Mediterranean Appetizers and a Lucky New Year’s Cake

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Mediterranean Appetizers

and a Lucky New Year’s Cake

Whether you are planning a quiet evening with your family this year or hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration, you most probably have started thinking about what to make for this special occasion.

This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a variety of small appetizers and finger foods! I have put together a list of favorite recipes to help you with your planning.  These recipes are simple, flavorful, and easy to put together—I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Mediterranean Appetizers for your New Year’s Eve celebration

1. Delicious Marinated Olives

A delicious bowl of well-seasoned, marinated olives is always a great idea for entertaining. This easy recipe will convert even those who are not too enthusiastic about olives to true olive lovers!

2.  Puff Pastry Parmesan Cheese Straws

These four-ingredient puff pastry Parmesan Cheese straws are crispy, flaky, savory and delicious. They are the perfect addition to any holiday buffet!

3. Pomegranate Glazed Sausage Bites

This simple recipe is a real crowd pleaser and they always disappear first at cocktail parties.  Jacques Pépin says that he enjoys these luscious hors d’oeuvres with drinks before dinner and I could not agree more.

4.  Smoked Salmon Tartines

These mini smoked salmon tartines are elegant, healthy and super flavorful bite-size treats that are so easy to assemble.

5.  Filo-Wrapped Brie with Pistachios & Jam

Creamy, slightly tangy Brie cheese enclosed in layers of buttery, crispy filo pastry, topped with your favorite fruit preserves, pistachio nuts and pomegranate arils make for a winning sweet and savory combination!

6.  Crostini with Whipped Feta & Roasted Tomatoes 

Crostini with Whipped Feta and Roasted Tomatoes is a wonderful appetizer that adds Greek flavors to this classic Italian dish.  It is perfect for entertaining as you can have all the components made ahead of time, so you and your guests can have fun assembling them together!

7.  Feta Wrapped in Crispy Filo

This is a personal favorite:  These bite-sized treats combine cubes of salty Feta enclosed in crispy filo, baked until golden brown.  Once they are out of the oven, a drizzle of warm honey balances the saltiness of the Feta and rounds up the flavors!  Serve them still warm, topped with a sprinkle of black and white sesame seeds, and watch them disappear.

8.  Homemade Creamy Yogurt Cheese (Labneh)

Labneh is a creamy, tangy, Middle Eastern spread made with strained plain yogurt and served with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of za’atar spice or chopped fresh herbs over the top.  It is often referred to as “yogurt cheese” and it is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine, the way tzatziki is in Greek cuisine.

9.  Irresistible Spicy Crostini

The recipe for the most irresistible spicy crostini is one of my favorite appetizer recipes of all time. I loved these in-between-meal snacks and the concept of bite-size treats, served on slices of grilled bread. It came from the first Italian cookbook I ever owned, “Italy in Small Bites, by the late Carol Field.

10.  Lucky New Year’s Cake (Vasilopita)

Every year, at midnight on New Year’s Eve, families in Greece serve this simple, orange-infused cake to celebrate the arrival of the new year. It is a delicious cake, with a special coin hidden inside. This is a tradition that dates back centuries to honor St. Basil, whose Name Day falls on the 1st of January. The person who finds it will have the best of luck for the year ahead!

✨ Wishing you all a Healthy, Prosperous, and Creative New Year! ✨

Thank you all for following my blog, for experimenting with my recipes, and for taking the time to leave your thoughtful comments this year!

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