Engagement Party - Montgomery,IL

I've been to cocktail parties where you take the clear punch cups and put a little dip/hummus and then a few veggies so people can grab it without the plate.
Spinach/artichoke dip on baguette - heated or cool
fruit kebabs
veggie pizza
deviled eggs
instead of meatballs, do fried maccaroni & cheese bites

Vegetable kabobs, either grilled or baked, and kept warm on a hot tray or in a chafing dish. Use any of the following: eggplant cubes, mushroom caps, small potatoes (fingerlings or baby potatoes, or chunks of larger red potatoes or sweet potatoes), zucchini or yellow squash (cut in 3/4 inch cylinders), green or red peppers (cut in 1x1 inch pieces). Thread them on wooden skewers (soak them in water ahead of time so they don't catch fire!), and mix up the order so that they don't all have the same vegetables. That way a guest can avoid a food he/she doesn't care for. Put 4 or 5 veggies on a stick, that's all. You can coat them with any herb/oil mix you like. I use a lot of dill because it goes well with many vegetables but you can search around for what you like. I just put the skewers in a baking sheet, mix the oil & herbs in a tall glass that can hold a basting brush standing up (easy to put both in the dishwasher afterwards), brush a little oil mix on top, turn and brush again. You can brush again during cooking/grilling, turning once.

A favorite because it looks good on a party table is a fruit kabob "porcupine" - wash the rind of a watermelon (seedless or regular), scoop out the fruit, turn over the half shell and drain. Meanwhile, cube up the melon and other fruits of many colors (other melon, kiwi, berries, grapes, pineapple). Get those plastic cocktail picks that have an arrowhead point on the end rather than standard slim toothpicks. Thread 4 pieces of fruit on picks, mixing up the order for a colorful array. Poke holes in the outside of the watermelon shell with a sharp knife point or a metal skewer, and insert fruit picks into those holes so the fruit all sticks out at different angles like a porcupine. Put on a platter with some paper towels to absorb any remaining melon juice or surround with greens like lettuce or kale leaves.

Falafel - make your own or use a mix, making balls or flatter patties, keep warm and serve with a tahini dip on the side. These can be made ahead and just heated up and served warm.

Hot cheese puffs - assuming she eats eggs and cheese. Split up and toast English muffins (a pack of 6 muffins will yield 48 little appetizers). Spread the 12 muffin halves with a mix of mayonnaise, shredded cheddar or jack cheese, and any spice you want such as seasoned pepper. (You can also give it a Mexican flair with a taco cheese mix, an Italian flair with half mozzarella, etc.) The proportions don't matter but I probably use 1/2 cup mayo to 1 cup shredded cheese. Just mix until it holds together. Spread this paste on the muffin halves (almost but not quite to the edge), then take a sharp chef's knife and cut the muffin rounds into 4 wedges. Put on a baking sheet. This much can be done ahead of time. To bake, put in the oven at 375 for about 10 minutes until the cheese/mayo puffs up and gets golden brown. Watch them so they don't burn. Put on a hot tray or on a platter to pass. Honestly, people think you slaved!

Quesadilla wedges: spread a flour tortilla with refried beans, then add black beans or other small beans (or rough chopped kidney beans), diced green peppers, chopped tomatoes (drained and seeded), some frozen corn kernels - don't even bother to defrost), and some Mexican style cheese (taco cheese, Monterrey Jack, etc.). Top with another tortilla and bake until the insides are hot and the cheese has melted, sticking everything together. Remove the completed quesadillas from the oven and use a sharp knife to cut wedges like a pizza. Try not to move them around too much or they may come apart - just put the whole circle on the platter and then cut. These make great finger food. You can also use very small tortillas and just fold them over in half so they are a half-moon shape, then cut in half - that way each one has a folded edge and the insides don't slide out. But be sure you use a flexible tortilla and not the kind that splits/breaks when you fold it.

Lettuce wraps or stuffed vegetarian grape leaves.

If you have a good market with prepared party foods, go browse for ideas!

you can make pinwheels or pannini with veggies and veg spreads.
1. hummos, roasted peppers and spinach
2. thai peanut sauce, cashews, carrots, snap peas, and water chestnuts.
3. pesto, mozzarella, cherry tomato and basil.
4. refried beans, salsa, corn and spinach.
5. siracha, pepper, steamed chopped broccoli, and tahini.
6. mango chutney, spinach, mushrooms and curry powder.

Best,
F. B.

So this is a cocktail party not a meal, right? There are so many delicious dips and spreads made with cheese, herbs and veggies, I couldn't possibly list them all here but head over to Pinterest and you will be overwhelmed with ideas!
Some of my favorites are the sundried tomato-pesto-cream cheese spread with crackers and caprese on a stick (cherry tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil on a toothpick drizzled with balsamic vinegar, YUM.) Hummus and fresh salsa are always a hit too, and of course you can never go wrong with a glorious cheese, cracker and fruit tray.
ETA: almost forgot spinach dip, or warm spinach-artichoke dip, double YUM!

I hosted a recent drop in. I had some meat offerings for guests, as well as vegan and vegetarian choices:
wasabi peas - many interesting flavors
nuts
meatballs – vegan (add red pepper), homemade sauce
veggie roll up sandwiches, cut in quarters
fruit skewers
cheeses and crackers
hommus
veggies and dip
guacamole

Also vegan wines: Kendall Jackson whites and Yellow tail merlot and shiraz.

Have fun!

I took low-fat cream cheese and mixed in some chutney and did another batch where I just mixed in some marmalade with the cream cheese and then spread it on raisen bread and cut it into triangles (you could make it fancier by using cookie cutters instead). But anyway I was asked for the recipe because everyone loved these and it was so super simple - no work at all.

I have this great recipe where you make wild rice cakes and put a gauc on top of them, they are the most amazing finger food. If you want it, let me know. As a vegetarian, I can tell you I think they are amazing. Every meat eater I know thinks they are amazing too.

It is so nice that you are hosting an engagement party for your friend. And it is nice that you are trying to accommodate her vegetarian requirements. You have gotten some excellent suggestions on here. Just remember than not every single dish needs to be vegetarian. Some of the other guests may have other preferences. Have fun!

I second the bruchetta idea. I just gave a newlywed party (40 people) and I would have done that if I had chosen no forks. As it was, I had large tomato slices with cheese crumbled on it, garnished with shredded lettuce. I also had fried rice with vegetables. If you decide on providing forks, I recommend these. I offered seedless grapes and small tangerines too. People liked that, even though I also served cheesecake. (ETA - I did have meat dishes, but these were some of my non-meat dishes...)

Didn't read all but I have a friend from India who is vegetarian. She had a party and there were 2 items I loved. One were lightly breaded cauliflower sautéed with curry. They were so good. The other was samosas. They look like turnovers but not as big and are filled with potatoes and peas. They are very good. I know you can get both from an India restaurant if you have one in your area. If you get samosas make sure you get the dipping sauces that come with them. Have fun.

bruschetta. baked brie. mini pizzas (you can bake 'em on bagels then cut them up). crunchy seasoned chickpeas. baked cauliflower nuggets. broccoli tempura. raw veggie and olive oil fondu. sticky rice balls. green bean 'french fries.' zucchini fritters.
and of course, fruit dipped in chocolate and rolled in colored sugar to match the wedding theme.
:) khairete
S.

Apple wedges and caramel dip are great - I consider it an h'orderve rather than a dessert.
fruit salads
You should be able to find a recipe for vegetarian stuffed mushrooms
How about guacamole finger sandwiches or wraps?

If she's ovo-lacto veg, deviled eggs, cheese pizza cut into squares.

Cucumber sandwiches were always a big hit at my house as well.

I'm not a vegetarian so I would probably not eat much of the food offered. If she's vegetarian due to animal thoughts then I can understand her insistence that the food be according to her beliefs but if she's doing it because she just likes veggies or for her health perhaps she won't insist all the food be one thing.

Okay so she's a vegetarian & he's not. Is she strict (forget the word,
meaning no animal products like milk or eggs?)? Not knowing, I will
throw some things out.
-shrimp & cocktail sauce
-mini coctail weiners in crockpot w/bbq sauce (for him & meat eaters)
-crab cakes (you can use fake crab if she doesn't eat seafood)
-philo cups filled w/sauted veggies
-block of cream cheese covered in jar of Jalapeno jelly served w/nice
crackers
-make a hearty veggie stew & a beef/potato/carrot stew for his guests &
put out little white ramikins & pieces of rustic bread
-vegetarian bean dip (use can of veggie Rosarita beans spread on bottom
of serving dish, top w/a layer of cheese, a layer of sour cream, topped
w/diced tomatoes/green onions & olives)
-spinach mini quiches (buy in frozen section, look elegant on white plate)
-diff kinds of salads
-nice crackers, sliced cheeses or wedges of cheese on a nice cutting
board w/knife they can cut themselves
-veggie tortilla bake (whole tortillas in pie plate layered w/sauted veggies
like eggplant, onions, red peppers etc. w/some shredded cheese then
baked in oven)
-little shot glasses of tomato bisque soup served w/oyster crackers
-baked fish cut up & served on tiny white plates w/a wedge of lemon
-diff salads
-baguettes of bread
-individual tortilla chips topped w/sauteed veggies