Showing posts with label Appetizer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Appetizer. Show all posts

Protein Packed Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Bites


Ingredients
1 cup leftover Mexican Tricolor Quinoa (see recipe)
1/2 cup Sharp Shredded Cheese
2 Large Eggs

Preheat oven (this is the one I use) to 400°

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and then add the remaining ingredients.  Spray a 12 cup mini muffin pan and divide mixture evenly.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until tops are lightly golden.

Garnish some green onion, a little pico de gallo and some plain greek yogurt.

These are super tasty and packed with protein!

Mini Beef & Mushroom Quiche




Ingredients


4 Large Eggs (beaten with 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt)
1/2 cup leftover Creamy Beef Stroganoff (see recipe)
2 Large Baby Portobellos (chopped)
1/4 cup Diced Onion
1 tbsp. Sour Cream (I use full fat)
2 slices Provolone Cheese (diced)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Nonstick Canola spray

Preheat toaster oven to 375°

Heat a small skillet sprayed with the nonstick spray.  Add mushrooms and onions and saute for 3 to 5 minutes until softened. (You want onions to still have a little bite to them.) Add the leftover stroganoff and sour cream.  Stir until everything is combined and season to taste.  Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.  Meanwhile beat your eggs with the salt.  Prepare a 12 cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.  Once the stroganoff mixture has cooled add it to the eggs, along with the provolone cheese.  Stir everything together and ladle into the muffin pan.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until completely set.

Enjoy by itself or with a little tomato salad!

Makes 12 to 14 mini muffins

Steam-Baked Shrimp & Crab Dumplings

This is a variation of the shrimp & tofu dumplings.  Very tasty and light.


Ingredients
12 Nasoya Wonton Wrappers
Crisco Original Nonstick Spray

Filling

12 Large Shrimp (cleaned, coarsely chopped)
1- 8 oz. pkg. Louis Kemp Crab Delights Flake Style (chopped)
1 egg (divided, lightly beaten)
2 tbsp. Sushi Soy Sauce
1/2" Fresh Ginger (grated)
1 Garlic Clove (grated)
2 cups Coleslaw Blend (shredded red & green cabbage with carrots)
2 tbsp. Green Onion (chopped)
1/8 tsp. Sesame Oil
Pepper to taste


Dipping Sauce
(See ingredients here)

Preheat toaster oven to 375°

Add coleslaw blend, crab delights and green onions to your food processor bowl and pulse 3 to 4 times to chop.  Heat a saute pan with nonstick spray.  Add coleslaw mixture, garlic, ginger and 1/2 of the soy sauce.  Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat or until cabbage has wilted.  Turn off the heat and let it cool.  Meanwhile prepare the dipping sauce by combining all the ingredients with a few drops of sesame oil.
Add shrimp to a food processor along with the egg white.  Pulse a few times to form a paste.  Combine the shrimp mixture with the cabbage mixture, sesame oil and the remaining soy sauce.  Spray a 12 cup mini muffin pan and place 1 wonton wrapper in each well.  Add a heaping teaspoon to the center of each wonton.  Lift the opposite ends of the wrapper so they meet in the center.  Seal them with the beaten egg yolk.  Brush a little water over each dumpling and cover tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed.  Bake in the toaster oven for 20 minutes.

**Freeze any leftover filling for use at a later date.  Any leftover dipping sauce can also be frozen.

Steam-Baked Shrimp and Tofu Dumplings



Ingredients
12 Nasoya Wonton Wrappers
Crisco Original Nonstick Spray

Filling

12 Large Shrimp (cleaned, coarsely chopped)
3 oz. Nasoya Firm Tofu Cubes (chopped)
1 egg (separated, lightly beaten)
2 tbsp. Sushi Soy Sauce
1/2" Fresh Ginger (grated)
1 Garlic Clove (grated)
2 cups Coleslaw Blend (shredded red & green cabbage with carrots)
2 tbsp. Green Onion (chopped)
1/8 tsp. Sesame Oil
Pepper to taste


Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Rice Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Splenda
1 Garlic Clove (grated)
1/4 tsp. All Natural Hoisin Sauce
1 tbsp. Green Onion (chopped)
1/4 tsp. Sesame seeds
Sesame Oil

Preheat toaster oven to 375°

Add coleslaw blend and green onions to your food processor bowl and pulse 3 to 4 times to chop.  Heat a saute pan with nonstick spray.  Add coleslaw, tofu, garlic, ginger and 1/2 of the soy sauce.  Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat or until cabbage has wilted.  Turn off the heat and let it cool.  Meanwhile prepare the dipping sauce by combining all the ingredients with a few drops of sesame oil.
Add shrimp to a food processor along with the egg white.  Pulse a few times to form a paste.  Combine the shrimp mixture with the cabbage mixture, sesame oil and the remaining soy sauce.  Spray a 12 cup mini muffin pan and place 1 wonton wrapper in each well.  Add a heaping teaspoon to the center of each wonton.  Lift the opposite ends of the wrapper so they meet in the center.  Seal them with the beaten egg yolk.  Brush a little water over each dumpling and cover tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed.  Bake in the toaster oven for 20 minutes.

Makes 12 dumplings

Cheesy Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms




Ingredients

3 lbs. Mushrooms for stuffing
1 lb.  Medium Shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails off)
1- 8 oz. pkg. Louis Kemp Imitation Crab Meat (flake or chunk style)
2 ribs Celery
1/2 Medium Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
18 Whole Wheat Saltines (crushed fine)
1 egg
3/4 cup Finely shredded Cheddar cheese

1 tbsp. Fresh Chopped Parsley
zest of 1 Lemon + juice from 1/2
Crisco Olive Oil Spray
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°

Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove stems (reserve stems).  Place mushrooms on a baking pan stem side up, spray with olive oil, add salt and pepper and flip them over.  Spray the tops, salt and pepper them and cook them in the oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in a food processor finely chop the crab meat and add to a large mixing bowl.  Now add your shrimp to the processor and pulse until shrimp almost form a paste.  Add shrimp to mixing bowl.  Rinse and dry your processor bowl and add garlic, onion and celery.  Pulse until finely minced.  Add to mixing bowl along with the remaining ingredients and pepper to taste. (Do NOT add salt to this mixture unless you are adding unsalted crackers and even then I would make one to test.)  Combine well, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

After 15 minutes take out the mushrooms, drain off any liquid released and let them cool until shrimp mixture is ready to be added.

To Cook the Stuffed Mushrooms:

Preheat oven to 375°

Add a scoop of the shrimp mixture to each mushroom, place back on baking sheet and spray the top with olive oil and place in oven for 45 minutes.

These are substantial enough to be a main dish with a side salad or served as an appetizer.

*Note:  I had some left over stuffing that I turned into delicious little sliders!

Spinach Florentine Quiche




Ingredients

5 eggs (beaten)
2 cups Fresh Spinach (chopped)
1/2 cup Onion (diced)
1/4 tsp. Parsley (chopped) *optional
1/2 cup Serrano Ham (chopped) about 2 slices
1/8 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
1/3 cup Shredded Italian Cheese blend
1 tbsp. Light Butter
6 Mission Whole Wheat Low Carb Tortillas (fajita size)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat toaster oven to 375°

Melt your butter in a skillet and add the onions, saute for 2 minutes, then add spinach, ham and garlic powder.  Saute for another 2 minutes then turn off the heat and add the parsley.  While this mixture cools lets get the eggs and tortillas ready.
Spray a 6 cup muffin pan with Olive oil spray.  Cut out circles from the tortillas using a 4 inch cookie cutter.  Push the tortillas into each cup.  Add the cooled spinach mixture to the eggs.  Add the cheeses and season with salt and pepper.  Fill each cup to the top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
If you're avoiding carbs all together you can make this without the tortilla crust and it would be just as good.

Makes 3 to 6 servings*

*Depending on your pouch capacity.

Bonnie's Summery Shrimp Ceviche


Ingredients

2 pounds Shrimp (41/50) Peeled and Deveined
1/2 cup Lime Juice
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
1 Cucumber (seeded and diced)
1 Ripe Avocado (diced)
3 Plum Tomatoes (diced)
1/2 Small Red Onion (finely diced)
2 Jalapeños (seeded and minced)
1/2 cup loosely packed Cilantro (chopped)
1 1/2 tsp. Celery Salt
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Reduced Sugar Ketchup
1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. Cholula Hot Sauce (I prefer the Chili Lime one for this recipe) *optional

Bring to a boil 4 quarts of water.
Prepare an ice bath.
Meanwhile cut up your shrimp in bite size pieces (about 3 or 4).  Once water is boiling, turn the heat off and add shrimp to water for 30 seconds stirring continuously.  Remove from heat and add shrimp to ice bath using a wire skimmer. (This will keep the shrimp from cooking completely.) I have done this step because the shrimp I purchased were previously frozen, by all means if you are able to get FRESH shrimp, exclude this step.
**(If using FRESH shrimp, you will need to use more of the citrus juices. To "cook" the shrimp use 1/2 cup each of lemon and lime juice in a glass or stainless steel bowl and place in the refrigerator covered for at least 6 hours or overnight, stirring occassionally.  When the shrimp are no longer translucent and are firm to the touch, drain all the citrus juice and add a 1/4 cup each of the fresh citrus juices and continue the recipe as follows.)
In a glass dish big enough to accommodate all the ingredients, add the shrimp, lemon and lime juices, celery salt and jalapenos, stir.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and gently stir.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for AT LEAST 1 hour, so that all the flavors can marry.  After an hour try it and see if it is spicy enough for you, if not you can then add the 1/2 tsp. of hot sauce or to taste.  I prefer the Cholula brand over Tabasco, because it has a nice sweetness to it and it is not overly hot.


Serve in Martini glasses for an elegant look.

Enjoy with low carb tortilla chips or baked low carb tortillas!

*This ceviche will keep for 2 days at most, after that the shrimp will "overcook" and become rubbery.

Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

12 oz. Imitation Crab
2 Tbsp. Miracle Whip Light
2 Tbsp. Reduced Fat Sour Cream
4 oz. Reduced Fat Cream Cheese (softened)
1 pkg. Baby Spinach
1 can Artichoke Hearts (rinsed)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Italian Blend Shredded Cheese
1/2 cup Italian seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
24 Big Baby Portobello Mushrooms (Crimini)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°

First stem and clean your mushrooms with a damp cloth (DO NOT RINSE THEM UNDER WATER). Chop stems finely and saute them in 1 Tbsp. of olive, once they have softened season to taste with salt and pepper. Chop your baby spinach and add to mushrooms, add the additional Tbsp. of olive oil if needed. Add garlic when spinach is wilted, cook for an additional 2 minutes. Take off the heat and let it cool.
Now in a big bowl add Miracle Whip, Sour Cream, Cream Cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Chop up the imitation crab meat and add to cheese mixture. Gently stir to combine, add the cooled mushroom and spinach mixture. Chop the artichoke hearts pretty finely and add to the crab mixture. Add the shredded cheese and bread crumbs and mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Stuff your mushrooms with a heaping tablespoonful of crab mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 to 35 minutes.

If you have left over stuffing (like I did) just make it into a pattie and sauté it in a little olive oil, like a crab cake. Super yummy!
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