Italian turkey meatballs

These meatballs make a fancy easy appetizers or hors d’ oeuvres served with toothpicks inserted. They also make a satisfying meal with Italian bread and can be toped over pasta or rice. Pair this with a lovely Pinot Noir or Burgundy red wine, or if you prefer white wine, Pinot Gris or Chardonnay will work fine.

In this appetizer recipes, ground turkey is combined with spinach, onions, garlic, egg, milk, bread crumbs, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and seasoned with salt and pepper then shaped into balls. The turkey meatballs are fried in hot olive oil. A sauce made with butter, flour, chicken stock, Provolone cheese, and nutmeg is served together with the meatballs and the healthy food dish is garnished with fresh parsley.

Ingredients

10 oz. frozen spinach, defrosted
4 lbs. ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg
1 ¾ cups milk
¾ cup bread crumbs
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
10 oz. shredded Provolone cheese
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Parsley (optional)

Preparation Instructions


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place the spinach between two clean kitchen towels and press down to remove excess water.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the turkey and spinach. Add all but 3 tablespoons of the onion and mix well. Add the garlic, egg, ¼ cup of milk, bread crumbs, Parmigoamo cheese, salt, and pepper and mix well. Shape this mixture into 12 balls. Drizzle a little oil over the meatballs and place them on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

4. In the meantime, place a little oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once the butter melts, add 3 tablespoons of onion and cook until translucent. Add the flour. Whisk until blended, cooking for 1 minute. Add 1 ½ cups milk and the stock, whisking in. Bring to a boil. Add the Provolone cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and stir until the cheese melts. Keep warm.

5. To serve, place 3 meatballs on each dish and serve with sauce on the side. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Paniyaram: Spicy Indian Appetizer

Paniyaram can be made either sweet or salty easy appetizers. You need a special pan called paniyarakkal to make paniyaram. These are nonstick pans with holes or cups in them where you pour the batter so that it comes out round when it is cooked. The batter is turned only once so that both sides are nice and golden. Serve paniyaram as a teatime healthy food snack or as a delicious appetizer. This also goes well with tomato chutney and can be enjoyed as a scrumptious breakfast or light dinner.

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked rice
3/4 cup of Urud Dal (a type of Indian bean)
1 teaspoon salt or according to taste.
Oil for frying.
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of Channa dal (a type of Indian bean)
1 teaspoon curry leaves
2-3 medium sized green chilies
1 medium onion, finely chopped

Preparation Instruction for Appetizer Rrecipes
1. In a bowl soak rice and Urad dal overnight or for at least 6-7 hours.

2. After soaking, grind it to form a smooth batter. Add salt and allow it to ferment in a damp dark place for about 8-10 hours.

3. When ready, heat some oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and fry until golden brown. Add Channa dal, curry leaves, green chilies, and onions. Cook and stir until golden brown. Add seasoning mix to batter and mix well.

4. To make Paniyaram, pour batter into well-oiled paniyarakkal (a special type of Indian cooker) cups. Close lid and allow it to cook on medium flame, turning to cook both sides. Serve hot with coconut, tomato chutney, or sauce.

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Succulent and juicy scallops are wrapped in savory and tasty bacon in this quick appetizer recipes, adapted from Time to Cook Low Carb by Paragon Publishing. The fresh flavor of scallops is intensified with the simple addition of bacon. Freshly squeezed lemon adds a refreshing zest and tangy contrast that make the scallops irresistibly delicious easy appetizers. This makes a simple yet gourmet healthy food appetizer or cocktail party food. For an unforgettable dinner or lunch, serve bacon-wrapped scallops with a light white wine like Sauvignon Blanc. You can also serve the scallops with a simple tartar sauce or French cream sauce like bearnaise or hollandaise for dipping.

Ingredients
20 prepared fresh scallops (or defrosted, frozen scallops)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
20 strips of bacon
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Tartar sauce (optional)

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler to medium. Sprinkle the prepared scallops with the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Stretch the bacon a little, then wrap one piece around each scallop. Run a toothpick through the bacon and scallop to keep the bacon in place.

3. Cook under the broiler for 5 minutes. Remove the scallops, turn, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cooked through.

4. Serve with tartar sauce, if desired.

Creamy Peanut Soup

With only a few handful ingredients, you can make a rich and luxurious tasting peanut soup. Adapted from The Williamsburg Cookbook, Creamy Peanut Soup is a thick and satisfying easy appetizers or snack. Use unsweetened peanut butter to make a savory soup. The smooth variety is better for making soup rather than the chunky peanut butter. You can garnish the vegetable soup recipe later with chopped peanuts. To make a simple peanut soup, inspired by African cooking, you need onions, celery, olive oil, flour, chicken broth preferably fat-free, smooth peanut butter, light cream, and chopped nuts. This uncomplicated dish can make a healthy meal for the whole family and a fun appetizer recipes for dinner with friends.

Ingredients
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. flour
2 qts. fat-free chicken broth
2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 3/4 cup light cream
Chopped peanuts for garnish

Preparation Instructions
1. In a large soup pot, over medium-high heat, sauté onion and celery in the olive oil until they are soft, but not brown.Stir in flour until it is well-blended.

2. Increase heat. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.Remove from heat. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and puree.

3. Add peanut butter and cream. Stir to blend thoroughly.

4. Pour soup back in pan, and heat over low heat until it is just hot, but not boiling.

5. Remove from heat. Serve, garnishing each serving with chopped peanuts.

Creamy Zucchini Soup

This creamy zucchini vegetable soup recipe doesn't use any cream to make it thick and luscious. The zucchini, when softened and pureed together with the onions and beef stock turns to a rich thick liquid that warms the soul and refreshes the mind and goes excellently well with crusty bread or crackers. The addition of bacon to this easy appetizers gives it a mouthwateringly savory flavor. The garlic, sweet basil and fresh parsley add spice, aroma, and wonderful complexity. For a vegetarian version, you can simply eliminate the bacon and use vegetable stock instead of beef stock then prepare the appetizer recipes as directed.

Ingredients

2 strips bacon
4 cup zucchini, coarsely grated
1 small onion, chopped
2 cup beef stock or 2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. fresh sweet basil
1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Preparation Instructions
1. In a small frying pan, over medium-high heat, fry bacon until strips are crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Using a large kettle or Dutch oven, combine bacon with all remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until zucchini is soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Transfer kettle contents to a blender container. Process on puree until mixture is smooth. Reheat and serve.

Salmon Pancakes With Caviar

Salmon and caviar are two highly valued ingredients in gourmet cooking easy appetizers. This exquisite combination is a favorite topping in gourmet pizzas and lavish fillings for crepes. For this recipe French healthy meal  hef Georges Blanc shows you how to make breakfast fit for royalty, by incorporating salmon and caviar in pancakes. Start your day feeling like a queen with this gourmet take on a typical American breakfast item. Enjoy the silky soft texture and mild distinct flavor of salmon as it melts on your tongue and revel in the sea-salty taste and bright pearly quality of caviar as it gently pops in your mouth. This is also best as appetizer recipes.

Ingredients
17 ½ oz. of mashed potatoes
3 spoonfuls flour
4 eggs
2 cups cream
salmon cut into 48 two-inch squares
2 oz. caviar
1 lemon
1 ¾ oz. clarified butter
1 tomato, dill

Preparation Instructions
1. To make the batter, make mashed potatoes and combine them with the cream and flour. Add the eggs one after the other and whisk them all together until you get a creamy and even consistency.

2. Slice the salmon into small squares about two inches in length and as thin as sashimi. Carefully spread a spoon of caviar on a piece of salmon and top with another salmon piece so that the caviar is sandwiched between two slices of salmon.

3. In a frying pan, melt the butter and when hot enough, drop the pancake batter shaping it into a small circle about the size of a fist. When the bottom of the pancakes has browned, place the salmon and caviar on the top of the pancake, and flip the pancake to cook the other side.

4. To make the sauce, sauté strips of lemon peel in butter and season with salt.

5. To serve, place some sauce at the center of the plate and arrange three salmon-caviar pancakes on top. Decorate with small pieces of raw salmon and caviar on the side, bits of tomatoes, and sprinkle with fresh dill.

Nachos for Holiday Party

Holiday party food is usually loaded with simple carbohydrates, high-sodium processed foods, and saturated fat. Say no to the unhealthy stuff this year and prepare the following quick and easy appetizers finger foods. Your body and your taste buds will thank you. Tasty little healthy meals. Bites of food that look spectacular and are intensely flavorful.

Appetizer Recipes Ingredients:
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp (10 mL) mustard
1 Tbsp (15 mL) apple juice concentrate
Black pepper, chipotle powder, and salt to taste
1 avocado, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 mango, chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) red onion, finely chopped
2 cups (500 mL) cooked black beans
1 - 16 oz (450 g) package whole grain baked tortilla chips
Cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, apple juice concentrate, black pepper, chipotle powder, and salt. Set aside.

In separate bowl, toss the avocado, red bell pepper, mango, onion, and beans with the dressing. Place tortilla chips on serving plate and top them with bean mixture. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.

Serves 16.

Each serving contains: 209 calories; 6 g protein; 6 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 34 g carbohydrates; 5 g fibre; 127 mg sodium