Tag Archives: Appetizer

Heavenly Hot Artichoke Dip

Healthier than the classic and great for entertaining.  Half of the artichokes are ‘creamed’ to sneak more veggies into the dip, and a little tofu helps cut back on cheese and boost protein.

Serve each ramekin with a different vegetable (or protein chip) dipper.  Or, keep it simple and bake in one large-ish baking dish.

3 garlic cloves
18 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2/3 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
4 ounces silken tofu
1-1/2 ounces (2/3 cup) shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Add garlic to food processor and pulse until minced.  Add half of artichoke hearts, yogurt, tofu, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, and cream cheese.  Blend until smooth.  Transfer to a medium bowl.

Roughly chop remaining artichokes; fold into yogurt mixture.  Add salt, black pepper, and cayenne.

Divide dip among 4 small ramekins.  Top evenly with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan. Bake at 350°F until bubbly, about 30 minutes.  Turn broiler to high; cook until tops are golden, about 5 minutes.  Serve warm.

15 Servings (1/4 cup each) – 61 Calories, 3 g protein, 4 g carbs, 3 g fat, 197 mg sodium

Asian Chicken Kabobs

Delicious served with 1/2 cup quinoa & chopped kale mixture, and can also be used as an appetizer. For extra zing, use sesame oil infused with chili pepper.
Image - Version 2
Marinade:
1/2 C rice vinegar
2T sesame oil
4 t reduced-sodium tamari
1 C pineapple juice concentrate
1/2 t ground ginger
1 t minced fresh garlic

Kabobs:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1/2 red onion
8 cherry tomatoes, washed
8 medium mushrooms, washed
8 wooden skewers

Combine marinade ingredients in shallow backing dish and mix well. Soak wooden skewers in water 10 to 15 minutes.

Cut peppers and onions into 1”x1” pieces and set aside.  Cut chicken into 1-oz. cubes.

Alternately skewer vegetables and chicken, placing 2 pieces of each vegetable and 2 cubes of chicken on each skewer.

Place kabobs in marinade, turn to coat evenly.  Marinate covered for 2 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.

Transfer kabobs to grill or broiler and discard marinade.  Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

4 Servings (2 Kabobs): 340 Calories, 39 g Carb, 6 g Fat, 32 g Protein, 277 mg Sodium