Hello lovelies, today I have even more ideas for the holidays for you: an appetizer platter with 2 dips and a gift from the kitchen. Both are of course wonderfully suited to the Christmas season. The colorful platter with the two fine dips, lots of colorful vegetables and other delicacies is always a welcome sight — whether at a family celebration or for drinks with friends. And the mango chutney, as a gift from the kitchen, is the perfect little something to bring along during the Christmas season; it's guaranteed to make everyone happy.
And if you like tahini: the sesame paste also becomes the creamy dip for my green rice-paper rolls with tahini dip.
All the recipes were created in collaboration with Victorinox*. Their Swiss Modern collection came with me to Bali, and I wouldn't want to be without these knives here. Not only thanks to their lovely colors, which I really like, but of course because of the Swiss quality, which is simply unbeatable. The knives sit comfortably in your hand, they just cut really well, and with the various models you're well equipped for any occasion.
Appetizer platter with 2 dips
Besides lots of fresh vegetables, crackers, olives, nuts and (vegan) cheese, an appetizer platter of course needs the right dips. This time, for me that turned out to be a super delicious papaya salsa and a cucumber-tahini dip. One a little exotic (inspired by our tropical home) and the other a bit more classic, but no less refined for it.
The papaya salsa goes wonderfully with nacho chips, but of course with vegetables too. If you can't get papaya, you can replace it with mango. And you can vary the heat nicely too, using more or less chili.
Papaya Salsa
A delicious dip with papaya, avocado and chili — fruity, fresh and ideal with nacho chips or colorful vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 papaya
- 1/2 avocado
- 2-3 spring onions
- 1-1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- chili
- lime juice
- salt & pepper
- cilantro (optional)
Instructions:
- Dice the papaya and avocado and put them in a bowl
- Finely chop the spring onions and chili and add them
- Finely chop the cilantro and mix it in
- Season to taste with the maple syrup, lime juice, salt & pepper
Cucumber-Tahini Dip
The second dip is a completely different combination: with fresh cucumber, yogurt, tahini and fresh herbs. Tastes great with veggie sticks, but also lovely on dark whole-grain bread. The cucumber can be cut into fine strips really easily with the julienne slicer from Victorinox — very practical. You'll find the full recipe for this dip in the recipe card further down.
Gift from the kitchen
As promised, together with Victorinox I've developed not only the two dip recipes for you but also another idea for a great gift from the kitchen. In recent years we've increasingly done without material gifts among the adults and preferred to give something homemade. So inspiration for that always comes in handy. I went with a recipe using an ingredient we eat almost daily here, but which is also available in Europe: namely mango.
Out of it came a delicious mango chutney that's quick to make but wins you over with its exotic flavor. The chutney also goes with very many dishes and is therefore a great gift everyone is sure to enjoy.
Mango Chutney
A great gift from the kitchen — the fruity chutney goes with (vegan) cheese, with roasts, with Indian dishes and of course on the appetizer platter.
Ingredients:
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1-2 cm (0.4-0.8 inch) fresh ginger
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- spices of choice: cinnamon, cumin, clove (approx. 1/2 tsp each)
- 3-4 mangoes
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 chili
Instructions:
- Finely chop the onion, finely chop the garlic, grate the ginger
- Heat the coconut oil in a pot and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in it
- Add the spices and sauté briefly
- Peel the mangoes, cut into cubes and add them to the pot
- Add the sugar and vinegar, mix everything well and simmer on low heat for about 30-40 minutes
- Add the salt and chili, mix in and let simmer briefly
- Fill into clean jars while hot and seal well
- Keeps for about 1 week in the fridge — optionally you can also preserve it by canning or freeze it to make it last longer
The mango chutney goes great with (vegan) cheese and on snack platters — so it would be ideal for the appetizer board. Of course it's also lovely with Indian dishes (which is also where it originates), with roasts, or as a dip. As you can see, there are an incredible number of ways to use it, and there are no limits to your imagination. It's really easy to make and works as a last-minute gift for an invitation.
Filled into pretty jars, nicely labeled and with a little decoration, it definitely makes an impression, and the person you give it to is sure to be delighted. Of course you can also give the matching cheese to go with it, fresh bread, or everything for a pretty appetizer platter. Ideally then with the matching knives from the Victorinox Swiss Modern collection and one of their lovely boards — because you can always use those.
By the way, you can also find the complete mango chutney with all the tips, Verena's notes and frequently asked questions on its own recipe page:
View the recipe: Mango Chutney
And the fruity papaya salsa has its own recipe page too — perfect to bookmark if you only want to make the dip:
In the mood for even more dips for your apéro? Then be sure to try my Mediterranean guacamole with feta, olives and sun-dried tomatoes, my creamy Mediterranean avocado dip or the savory pumpkin hummus with roasted veggies — all three are wonderful on a colorful platter.
I hope you enjoyed my tips for the appetizer platter with 2 dips and a gift from the kitchen, and that you'll find inspiration for your Christmas menu and a fitting gift to bring along for your loved ones right away. In my Christmas category you'll find lots more recipes.
You can already find the video for the two dips here.
If you're on Pinterest, you can find me here and feel free to pin one of these pictures:
This blog post was created in collaboration with Victorinox — the recipes are my own. *
