Category: appetizers

White Bean and Sundried Tomato Dip

My cooking club theme this month was “Beginnings and Endings” featuring both appetizers and desserts. This dip had a flavor which was good, but fairly subtle. If you’re looking for something a little spicier, add some red pepper flakes. You might also use this as a sandwich spread.

1 (7 oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, 2 T oil reserved and tomatoes chopped
1 T minced garlic
1 (15 oz.) can white beans, drained and rinsed
¼ c. fresh lemon juice (from 1 ½ lemons)
½ c. fresh basil, coarsely chopped and loosely packed
1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled

In a food processor, blend oil reserved from tomatoes and white beans and scrape into a small bowl. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, basil, and feta cheese. Serve with toasted bread or crackers.

-Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Hungry Girl’s Girlfredo Pizza

I am a loyal reader of Hungry Girl, but the Girlfredo Pizza is the first recipe I’ve tried from her site. The Alfredo sauce made with Laughing Cow cheese really sold me! I made a few changes to the recipe: omitted the mushrooms, doubled the spinach, and added a chopped piece of Canadian bacon. I also used the whole wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, mostly because I didn’t read the recipe closely enough the first time.

The crust ended up too thick because I didn’t spread it out enough in the frying pan, but otherwise it browned nicely without sticking. The rest of the recipe was very easy and quick – by the time the pizza came out of the oven, cleanup was done. And as I expected, it was the topping I really liked best. I would definitely use the Alfredo sauce to make homemade pizza again. The crust was decent, but I liked it just as much as a pita or Sandwich Thin which wouldn’t require dragging out the food processor. I will definitely try other recipes from Hungry Girl soon.

Not Exactly Crab Cakes

I am so ready for summer weather and summer food that I just had to make crab cakes. But since this wasn’t a special occasion, I went with the budget option of imitation crab, which of course, isn’t really crab at all. I also tried to use a fairly light recipe that limited the amount of fat. Although the cakes did not stick together well on the way into the oven, they held their shape when it was time to flip. The final product had a light texture and good flavor, thanks to the Old Bay seasoning.

Nevertheless, I look forward to trying more authentic crab cake recipes this summer. I found this blog dedicated to crab cakes, and was amazed at the number of variations. I hope my taste testers (Dad!) are ready.

1 (14 oz.) package imitation crab
1 1/2 whole wheat English muffins, toasted and crumbled
3-4 scallions, chopped
2 T Hellman’s light mayonnaise
1 T Dijon mustard
1 egg
1 t Old Bay seasoning

Mix all ingredients, and form 4 patties. Spray cookie sheet, and place patties on pan and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time.

Yam Falafels

I am not a falafel connoisseur, but I was very intrigued by this recipe from Happy Herbivore. I needed to make some modifications based on the ingredients I had on hand, but the falafels looked so cute that I didn’t want to wait until after my next shopping trip. I used skim milk in place of soy milk, and for the ‘Falafel Mix’ I used 1 t garlic powder and 1 T Italian seasoning, along with the amounts of cumin, whole wheat flour, and breadcrumbs indicated.

I am not sure what ingredients really define a falafel, but I liked these so much that I decided not to worry about it. Lindsay also provides a recipe for yogurt dressing, but I simply filled my pita pocket with sliced cucumbers, plain yogurt, and the falafels. I left one out of the pita so you could get a good look. I would also consider serving them as an appetizer, and would definitely put effort into making a yogurt dip to accompany them.

Cranberry Avocado Salsa

This was a festive looking appetizer which I served with pita crisps. I really liked the tartness of the cranberries. Even with the chili pepper it was fairly mild, so you may want to kick it up a notch.

1 12 oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups)
1/4 c. sugar
Juice of one orange
1 medium Serrano chili, seeded, chopped
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, diced
2 T lime juice

Combine cranberries, sugar, and orange juice in processor. Coarsely chop mixture, and transfer to medium bowl. Stir in Serrano chili, avocados, and lime juice.

Baked Brie with Caramelized Pears

This is the recipe for the appetizer I made Christmas Day. I really liked the combination of the pears and shallots baked with the brie, but it was difficult to eat in the hollowed loaf of bread. Next time I would bake the brie in a pie dish and simply serve the bread on the side.

1 T butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 c. dry white wine
1/2 t brown sugar
1/2 t chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 (8 ounce) round loaf sourdough bread
1 (8 ounce) round Brie cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot; cook and stir for 1 minute to soften. Add thinly sliced pears; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in white wine, brown sugar, thyme, salt, and pepper; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, and the pears have lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Cut a Brie-sized hole in the top of the sourdough bread to within 1/2-inch of the bottom. Cut the removed bread into pieces for serving, set aside. Score the Brie around it’s edge, using a paring knife to cut 1/4-inch deep. Cut in half by looping an 18-inch piece of very thin string, or unflavored dental floss around the scored Brie and pulling the ends in opposite directions.
Place the bottom half of the Brie, cut-side-up, into the sourdough loaf. Top with 1/2 of the pear mixture. Place the remaining brie half on top and spread with remaining pear mixture. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until soft and gooey. Serve with sliced sourdough bread and crackers.

-Adapted from allrecipes.com

Spinach Pie

This is my favorite crust less quiche recipe. I have made several variations with sauteed onions, mushrooms, and Canadian bacon.

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 c. fat-free cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c. fat-free cottage cheese
3 eggs
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients; pour into a Pam-sprayed pie dish and bake for 35-45 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Brie Appetizer

Brie is wonderful all by itself, but this recipe dresses it up even further. You do need to serve it quickly as it is best right out of the oven.

1/4 c. chopped sun dried tomatoes
2 t olive oil
4 cloves garlic
2 t balsamic vinegar
4-5 leaves fresh basil
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 large wheel brie

Cover tomatoes with boiling water and let stand 15 minutes. Heat oil, and cook tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, and basil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley and pepper to taste. Let cool. Cut surface of the rind from the top of the brie and place it in a pie dish. Top with tomato mixture, and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.

Mikey’s Feta Stuffed Mushrooms

These amazing mushrooms can be served as a side dish or an appetizer, but you will need to eat them with a fork. I’ve also made the recipe with regular stuffing mushrooms and it worked just as well.

4 large portobello mushrooms
1 shallot, chopped
1 handful fresh spinach, cut into strips
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, and finely chopped
1 block FF feta, crumbled
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1 T Greek yogurt or fat free sour cream

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, and chop them. Remove the gills if you desire. Add a bit of olive oil to a large skillet, and saute the stems, shallots, jalapeno, and pepper until cooked through. Add the spinach, saute for a minute or two to wilt the spinach. Remove from heat, and mix in cheese and yogurt/sour cream. Stuff the caps. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 400F oven.

-Recipe courtesy of Mikey from the Weight Watchers community

Spanikopita Chicken Meatballs with Yogurt Dill Sauce

These are easy to make ahead of time and bake just before your guests arrive. The sauce is what really makes this recipe great.

1 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for liberal drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped, divided
4 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
3/4 c. crumbled fat free feta cheese
1 lb ground chicken
1 T grill seasoning (recommended: McCormick Montreal Seasoning)
1 1/2 c. fat free Greek-style plain yogurt
1/3 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
3 T fresh dill
1.5 t cumin
1.5 t coriander
salt

In a bowl combine 3/4 of onion and 3 cloves of garlic. Squeeze the water out of the spinach until completely dry. Separate the spinach as you add it to garlic and onion. Add feta, chicken and grill seasoning to the bowl and a liberal drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix the meat with veggies and feta and form 18 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs. Place the meatballs on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes until they are golden and juices run clear. Place yogurt, reserved onion and garlic, cucumber, dill, cumin, coriander and a little salt in food processor and process until smooth. Adjust seasonings and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve meatballs alongside sauce with toothpicks.

-Rachael Ray