BE CREATIVE WITH THANKSGIVING DAY TIDE-ME-OVERS
from the American Institute
for Cancer Research
The Thanksgiving meal is a major production, so you don't want your family to fill up on appetizers before the big feast. Yet waiting for the turkey to cook, smelling all of the tempting aromas of the dinner to come, makes tide-me-over offerings an important consideration. If you provide modest amount of light, nutritious appetizers, everyone can make it to the table with their appetite intact.
Consider a tray of toasted bread rounds topped with colorful roasted peppers. Make a batch of mushrooms stuffed with a tomato olive mixture, lightly brushed with olive oil and broiled for a few minutes. Or, stuff cherry tomato halves with hummus, a chick-pea puree seasoned with garlic, lemon juice, sesame tahini and cumin.
You can make your own vegetable chips by slicing carrots, beets, or sweet potatoes paper thin and baking them on an ungreased baking sheet until crisp. Use these chips or blanched vegetables or toasted pita bread triangles as dippers for any of the following tasty light dips:
* Add thinly sliced radishes, chopped fresh dill and minced scallion to lowfat plain yogurt or sour cream
* Combine chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives and minced fresh herbs with low fat cream cheese
* Grate fresh lemon zest, combine with minced fresh herbs and whole-grain Dijon mustard, low fat sour cream or small curd cottage cheese and whirl in a blender or food processor.
Here's a spicy dip that can be prepared in advance and served with your choice of pita triangles, low fat tortilla chips or fresh blanched vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower and zucchini cut into appropriate sizes for dipping.
1 can (15 oz.) White beans, drained & rinsed
¼ cup light sour cream
1 large clove garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons Italian parsley
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 - 4 drops Tabasco sauce to taste
In the bowl of a food processor, puree all ingredients until smooth. Transfer dip to a serving bow. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Four servings; each containing 148 calories and 2 grams of fat.
For a free brochure, Taking A Closer Look at Phytochemicals, which explains how foods like fruits and vegetables can help lower your cancer risk, send a self-addressed, stamped business-sized envelope to:
American Institute for Cancer Research
Dept. TLP
P.O. Box 97167
Washington, DC 20090-7167
Copyright © 2006 Ann Hall Every, CCP
