Food & Recipes

Super-Fast and Easy Appetizer Recipes

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Serving suggestion: Serve with lots of reduced-fat tortilla chips!

8-ounce block of light or 1/3 less-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons low-fat milk
1/2 cup (1/2 of an 8-ounce bottle) chili sauce (I use Heinz brand)
1 cup fresh or frozen (recently thawed) tiny or small shrimp, drained, rinsed and patted dry very well
4 scallions, chopped
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (3 to 4 ounce) can sliced black olives, patted dry
1 cup (4 ounces) grated, part-skim mozzarella cheese, packed (reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese can also be used)

• Mix the cream cheese and milk in a small mixing bowl with mixer until smooth. Spread on a small serving platter or in a 9x5-inch loaf pan in an even layer.
• Layer the remaining ingredients on top of the cream cheese, in the order that they appear in the ingredient list.
• Chill at least one hour before serving. Serve with reduced-fat tortilla chips or wheat crackers.

Makes 8 servings.

1 serving of the dip: 154 calories, 11 g protein, 8 g carbs, 8 g fat, 4.8 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 560 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 49 percent.

Jalapeno Cheese Spread

Journal each serving as: 1/2 ounce regular fat cheese +2 teaspoons jelly.
Journal each 16 grams of low-fat crackers as: 1 serving low-fat crackers.

1 block (8 ounces) light cream cheese
1/3 cup jalapeno jelly
Reduced-fat wheat crackers (such as Reduced-Fat Wheat Thins)

• Place the cream cheese block on a serving plate.
• Spread jalapeno jelly evenly over the top.
• Serve with reduced-fat wheat crackers.

Makes 8 servings.

1 serving of the jalapeno cream cheese spread: (not including crackers) 94 calories, 3 g protein, 10 g carbs, 4 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 13 mg cholesterol, 0.1 g fiber, 137 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 44 percent.

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