Easy Christmas Appetizers

Holiday season and Christmas are approaching fast like a whirlwind, but luckily you don’t need much time — or many ingredients — to prepare these stunning but easy gluten-free low-carb appetizers. They are so easy and delicious, that you’ll want to make them not only for the holidays, but also for the New Year’s Eve, summer parties, Thanksgiving, you name it!

Lemon Butter and Shrimp Mini Sandwiches

Let’s start with a buttery and tangy delight. Your guests will never guess that these elegant mini sandwiches contain just a few ingredients! Keep another batch at hand, since these scrumptious starters will disappear quickly as they are very addictive.

TIP: Add two tablespoons chopped fresh dill to the lemon butter for even more flavor.

 

Lemon Butter and Shrimp Mini Sandwiches 4 oz = 115 g = 1 stick salted butter, softened 1 small organic lemon, washed and patted dry 4 oz = 115 g deveined, cooked shrimps Dense low-carb bread (this one is good, also this one) To taste unrefined sea salt (Optional: to taste freshly ground black pepper)   Directions Take an electric mixer and beat the butter until fluffy. Grate the yellow peel from the lemon (no white part!) and add it to the butter. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add 1-2 tablespoons juice to the butter. Use the rest for other purposes like making nice drinks. Add the shrimps. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Beat until fluffy and until the shrimps are almost incorporated into the butter. Naturally, you can leave it chunky if you wish! Cut slices from the low-carb bread. Butter the slices generously with the lemon and shrimp butter. Sandwich the buttered slices together, and cut them into triangles or preferred shapes. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours, and take to the room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

Caprese Tomatoes Hasselback Style

There are several ways to make Caprese Tomatoes, and this way makes a perfect appetizer. Moreover, Hasselback everything seems to be so trendy now! I bet you’ll hear some oohs and aahs when your guests see these adorable little bites. Serve these beauties individually on spoons, or place them on a big plate; they are so addictive that there won’t be any left after the party is over!

 

Caprese Tomatoes Hasselback Style Baby plum tomatoes Mini mozzarella balls Fresh basil leaves Extra virgin olive oil To taste unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper   Directions Cut 3-4 slits in each tomato so that the tomatoes are still joined together at the bottom. Slice the mini mozzarella balls into thin slices. Place mozzarella slices and basil leaves into the slits in the plum tomatoes (see the photo above). You can tear the basil leaves into smaller pieces to fit them better. Once all tomatoes are filled with mozzarella and basil, place them on a serving plate or on serving spoons. Sprinkle generously extra virgin olive oil on top of each tomato. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

 

Crispy Prosciutto Sticks with Chipotle Mayo Dip

Very thinly sliced prosciutto is a common ingredient in appetizers. You see different things wrapped in prosciutto: asparagus, chicken strips, grissini (breadsticks), string cheese… This time, this delicious meat is prepared in a slightly different — even more delicious — way. Not to mix too many flavors together, a thin slice of prosciutto is wrapped around itself; it’s rolled as crispy, tasty stick which you can dip in an unbelievably tasty Chipotle Mayo Dip. A real palate and crowd pleaser! Reserve enough prosciutto and pop in the oven whenever you need to make some more of these finger-licking good prosciutto “grissini” which make great snacks, too.

Be sure to prepare the dip before the prosciutto sticks, since the dip benefits from make-ahead preparation as the flavors get deeper when you keep the dip a few hours (or overnight) in the fridge. The prosciutto sticks, however, should be prepared quite close to the kickoff to prevent them losing their crispiness.

Oh yes, and since the prosciutto is heavily on the salty side, you want to use salt very sparingly in the Chipotle Mayo Dip!

 

Chipotle Mayo Dip 1/2 cup = 120 ml (homemade & healthy) low-carb mayonnaise 1/4 cup = 60 ml thick, full-fat sour cream 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder To taste unrefined sea salt   Directions Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover, and place in the fridge for a couple of hours (or overnight) to let the flavors mingle.

 


 

Crispy Prosciutto Sticks Very thin prosciutto slices Light olive oil or ghee for brushing   Directions Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Brush each prosciutto slice with olive oil or ghee. Wrap each slice diagonally into a tight, long roll. Place the prosciutto rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper so that the rolls don’t touch each other (the prosciutto won’t crisp if the rolls are placed too tight). Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. The prosciutto sticks get even crispier after cooling down. Serve with the Chipotle Mayo Dip.

 

 

Chorizo, Pickled Cucumber and Pickled Onion Appetizer

If the time is really tight, you can just skewer different low-carb antipasto items on sticks. Hassle-free and ready in no time! These 3-ingredient ready-in-a-cinch appetizers use a combination of chorizo, tiny pickled cucumbers, and pickled onion. After trying out a great number of different antipasto items skewered, this one is my favorite combo. What is yours?

Be sure to choose products which are the lowest in carbs and free from preservatives, colorings, flavor enhancers and other nasty stuff! Prepare a quick dip from thick sour cream, unrefined sea salt or Himalayan salt and your favorite spice mix like Cajun, garlic and herbs, taco, just to give you some ideas. Also the Chipotle Mayo Dip (recipe above) is a perfect companion with this Chorizo, Pickled Cucumber and Pickled Onion Appetizer. Bon appétit!