Tag Archives: appetizer

Cheesy Spirals

Don’t let the fact that there is not a lot of cheese in these dissuade you – these are so very good and the fragrance of them under your nose while you are biting in makes them all the more better. Great as an appetizer or a snack or a side, these cheesy bread puffs are awesome !

Cheesy Spirals
Cheesy Spirals

8 servings
70 calories per serving

4 oz. can of low fat crescent rolls
¼ c chopped green onions
1/8 t garlic powder
¼ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from can but do not unroll it. Cut into 8 slices and place slices on an ungreased cookie sheet and place all the ingredients on top of the rolls and press down lightly. Bake 10-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Black Bean Hummus

This is exactly what is says – the flavor of black bean dip mixed with the flavor of hummus and it was quite good ! Serve with Triscuits or homemade pita chips for a great appetizer or snack !

Black Bean Hummus
Black Bean Hummus

1 ½ cups
43 calories per serving (1 serving = 2 T)

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 T tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 T low fat sour cream
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T minced tomato
1 T lime juice
1 t cumin
Pepper to taste

In a food processor mix all ingredients and process until smooth.

Greek Bruschetta

Bruschetta is simply a dish that has some short of chopped tomatoes served on top of some type of bread product. There are a million variations – this one is Greek and oh so good ! Cut into wedges, these make a great appetizer. Served whole, they make an awesome lunch ! 1 whole pita is only 180 calories so there’s still room for some soup or salad on the side 🙂

Greek Bruschetta
Greek Bruschetta

6 servings
60 calories per serving

2 7 inch whole wheat pitas
1 T fat free balsamic vinaigrette
1 T chopped basil
1 large plum tomato, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 c fat free plain hummus
1 T shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pitas on a cookie sheet and bake 6 minutes or until a bit crisp. Mix vinaigrette, basil, tomato and garlic. Spread the hummus evenly on the 2 pitas and then spoon over the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake 5-6 minutes or until hot. Cut each pita into 6 wedges.

Cold Antipasto

This is a nice change from having a regular salad next to your meal – I sometimes put it out as an appetizer or even add a few breadsticks and make a lunch of it 🙂 By cooking the veggies and leaving them in the ‘brine’ you get a giardiniera flavor, though not as strong since it sits for just a few hours before serving.

Cold Antipasto
Cold Antipasto

4 servings
149 calories per serving

1 c vegetable broth
½ c dry white wine
½ t oregano flakes
¼ t crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. carrots, sliced on the diagonal
2 c cauliflower florets
¼ lb. green beans, sliced in half on the diagonal
½ c pickled pepperoncini peppers
¼ c white vinegar
1 t oil
½ t salt
½ c cubed mozzarella cheese (part skim)

In a large skillet bring the broth, wine, oregano and red pepper flakes to a simmer and then add the carrots. Cover and cook 6 minutes. Add the cauliflower and beans and return to simmer and cook 8 minutes more. Put the veggies and liquid in a bowl and stir in the pepperoncini, vinegar, oil and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Just before serving, plate the veggies along with the cheese.

Zucchini Pizzas

These were just fabulous ! The big cheese flavor makes you forget that you have a zucchini under there instead of a crust. And using tomato paste instead of sauce really makes for a rich flavor. You get a whole zucchini’s worth for just 90 calories !!

Zucchini Pizzas
Zucchini Pizzas

36 pizzas
90 calories per serving (1 serving = 12 pieces)

3 medium zucchinis each sliced into 12 pieces
6 oz. can tomato paste
36 thin slices 1 inch square part skim mozzarella cheese
1/3 c parmesan cheese
Mixed Italian herbs (oregano, basil, parsley)

Preheat broiler. Parboil zucchini slices 1-2 minutes and then drain on paper towels. Place on a baking sheet and top each piece with 1 t tomato paste and one slice cheese. Then top with ½ t parmesan and herbs. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Spinach and Cheese Squares

This is basically a super easy recipe for a superb spinach quiche. The crust is light, the filling perfect, and this makes a great appetizer or lunch.

Spinach and Cheese Squares
Spinach and Cheese Squares

8 servings
79 calories per serving

1 ½ c Egg Beaters
¾ c skim milk
1 T dried onion flakes
1 T grated parmesan cheese
¼ t garlic powder
1/8 t pepper
¼ c bread crumbs
¾ c fat free shredded cheddar cheese, divided
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
Pam

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, milk, onion, parmesan, garlic powder and pepper. Spray an 8×8 pan with Pam and press bread crumbs evenly into the bottom. Place ½ c of cheddar on top of the bread crumbs then add the spinach. Pour the egg mix on top of the spinach and then add the rest of the cheese. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Open Face Eggplant Melts

These are INCREDIBLY good – each piece in and of itself is good, and all put together, it makes an awesome appetizer, lunch or snack ! The balsamic dressing on the eggplant and zucchini make this very special and I recommend you don’t skip that step.

Open Face Eggplant Melt
Open Face Eggplant Melt

4 servings
260 calories per serving

1/2 lb. eggplant cut into 8 slices
1 medium zucchini sliced lengthwise into 8 long slices
1/3 c low fat balsamic vinegar dressing
4 ¾ inch thick slices of Italian bread
3 T low fat mayo
½ t basil flakes
Pepper to taste
1 tomato cut into 8 slices
3 slices part skim ricotta each cut into 4 strips
Pam

Spray a cookie sheet with Pam and preheat broiler. Place eggplant and zucchini slices on sheet and brush with half of the dressing then broil 5 minutes, turn, brush with the rest of the dressing, and broil another 5-7 minutes. Place bread slices on a cookie sheet and broil 1-2 minutes to lightly toast. Combine mayo, basil and pepper and spread on bread. Top each piece of bread with 2 eggplant slices, 2 zucchini slices, 2 tomato slices and 3 strips of cheese and broil 1-2 minutes. If the bread you use is not large enough to support 2 pieces of eggplant, zucchini and tomato, cut it down to 1 and lay the cheese across lengthwise rather than crosswise.

Homemade Cheese with Curried Spinach

This has the most awesome Middle Eastern flavor ! It was spicy without being too hot and the texture of the cheese really went well with the chopped spinach – – it picked up the spices of the spinach nicely. This was my first time making cheese and it was well worth it. It was a definite ‘2 thumbs up’ from the whole family 🙂

Homemade Cheese with Curried Spinach
Homemade Cheese with Curried Spinach

4 servings
302 calories per serving

2 quarts 1 % milk
1/3 c lemon juice
4 t oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t ground coriander
¾ t turmeric
¼ t salt
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 c chicken broth
2 T tomato paste
2 t jalapeno pepper sauce or Asian chili and garlic sauce

Bring milk to a boil (be careful to not let the bottom scorch – be patient and do it on medium or medium high heat rather than cranking it up to high) then remove from heat and add lemon juice. Let stand about 15 minutes so that the curds and whey separate. Line a colander with a doubled piece of cheese cloth, place in the sink, and pour in the milk mix letting the whey drain away. Let sit 20 minutes or so and then pull together the cheesecloth and squeeze gently to remove any more liquid. You can use a light twisting motion and that helps. Then flatten into a disk on a plate and then place a small saucepan on top of it and place an unopened canned good in the pan to create a weight on top of the cheese. I used a large can of crushed tomatoes and it worked great. Do not refrigerate. Let stand 2 hours or until firm enough to cut.

In a large skillet heat 2 t oil and add onion and garlic and cook 7 minutes or until tender and then add the coriander, turmeric and salt. Mix and then add the spinach, broth, tomato paste and pepper sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out skillet. Cut the cheese into ½ inch chunks. Heat 2 t oil in skillet and add the cheese cooking for 4 minutes or until light browned and crusty then gently stir in the spinach and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Here’s a couple more pictures of the cheese making process:

Curds and Whey separating
Curds and Whey separating
Cheese Disc
Cheese Disc

Breakfast Pizza

This breakfast pizza also makes a great appetizer or lunch. You can easily change it up a little by adding different veggies – mushrooms, tri color peppers, even some spinach leaves !

Breakfast Pizza
Breakfast Pizza

6 servings
239 calories per serving

1 can refrigerated biscuit dough
½ lb. turkey bacon slices
2 T butter
2 T flour
¼ t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 ½ c skim milk
½ c low fat shredded cheddar cheese
¼ c sliced bell peppers
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with Pam. Separate biscuits and place on a floured surface side by side. Roll into a 14×10 rectangle and place in sprayed pan patting the edges up side of the dish. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Cook bacon until crisp – cool it – and then crumble and set aside. Melt butter in a pan and stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk and cook on medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until it is melted. Spread sauce over crust and sprinkle with bacon and peppers. Bake 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Swedish Meatballs (Crock Pot)

I love to make things earlier in the day and then come home to a nice hot meal. The rich sauce makes you barely notice that the meatballs are done with turkey instead of beef.

Swedish Meatballs (Crock Pot)
Swedish Meatballs (Crock Pot)

4 servings
228 calories per serving

3 slices bread, cubed
1 c evaporated skim milk, divided
1 T buttery spread
¼ c shallots, minced
½ lb. ground turkey
¼ – ½ c bread crumbs (optional – to bring mix to a dry enough consistency)
¼ c Egg Beaters
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ c plus 2 T flour
3/4 c chicken broth
1 T Worcestershire sauce

Mix bread cubes and ½ of the milk and let stand 5 minutes. Melt margarine in a pan and add shallots. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add shallots, meat, egg, salt and pepper to bread. Mix well and if you need it to be drier, add the optional bread crumbs, then make equally sized meatballs. Place ¼ c flour in a bowl and roll meatballs in flour to coat. Place in crock and add broth and Worcestershire. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours. Mix rest of the flour with the rest of the milk. Remove meatballs to plate and keep warm. Stir milk and flour mix into cooking juices and cover and cook on high 10-15 minutes. Put meatballs back in the pot and serve immediately.

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