These recipes keep it nice and easy during New Year's Eve celebrations

Keeping it simple is my motto for the coming new year and that applies to making New Year’s Eve treats and appetizers.

The holidays are a busy time for everyone and finding tasty recipes that aren’t labor intensive is a plus.

Traditional pinwheel bites can be transformed into attractive and colorful seasonal appetizers by using dried cranberries in a filling of cream cheese, and by using spinach tortillas instead of regular flour tortillas.

A tasty crab dip made with dill, onion, lemon zest and splashes of hot sauce can be served up in tiny phyllo shells or eaten with an assortment of fancy crackers. Personally, I like serving them in the phyllo shells and garnishing the tops with a dash of paprika, a slice of green onion or a lemon curl.

Another time-saving recipe is spiced nuts made in the slow cooker. Using the nut of your choice, place them in the slow cooker with butter and powdered sugar for a couple of hours. This process caramelizes the sugar over the nuts. When they are removed from the slow cooker, a spice mixture is sprinkled over them. Serve them up in a pretty bowl and you are all set.

An easy, sweet treat is Rolo candy bites. Using a small pretzel, place a Rolo candy on each. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for three minutes. After removing them from the oven, press a pecan into the center and allow to cool. This creates a chocolate turtle candy nibble.

A cherry tomato bite is another colorful hors d’oeuvre I’ll be trying this year. Simple is the name of this appetizer, too. The tomatoes are cut horizontally, the seeds removed and a mixture of ricotta cheese and pesto is piped into the center. It’s fast, easy and simple.
Enjoy, and may your new year be blessed!

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels

1 package dried sweetened cranberries

1 containers cream cheese spread

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onions

4 large flour tortillas or 4 large wheat flour tortillas or 4 large spinach tortillas

Combine all ingredients except tortillas, mix well. Divide and spread mixture evenly among tortillas.

Roll up tightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least one hour. To serve cut into 12 slices.
A nice variation is to add thin slices of ham on top of the spread before rolling.

Source: Ocean Spray

Spiced Nuts

1 pound pecans (or walnuts, cashews or your favorite nuts)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat slow cooker on high for 15 minutes. In preheated slow cooker, stir the nuts and butter until mixed well. Add the powdered sugar, stirring to coat evenly. Cover and slow-cook on high for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and slow cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are coated with a crisp glaze (about two hours).

 Transfer the nuts to a bowl. In another small bowl, combine the spices and sift them over the nuts, stirring to coat evenly. Let cool before serving.

Source: recipe4living.com/recipes/spiced-nuts.htm.

Crab Dip

1 cup cooked crabmeat or one six-ounce can crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed

1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion or green onion

1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill weed or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel or lime peel

1 teaspoon lemon juice or lime juice

Several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce

Dash cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and black pepper

Finely chopped red or green onion (optional)

Assorted crackers and/or vegetable dippers

Yield: 10 servings

In a small bowl stir together crab, mayonnaise, sour cream, the two-tablespoons onion, the one-tablespoon dill, the one-teaspoon lemon peel, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, and, if desired, cayenne pepper. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Transfer dip to a serving dish. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. If desired, garnish with finely chopped red or green onion. Serve with crackers or vegetable dippers.

Variation Crab Tartlets: Prepare dip as above. Spoon dip into 30 miniature phyllo dough shells (two, 2.1-ounce packages). For a hot appetizer, place the 30 miniature phyllo dough shells on a large baking sheet. Spoon dip into phyllo shells. Bake in a 350-degree oven for five to eight minutes or until heated through. If desired, garnish with finely shredded lemon peel and fresh dill sprigs.

Source: bhg.com/recipe/appetizers-snacks/crab-dip/

Rolo treats

Start with small pretzel bites and Rolos candies (chocolate-covered caramel candies). Place a Rolo in the center of the pretzel and place in a 350-degree oven for three minutes.

When they come out of the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes then press a pecan (or nut of choice) into the center. Now allow to set up until firm. Use a spatula to loosen them from the tray and place them on a serving plate.

They taste like a cross between a chocolate-covered pretzel and a chocolate turtle.

Source: make-it-do.com/tag/new-years-appetizers/

Cherry Tomato Pesto Bites

1 box of cherry tomatoes

3/4 cup of ricotta cheese

1/3 cup of pesto

Wash and dry tomatoes. Cut tomatoes horizontally and empty out the seeds; set aside. Place ricotta cheese and pesto in a bowl and mix until combined. Place mixture in a pastry bag or a plastic zip-bag with a corner cut and pipe into tomatoes.

Source: bakersroyale.com/holiday/cherry-tomato-pesto-bites/