Favorite CL appetizer?

[sab1976]

I've done a search to see if there was already a thread like this and I didn't see one...................so, what is your favorite Cooking Light appetizer?

Thanks.

[helene]

I'm interested also.

[PAMMELA]

I don't know if I have an absolute favorite per se, but their spinach/artichoke dip is very good (from years ago) and we also really liked the Red Pepper-Walnut dip that was from November 04.

I'm making the Chipotle Shrimp Cups for our dinner club this weekend and they got rave reviews too, so I'll post a review.

[PoppyJ]

I am very interested too because I am trying to plan a housewarming/DH's birthday in March. There are going to be more than fifty people and I am going to serve all appetizers. I am already losing sleep over this one. I have never thrown a party for this many people and I have no idea what to do.:o

[Canice]

Poppy, do yours also have to be all CL recipes? I posted here (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67616&highlight=hors+doeuvres) about a class I took last month called "The Art of the Cocktail Party" if you're interested in any of those....

[jabelt]

Here are some of my favorites:

Antipasto Bowl
Barbecue Pizza Bites
Ceviche de Cameron
Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts

The recipes are available on-line.

[Barrie]

I second the endive stuffed w/ goat cheese and walnuts. It's always a huge hit, and couldn't be easier or more elegant.

[sab1976]

jabelt: what is Ceviche de Cameron? I couldn't find that one in the Recipe Finder.

[tperes]

I LOVE the Spinach/Artichoke Dip from Sept. 2000 (named by PAMMELA also!) . No one can tell it is light. I have made it for potlucks here at the office, and just put it in the crockpot and kept it on low. Awesome!

Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 (13.5-ounce) package baked tortilla chips (about 16 cups)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and next 6 ingredients (2 tablespoons Parmesan through spinach) in a large bowl, and stir until well-blended. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips.


Yield: 5 1/2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup dip and about 6 chips)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 148(30% from fat); FAT 5g(sat 2.9g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 7.7g; CHOLESTEROL 17mg; CALCIUM 164mg; SODIUM 318mg; FIBER 1.5g; IRON 0.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.3g
Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2000


I also enjoy the Thai Eggplant Dip. I made this for Supper Club, and it was so much better than I thought it would be. It was great leftover the next day as a sandwich spread, too.


Thai Eggplant Dip

1 (1-pound) eggplant
1/3 cup golden raisins, chopped
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (6-inch) pitas
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°.

Pierce eggplant several times with a fork, and wrap in foil. Place eggplant on a baking sheet, and bake at 425° for 1 hour. Cool slightly. Peel, seed, and mash eggplant with a potato masher.

Combine raisins and water in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave at high 30 seconds. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes; drain. Add raisins, basil, and next 5 ingredients (basil through garlic) to eggplant.

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle pitas with cheeses, and broil for 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut each pita into 6 wedges, and serve with eggplant dip.


Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1 pita wedge and 1 tablespoon dip)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 48(19% from fat); FAT 1g(sat 0.5g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 1.7g; CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 43mg; SODIUM 41mg; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 0.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.7g

Cooking Light, JULY 1998


This one was also a huge hit at our Feb. 2004 Mardi Gras Supper Club.

Spice-Crusted Shrimp with Rémoulade Sauce

You can eat these shrimp cold, at room temperature, or warm.

Sauce:
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon capers, chopped
Dash of ground red pepper

Shrimp:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
48 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

To prepare sauce, combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk.

To prepare shrimp, combine cumin, paprika, coriander, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss well. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add half of shrimp. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove shrimp; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and shrimp. Serve shrimp with sauce. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 6 shrimp and about 1 tablespoon sauce)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 100(28% from fat); FAT 3.1g(sat 0.4g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 13.7g; CHOLESTEROL 121mg; CALCIUM 48mg; SODIUM 300mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.7g

David Bonom
Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2001

[tperes]

Two more that aren't CL...

Spinach Balls! Thanks to this BB.

And

Crostini with Pureed White Beans and Sautéed Wild Greens (La Capriata)

from the Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen cookbook, by Donna Klein

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

--2 cups cooked cannelloni beans, or 1 (19 oz.) can cannelloni, Great Northern, or navy beans, drained and rinsed (I used Great Northern)
--about 3 Tbsp. veggie broth
--2 Tbsp. olive oil
--1/2 tsp dried rubbed sage
--salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste (I would not add salt until the very end; I thought mine was a little too salty)
--1/2 cup finely chopped onion
--2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
--8 oz. bitter greens (either dandelion, curly endive, escarole, rapini), washed, stemmed, and
coarsely chopped (I used kale)
--Toasted baguette rounds or toasted slices of Italian bread, halved crosswise, to serve

Optional Ingredients:

--thinly sliced red onion
--thinly sliced radishes
--chopped fresh tomatoes
--chopped black olives

--Place the beans, broth, 1 Tbsp of oil, sage, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Process with on/off motions until you have a chunky puree. Transfer to a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Keep warm until needed, adding more broth if mixture starts to dry out.

--In a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until softened, but not browned. Add the greens and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from
heat and season lightly with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

--To serve: Spoon the warm bean puree into the middle of a warmed serving platter, and top with the sautéed greens. Surround with the optional garnishes, if desired. Serve at once, accompanied by the toasted bread.

Per Serving: 222 cals., 11 g protein, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 30 g carbohydrate, 10 g dietary fiber, 74 mg sodium.

Tanya’s Notes – I used baguette, which I did not toast. I used kale for the greens. The puree and greens were warm to begin with, but eventually were at room temperature. I thought it was fine either way! This made a very pretty presentation. It was gobbled up at our "Greek" themed Supper Club.

[sab1976]

Thanks for all the recipes so far! The thing is...........I really need recommendations for Cooking Light appetizers. I already know about the Spinach Balls, Brie Kisses, and all the other non-CL, super-popular ones that pop up on this bulletin board.

:D

[RebeccaT]

I love the coconut shrimp with pineapple salsa from a couple of years ago. mmm....

Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa
From Cooking Light

Eat this shrimp with a fork to ensure that you get some salsa with every bite.

Shrimp:
28 large shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking spray

Salsa:
1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup pineapple preserves
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.
To prepare shrimp, peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Rinse shrimp in cold water; drain on paper towels until dry.

Combine cornstarch, salt, and red pepper in a shallow dish; stir with a whisk. Place the egg whites in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until frothy (about 2 minutes). Place coconut in a shallow dish.

Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge in cornstarch mixture. Dip in egg white; dredge in coconut, pressing gently with fingers. Place shrimp on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat the procedure with remaining shrimp, cornstarch mixture, egg white, and coconut. Lightly coat shrimp with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until shrimp are done, turning after 10 minutes.

To prepare salsa, combine pineapple and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; stir to combine.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 7 shrimp and about 1/4 cup salsa)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 397(26% from fat); FAT 11.4g(sat 8.4g,mono 0.7g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 29.9g; CHOLESTEROL 194mg; CALCIUM 80mg; SODIUM 753mg; FIBER 2.2g; IRON 3.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45g

[tperes]

Originally posted by sab1976
Thanks for all the recipes so far! The thing is...........I really need recommendations for Cooking Light appetizers.

In case it wasn't clear, the first three recipes I posted are all Cooking Light (spinach/artichoke dip, Thai Eggplant Dip, and Spice Crusted Shrimp w/ Remoulade Sauce).

If I come across more T&T, I will post them!

[jabelt]

Originally posted by sab1976
jabelt: what is Ceviche de Cameron? I couldn't find that one in the Recipe Finder.

Ceviche de Camaron (Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail)
From Cooking Light


While most of us think of classic ceviche as raw fish marinated in fresh lime juice long enough to give it a cooked texture, in Mexico there are ceviche "cocktails" that combine seafood that's been cooked with fresh vegetables, hot sauce, lime juice and just a little ketchup. It's an easy, refreshing crowd pleaser, and you don't have to track down the just-off-the-boat fresh fish necessary for the classic ceviche. Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips, or saltines.

1/2 cup chopped onion
6 cups water
3/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided
1 pound medium shrimp
1 cup chopped peeled cucumber
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons Mexican hot sauce (such as Tamazula)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place chopped onion in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Drain.
Bring 6 cups water and 1/4 cup juice to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse with cold water; peel shrimp. Combine shrimp and 1/2 cup juice in a large bowl; cover and chill 1 hour. Stir in onion, cucumber, and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or chilled.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 138(25% from fat); FAT 3.8g(sat 0.6g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 16.2g; CHOLESTEROL 115mg; CALCIUM 53mg; SODIUM 483mg; FIBER 0.8g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.8g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2001

http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=226783

[CrystalB]

I have three tried and true CL appetizers that I make: Bruschetta Pomodoro (soooo good in the summer w/fresh tomato and basil!), Chile Con Queso (I make it on the stove top and keep it warm in a mini crock) and the Tex Mex Black Bean Dip. I swear by all three.

I have read rave reviews of the Endive Stuffed w/Goat Cheese and Walnuts and the Chipotle Shrimp Cups but I haven't gotten around to trying them yet. I am really interested to see what others post, I have already added the Coconut Shrimp to my list to try as a result of this thread!

Thanks-
Crystal

[PoppyJ]

Canice, I posted on your thread.