Appetizers

Hey guys,

Boosh and I are staying home this Sunday for the Superbowl. No one is really doing anything and we want to avoid all that good food.

But we wanted to make some light apps for the game. Any suggestions?

Re: Appetizers

tell me what you like and I'll find you WW approved Superbowl snacks


I saw on there chicken wings (2 points), sweet potato chip (2 points), hummus w/ crudite, asparagus guacamole to name a few ...

Re: Appetizers

ooooh, wings please

asparagus guacmole sounds good too

Re: Appetizers

can you send me a link?

Re: Appetizers

Jalapeno Poppers
Was POINTS® value of | 7
Now POINTS® value of | 3
Servings | 8
Preparation Time | 12 min
Cooking Time | 30 min
Level of Difficulty | Moderate

Ingredients
2 sprays olive oil cooking spray, divided
2 oz light cream cheese
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
8 small jalapeno pepper(s)
1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
3/4 cup cornflake crumbs


Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese and mayonnaise; mix well and set aside. Halve jalapenos lengthwise and remove seeds. (Oil and seeds from the peppers can be irritating — wear gloves or put plastic bags over your hands. And don’t rub your eyes.) Stuff jalapeno halves with cream cheese mixture.


Place egg substitute in a shallow dish. Place cornflake crumbs in a separate shallow dish. Dip stuffed jalapeno halves into egg substitute and then roll in cornflake crumbs to coat.

Transfer jalapenos to prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.

Bake until filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve hot. Yields 2 poppers per serving.

Notes
You can prepare the poppers a day in advance and place them on a covered baking sheet in the fridge. Cook as directed when ready to eat. Or, cook the poppers in advance and then reheat in the microwave.

Chef Tips
We renovated Jalapeno Poppers by:
* Opting for light cream cheese and low-fat cheddar cheese instead of the full-fat varieties.
* Choosing fat-free liquid egg substitute instead of whole eggs.
* Baking instead of deep-frying in oil.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beef, Blue Cheese and Spinach Quesadillas
POINTS® Value | 2
Servings | 8
Preparation Time | 12 min
Cooking Time | 16 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy

Ingredients
1/3 cup cooked lean ground beef
3 Tbsp taco sauce
4 large burrito-size wheat flour tortilla(s)
4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes


Instructions
Stir together beef and taco sauce in a small bowl.


Lay two tortillas on a flat surface and divide beef mixture between them. Sprinkle each tortilla with half of cheese, spinach and red pepper flakes; top each with a remaining tortilla.


Set a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place one quesadilla in skillet and cook until brown spots form on bottom of tortilla, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and repeat; remove to a large cutting board. Cover to keep warm.


Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadilla into 8 wedges and serve. Yields 2 wedges per serving.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffalo Chicken Fingers (Kid-Friendly)

POINTS® Value | 4
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 17 min
Cooking Time | 8 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy


Ingredients
1 sprays cooking spray
1 1/4 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, or 1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless tenderloins, cut into 16 strips total
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp fat-free margarine
4 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1/2 cup fat-free blue cheese dressing
4 medium stalk celery, trimmed, cut into 4 sticks each


Instructions
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.


Place chicken on a plate and sprinkle with salt and paprika. Add chicken to skillet and cook, turning occasionally until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic; reduce heat to low, stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.


Remove skillet from heat; stir in margarine and hot sauce until margarine melts. Serve chicken with blue cheese dressing and celery on the side. Yields about 4 pieces of chicken, 4 celery sticks and 2 tablespoons of dressing per serving.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
seven-layer mexican dip
POINTS® Value | 2
Servings | 12
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 0 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy


Ingredients
1 cup fat-free sour cream
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium taco seasoning
9 oz fat-free bean dip, about 1 heaping cup
6 oz guacamole, about 3/4 cup
1/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
4 medium scallion(s), chopped
1 small tomato(es), chopped
6 medium olive(s), black, sliced


Instructions
Combine sour cream and taco seasoning; mix well.
Spread bean dip on bottom of a 12-inch round glass serving bowl or edged-platter. Top with guacamole, sour cream, cheese, scallions, tomatoes and olives. Yields about 1/4 cup dip per serving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip


Was POINTS® value of | 12
Now POINTS® value of | 3
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 12 min
Cooking Time | 20 min

Ingredients
1 sprays olive oil cooking spray, or enough to coat sheet
12 oz uncooked skinless chicken wing(s)
1 1/4 oz Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix, or similar product
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 Tbsp blue cheese, or gorgonzola, crumbled
2 Tbsp fat-free skim milk
4 medium stalk celery, cut into 2-inch pieces


Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place chicken wings in a zip-close plastic bag, add taco seasoning, seal bag and shake to coat. Transfer wings to prepared baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to prepare dip, whisk together sour cream, cheese and milk.

Serve wings with dip and celery on the side. Yields about 3 wings, 3 tablespoons of dip and 1 celery stalk per serving.


Chef Tips
We renovated Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip by:
* Baking the wings instead of deep frying them in oil.
* Using fat-free sour cream and nonfat milk in the dip.
* Using Blue or Gorgonzola cheese – packed with flavor, a little goes a long way.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cheese Fries


Was POINTS® value of | 6
Now POINTS® value of | 2
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 10 min
Cooking Time | 45 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy

Ingredients
1 sprays olive oil cooking spray
2 large potato(es), Idaho, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 oz low-fat cheddar or colby cheese, about 1/2 cup


Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Arrange potatoes on prepared baking sheet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes and then flip fries and cook for an additional 20 minutes untl golden brown and fork tender. Cluster potatoes together on baking sheet and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes more.


Chef Tips
We renovated Cheese Fries by:
* Baking instead of deep frying potatoes.
* Using reduced-fat cheese instead of the full-fat variety.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
tomato mini pizzas


POINTS® Value | 3
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 10 min
Cooking Time | 11 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy

Ingredients
2 large wheat pita(s), pocketless
2 large tomato(es), plum, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp table salt
2 Tbsp basil, fresh, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/3 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded


Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a large nonstick baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place the pitas on the baking sheet.

In a small bowl, mix the tomatoes and salt; stir in the basil, oil and garlic. Top the pitas with tomato mixture, drizzling any liquid in the bowl over the toppings. Bake until the tomatoes are hot and softened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese; bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes longer. Cut the pitas in half before serving.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
asparagus guacamole


POINTS® Value | 0
Servings | 10
Preparation Time | 10 min
Cooking Time | 10 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy


Ingredients


1 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 Tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
3 medium scallion(s), thinly sliced
1/2 medium jalapeno pepper(s), minced
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/8 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste


Instructions
Bring large pot of water to boil. Add asparagus and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Place asparagus into food processor and purée until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients and serve. Yields 1/4 cup per serving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Skillet beef and beer stew


POINTS® Value | 5
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 20 min
Cooking Time | 40 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy


Ingredients
1 sprays olive oil cooking spray
12 oz lean beef round, roast, cut into cubes
1 medium onion(s), chopped
1 medium bell pepper(s), chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced (or 1 tsp jarred minced garlic)
2 medium potato(es), peeled and diced
24 medium baby carrots, about 1/2 lb
1 cup fat-free beef broth
8 oz light beer
1/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp paprika


Instructions
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, pepper and garlic; cook until beef is browned, stirring, about 3 minutes.

Stir in potatoes, carrots, broth and beer; bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir together evaporated milk, cornstarch and paprika in a small cup; add to beef mixture and stir to combine. Cook until slightly thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes more.

Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Re: Appetizers

it's from the weightwatchersonline.com website ... I don't know if you can view what I see (I joined online also).

Re: Appetizers

you rock

thank you so much

Re: Appetizers

anything else you need ... dips? veggies? pitas? I'm leving work in a few, but I could probably find something else.

I thought those all looked good and each thing wasn't enormous points, so you can eat a variety and not blow your flex points in one single bite.

Re: Appetizers

This is ZERO Points (for 2 mushrooms!)


Creole-Style Stuffed Mushrooms
POINTS® Value | 0
Servings | 12
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 20 min
Level of Difficulty | Moderate


Ingredients
1 sprays olive oil cooking spray
1 pound button mushrooms, about 24 large mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup onion(s), chopped
1/4 cup sweet red pepper(s), chopped
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 1/2 slice whole-wheat bread, chopped into bread crumbs
1 tsp Creole seasoning, or Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp ground turmeric


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a jelly roll pan with cooking spray.


Remove mushroom stems from caps and finely chop stems; reserve caps and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sauté mushroom stems, onion, pepper and spinach until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until well-combined.


Stuff each mushroom cap with 2 tablespoons of filling mixture. Place mushrooms, stuffed sides up, on jellyroll pan. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes; serve warm. Yields 2 mushrooms per serving. (Note: The mushrooms can be stuffed in advance, covered, refrigerated and then baked later in the day to save on last minute preparation time.)

Re: Appetizers

send anything you go

dips are good too

Re: Appetizers

You can make a healthier quesadilla, if you like those. I use whole wheat shells (which I like better than the regular). I chop up chicken and black beans, and a small amount of reduced fat cheese, spread it on and bake for 10 minutes or so.

You can use veggies, of course, it would be even better that way. I just don't like veggies.

Re: Appetizers

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

POINTS® Value | 1
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 10 min
Cooking Time | 18 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato(es), peeled
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.

Thinly slice potatoes in a food processor or by hand; they should be no more than 1/8-inch thick.

Arrange slices on baking sheets so they don’t overlap. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake chips until they begin to lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on a rack and serve.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chunky Vegetable Dip

POINTS® Value | 1
Servings | 8
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 0 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy

Ingredients
1 pound fat-free cottage cheese
1 medium celery, stalk, diced
1 medium carrot(s), diced
1 medium sweet red pepper(s), diced
1/4 cup shallot(s), finely chopped
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste


Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; mix well. Season to taste and serve. Yields about 1/3 cup per serving.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crudites with Garlicky White Bean Dip


POINTS® Value | 2
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 20 min
Cooking Time | 2 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy


Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin
3 medium garlic clove(s), minced
15 1/2 oz canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp water
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp paprika, or chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1 small yellow pepper(s), or red pepper, cut into thick slices
12 medium cherry tomato(es)
1 small cucumber(s), cut into spears
3 medium carrot(s), peeled and cut into sticks


Instructions
To prepare dip, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; sauté garlic, stirring constantly, until garlic just begins to turn golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a food processor, combine oil mixture, beans and lemon juice. Process until smooth, slowly adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to obtain a thick yet creamy consistency; season to taste.

Transfer dip to a small bowl and garnish with paprika or chopped parsley, if desired. Serve with prepared vegetables.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

fruity salsa with pita crisps


POINTS® Value | 3
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 10 min
Cooking Time | 0 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy



Ingredients
2 medium mango(es), diced
1 medium cucumber(s), peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 medium sweet red pepper(s), diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 medium scallion(s), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tsp unpacked brown sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 average white pita bread, 6-inches each


Instructions
Preheat oven to 475°F (250°C). Combine mango through to cayenne pepper and toss lightly. Adjust seasonings to taste, i.e., lime juice, salt and cayenne pepper. The salsa should be should be sweet and tangy, with a nice kick.

Cut each pita into six wedges. Toast in oven until crisp, about 4 minutes.

Serve salsa with pita chips.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cumin Pita Wedges with Spicy Hummus


POINTS® Value | 2
Servings | 12
Preparation Time | 17 min
Cooking Time | 10 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy


Ingredients
6 small wheat pita(s), cut into 6 wedges each
6 sprays olive oil cooking spray, or enough to coat pitas
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp table salt
15 1/2 oz canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
15 1/2 oz canned white beans, small, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp Tribe of Two Sheiks Sesame Tahini, or other brand
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 medium garlic clove(s), chopped
1 tsp Chi-Chi's Medium Picante Sauce, or other hot sauce


Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place pita wedges on baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray; sprinkle with cumin and salt. Bake until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make hummus, combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. If you don't have a food processor, use a blender or mash the ingredients together with a fork. (Note: Add more hot sauce if you really like spice.)

Serve hummus with pita wedges on the side. Yields about 3 pita wedges and 2 tablespoons of hummus per serving.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Spinach, Crab and Artichoke Dip


POINTS® Value | 2
Servings | 12
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 20 min


Ingredients
16 oz fat-free sour cream
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained (squeeze spinach to remove excess water)
5 Tbsp SoyaKaas Grated Parmesan Style Soy Cheese, or similar product
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 packet vegetable soup mix
28 oz canned artichoke hearts, without oil, drained, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 oz canned bamboo shoots, drained
8 oz lump crabmeat, fresh (picked over to remove any shells)
1/2 tsp paprika


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, spinach, 3 tablespoons of cheese topping, mustard and soup mix; mix well to combine. Fold in artichokes, bamboo shoots and crabmeat and mix gently to combine, being careful not to break up crabmeat too much.

Transfer mixture to a shallow baking dish or oven-proof crock and smooth surface with back of a spoon. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese topping and paprika over top.

Bake until top is lightly browned and dip is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Bean and Cheese Nachos


POINTS® Value | 3
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 8 min
Cooking Time | 5 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy



Ingredients
32 items baked low-fat tortilla chips
1 cup fat-free canned refried beans
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup salsa


Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Layer tortilla chips on an ovenproof platter or baking sheet.

Spread beans evenly over chips and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until beans are hot and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Top with salsa. Yields about 8 chips per serving.

Flavor Booster: Garnish each serving with a thin slice of seeded jalapeno chile, or habanero chile, for a blast of heat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


hot stuff salsa


POINTS® Value | 0
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 0 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy


Ingredients
1 medium sweet red pepper(s), seeded and coarsely chopped
1 cup onion(s), coarsely chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper(s), seeded, deveined and minced
2 medium garlic clove(s)
1 cup plum tomato(es)
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground


Instructions
In a food processor, pulse the bell pepper, onion, jalapenos and garlic until fairly smooth. Transfer to a nonreactive serving bowl; stir in the tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least 1 hour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


very veggie vegetable dip


POINTS® Value | 0
Servings | 8
Preparation Time | 15 min
Cooking Time | 0 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy


Ingredients
24 oz roasted red peppers
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1 medium yellow pepper(s), diced
1 cup mushroom(s), diced
1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced
1/4 cup basil, fresh, chopped


Instructions
In a blender or food processor, combine roasted peppers, garlic, ginger and mustard. Purée until smooth; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl and fold in remaining ingredients. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sweet Onion Dip


POINTS® Value | 1
Servings | 12
Preparation Time | 10 min
Cooking Time | 0 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy


Ingredients
1 medium vidalia onion(s), finely chopped
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1 cup pot cheese
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1 Tbsp dill, fresh, minced
1/4 tsp table salt


Instructions
Mix together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving. (Note: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Dill-Cucumber Dip


POINTS® Value | 1
Servings | 6
Preparation Time | 10 min
Cooking Time | 0 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy



Ingredients
1 large onion(s)
2/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
8 oz fat-free cream cheese
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 tsp dill, fresh, or 1 tsp dried dill weed
2 large cucumber(s), peeled and cut into bite-size cubes


Instructions
Chop onion in a food processor or blender. Add yogurt, cream cheese, salt, pepper and dill; whir until well combined. Fold in cucumber; chill until ready to serve. Yields about 3 heaping tablespoons per serving.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Re: Appetizers

Don, I also made a recipe last weekend that called for toasted corn tortillas. I cut them in pieces and put them on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray at 350 for 15 minutes. They were starting to get crisp, so if you left them in for 20-25 minutes, they would get harder, and you could probably use them as chips.

2 small corn tortillas = 1 pt.

I also make onion dip with 1 pint of FF sour cream and an envelope of Lipton onion soup mix. Mix it up and use as a dip with fresh veggies.

Hummus is a good, low point snack with whole wheat pitas.

Costco has a kick a$$ shrimp tray I got for a get together not long ago - the shrimp is pre-cooked and comes with cocktail sauce and lemone wedge. They also have prepared trays of sushi that are not too high in pts.

Have fun!!!

Message edited 1/30/2006 7:55:18 PM.

Re: Appetizers

here's ideas for u all


recipes

Re: Appetizers

thanks so much guys