Antipasto Sausage Skewers

Antipasto (plural antipasti) means "before the meal" and is the traditional first course of a formal Italian healthy meals. Traditional antipasto includes cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms,anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella), pickled meats, and vegetables in oil or vinegar.

The contents of an antipasto vary greatly according to regional cuisine. It is quite possible to find in the south of Italy different preparations of saltwater fish and traditional southern cured meats (like soppressata or 'nduja), whereas in northern Italy it will contain different kinds of cured meats and mushrooms and probably, especially near lakes, preparations of freshwater fish. The cheeses included also vary significantly between regions and backgrounds.

These easy appetizers looked so good..loved everything about them and they are something that is easy to make with things from your pantry.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
12 ounces fully cooked Italian-style poultry sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil
1 12 -ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces if large
1 14 -ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

Directions
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat; mist with cooking spray. Add the sausage; cook, turning 2 or 3 times, until warmed through and browned, about 8 minutes.

Thread 1 small or 1/2 large basil leaf onto a small wooden skewer. Add a piece of roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, artichoke and sausage, arranging them on the skewer so that it can stand up on the sausage end. Repeat with the remaining

Asparagus Hummus and Shrimp Bites Recipe

Asparagus Hummus Recipe is a healthy easy appetizers. It is spiked with fresh asparagus, makes for a healthy afternoon snack when served with Shrimp Bites or fresh vegetables. These little fillo shells are so handy – pretty and crispy – the perfect match for creamy hummus. Nothing tastes better than asparagus hummus gourmet recipes.

Ingredients:

2 cups asparagus pieces ( about 1/2 inch pieces)
6 ounces (3/4 cup) purchased roasted garlic hummus
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
30 raw medium-sized shrimp, shelled and deveined (41 to 50 size)
2 boxes (15 count each) Athens mini fillo shells

Preparation:
Toss asparagus in 1/2 of olive oil and spread in a single layer on one side of a baking sheet. Toss shrimp in the remaining 1/2 of olive oil and place on the other side of the baking sheet, placing each shrimp in a circular shape. Place baking sheet about 6 inches from top of oven and broil for about 3 minutes. Turn shrimp over and broil another 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Place hummus and roasted asparagus in a food processor and pulse until asparagus is in tiny bits.

Leave fillo cups in the plastic trays they come in while filling – handy and mess-free! Fill each cup with 1 tablespoon of hummus mixture. Top each filled cup with one shrimp, tail facing up. Serve immediately.

Individual Seven-Layer Dips

A seven-layer dip is an easy appetizers based on common ingredients in Tex-Mex cuisine. The dish typically includes: Refried beans Guacamole Sour cream Picante salsa, pico de gallo or chopped tomatoes, grated Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese or a blend of both, black olives.

Layer may be one of many items, such as cooked ground beef, shredded lettuce for texture, sliced green onion or jalapeño chiles for additional spiciness. The dish is often chilled before serving, and is served with tortilla chips.The great thing about seven layer dip is that you can adjust it to your personal tastes. Now, you could make these gourmet recipes in glass tumblers too.

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 cup guacamole or make homemade guacamole
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 cup chunky salsa or pico de gallo; or make homemade pico de gallo
1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 bunch of green onions, sliced
1 (2.25 ounce) can of sliced olives, drained
8 (9 ounce) plastic tumblers
tortilla chips

Instructions
In a small bowl mix taco seasoning with refried beans. Some people prefer to mix their taco seasoning with the sour cream layer but I wanted a bright white layer so I did it with the beans.
Here's how the layers are assembled:
Layer 1: beans and taco seasoning; Layer 2: sour cream; Layer 3: guacamole; Layer 4: salsa or pico de gallo; Layer 5: cheese; Layer 6: tomatoes; Layer 7: green onions and olives
In each plastic glass, layer about 2 Tablespoons of the beans, followed by 2 Tablespoons of sour cream, 2 Tablespoons of guacamole, 2 Tablespoons of salsa or pico de gallo, and 2 Tablespoons of cheese. Make sure you drain your salsa or pico to get the excess liquid out before you pour it on. Then top with about 1-2 teaspoons of tomatoes, olives, and green onion (If making ahead of time, wait to add these toppings until shortly before serving).
Garnish with one tortilla chip. Store in the refrigerator until serving and serve with chips. Makes around 8 individual dips.

Jelly Shots: Dessert for all Occasions

If you are hosting a holiday party this is a perfect easy appetizers that you can make. You want everyone to have a good time. You want to make something festive. You don’t want anything too complicated.This festive finger food is spiked with vodka for a playful party treat.

To make these gourmet recipes jelly shots you have to mix and pour jelly mix in batches. First mix half of red jelly mix in hot water and pour it in a square dish. Then make a mixture of dissolved gelatin with hot water and condensed milk and once the red layer has cooled down and set pour one third of the white mixture. When the white layer is set pour half of the green jelly mix. When the green layer is set add one third white, then remaining half red, one third white and again half green. Let it set in fridge. Cut into square pieces and top with whipped cream, red candies and mint leaves. 

INGREDIENTS

1 3-ounce box cherry gelatin dessert

1 3-ounce box lime gelatin dessert

3 packets unflavored gelatin

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups vanilla vodka

36 dollops whipped cream (for garnish)

36 mint leaves (for garnish)

72 small red candies (or 36 if using just one for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

1. Lightly coat a square dish with cooking spray, and then using a paper towel, wipe out the dish. It will leave a light residue to help unmold your shots, but it won’t affect the taste.
2. For red layer, sprinkle half of a packet of gelatin over ¼ cup of water. Allow it to soak in a minute or two. Add one box of the cherry gelatin, along with 1 cup boiling water. Stir until everything has dissolved. Add 3/4 cup of vodka. Repeat the same process to make the green layer.
3. To make the white layer, sprinkle two packets of gelatin over ½ cup of water. Allow it to soak in a minute or two. Pour in 1 cup of boiling water and one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk. Stir until everything is thoroughly mixed and gelatin is dissolved. You’ll have approximately 3 cups of liquid. Allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Pour half of the red mixture into the prepared pan. Place pan in refrigerator to set, about 20 minutes or so. Once set, add 1/3 of the white mixture to the top of the red mixture. Pop any air bubbles and return to fridge to set for about 20 minutes. Repeat with half of the green mixture. Then white, then red, then white again, then green. Allow finished pan to set another 2-3 hours, or overnight.
5. When you’re ready to serve, gently pull the edges away from the pan, and invert onto a cutting board. Slice into even squares. (Alternately, you can just cut in the pan itself, but it might be harder to remove the first few squares).
6. Place on serving platter and top with whipped cream, using a piping bag or can. Top with a small mint leaf and a red candy (or two) to simulate a holly leaf.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System.

While cauliflower is not a well-studied cruciferous vegetable from a health standpoint, you will find several dozen studies linking cauliflower-containing diets to cancer prevention, particularly with respect to the following types of cancer: bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer. This connection between cauliflower and cancer prevention should not be surprising, since cauliflower provides special nutrient support for three body systems that are closely connected with cancer development as well as cancer prevention. These three systems are (1) the body's detox system, (2) its antioxidant system, and (3) its inflammatory/anti-inflammatory system. Chronic imbalances in any of these three systems can increase risk of cancer, and when imbalances in all three systems occur simultaneously, the risk of cancer increases significantly.

Roasted cauliflower soup are delicious served as a side dish or on a platter with raw vegetables as easy appetizers to go with cocktails. You can drizzle a few drops of nut oil over the cooked cauliflower to enhance the flavor.

Ingredients
Garnish
45 ml (3 tbsp)  unsalted butter
125 ml (1/2 cup)  bread crumbs
30 ml (2 tbsp) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Soup
1 cauliflower, in florets (approximately 700 g or 6 cups)
30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
750 ml (3 cups) chicken broth
250 ml (1 cup)  milk
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, chopped
250 ml (1 cup) 35% cream
To taste freshly ground salt and pepper


Directions
To make the garnish, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan as the butter foams and continue swirling until it begins to brown. Remove from heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and parsley. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 210°C (425°F).
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with oil to coat. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the florets over and roast another 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
In a large saucepan, combine the broth, milk, bay leaf, garlic cloves and roasted cauliflower. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until cauliflower is very tender. Discard the bay leaf and puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to a clean saucepan, stir in the cream and reheat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Top each portion of soup with a spoonful of the garnish.

Smoked Salmon Sushi Pizza

These appetizer recipes is the perfect solution for those who are shy away from sushi because of eating raw fish. The key here is cooking the sushi rice properly.Never stir the rice, and keep it covered even when it’s cooling—using a rice cooker is easy, since it can never go wrong. You can find rice wine vinegar already flavored for sushi, so you don’t have to add any sugar. Enjoy these fish recipes for families and friends.

Ingredients:
2 cups short grain sushi rice
100 mL rice vinegar
1.5 tbsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
24 thin slices English cucumber (or more if you overlap, this was a quarter of a cucumber)
1/4 lb (125 g) smoked salmon, thinly sliced
2 tbsp mustard (I used half Dijon, half honey mustard)
1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise (or yogurt)
1 sheet toasted nori (about 8×7 inches/20×18 cm)
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or green onions, for garnish
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Preparation:
1. Prepare rice as usual. I made mine in the rice cooker, but Bonnie recommends the following: Rinse rice in several changes of water until water runs clear. Drain well. In a medium heavy pot, combine rice and 2 1/4 cups cold water. Allow to rest for 15-30 minutes. Bring rice to a boil, covered, on medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes. Do not lift lid at any time during cooking and resting.

2. Combine rice vinegar with salt and sugar and stir until dissolved.

3. While still hot, transfer rice to large bowl and gently toss with vinegar mixture. Fold the vinegar in, do not mix. It should look like it has a glaze on top of the rice. Cover rice with damp towel if not using right away.

4. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap. Arrange cucumber slices in a single layer on bottom (or overlap them for more cucumber goodness). Arrange smoked salmon slices on top of cucumber. Combine mustard and mayonnaise/yogurt and spread over salmon.

5. Gently and carefully spread half the sushi rice on top of the salmon. Dip your fingers into a bowl of water and gently pat down the rice. Place square of nori on top of rice, cutting it if it does not fit perfectly. Pat on remaining rice. Cover with plastic wrap and weigh down with several heavy cans of food for at least 30 minutes.

6. To serve, unwrap and invert onto a square serving platter. Sprinkle with chives and sesame seeds. Cut into small squares.

Makes 12-16 squares.

Power your Day with Energizing Snack

If you choose the right healthy recipes you can experience increased and sustained energy levels and an improved ability to focus and concentrate. The following snack ideas will provide real nutrition to power you through your day in body, mind and spirit.

Crunchy almond butter on celery sticks

Almonds are a nutritional powerhouse of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, iron and magnesium among other important nutrients. Fiber combined with omega-3 fatty acids is a recipe for hours of satisfaction since both fuel the brain and body for long periods of time. If you cannot find a crunchy brand of almond butter, simply crush your own almonds and mix them in.

Celery is not only low in calories but also high in fiber which fills the stomach and provides hours of satiety. It contains a small amount of calcium, vitamin B6 which contributes to high energy levels, folate, vitamin K and vitamin C among other important vitamins and minerals. These easy appetizers snack will keep your blood sugar levels optimal for hours.

Chopped walnut, apple and cinnamon "salad"

Apples are excellent snacks on their own. They contain a ton of fiber in the form of pectin, which is a filling fiber with numerous health benefits. They also contain vitamins C, polyphenols (potent antioxidants), vitamins A, E and K and only about 60-80 calories depending on their size.

Chopped walnuts are added for satisfying protein, omega-3 fatty acids and a variety of antioxidants in the form of phenols, vitamin E and flavonoids. These nutrients combine to create a powerful source of sustainable energy.

Cinnamon and a small amount of apple cider vinegar are added for a burst of flavor. They also add the important element of blood sugar stabilization. Both of these ingredients are known for their ability to balance blood glucose levels for hours.

Hummus cucumber and olive

The primary ingredient in hummus is the chick pea. Chick peas are high in fiber and protein and are often a staple in a vegan diet because of this. The other main ingredient which gives hummus a distinct flavor and adds much of the nutritional value is tahini.

Tahini is s sesame seed paste. It is rich in amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, and several B vitamins. It also contains copper, which enhances immunity and helps calm inflammation.

Cucumbers are low in calories and high in water content. They are filling and replenishing to the body without adding a lot of calorie density. They are also a very alkaline food. This means they help reduce destructive acidity in the body. Cucumbers also contain three classes of antioxidants called flavonoids, lignans, triterpenes.

Olives add beneficial monounsaturated fat to this snack. Olives are naturally high in fat for their size which is why one olive goes a long way for flavor and added richness. This particular type of fat allows for sustained energy levels and better brain function. Olives are rich in several classifications of antioxidants as well, which boosts the overall nutritional value of this snack.

Gluten Free Healthy Energizing Snack Recipe Ideas