If you need a quick and decadent appetizer idea, these Polenta Bites with Black Olive Tapenade will do the trick. Crispy polenta and tangy black olive tapenade create a mouthwatering appetizer that everyone will love.

Ingredients

• 1 tube (18 oz) polenta cut into 16 slices
• ¾ c Panko breadcrumbs
• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup kalamata olives pitted
• 2 tablespoons capers rinsed
• 3 oil-cured anchovy fillets
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped + a few leaves for garnish (optional)
• 8 cherry tomatoes halved

Instructions

1. Place bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Press both sides of polenta slices in bread crumbs.
2. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil and over medium-high heat. Add polenta and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl of a standing mixer, combine olives, capers, anchovies, lemon juice, parsley, 1 clove of garlic and 1 tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse until everything is finely chopped.
4. Arrange polenta on a serving plate, top with a teaspoonful of tapenade, garnish with tomato half and parsley leaf.
5. Enjoy!

Whipped Cream Cheese, Mustard and Smoked Salmon carefully nested into a puff pastry shell create a decadent and mouthwatering French appetizer, perfect for your next get-together. These Smoked Salmon Vol Au Vents are seriously scrumptious.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry
• 6 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
• 1 ½ teaspoons whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoons chives finely minced
• 5 square slices of smoked salmon cut diagonally
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out a puff pastry ¼ inch thick.
3. Using a 3 ½ inch cookie cutter, cut out 18 circles.*
4. Using a smaller 1 ½ inch cookie cutter gently mark half of the pastry circles making sure not to cut all the way through.
5. Brush the unmarked pastry circles with a beaten egg. Place the marked circles on top of unmarked circles and brush again with an egg.
6. Place your 3 ½ inch cookie cutter between unbaked cookies and place a wire rack on top of the cookie cutter. That way the cookies will be of the same height.
7. Bake for 20 – 23 minutes until Vol Au Vents have risen and golden. Using a tip of a sharp knife, gently cut out caps from the pastry and dig out a little bit of pastry to make some room for the filling.
8. In a small bowl combine whipped cream cheese, whole grain mustard and minced chives. Fill the pastry bag attached with Wilton tip #1M with a filling and fill the pastry cases with a mixture.
9. Roll each piece of salmon into a rose and place in the middle of cream cheese filling. Garnish with some chives and enjoy!