ISO: ISO: Recipes for Healthy Party Food

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traca

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My friend is an athlete and has a big competition coming up. While out of town athletes are here, she wants to host a party. Looking for any excuse to cook...I agreed to do the food.

The panic factor is setting in and now I'm trying to figure out what to serve!

From my experience fattiest dishes are the first to go, but since we're expecting 20-30 athletes, I'll have to work on another angle. My friend is also gluten intollerant so I'll need to keep any pasta & bread-based ideas to a minimum.

Any thoughts? Recipe suggestions?

 
Red Pepper Dip and Veggies

Mondavi Red Pepper Spread

from: http://www.robertmondavi.com/foodwine/

Serves: (makes) about 2 cups

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large red onion, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 red bell peppers, sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and wine and bring to a boil reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until the onion is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the bell pepper, thyme, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook until the bell pepper is soft and the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 20 minutes.

Transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a fine mixture is formed.

Serve as a spread on a crostini or as a dip for crudités.

Sylvia's notes: I like the dip as is........a very mellow distinctive red pepper flavour. It has been suggested the dip could use more "zip" with the addition of garlic which could be added when cooking the onion.

This spread freezes very well with no deterioration to consistency or flavour.

 
Hummus and Crudities

HUMMUS WITH SESAME OIL

1 19oz can Chickpeas, drained
3 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
6 Tbsp canned Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
Pita bread, cut into quarters

In a food processor, process chickpeas until
coarsely pureed. Add lemon juice, 2 Tbsp
chicken stock, olive oil, garlic, Tabasco,
sesame oil and cumin.

Puree, adding enough additional stock to
make a smooth paste. Season with salt and
pepper and adjust seasoning, it may need
more lemon juice and cumin.

Serve with quartered pieces of Pita and or veggies.

 
Thai Crab Salad Phyllo Cups

Thai Crab Salad Phyllo Cups

A Canadian Living Recipe

The salad filling's taste and colour lend an exotic glamour to your appetizer platter. Spoon the filling into the phyllo cups right before serving.

48 Flaky Phyllo Cups 48
Filling:

3 tbsp Vegetable oil 50 mL
3 tbsp Lime or lemon juice 50 mL
2 tbsp Granulated sugar 25 mL
4 tsp Fish or soy sauce 20 mL
1-1/2 tsp Peanut butter 7 mL
1 Clove garlic, minced 1
Dash Hot pepper sauce Dash
8 oz Crabmeat (fresh thawed) 250 g
2/3 cup Each finely chopped English
cucumber and sweet red pepper 150
mL
3 tbsp Each finely chopped green onion
and fresh basil or mint 50 mL
2 tbsp Finely chopped peanuts 25 mL


FILLING: In large bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, peanut butter,
garlic and hot pepper sauce until sugar is dissolved.

Gently squeeze any excess liquid from crab. Add crab to bowl along with cucumber, red pepper, onion and basil; toss to combine. Spoon into phyllo cups. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Makes 48 pieces.

Per piece: about 38 cal, 2 g pro, 2 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 3 g carb, trace fibre, 6 mg
chol, 107 mg sodium. % RDI: 1% iron, 2% vit A, 5% vit C, 2% folate.
Tip: If desired, you can substitute salad shrimp for the crabmeat.

Flaky Phyllo Cups

6 Sheets phyllo pastry 6
1/4 cup Butter, melted 50 mL

Lightly grease 24 mini muffin or tart tins; set aside.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo on work surface, keeping remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap then damp towel. Brush sheet lightly with butter. Top with second sheet; brush with butter. Top with third sheet; brush with butter. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips and crosswise into 6 strips to make 24 squares.

Press each square into prepared cup. Bake in centre of 400°F (200°C) oven for about 5 minutes or until golden. Let cool in pan on rack. Repeat with remaining phyllo. (Cups can be frozen in single layer in airtight container for up to 1 month; recrisp in 350°F/180°C oven for 3 minutes.)

Makes 48 cups.

Per cup: about 17 cal, trace pro, 1 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 2 g carb, 0 g fibre, 3 mg chol, 28 mg sodium. % RDI: 1% vit A.

 
Mandarin Chicken Bites

Mandarin Chicken Bites w/ Curry Mayonnaise Chutney Dip (A most impressive
cold delectable w/ outstanding color.)

Mandarin Chicken Bites--yield about 5 dozen

2 whole chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
1-3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound fresh spinach leaves, rinsed and stemmed
8 cups boiling water
2 16-ounce cans mandarin oranges, drained

In 10-inch skillet, combine chicken breasts, broth, soy sauce and Worcestershire. Heat to boiling over medium heat; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is fork-tender (about 15-20 minutes). With a slotted spoon, remove chicken from broth and let cool slightly. Remove and discard skin and bones. Cut meat into 1-inch cubes.

Place spinach leaves in a colander. Pour boiling water over leaves. Drain and set
aside to cool.

Place a cube of chicken at stem end of a spinach leaf and wrap leaf around chicken so
that chicken still shows on sides. Secure end of leaf with a wooden pick or skewer.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour. (Recipe can be prepared up to this point one day ahead.)

To serve, place one mandarin orange section at the end of each wooden pick. Serve with Curry Mayonnaise Dip, below.

Curry Mayonnaise Dip

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 Tablespoons chopped Major Grey's Chutney
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel

Blend all dip ingredients in a jar and refrigerate until serving time.

Source: CREME DE COLORADO COOKBOOK.

 
REC: Chickpea and Green Bean Salad from Josephine Araldo.

(The last time I ran a 10K everyone was carbo-loading, lol. Beans, veggies and olive oil are still okay, aren't they?)

Green Bean and Chickpea Salad

From a Breton Garden; The Vegetable Cookery of Josephine Araldo
Serves 6 to 8


1-1/2 cups dried chickpeas (garbanzos)

Vinaigrette:
6 anchovy filets, soaked in water to desalt (Or a big squish of anchovy paste, being careful later of the salt)
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup green beans, cut in 1/4-inch diagonal slices, blanched until tender, drained and refreshed under cold water
6 olives, green or black. pitted and finely chopped
1/4 green pepper, finely chopped
5 to 6 radishes, grated and salted
4 scallions, sliced paper thin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 to 4 Tbs. chopped fines herbs: parsley. chives, and tarragon
Salt and freshly ground pepper.

Soak the beans in water overnight, drain, put in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Cook at a simmer 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and make the vinaigrette: Crush the anchovies in a mortar and mix with the mustard to make a smooth paste. Slowly add the olive oil drop by drop, whisking as you would in making mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper. Lighten with a few drops of lemon juice and add nutmeg.

In a large bowl, mix the chickpeas with the vinaigrette and all remaining ingredients. Allow the dish to rest for an hour before serving.

(Notes: Before I tried this recipe I thought it was way too skimpy on the vegetables, but the effect is like a chunky dressing that compliments the chickpeas perfectly. You could cut down a little on the olive oil, and also save some of the bean cooking liquid to moisten the salad if necessary.

I've had the best luck buying chickpeas in bulk from a busy health food store, and using them within a few months. They're much fresher that way and chickpeas don't age well. (I've sometimes simmered packaged chickpeas for hours without them ever getting tender). It also helps to use purified water to soak and cook them. I don't drain them after soaking.

And of course, there are always canned beans.)

 
REC: Cucumber Disks with Chili Shrimp

This is one of my favorites, and it's fat free! They disappear like you would not believe, so tasty...

CUCUMBER DISKS WITH CHILI SHRIMP

2 scallions
1 lemon
1 lime
3 large hothouse cucumbers
20 medium cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce

Trim away root end of scallions. Cut scallions into 1-inch lengths, then slice lengthwise into long, thin shreds. Place in bowl of ice water to curl, about 10 minutes. Dry on paper towels.

Using a zester, remove zest from lemon and lime in long, fine strips.

Slice cucumber into rounds 1/2-inch thick. Trim to make uniform rounds using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter. This also will remove peel. (or you can peel decorative strips of the peel lengthwise down the cucumber and slice - a time saver and still looks lovely)

Place cucumber rounds on a serving platter. Top each with a shrimp, then drizzle with chili sauce and garnish with scallion curls and lemon and lime strips.

Note: Prepare scallion curls and zest strips, and peel and devein shrimp 1 hour ahead. Keep these ingredients covered and refrigerated. Assemble dish just before serving.

(Heather's note - if the chili sauce is too spicy for you (which it is for me), dilute with 2-3 Tbl of rice wine vinegar and add a dash or soy or fish sauce to enhance the flavor.)

Surreal Gourmet

 
Parm, or any shredded cheese crisps would be good to have around for dipping

or munching or on salads for gluten free.

 
Oh you were probably off gallavanting. REC: Oyster-Stuffed Mushrooms

This is incredibly simple but people think it looks so elegant as they gobble it up. You need: Prepared horseradish
Melted butter
1 can of oysters, not smoked
mayonnaise
Worcestershire sauce
medium to large mushroom caps

Use a large skewer to poke a hole in the centre of each cap to allow the butter (and any excess mushroom water) to drain out. Dip each cap in melted butter to coat inside and out. Place one oyster in each cap (dictated by the size of the caps and the oysters ... could be 2). Top each oyster with scant 1/2 t. mayonnaise, 1/8 - 1/4 t. horseradish and one drop of Worcestershire. Place on grill rack under broiler to bubble and warm slightly, about 4 minutes. That's all there is to it. It takes about 8 minutes to prepare in total.


This is my version. I find them a little more palatable if dipped in butter.

Is gallavanting a word anymore?

I posted this at Gail's (the search worked) in 2002.

 
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