Prepare for your New Year's Eve dinner with appetizers you can make the night before. Here are five ideas to kick off your New Year's Eve dinner.
Make-Ahead Appetizer 1: Salmon, avocado, and spreadable cheese rolls
Roulades of salmon, avocado, and cream cheese don't require much work or time. In a bowl, mix 10 oz. cream cheese with chopped dill and grated lime. Season with salt and pepper and place the mixture in a pastry bag. Slice the avocado in half, remove the skin and cut some slices. Place the slices on a plate then sprinkle with lime juice. From 6 oz. salmon, take a slice and spread on the cream cheese mixture, place a piece of avocado in the center, and roll into a small log. Keep the rolls in the fridge until serving.
Make-Ahead Appetizer 2: Mini salmon and ricotta cheesecake
To make three cheesecakes, mince 2 oz. saltines. Melt 3 Tbsp. butter and while it's still hot, pour it over the chopped crackers. Stir until uniform, then pour into 3 3"-round molds. Press the mixture down to level it, then place it in the fridge. Meanwhile, prepare the mousse. Mix 4 oz. ricotta cheese with 4 oz. cream cheese, salt, pepper, add a few juniper berries, 1 Tbsp. vodka and a tuft of dill. Pour the mixture into the circles. Cut 3 oz. smoked salmon into strips to complete the cheesecakes. Leave to rest in the fridge for about an hour, remove from the molds, and serve at room temperature.
Make-Ahead Appetizer 3: Marinated shrimp with orange and ginger
Grate the zest of an orange into a bowl, then squeeze its juice. Wash 1 lb. shelled shrimps then place them in the orange juice. Add 6 drops of lemon, 4 Tbsp. sweet and sour sauce, 2 Tbsp. oil, some salt, and grate a small piece of ginger. Turn the shrimp properly in the juices, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. After the indicated time, heat a frying pan for one minute and pour the shrimp with marinade into it. Cook for about 10 minutes over low heat. Let cool and serve.
Make-Ahead Appetizer 4: Zucchini skewers
Zucchini skewers are a quick appetizer that doesn’t require much effort. Clean 4-5 medium to large zucchini, cut thin slices, and grill them. Let them cool and season with salt. Cut the mozzarella into slices. Take a slice of zucchini and cover it with ham and mozzarella then roll it up and pierce with a long toothpick. Continue until you have finished the zucchini slices and lay them alongside each other on a serving dish. To garnish you can add a piece of tomato at the end for a touch of color.
Make-Ahead Appetizer 5: Sushi Italian style
It looks like sushi, but it’s prepared with all-Italian products. In a bowl mix 8 oz. squacquerone cheese, 2 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a pinch of pepper. Take two large slices of mortadella or prosciutto cotto and cut them into two squares. Spread the cheese mixture on the cold cut and then roll up into long logs. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about an hour. After the indicated time, take out the rolls and cut them into small pieces. Place them on a plate, sprinkle with pistachio grains, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
