Vegetarian Holiday Appetizer: Coconut Crusted Tempeh Skewers with Wild Blueberry BBQ Sauce

The holidays are here and like many of you, I will be hosting friends and family. We make more of a fuss over Christmas Eve dinner than any other meal, and, believe it or not, I’ve already got most of the meal planning complete. I’ve been recipe testing and tweaking dishes the last few weeks, and I’ve settled on a fun menu.

Appetizers are the main attraction when my family gets together for Christmas Eve. My mom always makes a Mediterranean style Mezza tray with different types of smoked fish and cheeses. But my sister and her fiancé are vegan, so I like to provide a tasty vegetarian app for us to share. I wanted to create something a little fancy this year so I’ve been experimenting with tempeh.

Inspired by a beautiful set of shot glasses I received as a gift, I created these to-die-for Coconut Crusted Tempeh Skewers with Wild Blueberry BBQ Sauce. The Wild Blueberry BBQ sauce is so tasty and delicious; it’s literally finger-lickin’ good! It’s not too sweet and just a little bit tangy – it’s the perfect complement to the coconut crusted tempeh.

I love incorporating Wild Blueberries, which you find in the frozen food aisle of your grocery store, into my recipes! They always provide an intense fruity flavor and because they’re jam-packed with antioxidants, they offer a nutrition upgrade to any dish.

The Wild Blueberry BBQ sauce is super simple to make. Just simmer your frozen Wild Blueberries with some ketchup, apple cider vinegar, garlic and a little maple syrup and you’re ready to go. Wild Blueberries are not only rich in antioxidants; they also support heart and brain health. That’s not something you’ll find in your average holiday appetizer.

If I were making this recipe again, there’s one thing I would suggest changing. Put more BBQ sauce in the bottom of the shot glasses! That sauce is so tangy and delicious, trust me…you’ll want more.

Here’s to a happy and healthy holiday season! For more Wild Blueberry appetizer ideas, try my Wild Blueberry and Brie Pastry Bites or these Wild Blueberry Jalapeno Poppers.