Vegan Finger Foods, Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes (Fair Winds Press, 2014)

 

Vegan Finger Foods  is a delightful book full of all types of recipes for appetizers and finger foods just as the title promises.  The photographs are enticing and the recipes are yummy.  It includes recipes for stuffed, veggie, sweet, savory and bread focused foods.  Some recipes are written in ways that the preparation incorporates the possibility for two (or more) recipes, rather than just one!

 

We tried “Potato Puffs with Tapenade” (truly OMG!!), which also allowed us to have Potato Skins.  We needed the insides of baked potatoes for the Potato Puffs so we just had to make potato skins, of course!  Can one have too many whole food potatoes (sadly much maligned as they are!).   I think not!  In addition to those two dishes, the tapenade stuffing can be used as a spread for crackers or bread – a “three in one” recipe! 

 

We also tried the “Glazed Sugar Snaps”, an easy and fast recipe that is zesty and healthy (if anyone is paying attention to that when they’re noshing appetizers!).  Be sure to remove them from the pan when they are at their brightest green color (as with almost all veggies).  They are bright, shiny, and pop with flavor!

 

“Baked Buffalo Tofu Bites” was another recipe that we found to be delicious, although we toned down the heat a bit for my wimpy mouth.  Note that although the recipe calls for Frank’s hot sauce, we used Tabasco sauce.  Your choice will likely depend on where you were reared.   Tabasco reigns supreme in our home for this type of hot sauce. 

 

At a loss as to combining the various dishes for a fun and tasty menu for your party?  Don’t despair! The authors provide you with menu suggestions for 19 different types of gatherings.  My guess is that you will come up with great combinations of your own as we did when we taste-tested recipes with a friend at lunch.  Who says appetizers have to be served before dinner?  Make several for lunch – or dinner – and enjoy! 

 

Justina Walls

7/28/2014