Cooking with Karina: Fall Finger Foods

Guacamole Deviled Eggs (Photo: Karina Arnold)

Karina Arnold is a junior at the University of Oklahoma who’s passionate about healthy cooking. She provides creative, healthy recipes and tips on clean eating.

The fall is full of holidays and celebrations including football season, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, in addition to birthdays, anniversaries and weddings. Fall marks many milestones in which people celebrate and follow traditions or create new ones. Big or small, fall festivities bring friends and families together. These celebrations require a time, place and food, organized by the designated host. Whether you have a large or tiny family, there are mouths to feed and food to prepare. To tide over hungry tummies before the main course, try tasty tapas!

Creating appetizing appetizers can range from a simple cheese spread to extravagant hors d'oeuvres. No matter the level of difficulty, appetizers are an art. It is a difficult balance to perfect the flavors and create a dish that satiates but does not ruin appetites for the main course.

I try to use utilize leftover ingredients from the cooking of main course to prevent food waste. For example, if I was serving my Pesto Avocado Zoodles, I could use the leftover avocado for this Guacamole Deviled Eggs appetizer. Using the avocado in a different way than the main course, I introduce the pallet of the main course while simultaneously introducing different flavors and textures. By utilizing ingredients I already have, I save money and make two unique dishes.

If you decide to serve this Quinoa Curry Bowl at your next dinner, sprinkle the extra feta over slices of fresh fig or grapefruit. Drizzling honey, feta, mint and red pepper flakes over slices of fig are a sweet and savory fall finger food. Another great pairing with feta are slices of cold, fresh grapefruit and ground black pepper.

If you are using fall veggies in your main course, don’t discard the leftovers! Make this Zucchini Hummus Dip. Dips are easy; self-serve tapas pair great with a variety of foods. With hummus, make a spread of various vegetables, crackers and breads. When you use fresh-cut vegetables, even if they are leftovers, and lay them on a colorful platter, your guests will feel treated.

No matter the nature or size of the celebration, guests always appreciate a greeting with food. Treat your friends and family at your next gathering with these tasty tapas. What are your favorite fall finger foods to serve? Comment below!