Healthy Holiday Appetizers Part II
Last week I wrote a review on a couple Healthy Holiday Appetizers I had tested from a Canadian magazine called Glow. This week I am including two more recipes of the six featured treats. These recipes created by registered dietician Heather McColl, are not only simple and cheap to make but they’re both healthy and delicious, a hard-to-come-by combination for any festive food. Stayed tuned for next week’s blog review on the final two recipes.
Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus
1 bunch asparagus, with ends removed
1 tsp salt
100 grams prosciutto, thinly sliced
Blanch asparagus by tossing it in a pot of boiling salted water for 15-30 seconds, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Drain while asparagus is still crispy and immediately submerge in a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes to stop the cooking process (this keeps the asparagus crisp and green). Dry thoroughly and roll each spear with a slice of prosciutto.
The thing I enjoy most about these Healthy Holiday Appetizers – next to their great taste of course – is how presentable and impressive they looked once they were created. I arranged the asparagus on a plate in a circular pattern, with their ends pointing in to the middle and it looked amazing; almost too pretty to eat. As for the taste, the asparagus in this recipe was extremely crunchy and fresh tasting, and I am not normally one to enjoy asparagus chilled. The prosciutto wrapped around the vegetables was a pleasant chewy and salty surprise, and according to the article, this simple appetizer is loaded with vitamin C, potassium and cancer-fighting anti-oxidants. For a sweeter variation of this recipe, it is suggested to use cantaloupe wedges in place of asparagus spears and to add basil leaves to the wrapped-up prosciutto.
Smoked Salmon Bites
2 whole-grain baguettes (I used one loaf of French bread)
Light cream cheese
Smoked salmon thinly sliced (I skipped the salmon, since this is one ingredient that can run expensive)
Freshly chopped dill (make sure this is fresh from the produce section)
Slice the baguette into thin disks and spread each with light cream cheese. Top with a thin slice of smoked salmon and sprinkle lightly with fresh dill.
While I did change multiple components of this recipe to my liking, I still found this appetizer to be enjoyable and easy to assemble. This recipe along with the Sparkling Holiday Punch from last week, were actually the only two recipes I kept coming back to, to have additional servings.
The fresh dill combined with the cream cheese was extremely fresh tasting (remember, a little dill goes a long way) and unexpectedly tasty when topped on freshly baked French bread. However, if I were to have used the smoked salmon I would have received a substantial amount of omega-3 fatty acids good for strengthening my immune system and giving me a better chance of fighting off a winter cold.
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