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A Cocktail Christmas Bash with a Nurtitional Twist
Hosting a Christmas party? Try a cocktail style celebration with a selection of healthy tapas options. Typically, tapas are a selection of small appetizers or snacks with Spanish influence. They are small portions on serving platters and guests can help themselves. So it is important not to overindulge. There are many websites that offer tapas recipes, but many are high in fat and kilojoules. Choosing lighter, low fat tapas options will allow you and your guests to enjoy a few extra bites without compromising your health.
Choosing Healthy Tapas Recipes
Choose low fat meat cuts, such as chicken breasts, lean red meats, pork and fresh fish. Incorporate vegetables where possible. Use spices, herbs and marinades to enhance flavour.
Serving Sizes
Tapas serving sizes are typically small. Think of small serving utensils that will look interesting and are easy to use. Large toothpicks, tablespoons, oyster shells, Asian soup spoons, small crackers, mini lettuce leaves, rice paper and meats used as a wrapping are some ideas and will determine the size of the tapas piece.
Healthy Tapas Ideas
Chicken strips coated in wholemeal breadcrumbs and herbs, baked, served with relish
Low fat feta marinated in fat free dressing, pitted olive and cucumber toothpick
Mini bruschetta using thinly sliced French loaf toasted, crushed tomatoes with herbs, fat free sundried tomatoes and fresh basi
Large cherry tomatoes, halved, sprinkled with rosemary and rock salt then baked and served on balsamic flavoured rice cakes
Tapas and Drinks
Cocktail type food encourages the consumption of fluid. Be sure to offer low kilojoule, non-alcoholic beverages such as diet soft drink, 100% juices and small bottles of water.
Healthy Dessert Tapas
Dessert can also be served tapas style and does not mean you have to bake tiny cakes! Use Asian soup spoons or large dessert spoons to serve small sweet bites. Low fat yoghurts are a great tapas base, and can be sweetened with fruits, jams or small amounts of chocolate. Check the recipe section of this newsletter for Chobani Sweet Creamy Chocolate, which can be served tapas style.
Other dessert tapas recipes include;
Mini pavlova shells filled with a dollop low fat Greek yoghurt and topped with a strawberry
Fresh raspberry, blueberry and mango chunk toothpicks
Strawberries, banana pieces, cherries and other berries half dipped in white/milk/dark chocolate
Strawberries hulled and filled with low fat Greek yoghurt or sweetened ricotta and topped with slivered almonds or a drizzle of melted chocolate. See the recipe in this newsletter
Added to site on : Tuesday, 4 December 2012