So what to eat when you’re hosting a party and want to serve healthy, delicious, colorful appetizers? I have a few yummy options for you... last Friday I hosted an all ladies soiree and made the following four appetizer dishes as healthy and yummy alternatives to the higher calorie, more indulgent platters and desserts that would also be served:
Mini Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs with a Tzatziki Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Homemade Hummus with Crudités and Black Olives
Arugula & Spinach Cranberry Pecan Salad with Feta
Mini Baked Quesadillas
Here they are all finished and ready to be taken to where the festivities would be held (happened to be my sister's bacholorette pad;)
And here are the easy to follow recipes below:
For the
Meatballs.
Cast of Characters: 2lbs of organic ground turkey (dark meat), 4 cloves of garlic, grated, 1 egg, 1/2 cup of finely diced onion, 2 Tbs of finely diced cilantro, 1 Tbs of Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of plain bread crumbs, 2 tsb of cumin, 2 tsp of cayenne pepper, 2 tsp of coriander, 2 tsp of Arabic all-purpose seasoning (can be found at any ethnic food store where Middle-Eastern products are sold. The seasoning contains cinnamon, coriander, curry, turmeric among other yummy and intense flavors and really adds quite the delicious depth to the meatballs.) Salt and Pepper and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for cooking.
Preparation: Make sure the meat has been properly thawed and is at a comfortable room temperature put in large mixing bowl and set aside. Peel 4 large garlic cloves and either dice very finely or grate into a pulp. Add the garlic, onions, cilantro, Dijon mustard, all the spices above into meat mixture and mix well. Take the egg and beat in separate bowl and then add to the meat mixture, mix well. Finally, add the breadcrumbs, the breadcrumbs should add just a little texture to help hold the meatballs together but should be added judiciously so as not to add to much starch to the meatballs. Clean your hands well and then use them to mix the meat mixture thoroughly and form into about an inch thick balls. Once all balls have been formed, heat a large sauté pan (like a Dutch oven) and add about 1 Tbs of olive oil to the pan. Make sure its well heated and then start adding the meatballs. You will need to let them brown about 4 minutes each side and then cover adding a little water or chicken stock to help steam the inside. The meatballs will have to be made in intervals unless you would like to add two sauté pans at the same time. To keep them warm make sure you keep them under aluminum foil until they are all prepared and are ready to be served along with the cool tzatziki sauce, the perfect complement to the spicy meatballs. (serves about 10 - 15 people)
For the
Tzatziki sauce.
Cast of Characters: About a 1 1/2 cups of non-fat Green Yogurt (oikos or fage are good brands), 1 cucumber peeled, 3 cloves of garlic, a few mint leaves, salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation:
Cut the cucumber in chunks, peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves. Add all ingredients to either a blender or food processor and blend or pulse until creamy but slightly chunky. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add to serving bowl and keep cool until serving time.
For the Hummus.
Cast of Characters: 2 cans of drained canned garbanzo beans. 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped, 1 Tsb of Tahini (found in Ethnic food stores and Middle Eastern specialty shops), the Juice of one lemon, 1/2 cup of good quality extra virgin olive oil. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Preparation: In food processor combine garbanzo beans, garlic, Tahini, and lemon juice, pulse ingredients together. When the ingredients start combining slowly add the olive oil until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth. Finally add the salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowl and add a little olive oil on top for garnish. Serve along raw veggies such as cucumbers, celery, carrots, broccoli and whole wheat pita chunks. (serves 10 - 15)
For the Salad.
Cast of Characters: 2 cups of organic baby spinach leaves, 2 cups of organic arugula. 1/3 of dried cranberries, 1/2 cup of finely sliced red onion, 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts, 1/2 of good quality crumbled feta cheese. 2-3 Tbs of organic balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbs of extra virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation: In mixing bowl add the vinegar, extra virgin oil, onion slices and salt and pepper. Mix well until a vinaigrette has been made. Then incorporate on top of the vinaigrette the spinach, arugula, cranberries, pecans and then toss well until all the leaves have been covered by the vinaigrette. Finally add the crumbled feta put in serving dish. Leave in fridge to chill until ready to serve.
For the Quesadillas.
Cast of Characters : About 8 Corn Tortillas, 1 Cup of reduced-fat Monterey jack and/or cheddar (Sargento low-fat Mexican blend shredded cheese is a good option.) Organic Olive Oil cooking spray.
Preparation: On large cookie sheet spray both sides of the tortillas with the olive oil. Position the tortillas in neat rows, and then add a handful of the shredded cheese in the middle. Finally spray the remaining tortillas with the olive oil and place on top of the cheese. Turn the broiler on and add the quesadillas until the tops are golden and the cheese starts melting (about 5 minutes each side) after one side is golden turn them over and put them back under the broiler for another 4 to 5 minutes for the other side.
Once done, take out and cut quesadillas in halves and then quarters (pizza style) serve with fresh salsa or cherry tomatoes for a nice fresh pop.
And there you have it. Easy, Peasy, Delicious, Low-Cal and Healthy! The above were a hit at the party:)
***********************
Weekly Progress Updates
- Happy to report that I'm back on track. Ive lost about 1.5 lbs since last weigh in. Very excited, any progress, even if its in 1lb intervals, is good news to me:)
- Kept to my workout regime of approx 2 workouts a day. I alternated between walking 3.5 miles, 45 minutes of elliptical, 40 minutes of intense zumba, dancing and was also able to add a 3 mile (with hills) bike ride in there.
- Water intake and green juicing was on track.
- Energy levels were good with the exception of a few days of bad allergies. Having to take Claritin and other over the counter meds was a bit draining.
But enough about me. How are you doing with your goals? Would love to hear all about them!
Next up - Exercise. The good the bad and the ugly...:)
This other purplish-looking juice contains one of my favorite juicing ingredients: Red Cabbage. Cabbage has been used to treat a number of health conditions including colitis, constipation, hair loss, skin problems but it is probably most well known for its ability to heal ulcers. It is believed that the glutamine content of cabbage is the main driving force behind the use of cabbage juice to heal ulcers. It is excellent to maintain a healthy digestive system and encourages digestive enzymes after a good meal.
Finally, this light-green mixture contains quite a bit of a another excellent juicing ingredient. One that has enough anti-oxidants that if taken daily can guarantee not ever developing cancer cells, it is that powerful!! I am talking about none other than the miniature tree itself - broccoli. This particular juice contains a lot of broccoli, cauliflower, green cabbage, apple and cucumber. 
