Crab and Avocado Phyllo Bites

Quick and easy! These bite sized appetizers are the perfect treat whether you're watching the game or just need some finger foods to munch on.

These were actually a happy accident. I had leftover fresh lump crab meat that I didn't want to waste after making crab cakes so I whipped up this easy appetizer. They turned out really good! For best results, don't fill the phyllo shells until you're ready to bake, and eat right away!

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Chocolate Chip Clouds

Light, airy and chewy with chocolate chips in every bite. These cookies are a must for Santa, we've been making them for years and everyone loves them. Made with egg whites, sugar and chocolate, they are very light, gluten free and just melt in your mouth.

The perfect chocolate treat, and when you make them the night before, they are chewier the next day, which is just how I like them. Hope you enjoy and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

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Easy Garlic Broccolini

Broccolini, also known as baby broccoli, makes a fantastic, quick side dish and compliments just about anything from beef roasts, lamb, fish, turkey, chicken, lasagna and more. 

It's actually not a younger version of broccoli, but rather a natural hybrid between regular broccoli and a plant called Chinese broccoli. My family prefers it to broccoli and since it takes less time to cook, I make this at least once a week. It has longer, thin stalks with small florets and only needs a few minutes to cook. I make this side dish at least once a week – even my toddler eats it with no complaints!

The best part, it's healthy and ready in under 10 minutes so if you're cooking for the holidays or just a meal for your family and need an easy side dish, this is it! You can double it or halve it as you need.

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Ceviche in Cucumber Cups and My Tour of the CIA

This very popular Peruvian dish is made with fresh pieces of raw fish (or shellfish) marinated in lime juice, onions and cilantro which slowly causes the fish to "cook", in very much the same way that heating does. The results are bright and refreshing with an opaque appearance and firmed texture of cooked fish. This dish is also gluten-free, paleo friendly and low-carb.

A few weeks ago I went on a fun tour to one of the world’s best professional culinary colleges – the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. 

Pictured from left to right is me, Jennifer from Bake or Brake, Kita from Pass the Sushi and Russ from The Domestic Man. I loved the tour and meeting new food bloggers – the group was small which was perfect to watch the classes in progress without interfering too much.

Lucky for me, that day they happened to be making ceviche in their Americas cooking class and I got to eat it for lunch. I LOVE a good ceviche, and I order it any chance I get when I go out to eat, so I was excited that they shared this recipe with me.

The good news – this is really easy to make and it looks so impressive if you're having guests over. Their original recipe was made with scallops, but I opted for some fresh Striped Bass which I picked up at my local fish store. You can use any type of ocean fish or shellfish to make ceviche, the only rule of thumb is that it should be as fresh as possible, preferably caught the same day. This would make a wonderful appetizer for Christmas eve if your family likes to have fish. While you can prepare the cucumber cups and the vegetables for the ceviche a few hours ahead, ceviche tastes best when it marinates no more than an hour or two before you serve it.

Funny where life takes you, I went to art school and studied graphic design at Pratt in Manhattan which led me to become a graphic designer/digital photo-retoucher prior to Skinnytaste. I believe those experiences helped me and my love of food photography, but if I was to go back to school now, I would LOVE to attend the CIA or at least take some classes their. They are teaching our next generation of leaders – chefs such as Anthony Bourdain, Duff Goldman, Micheal Simon, Cat Cora, just to name a few are all CIA graduates. I mean, doesn't this chef jacket and hat belong on me?

What's really cool about the school is that all students work in 3-week course rotations, the senior class works at one of three CIA’s restaurants – both the front and back ends. So during our first night there we were served by the graduating students, with meals that the students prepared. We ate at the new French Bocuse Restaurant, and the food was phenominal. The highlight of my meal was watching the students make ice cream in 30 seconds with a hand cranked mixer and dry ice – amazing!

If you're ever in the Hudson Valley, you can go on a group tour and dine at one of their three award winning student-staffed restaurants. And if you're thinking about pursuing a career in the the culinary arts, or have kids that are trying to decide their future, check out the CIA . A 4 year degree is completed in 3 years, they have new classes starting every 3 weeks and offer classes in culinary arts, baking, nutrition, and culinary science. What's more, they boast about their 99% job rate in leadership positions after graduating which is unheard of these days! 

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Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Snickerdoodles

These cookies should really come with a warning label, because they are so good and hard to stop at just one! A snickerdoodle is a type of sugar cookie made with cream of tartar and rolled in cinnamon sugar. This pumpkin spice version was inspired by my Skinny Snickerdoodles. I wanted to see what would happen if I coated them with pumpkin spice instead – pumpkin spice heaven!

They are lighter than traditional Snickerdoodles, made with white whole wheat flour, but they taste every bit as sinful. I notices some people commented on the original skickerdoodle recipe that the dough was too dry, and yes, the dough will be dry. I've made them several times with success; using wet hands to form them into balls is a must and will help moisten the dough. Next time I make these, I may add a little more pumpkin spice to the dough to make them extra pumpkin-licious!

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Baked Eggplant Sticks

Strips of eggplant, breaded and baked until golden and served with a quick marinara sauce. Serve these as a snack, appetizer or side dish. I'm making these tonight with an eggplant I bought at the farmer's market and figured I would revive the recipe from the archives. Enjoy!

I can vividly remember the day when my picky daughter, who was in middle school at the time, told me she liked eggplant.  

Eggplant? Really? She was eating dinner at a friend's and they were having breaded eggplant for dinner and she loved it. Kids are always more willing to try new food when they are eating over their friends'. I was delighted she liked a new vegetable and I made breaded eggplant for her at least once a month, only I baked them instead of making them fried.

Eggplant is probably not for everyone, but if you like eggplant, or want to try introducing them to your family and don't know how, this is a good place to start. There are many varieties of eggplant, Japanese eggplant is a bit sweeter and milder. If you have a farmer's market near you, you will find a lot of varieties is season right now.



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Spicy Chipotle Ketchup

Homemade ketchup made with clean ingredients you can feel good about eating. Last summer I made my own homemade ketchup which turned out so GOOD, I made it again this year... with a twist! I added some chipotle paste to give it some heat, it goes great with turkey burgers or grilled sweet potato fries!

Finally someone came up with a chipotle paste in a tube, perfect since I never use the whole can. The brand is Olo's which I found on Amazon, but of course canned chipotle sauce will work fine here, you'll have to mince the chipotles. 

This is so EASY to make, just put a few ingredients in the sauce pan and let it simmer for 20 minutes. If you are planning on grilling this weekend and you like things a little spicy, give this a try!

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Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles

Pretty little bundles of bacon wrapped French "green beans" known as Haricot verts which are longer and thinner than the typical American green bean. Of course, American green beans will work just fine here too.

As a kid, I never liked green beans because the only way I tasted them was boiled and overcooked. As I got older, I learned that I actually enjoy them if they are prepared right. Fresh green beans are a must for me, and I like them roasted or sauteed until tender and crisp. Add a little bacon to them and you can't go wrong.

These are really easy to make, I served them as a side with Petite Turkey Meatloaf for dinner, but this would also make an elegant side dish for Easter dinner if you double the recipe. You can prep them ahead of time, then roast them just before serving.


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Guacamole Deviled Eggs

If you're looking for a healthy snack of appetizer for St Patrick's Day, these green deviled eggs are the perfect solution.

My mom adds hard boiled eggs to her guacamole, so I thought why not add guacamole to hard boiled eggs? The results were lovely, and since I was testing them out for the blog, I actually enjoyed them for lunch.

These are a fun, "clean" snack or appetizer, not just as a green food for St Patrick's day, but for anytime of the year. Loaded with a good dose of healthy fats and perfect for any dietary restriction – vegetarian, gluten-free, weight watchers, low-carb, paleo, and more!

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Homemade Croutons

Healthier homemade croutons made with whole grain bread, Italian seasoning and shredded parmesan cheese. These are so simple to make, with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

I love how the grains in the bread add a nutty texture to the croutons, so much better than white bread!

Once baked you can keep them in a ziplock bag to use for salads or soups (I love croutons in my split pea soup!) Be sure to use shredded Parmesan cheese so it sticks to the croutons when baked in the oven.

For this side salad, I chopped up some tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and romaine lettuce, and tossed it with my red wine tomato vinaigrette.

 

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Peppermint Meringues

Light and airy peppermint swirls. 'Tis the season for all things peppermint, shopping and big wooly mittens, cookies and hot cocoa, and of course, cookie exchanges.

And what can be more symbolic this time of year than peppermint flavored cookies. 

The taste of these meringues is somewhere between a cookie and a candy cane. I found out by accident that dissolving one into my morning coffee with a little whipped cream instantly makes me feel like I'm drinking a Starbucks Peppermint Latte. I bet it would be yummy in hot cocoa too!

Meringues are made with egg whites and sugar, so they are naturally low-fat and gluten-free. They can be flavored with different extracts to get different results, and baking them in different temperatures will yield different textures. Some of my favorites varieties include the Chocolate Chip Clouds, Black and White Clouds, and To Die For Coconut Cookies.

These beautiful candy cane gems are colored with a paint brush and a little gel paste food coloring (available at Michaels) just before piping to give you the peppermint stripe. Completely optional of course, but it really makes the cookie. Always use metal bowls and beaters and be sure they are squeaky clean before making meringues to guarantee good results.

For more skinny cookie recipes to add to your cookie exchange this holiday season, click here.


Thank you GLAD for bringing us this post. Learn more about Glad's Mom Made Cookie Exchange program here.


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Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Summer plum tomatoes roasted in the oven with garlic and herbs make an easy and delicious sauce that will fill your kitchen with an intoxicating aroma.

The end of summer means using up my garden vegetables and herbs before the weather changes. It seems I wait all summer long for my tomatoes to ripen, then I wind up with so many tomatoes I don't know what to do with them!

One of my favorite things to do with tomatoes this time of year is to roast them. The flavors of the tomatoes get concentrated and makes a wonderful sauce for serving over pasta or freezing for the future.  If you think four pounds of tomatoes is a lot, you'll be surprised! Four pounds reduced down to the contents of this jar.

What else do I like to do with my end of summer tomatoes? I have tons of recipes that use fresh tomatoes, but these recipes are a must!

Tomato Bisque - one of my favorite soups and perfect this time of year
Panzanella Salad - Using a good crusty bread is a must here!
Easy Garden Tomato Sauce - Perfect for grape tomatoes
Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches - So simple and delicious!
Heirloom Tomato Salad - I can eat this with some crusty bread and call it a meal!
Tomato, Mozzarella and Arugula Tower - A perfect meatless Monday lunch

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Roasted Yellow Squash

Roasted summer squash is simple and delicious, it really doesn't get easier than this!

There's something about roasting vegetables that makes them taste so good. You'll be surprised to see your family go back for seconds and it really doesn't require much effort. Toss it with a little olive oil, season it to taste an roast while you are preparing the rest of your meal.

You can even take it up a notch and top with shredded parmesan cheese. See how quickly it disappears! And yes, you can do this with zucchini as well.

I went to the Union Square Greenmarket Monday with my friend Amy who writes a gluten-free blog called The Healthy Apple. I'm always like a kid in a candy store when I go to farmer's markets, is it just me?

I fell in love with the color of this squash, the tips looked like zucchini but the rest was a bright yellow.

Amy and I bought lots of veggies and we are both planning on making something with our goodies. Stay tuned for next week's post to see how both of us come up with different ways to prepare a dish with our farmer's market finds. Until then, enjoy this simple side dish (you might even want to double it)!

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Homemade Ketchup

Making your own ketchup is so EASY to make at home and making it yourself allows you to control what goes into it.

Ketchup is as American as apple pie, that sweet-sour combination on french fries are irresistible and who doesn't love it on their burgers! But have you ever checked the label of your favorite brand of ketchup? High Fructose Corn Syrup is used to sweeten most brands of ketchup although I did find organic Heinz ketchup in my health food store that does not contain HFCS's, but it was half the size at a higher price.

So I thought it would be fun to try making my own and tested and played around with a few recipes until I found one that I loved with some slight changes using honey as my sweetener and cutting back on the sugar and tested it out on some grilled fries (recipe coming!) and the results were delicious...

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Homemade Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce

Sweet and spicy Kansas City style BBQ sauce made with tomato sauce, honey, molasses, vinegar and spices.

It's so easy to make, simply combine all the ingredients and simmer on the stove for less than 30 minutes and what you end up with is a thick, tangy sauce with the perfect balance of sweet and spice; perfect on chicken, pork or beef.

What I like about making my own sauce is that I can control what goes into it whether it's the amount of heat or sugar. You'd be surprised to learn that most BBQ sauces sold in the supermarket contain high fructose corn syrup. Did you know most brands of ketchup also contain HFCS too? Don't worry, I'm working on a ketchup recipe soon!

Here's a sneak peek at tomorrow's pulled pork recipe using this sauce...

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Baked Parmesan Kale Chips

In honor of St Patrick's Day go green the natural way with this low-fat, low-calorie, low-carb, gluten-free, vegetarian, and antioxidant rich snack.

It cracks me up to see my two year old munching on kale chips and going back for seconds and thirds. Normally when she finds a leafy green vegetable on her plate she picks it out and says "yucky", but with these kale chips, there's something about the texture and flavor that keeps her coming back for more. What surprises me even more is to see my husband (not a kale fan) enjoying them! Give them a try if you haven't had them, you may be pleasantly surprised!

A few tips: I prefer shredded cheese vs grated cheese, add it towards the end so it doesn't fall to the bottom. I used my misto to lightly spray them with oil which helps evenly coat them and get them crispy. If you don't have a misto, use olive oil spray. I calculated them based on one teaspoon of oil, and that's being generous. Don't over-crowd the baking sheet, use two or three sheets so they crisp up.

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Skinny Spinach and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Mushroom caps are generously stuffed with a combination of sautéed baby spinach, chopped mushrooms, bacon, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. A lighter alternative to traditional stuffed mushrooms yet loaded with tons of flavor. The stuffing is so good, I could eat it by the spoonful!

I like the flavor of real bacon, so I buy center cut which is a bit leaner than regular bacon and I drain it well after cooking. Can you make them with turkey bacon? Sure, if you don't eat pork that would work.

Can you make these vegetarian? Why not replace the bacon with a little Feta cheese and chopped fresh herbs.

Can you make them ahead of time? Yes, you can prepare the stuffing ahead, then fill and bake them right before serving.

They are only 34 calories each or for those of you on Weight Watchers, only 1 point each so I know what some of you will be making Superbowl Sunday!! Enjoy!

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Vanilla Bean Sugar

Beautiful specks of vanilla beans are combined with sugar to make a simple yet impressive handmade gift.

There is something special about handmade gift, carefully thought out and made with love. For the past few years my girlfriends' and I have been doing a Secret Santa exchanging our handmade creations and it's always fun seeing what we all come up with.

This doesn't require much talent at all, but that doesn't mean it's not special! Vanilla beans are pretty expensive, but the flavor you get when you use them is worth the added expense.

This is wonderful added to a cup of coffee, or topped on French toast, or even sprinkled over homemade scones; whatever your recipient decides to do with it I'm sure they will feel very special knowing this was handcrafted by you!


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Skinny Whole Wheat Snickerdoodles

Whole wheat skickerdoodle cookies coated with cinnamon, spice and everything nice! If you have plans to do some baking this weekend, these cookies are a must!

I absolutely loved these cookies which I adapted from Cooking Light magazine. I swapped the flour for white whole wheat and the corn syrup for agave and they turned out too darn good if you know what I mean!

When I was in DC a few months ago, I met Matthew Petersen, the executive Pastry Chef of CityZen and Sou'Wester at the Mandarin Oriental and "chef'testant" on Bravo's Top Chef Just Desserts, and he was a huge fan of King Arthur flour. I've been using it since and always love the results.

Skinny Whole Wheat Snickerdoodles
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 42 • Size: 1 cookie • Old Points: 1 pts • Points+: 1 pts (3 pts+ for 2)
Calories: 50.9 • Fat: 1.3 g • Carb: 9.5 g • Fiber: 0.7 g • Protein: 0.8 g • Sugar: 5.9 g
Sodium: 20.2 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 tbsp agave
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp sugar*
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon*
• cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line two baking sheets with Silpat mats and spray with cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Combine 1 cup of sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.  Add the agave, vanilla and egg; beat well.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, beating just until combined.  Cover and chill for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine 3 tbsp sugar with cinnamon, stirring with a whisk to combine.  With moist hands, shape dough into 42 (1-inch) balls.  Roll balls in sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Place balls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets (I slightly flattened them).   

Bake 375°F for 5-7 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft).  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.  Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light.

I discarded 2 tbsp of the sugar cinnamon mixture so I deducted 1 tbsp sugar  from n.i. to play it safe.