Pestos, Tapenades & Spreads: 40 Simple Recipes for Delicious Toppings, Sauces & Dips

By Stacey Printz and Mark Lund

With little fuss and enormous flavor, transform everyday meals with simple yet creative toppings, dips, and spreads.

Forty recipes are paired with multiple serving suggestions for producing yummy (and healthy!) dishes, from appetizers to dinners. With few steps to follow and minimal ingredients to purchase, these recipes—many of which are sensitive to vegans and those with nut and gluten allergies—are built for speed and ease. Fifteen minutes is the total preparation time for Classic Provençal Tapenade, Balsamic Fig and Caramelized Onion Spread, and Rich Crab Spread. Using fresh ingredients and pantry staples, you’ll soon be whipping up tasty pesto faster than you can say “presto!”

“This little book—Pestos, Tapenades & Spreads by Stacey Printz—is filled with lots of big ideas for parties or just hanging out. It’s never been easier to impress guests.” —Family Circle

“What seems like a small book of simple recipes instead turns out to be an incredibly versatile treasury of flavors! . . . make a few quick spreads and you have gorgeous party food that will make it look like you slaved over a stove all day.” —Errant Dreams

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Sep 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781452131634

Book preview

a word about ingredients

The following is a list of some core ingredients (with tips for storage and usage) that are useful to have on hand for many of the recipes in this book.

fresh herbs: Fresh ingredients can really make a world of difference in your cooking. The vivid, pure flavors allow for a much greater impact on the palate. If you do not have the space or time for growing your own fresh herbs, many farmers’ markets and grocery stores sell a wide variety. The recipes will indicate whether an alternative dried herb can be used.

tip: Store basil and other soft-leaved herbs such as cilantro and parsley like a bouquet of flowers in a jar or vase of water on the countertop. Store woody herbs in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with a dry paper towel. They should be loose rather than tightly packed to prevent bruising and to help keep them fresh longer.

kalamata olives: These olives have a rich, salty flavor that lend themselves perfectly to many tapenade recipes. Some recipes will call for other varieties, but when in doubt, go with kalamata olives. They’re a good choice to keep on hand in the pantry for last-minute