Thoughtfully prepared and elaborately styled holiday hors d’oeuvres can be the signature to your holiday entertaining. Here are four recipes that are easy but impressive.

Goat Cheese on Picks
With gloves on, roll goat cheese into consistent size small balls. Dip the balls into chopped herbs. Refrigerate. Just before serving, place long picks in the top of each for a lollipop look.

Smoked Salmon Rosettes
Cut smoked salmon into triangle shapes. Coat one side of each triangle with a thin layer of cream cheese. Roll up each triangle from the smallest end to the biggest to form a rose shape. Place basil or mint leaves under each “rose” for a complete design.

Eggplant & Squash Bites
Trim the ends off an eggplant. Boil the eggplant in salted water for at least 1 hour. Dice the cooked eggplant. Sauté the eggplant in olive oil with diced tomatoes and minced onion. Add 4 tablespoons of sugar, 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper. Drain and reserve in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve, slice yellow squash into medallions. Top each with the cooked eggplant mixture. Dust with Parmesan cheese.

Seared Scallops Served In Spoons
Sear the scallops on both sides in olive oil. Remove to a buttered baking dish.
To the sauce pan add a half stick of butter and heat until hot but not brown. Add 1 clove of crushed garlic. Pour on a quarter cup of Sherry and stir to make a sauce.
Heat the seared scallops in the oven, until just cooked through. Place the scallops into soup spoons or Chinese soup spoons Ladle on the sauce and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Serve hot. Kelly McBride Loft