For a light and fresh twist on the typical Bruschetta appetizer, try something new by layering avocado with crabmeat on round toasts. Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds and – voila!

Very simple and delicious to create, start by tossing sweet crabmeat with fresh mint and lime juice, then spooning it over mashed avocado on buttered toast rounds.

You can make your own toasts or buy store-bought ones to save time. Yummy!

Smoked-Salmon Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are fun because you can dress them up or down. For something different, try a quick and easy seafood version of regular devilled eggs.

You can use real or imitation crab meat, or substitute fresh salmon or canned tuna. For something extravagant, try lobster.

A West Coast favorite is to dress them up with chopped smoked salmon as shown here and garnish with shredded radish, paprika and cilantro.

Asparagus Tempura

This super crispy tempura is one of our spring favorites. Guests love anything fried and it’s the perfect cocktail party dish since no knife or fork is necessary.

Try serving the tempura with different sauces, like a high-quality soy sauce, curried mayonnaise or tzatsiki. Add a few wedges of lemon as a garnish.

Perfect for your next garden party!

Pancetta-Wrapped Asparagus with Citronette

For a twist on the traditional antipasto of prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, wrap the spears in pancetta (which, unlike prosciutto, becomes nicely crispy when cooked) and grill them.

An interesting texture; crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Add a bit of tanginess such as citronette, a marvelously bright-tasting mustardy-orange dressing and you have the perfect spring appetizer.

This appetizer has always been prepared with plain white rice to make incredible arancini (rice balls).

Famous chefs suggest to try something new and cook with plump arborio because it makes the inside creamier.

We like to substitute the peas with mushrooms and add bits of juicy prawns.

Arancini can be set on a food station with dipping sauce or served as a passed appetizer on a toothpick.

Use a mix of spinach, fava beans, green beans and a good amount.

Make your own paprika-spiced empanada dough and stuff with fresh greens. Store-bought empanada wrappers (available in the freezer section of many supermarkets and specialty food stores) work well, too.

Add a bit of mozzarella cheese for a special twist!