by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris

Variety, as they say, is the spice of life, and it is known to ignite passion. That’s what makes RescueDiva.com’s Zesty Aphrodisiac Appetizer Dip Platter so much fun.

We present several purportedly aphrodisiac foods in a broad palette for the palate, ranging from savory to spicy to sweet, along with a broad selection of textures from creamy to chewy to crispy. Not to mention the colors! Get creative and play with the presentation to entice your partner’s eye as well as the mouth.

Then… don’t forget… these are finger foods! What can be more romantic… than to feed… and be fed… little delicacies likes sweet figs draped in a creamy cheese? A suggestive stick of carrot bearing a dollop of olive-infused avocado? Or a scoop of spiced-up pineapple nestled on a leaf of endive?

Linger as long as you like, letting your tongues and your spirits wander on an adventure of pleasure together, exploring different bursts of flavors from our planet’s glorious bounty in each delectable bite.  Recipes below!

Want additional recipes for a yummy, healthy, romantic vegan feast? Click here for a four-course menu, recipes links, and a little article about who inspired it. Hint: Rescue Diva’s hunni and hero.  😉

APPETIZER PLATTER TIPS

🙂 Diva Tip: All three dips (recipes below) need about four hours in the refrigerator before serving so that the ingredients can marinate and the flavors can blend.

🙂 Diva Tip: All three dips may be prepared as far as a couple of days in advance and stored in the refrigerator till time to serve.

🙂 Diva Tip: Up to two hours before serving, you may arrange dips on a large serving platter decoratively interspersed with dippers, but then cover the platter and refrigerate to keep it fresh until you’re ready to serve.

DIPPERS (our suggestions—of course you may substitute your own)

Endive lettuce – 1 head (about 10-12 leaves)

4 medium carrots, cut into sticks

8-10 fresh or dried figs, cut in half

16-20 grapes

6 – 8 baby sweet peppers or sliced bell peppers

Edible flowers (available from some grocers)

DIPS

Pineapple Citrus Onion Salsa Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pineapple

1 cup chopped citrus like orange, tangerine, or mandarin

1 cup chopped red (purple) onion

1 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

1 – 2 teaspoon chili or chipotle powder

½ teaspoon ground coriander

Instructions:

Mix together all ingredients, thoroughly but gently so as not to crush the fruit. Chill for at least two hours before serving to allow the flavors to marinate and blend together.

🙂 Diva Tip:  To chop citrus fruit: 1) peel the fruit, 2) use a sharp knife to slice into rounds, 3) slice each round into small triangular shapes that include parts of the edges so as to preserve the integrity.

Avocado Olive Dip

Ingredients:

10 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

½ cup chopped parsley

1 tablespoon dried oregano

½ cup chopped green onion (scallion), using green tops only

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup mashed ripe avocado (about 2 small/medium or 1 large)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Gently mix together first five ingredients—olives, parsley, oregano, green onion, oil.

2. Gently fold olive mixture into mashed avocado, a few spoonfuls at a time, mixing thoroughly but gently.

3. Pour lemon juice over the top to keep the avocado looking green and fresh.

4. Chill for at least two hours before serving to allow the flavors to marinate and blend together.

Cream Cheese Dip with Pomegranate Juice (Vegan)

Ingredients:

1 cup vegan cream cheese (usually soy- or nut-based)

¼ cup pomegranate juice

Optional: 1-2 tablespoons agave nectar

Optional: ½ cup fresh pomegranate seeds

Instructions:

1. Mix cream cheese and juice (and agave nectar if desired) together with a fork till smooth.

(2. If desired, gently fold in pomegranate seeds.)

Bon appetit from Rescue Diva!

ROMANTIC VEGAN FEAST—MENU

(click each dish’s name for recipes)

Zesty Vegan Aphrodisiac Appetizer Dip Platter

Perky Vegan Sweet Potato Soup with Caramelized Onions, Ginger, and Curry

Sultry Vegan Stack of Eggplant, Squash, and Mushroom with Sundried Tomato Basil Pesto-Coulis

Silky Chocolate Banana Almond Fudge Meltdown

Fun info:  24 Aphrodisiac ingredients for a romantic vegan feast

HELP US SAVE ANIMALS — just $2 ! Rescue Diva depends on sales of our romantic fiction to help create real-life happy endings like those of Claire, of Noble, Granger, and Raza, and of Rhea and her Earthquake Puppies.

Enjoy a fun read, spice up your life, and help replenish our rescue fund!  🙂

Rescue Diva proudly sponsors needy animals in the U.S. and around the world. For example:

~ We help Kefalonia Animal Trust (KATs) in Greece provide free spay/neuter for hundreds of animals per year, which is one of the best ways to prevent the abandonment and misery of puppies like Noah and Kyla.

~ We donate to Center for Animal Protection and Education (CAPE), Praying for Paws, SoCal Siamese Rescue, Aniplant (Cuba) and many other groups.

~ We do in-the-trenches rescues of angels like Robin, Chance, and Tiger, with help from San Diego Animal Support Foundation, and of Marisol and Lisa, with help from Last Chance at Life.

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Katerina Lorenzatos Makris is a career journalist, author, and editor. Her fiction includes 17 novels for Simon and Schuster, E.P. Dutton, Avon, and other major publishers (under the name Kathryn Makris), as well as a teleplay for CBS-TV, and a short story for The Bark magazine. She has written hundreds of articles for regional wire services and for outlets such as National Geographic Traveler, The San Francisco Chronicle, Travelers’ Tales, NBC’s Petside.com, Animal Issues Reporter.com, and Examiner.com (Animal Policy Examiner).

Together with coauthor Shelley Frost, Katerina wrote a step-by-step guide for hands-on, in-the-trenches dog rescue, Your Adopted Dog: Everything You Need to Know About Rescuing and Caring for a Best Friend in Need (The Lyons Press), coming soon in digital format!