Healthy Holiday Appetizers

Healthy Holiday Appetizers

Lighten up your holiday plate with these easy, veggie-packed recipes that are big on flavor, but much lower in fat and calories than your traditional party fare. These recipes are simple enough for any cook to whip up and take to your next holiday get together. Try one, or all 3, out this holiday season!

Goat Cheese “Queso”

Serves 10; Serving Size: 3 Tbsp dip. Enjoy 3 tablespoons of dip with veggies for less than 150 calories!

Ingredients:

  • 5 oz can no salt added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
  • ¼ cup light sour cream or plain 2% Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 5 tsp olive oil
  • ¾ cup finely chopped shallots
  • 1 Tbsp white wheat flour
  • ½ cup low sodium chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, basil, rosemary, etc.)
  • Veggies for dipping – carrot sticks, bell pepper slices, cucumber slices, etc.

Directions:

  1. Combine beans, Greek yogurt, and lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth.
  2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add stock and stir constantly until thickened, approximately 2 minutes.
  3. Reduce heat to medium low and add bean mixture. Stir for 1-2 minutes until heated.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper, and herbs.
  5. Serve immediately with assorted sliced vegetables.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light magazine.

5-Ingredient Stuffed Mushrooms

Serves 20-40; Serving Size: 1-2 mushrooms. Enjoy 3 mushrooms for less than 100 calories!

Ingredients:

  • 40 white button or crimini mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup chopped roasted red peppers
  • 10 ounce chopped frozen spinach, thawed
  • 5 cups fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Remove excess water from spinach by squeezing through a paper towel or cheesecloth.
  2. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Place mushrooms cap side down on the baking sheet.
  4. Combine goat cheese, red pepper, spinach, 1 cup breadcrumbs, salt and pepper into a food processor and pulse until well combined.
  5. Stuff each mushrooms with 1-2 teaspoons of the mixture. Sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes and cool slightly before serving.

This recipe is courtesy of Dana Angelo White, RD, from Food Network.

Smoked Salmon Cucumber Cups

Serves 18; Serving Size: 2 cucumber cups. Enjoy 3 cups for less than 100 calories!

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup chopped green onions
  • 2 Tbsp plain 2% Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp drained capers
  • 1 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1, 12-oz package cold-smoked salmon, finely chopped
  • 3 English cucumbers
  • Black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons fresh or ½ teaspoon dried dill to the mixture. Stir in chopped salmon.
  2. Peel cucumbers and cut into ½-inch slices. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, leaving bottom intact to form a “cup.”
  3. Spoon 1 tablespoon salmon mixture into each cup. Sprinkle cups with remaining dill and black pepper.

Recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com