Vegetarian and Vegan Appetizers

Olive Tapenade Recipe with Roasted Red Peppers

Avocado, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad Recipe. If you like traditional Italian insalata caprese, try this similar salad with fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and the addition of avocados for extra flavor.

I made these vegetarian potstickers with mushrooms and tofu for a vegan potluck a while ago, and they were completely gone about 2 minutes after they hit the table! These vegetarian potstickers are little steamed dumplings similar to Japanese gyoza. Unlike traditional Chinese potstickers, I like to steam these rather than pan-fry them, to make them lower in fat.

Make some cheesey vegetarian potato skins with vegetarian bacon bits!

Use vegan cream cheese to make an all-American appetizer of vegan jalapeno poppers - stuffed, breaded and fried, just the way they should be. Yum!

Add more flavor to your olive tapenade by adding some sun-dried tomatoes for a splash of color and texture.

These flour tortilla wraps are filled with beans, bell peppers and cheese, then wrapped and sliced into rounds to be served as a simple vegetarian appetizer.

Use a vegetarian mock ground beef to make a delicious seven layer dip with a meaty texture that everyone will enjoy. For a vegan version, you could use non-dairy cheese and a sour cream substitute.

Easy Low-Fat Baked Sweet Potato Fries. If you're craving a high-fat and salty treat like fast food French fries, try this recipe for healthier baked sweet potato fries.

I like a quick and easy vegetarian chili cheese dip just as much as everyone else, but I also love to create dishes that are a work of art in themselves. Here are some of my favorite elegant vegetarian and vegan appetizers and hors d'oeuvres.

For an elegant fall or Thanksgiving appetizer, try these savory onion and apple tarts, made with either feta or goat cheese. These little onion apple tarts are vegetarian, but for a vegan version, you could use vegan dough and omit the cheese.

Balsamic and Basil Bruschetta

A cheesy vegan garlic bread recipe made with vegan soy cheese and vegan mayonnaise for a dairy-free but still traditional vegan garlic bread.

ingredients. Shop your local farmer's market for the best tomatoes you can find, fresh artisan bread, and be sure to use the best fresh basil and quality olive oil.

Vegan Cheese Fondue Recipe

A gourmet bruschetta recipe, yet simple to prepare. This citrus and blue cheese bruschetta combines the tangy flavors of fresh oranges and grapefruits with crumbled blue cheese.

Texas caviar with avocado - California style, if you will! Enjoy this simple classic summer side dish with black-eyed peas and California avocados.

Easy Vegan Bruschetta Recipe

Oven roasted chickpea nuts - An easy vegan snack recipe idea with lots of protein. Great for vegetarians too!

Tempeh is breaded and lightly fried for a crunch high-protein alternative to French-fries for healthy vegetarians and vegans - and particularly for kids! Try these fried tempeh sticks with ketchup, soy sauce or even barbecue sauce.

You can eat this fried tofu on its own, dipped in sauce, or, use your fried tofu to add to pasta sauces, stir fries or other recipes calling for tofu or fried tofu. This quick and easy tofu recipe is both vegetarian and vegan.

These mini-meatballs are a spicy appetizer, but a little bit sweet too. Serve them warm with toothpicks. This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan.

Breaded zucchini chips for vegans - they're low-fat an not fried. Here's an easy way to make breaded and baked zucchini chips without milk or eggs - completely vegan.

Homemade rosemary basil olive tapenade makes an amazing, zesty spread for sandwiches or wraps as well as a powerful dip for crudites or flax crackers.

Roasted chickpeas with Parmesan cheese snack. A quick and easy (and healthy!) make at home snack perfect for lunch boxes, picnics or after-school snacks for vegetarian kids.

Easy Vegetarian "Hot Wings" with Seitan

Vegan Chili "Cheese" Fries

Vegan Bean Bruschetta

Gluten-Free Cheesy Rice Balls

Savory Fresh Apricot Bites

This recipe is best made during the mid-summer months when tomatoes are in season and at their peak freshness. Try getting a nice heirloom tomato from the farmers’ market to maximize the flavor. Generally, deep red to almost purple tomatoes will yield the best flavor for this recipe.

A yummy vegetarian matzo appetizer or snack using non-dairy cream cheese and matzo meal. Blend together a few easy ingredients, then stuff the mushrooms.

Learn how to make vegetarian stuffed tomatoes in this quick video. Stuffed tomatoes make for a great vegetarian appetizer or you can serve them as an entree as well.

Gardein vegan mini-meatballs recipe

Vegetarian sesame chicken wings. Start with a store-bought vegetarian chicken substitute, brush them with a Chinese-inspired glaze of hoisin sauce and sesame oil, and cook them until sticky and perfect. Yum!