Healthy Holiday Appetizers
During a recent trip to Canada I was flipping through a magazine called Glow. In it, I came across an article called Healthy Holiday Appetizers, which was enough motivation for me to go out and try to make the yummy food for myself. These simple and good-for-you recipes created by registered dietician Heather McColl, allow you to spend less time in the kitchen over the holidays and will be sure to have guests coming back for more.
Sparkling Party Punch
2 L sparkling or soda water (I used 1 liter of Sparkling Grape water)
3 C pomegranate juice (I used a blend of cranberry grape juice)
½ C frozen berries or pomegranate seeds (I used blueberries and pineapple chunks)
Mix all ingredients together in a punch bowl and add ice. Served chilled.
This recipe was so beautiful and colorful in my punch bowl and tasted just as great. Not only is the sparkling water and fruit juice a healthy and safer alternative to alcohol but the fruit added a nice touch. I found that out of all of the recipes, this is one I will come back to in the future. According to the article sparkling water is an excellent source of calcium and magnesium, and the pomegranate seeds and juice, are packed with disease fighting anti-oxidants.
Stuffed Endive Leaves
2 heads green or red endives
½ C plain toasted nuts (I used walnut pieces)
½ C dried cranberries (I left these out since cranberries are not my favorite)
1/3 C crumbled blue or goat cheese (I used feta cheese)
Gently pull whole endive leaves from the core and wash them thoroughly. In a large bowl, mix the nuts, cranberries, cheese and my personal touch, a few dashes of reduced fat Italian vinaigrette (this kept the mixture together well). Fill each of the endive leaves with the mixture and serve.
I loved this recipe for the distinct taste of each bite. The cheese with the nuts and the crispness of the lettuce was a tasty combination. Even better, they only took 5 minutes to make, they looked great and don’t require any utensils. The article explains that walnuts are high in healthy fats like omega-3s, the goat cheese provides protein and the dried cranberries are rich in vitamin C.
Check out the Healthy and Fit blog next Thursday for the remaining three Healthy Holiday Appetizers.
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