Healthy Recipes: Appetizers

In this section of the site, you can find all of the Skinny Chef appetizer recipes. Typically, there are several pages with recipes - so scroll down and use the paged navigation.... or search for the recipe by title:

 

Guacamole

Whenever I invite guests over during the summer, I serve plenty of guacamole! Yet many friends have told me that their guacamole is not nearly as tasty and I think I know what the trouble is…

Black Bean Quesadilla with Chicken

Ivy, my friend’s teenage daughter, is smart, witty, and outspoken. She’s also a vegetarian. I wrote this recipe for her, and packed it with three non-meat forms of protein, tofu, beans, and cheese to be sure she’ll get what a growing girl needs!

Roasted Lemon Asparagus

Asparagus pokes through the cool dirt of early spring though it can be found in grocery stores year-round. Look for the thick stalks for this recipe, or if you are using pencil-thin asparagus decrease the cooking time by 2-3 minutes.

Grilled Eggplant with Miso Dressing

Miso is a savory fermented paste made from soy beans, rice or barley.
There are many different varieties on the market, ranging from light to dark, depending on how long they are aged.

Gazpacho with Shrimp

Soup fights hunger because it’s filling and low in calories. This is the perfect summer/spring soup made in a blender. Fresh and light, gazpacho can be packed for lunch in a thermos, for an impromptu picnic or even for a day on the beach. Add cooked shrimp to round it out for a fast, late-night dinner when you don’t have time to cook.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut squash adds flavor and color to this classic fall recipe. Since butternut squash is naturally creamy and non-fat, it creates the ‘risotto’ texture without relying on Mascarpone that is extremely high in saturated fat. Frozen butternut squash puree can be found in most freezer sections of your local grocery store.

Zucchini Salad with Lemon and Ricotta

Zucchini is such a tender vegetable, you can enjoy it without even having to turn on your stove. Eat it raw during the summer, when zucchini is at its peak. If you want to make this ahead of time, combine all the ingredients, but save the ricotta and fresh herbs to use right before you serve it.

Garden Veggie Bowl with Shrimp and Corn

Shrimp add flavor and low-fat protein to this easy veggie side dish. It’s a fast way to use up the best a summer vegetable garden has to offer. Enjoy a slice of cornbread or toast some whole wheat pita to make it a main course for two.