JULIE WELLS: Surprise your New Year’s guests with these delightful cucumber and tomato appetizer bites

The New Year’s holiday is just around the corner, and you might be in a pinch for something new and refreshing to share with your party guests. Hopefully, today’s recipe, cucumber tomato bites, will help you spend a little less time in the kitchen and more time with your guests.

If you are like me, I’ve splurged a little too much this holiday season, with all of the goodies to eat everywhere I turn, but indulging in this particular appetizer shouldn’t affect the waistline too much. There is a cream cheese filling that separates the cucumber and tomatoes, but it isn’t such a huge amount of filling that you should fret over.

If you are feeling extra fancy, you can place the cream cheese filling in a icing bag and pipe it onto the cucumber. I’ve seen some really cute toothpicks with the 2015 year on them; these would be perfect for sticking them in the middle of these vegetable bites.

If you’ve already got your New Year’s appetizer planned out, this is the type of appetizer that would be perfect to serve up at any occasion requiring finger food.

Happy New Year.

Julie Wells writes the weekly The Recipe Box food column for the Rockdale Citizen.

CUCUMBER TOMATO BITES

What you need …

Three to four medium-sized cucumbers, peeled

Four Roma tomatoes (or use cherry tomatoes, sliced in half)

4 (heaping) teaspoons of ranch dressing seasoning mix, dry

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