up to the cashier when I unexpectedly found duck liver in my local grocery store. Turns out they have it in the refrigerated section quite often so I don’t how I had missed it up till then. But I knew exactly what I wanted to make! 

One of my favorite party dishes from years past was a chicken liver pâté that was always popular and I was just imagining how much richer and more lovely one made with duck liver would be. 

I was not wrong! We really loved this. Processing the just-cooked liver with chilled duck fat made such a smooth and creamy mixture that I decided it deserved to be called mousse rather than plain old pâté! 

Creamy Duck Liver Mousse

If you can’t find duck liver, chicken liver can certainly be substituted. 
This makes two dishes of about 5 1/3 oz or 150g each. This recipe was adapted from one on the BBC Good Food website. bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/velvety-duck-liver-parfait 

Ingredients
For the mousse:
10 1/2 oz or 300g duck liver
1 cup or 240ml milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons brandy
1 1/2 teaspoons port
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 oz or 100g duck fat, chilled

For the sealing the top:
1 3/4 oz or 50g duck fat or butter
For decoration:
1/2 teaspoon whole black or mixed peppercorns
Small sprigs fresh thyme

Method
In a small mixing bowl, soak the duck liver in the milk for an hour, refrigerated.


Drain and discard the milk. Cut away and discard any large sinews from the liver. It’s messy to do this but the only really successful way to make sure you remove all of the sinews is to grab the end of one with one hand and then press along the sinew with your other hand to separate it from the liver. Repeat till the sinews are all removed. 


Wash your hands with hot water and lots of soap and reward yourself with a tot from that bottle of brandy you have out for later in the recipe. You've earned it! Cut the liver up into big chunks. 


Heat the butter in a large frying pan, then gently fry the shallot and garlic for 3-4 mins until soft. 


Remove the shallot and garlic to a small bowl, leaving behind as much butter as possible. (I prop up one side of the pan so the butter will collect on the other side, then remove the shallot and garlic.)


Turn up the heat then fry the liver until just browned on all sides. It spits and spatters a lot so I recommend using a spatter guard. DO NOT cover the pan with a lid! We don’t want the liver to steam or cook through, just brown. 


Add the brandy and port then boil those off as quickly as possible. 


Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the liver to a plate. Season the liver generously with the salt and freshly ground black pepper and leave it to cool completely.


Tip the cooled liver into a food processor with the shallot, garlic and the cold duck fat, and blitz until smooth and creamy. 


Push the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. 


Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary. Spoon into serving dishes or ramekins. Place in the refrigerator to set.


Once the mixture has set, make the topping. Gently melt the duck fat in a small pan or in a bowl in the microwave. 

Put the peppercorns and thyme on top the mousse to decorate and gently pour in the melted duck fat to cover. Leave to set in the fridge. 

Food Lust People Love: The perfect make-ahead appetizer for your holiday feast, this creamy duck liver mousse is flavorful and rich. Serve with sliced baguette and let guests dig in!

Serve with slices of baguette for spreading. 

Food Lust People Love: The perfect make-ahead appetizer for your holiday feast, this creamy duck liver mousse is flavorful and rich. Serve with sliced baguette and let guests dig in!

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing appetizers for your Thanksgiving feast. Many thanks to our host Amy from Amy’s Cooking Adventures. Check out all the links below. 

 
We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.




Pin this Creamy Duck Liver Mousse!

Food Lust People Love: The perfect make-ahead appetizer for your holiday feast, this creamy duck liver mousse is flavorful and rich. Serve with sliced baguette and let guests dig in!

.