Light Appetizers: four delicious recipes
Light appetizers aren’t always the norm. In fact, starters are almost always packed with calories. When we’re invited out to eat somewhere, we’re met with french fries, sausages, nuts, and olives (which make up for their lack of calories with their fat content). Be the kind of host who watches out for their guests’ health with these delicious recipes for light appetizers.
Recipes for light appetizers
Hot canapés
Canapés always make for the perfect starter. This recipe is both low in calories and extremely flavorful. This is what you’ll need:
- Eggplants
- Cherry tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Parmesan cheese
The preparation is easy. Cut the eggplants into squares, circles, or any shape you wish. They’ll serve as the base for this hot and original canapé recipe. Try not to make the pieces too small; you’ll want to be able to fit the ingredients on the top.
Next, cut the cherry tomatoes into slices, and put one slice on top of each piece of eggplant. Then, add one mushroom and some parmesan cheese. Lastly, put them in the oven until they’re golden and ready to eat.
Stuffed endives
To make this appetizer, you’ll need:
- Endives
- Avocado
- 1 apple
- Low-fat yogurt
- A lemon
- Dijon mustard
- Walnuts
Pull the leaves off of the endives and arrange them nicely on a platter. Then, cut the avocado and apple into small cubes and mix them together. Next, pour the yogurt into a bowl and add lemon, salt, pepper, aromatic herbs of your choice, and a little bit of mustard. Mix it well and add the apple and avocado.
Use this mixture to carefully fill the endives, making sure not to spill any outside of the leaves. Finally, grate some walnuts on top to decorate the dish and give it that special touch. This appetizer should be eaten right away, as leaving the stuffing on for too long will make the endives humid.
Pumpkin hummus
Hummus is becoming one of the most popular light appetizers and sides thanks to its high level of protein and intense flavor. It’s very easy to make, and we’ve prepared an even healthier version for you to enjoy. These are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Cooked garbanzo beans
- Cooked pumpkin
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Sesame cream
This simple and delicious recipe is sure to win over your guests. Make sure that both the garbanzo beans and pumpkin are well-drained and dry. Then, put them in a blender, along with a couple of garlic cloves (or more if you prefer). Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add two tablespoons of sesame cream or tahini for each can of garbanzo beans. You should vary the amounts added according to your taste, adding more as needed.
Blend everything until you get as even a mixture as possible. Then, pour the contents into a bowl and add a dash of hot paprika and a splash of olive oil. Finally, serve the hummus with pita bread, or if you want a healthier version, use celery and carrot sticks.
Tzatziki
This recipe comes from Greece and the Middle East. To make it, you’ll need:
- Low-fat yogurt
- Cucumber
- Garlic
- Dill
- Lemon
- Pepper
Cut the cucumber as finely as possible. This will make it much more pleasant to eat. You can also grate it, but don’t forget to remove the seeds. Then, pour the yogurt into a bowl and add the dill (to taste), the pepper, the lemon juice, and the grated garlic. If you want, you can also add chives, which will give it a special touch.
Once you’ve made this mixture, add the grated cucumber. Although this dip can be enjoyed with bread, we recommend serving it with carrots, celery, and cucumber. You can even serve it with lettuce leaves.
Eating healthily is the goal of all fitness enthusiasts. This is why we try to offer you recipes like these that will have a positive impact on your health. Now you’re all set to delight the guests at your next dinner party!