It’s almost the New Year and as most other do to celebrate that mean lots of guests and lots of food. Most of the time instead of doing dinner I simply like to make appetizers or snack food for my guests to enjoy. Here are 3 quick and easy healthy recipes to make all of your guests happy.
Goat Cheese Apple Canapés
Makes about 28
Ingredients:
8 ounces soft goat cheese
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 lemon
2 Granny Smith apples
⅓ cup chopped almond
Directions:
- Mix the cheese, orange juice and zest of lemon in a food processor. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to firm it up.
- While the cheese is chilling, slice the apples into rounds and remove any seeds. Cut each round in half to make a crescent shape. Sprinkle the apple pieces with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
- Place a large spoonful of the cheese mixture on each apple piece and garnish with the almonds.
Nutritional Facts: per serving
35 cal; 2.5g total fat; 2g carb; 45mg sod; 0g fiber; 2g protein; 2g sugars
Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
Serves 6
Ingredients:
12 large (10 ounces) plump pitless dates
4 ounces fresh white goat cheese
Zest of 2 clementines
pine nuts, optional
Directions:
- Split the dates lengthways. Fill the cavities with about 1 teaspoon of goat cheese, molding the date halves around the filling. Top each with a few strands of orange zest and optional nuts.
Nutritional Facts: per serving (3 dates)
140 cal; 3g total fat; 27g carb; 55mg sod; 2g fiber; 3g protein; 24g sugars
Mini Rice Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Makes 20 sweet peppers
Ingredients:
20 2-inch-long mini sweet peppers (preferably several different colors)
⅔ cup Arborio rice
3 Tbs. sunflower seed oil
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. Dijon mustard
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, lightly packed
Directions:
- Place rack in top position of oven, and preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange peppers on rimmed baking sheet, and roast for 10 minutes, or until slightly softened and wrinkled. Cool on baking sheet.
- Lay 1 pepper on its side, and use paring knife to cut long, oval-shaped opening into side of pepper, leaving stem and bottom intact. Reserve oval-shaped piece for filling. Carefully scoop out and discard seeds from body of pepper. Repeat with remaining peppers. Chop up oval-shaped pieces, and set aside.
- Place rice in saucepan, cover with salted water, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium, and cook 15 minutes. Drain.
- Meanwhile, whisk together oil, vinegar, oregano, and mustard, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir mixture into hot rice, then mix in reserved chopped peppers, and cheese.
- Stuff mini peppers with rice mixture, and arrange on platter.
Nutritional Facts: per serving
52 cal; 3g total fat (<1g sat fat); 6g carb; 98mg sod; <1g fiber; 1g protein; <1g sugars
*All recipes are based off of recipes from Vegetarian Times Magazine
