Healthy snacks to bring to party

I'm looking for ideas of healthy snacks to bring to a party. I could bring a veggie tray with onion dip made with NF sour cream, but I'm looking for more exciting and tasty ideas.

Tue. Feb 28, 8:17pm

wraps. you can find a variety of recipes out there. Use a sauce or spread, a veggie or fruit and perhaps a meat on the inside. Salsa with roast beef and onion, ceasar dressing with spinach and chicken, dill dip with tuna and tomato, hummus with salmon- endless possibilities, tonnes of fun. And you can easily make them healthy depending on what you view healthy to be. (And I'll assume you know to spread the sauce on the tortilla, cover with meat and veggie, roll and then cut into pieces)

Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 8:38 PM

Spring rolls! (aka salad rolls) These are usually a big hit

I like spring rolls (not the deep-fried ones) with a selection of low-cal dipping sauces (although I usually provide a Thai peanut sauce for those who like it). Once you are familiar with making them they are really quite fast!

Spring roll recipe.....

Spring roll wrappers (I do actually have to go to an Asian grocery store for these)
butter lettuce
carrot (julienned)
cucumber (julienned)
water chestnut
mint, cilantro or basil (leaves, fresh! - I prefer mint)
rice noodles (cooked, cooled and I take a kitchen shears and just randomly make a bunch of cuts in the mass of noodles while they're in the strainer - this makes them a nice size to work with)

shrimp (cooked, med coctail)
tofu (extra firm and I marinate in a soy-ginger sauce then cut into matchsticks)
crab (the imitation 'sticks', also cut into matchsticks)

Prepare your ingredients and arrange them buffet-style around your work area.

I have a circular skillet that I fill with cold water (for soaking the wrappers) and I place a sushi mat over a (relatively) flat dinner plate and use that as a work surface. Don't worry about the rest of the wrappers - it takes quite awhile before they've soaked too long, and they're tougher than they appear.

Place several wrappers in the cold water. Fully submerge each one. Wait until the wrapper is malleable (~1-2 minutes) and then spread one out on the sushi mat.

Place several pieces of shrimp, tofu or crab in appx the center, then a piece of butter lettuce about the size of your palm (a little long is fine), then add several water chestnut slices, some carrot, cucumber, herbs, and rice noodles. Roll like you were wrapping a burrito. The shrimp/tofu/crab will be visible through the wrapper on the 'outside' and thus allows people to pick the type they would like. Place on a plate or large shallow serving bowl and repeat. Eventually you will get a rythym going and I can easily make 20 in 1/2 hour. It's prepping the ingredients and knowing how to quickly wrap the whole thing up that takes the time in the beginning.

They are best if made the same day.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 8:45 PM

cold olive bruschetta:
you need:
multigrain baguette (sliced thinly)
olives that contain pits (have more flavor)
cherry tomatoes
salt, pepper, basil (fresh or dried)
drizzle of olive oil
fresh mozarella cheese (can be optional)

squeeze the seeds/juice out of the tomatoes (into trash or sink) and place in large bowl, remove pits from olives, and add to bowl-mixture should look very "rustic", smash gently w/ meat pounder or something else blunt instead of chopping the olives and tomatoes. add salt, pepper and basil to taste. add drizzle of olive oil. mix, will have extra flavor if you refrigerate mixture for a couple of hours but not necessary. when ready to serve place a scoop of mixture on bread slices. pull apart mozarella balls with your hands and put small pieces of the cheese on top of each piece. done! enjoy. mmmmm, delicious, easy AND healthy!

andrea q

Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 1:47 AM

spinach/artichoke dip:

1 package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained (you have to actually squeeze the spinach to get all the water out)
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated parmesan (the stuff in the round green can)

mix all of this together (get messy, use your hands. It works the best. You may want to chop the artichokes with a knife first though.) Put in glass casserole dish, and sprinkle the top with a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese. Put in the oven (when you get to the party, if possible) at 350*, until the cheese on the top melts. Pull and serve with baked tortilla chips, pieces of pita, etc.

Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 10:05 AM

Taco dip, aka. 7-layer mexican dip:

Bottom layer: 1 can low fat or fat free refried beans
layer 2: 1/2 cup ff sour cream, 1/2 cup ff mayo, 1/2 packet taco seasoning, mixed together
layer 3: shredded lettuce
layer 4: diced tomato
layer 5: sliced black olives
layer 6: shredded cheese (could be low fat, don't need a ton)
layer 7: sliced green onions or scallions (don't go overboard)

Serve with baked tortilla chips

Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 10:08 AM

Fruit Salsa:

Whole Fresh Pineapple
Package of Strawberries
4 or 5 fresh Kiwi
Package of Tortillas
Butter/Margarine
Cinnamon & Sugar

Set oven to 350. Cut tortillas up in wedges to make "chips". Brush lightly with melted butter, add sprinkle of cinnamon & sugar, and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes until slightly browned & crispy. Some tortillas back faster than others so keep an eye on them. Cool.

Cut the top of the pineapple, dig out the pineapple fruit and put in a bowl. Cut up into tiny chunks. Save pineapple casing for later.

Chop strawberries & Kiwi into tiny pieces, mix with pineapple.

Spoon salsa mixture back into pineapple casing, place on decorative plate, arrange the baked tortilla chips around the pineapple & serve.

Makes a great alternative to cake/brownies/cookies for anyone with a sweet tooth. And the presentation is impressive.

Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 10:29 AM

great ideas and recipes guys! now we all know where to go when we run out of healthy ideas for things!

Wednesday, March 1, 2006, 2:18 PM

Using cucumber instead of chips for dip

a great idea is to use cucumber slices for a dip instead of chips.

Saturday, October 27, 2007, 9:04 AM

I was going to say Frui Salsa, too! Super Yummy and a big hit at my recent gathering. Did want to add that instead of tortillas I baked up some Flat Out wraps with cinn/sugar. Tasted great! And, for WW, only 1 point for the whold wrap. And, they're quite big...

Saturday, October 27, 2007, 10:50 AM

Pumpkin Dip with Apple Slices

Here's a good one for those Halloween and Holiday Parties

In a medium bowl combine:

3/4 cup (6 oz.) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.

Add:
2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Beat until smooth
Cover dip and chill 30 minutes
Serve with apple slices

Saturday, October 27, 2007, 2:05 PM

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