Are your big dinner party plans clashing with your small budget? Consider keeping your plates small, too.
Spanish-style tapas are by definition budget-friendly, since they are small plates of food traditionally served at bars. Most can be prepared quickly and using inexpensive ingredients, allowing you to serve a varied and flavorful menu while keeping costs down.

And you don’t need to be limited to Spanish cuisine. Most Mediterranean cultures have their own versions of tapas, such as Italian bruschetta and crostini and Greek meze.

Here are five ideas:

1. SPANISH TAPAS

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are key to Jose Andres’ budget tapas menu. The Washington chef, cookbook author and owner of several award-winning tapas restaurants says produce keeps flavors fresh and costs down.

He suggests skewers of tomato-topped watermelon drizzled with dressing, as well as a fruity summer sangria. He also says budget cooking can be a state of mind. You don’t have to leave the table full every time, as is common in this country.

“It’s OK to leave hungry,” he says.

Smaller steak plates, with three-bite crab cakes. Louie Favorite, AJC Staff.

2. STEAK FOR LESS

Small plates also are a good way to stretch pricier proteins, such as steak, pork tenderloin, salmon or crab cakes, says Tina Ujlaki, executive food editor of Food & Wine magazine.

“Even if you are on a budget, it’s a great way to still be able to offer a bit of luxury,” she says. You can even serve meatballs or small meat medallions as “sliders.” Try:

–Seared pork tenderloin with a mustard-fruit glaze, thinly sliced and accompanied by a cooked plum puree.

–Slices of smoked salmon with a salsa made of finely diced cucumbers, pickled onions and capers.

–Three-bite crab cakes with a four-vegetable slaw, using your favorite seasonal vegetables finely shredded or chopped. Ujlaki suggests broccoli stems, red and green cabbage, and carrots for a mix of colors.

This photo provided by the California Tree Fruit Agreement shows Sweet Summer Fruit Bruschetta, which can be made with fresh peaches, nectarines and-or plums. Fruit is a simple addition to summer meals and this dessert or snack is quick and easy to make. (AP Photo/California Tree Fruit Agreement)

3. BUFFET OF BRUSCHETTA

Using bread, potatoes or pasta as the base ingredients for your menu is another good way to offer plenty of food without spending a lot, says Lucinda Scala Quinn, executive food director at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

She suggests a bruschetta menu, served on platters or boards lined with parchment paper. These are easily prepared beforehand, or guests can prepare their own, so the host or hostess can enjoy the party.
She suggests toasting or grilling slices of a rustic bread, rubbing them with garlic and topping them with a variety of flavors and textures, such as:

–A basic homemade pesto and a seasonal vegetable, such as roasted red peppers, peeled and marinated in olive oil and garlic.

–Shredded zucchini with lemon, basil, a drizzle of olive oil and crumbled or grated cheese.

–Shredded kale that has been quickly sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with toasted almonds.

4. MEXICAN SIMPLICITY

In her book Fresh Mexico, Marcela Valladolid has several suggestions for simple foods that are crowd pleasers. “I would opt for cheaper selections of protein,” she says. Try:

–Chicken drumettes brushed with a glaze of honey, vinegar, butter, Worcestershire sauce, ground ancho chilies and garlic powder. Just brush the drumettes with the glaze and bake for 25 minutes.

–Deviled eggs “are the first thing that disappear off the table,” Valladolid says. “Who doesn’t have eggs in the refrigerator?” She says to “spike” them with chilies and cilantro or a spicy mustard.

-Fish tacos made with inexpensive tilapia, or halibut if you can spend a bit more. Fry the fish with a beer and flour batter, and top with what’s in your fridge — salsa, sour cream or other condiments.

5. WORLD INSPIRATION

Draw inspiration from ethnic cuisines to offer lots of flavor in small bites, says David Kamen, a professor at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Mezes from Greece or Turkey or dim sum from Asia can be easy to prepare, he says.

He also suggests getting seasonal ingredients from your farmer’s market, then cooking them using methods that heighten flavor, such as roasting or grilling. Try:

–Simple grilled vegetables with dips and sauces inspired by different parts of the world.

–A gradual meal. Like Andres, Kamen suggests eating like Europeans do — smaller plates of food over a longer period of time. If the plates come out gradually, people eat less and can linger over dinner, creating an enjoyable meal.

“We feel this compulsion to suck it down,” Kamen says of Americans.

Chicken Wing Confit with Olive Puree tapas. Chicken wings and common ingredients makes this Chicken Wing Confit with Olive Puree tapas an economical choice when entertaining. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

CHICKEN WING CONFIT WITH GREEN OLIVE PUREE

This recipe produces an impressive and flavorful tapas using inexpensive chicken wings and other common ingredients.

Start to finish: 1 hour active (plus 3 hours marinating)

Servings: 4

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

7 garlic cloves (3 peeled and minced), divided

1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

11/2 pounds chicken winglets (upper joint only), about 12 pieces

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/2 cup pitted green olives

1/4 cup water

41/4 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 cups dry bread crumbs

Salt, to taste

In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the minced garlic and smoked paprika. Add the chicken winglets, toss to coat and season with salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

When ready, in blender combine parsley, olives, 4 tablespoons olive oil and water. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

In a large wide pot over low, heat 4 cups vegetable oil until it reaches 200º. Add remaining 4 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs rosemary, 2 sprigs thyme and bay leaf. Add winglets, spreading them in pot to cook evenly. Cook for 20 minutes until meat starts to separate from the bones.

With a slotted spoon, transfer winglets to a paper towel-lined plate and drain. When cool to handle, debone the winglets with your fingers, trying to keep the shape of the winglets intact.

Remove the leaves from the remaining sprig of rosemary and the thyme and finely chop. In a large bowl, combine the herbs with the bread crumbs. Add the winglets to the bread crumbs one at a time, and pat them with bread crumbs, making sure to coat them well.

In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of vegetable oil over medium. Working in batches, carefully add breaded winglets and cook until golden brown on sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer the breaded winglets to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

To serve, divide winglets between 4 plates. Put a teaspoon of the olive puree on top of each winglet; season with salt.

WATERMELON AND TOMATO SKEWERS

Jose Andres credits avant-garde Spanish chef Ferran Adria with creating these simple and inexpensive skewers of watermelon topped with tomatoes and a lemon vinaigrette. He uses just the seeds and inner membranes of the tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes are easier.

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

8 bamboo skewers

1/4 seedless watermelon, flesh cut into 2-inch cubes

8 cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Salt, to taste

Fresh herbs or herb flowers (such as lavender or borage), for the garnish (optional)

Place 1 watermelon cube on each skewer, then top with tomato-seed fillets on top. Arrange the skewers standing on a serving plate.

In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, half of the lemon zest, the oil and vinegar. Pour the dressing over the skewers, then garnish with the remaining lemon zest and the herb flowers. Serve immediately.

While the name implys a lack of color, seasonal fruit in this White Sangria can create an explosion reds, yellows and greens. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)

WHITE SANGRIA

An inexpensive sparkling wine does fine in this recipe for white sangria. For a seasonal blend of fruits, which will cost the least and taste the best.

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

1 cup mixed cut fresh fruit (such as strawberries, peaches, white grapes)

750-millileter bottle dry sparkling wine, chilled

2 ounces brandy

2 ounces vanilla liqueur

2 ounces white grape juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 small sprig fresh mint

Fill a glass pitcher with ice, then add the fruit. Slowly pour in the sparkling wine, tilting the bottle and pitcher as needed so the wine runs down the inside of the pitcher walls.

In a large measuring cup, mix the brandy, vanilla liqueur, white grape juice and sugar. Pour over the fruit and sparkling wine, then garnish with mint.

These recipes are from Jose Andres’ “Made in Spain,” Clarkson Potter, 2008.

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