Best Low Fat Spinach Dip

 

 

 

One of the most popular dips for a party or get-together is spinach dip, which is usually high in fat. The classic recipe is a mix of sour cream and mayonnaise. To lower the fat content but still maintain flavor, I’m using fat-free versions of yogurt and cream cheese. You’ll have an easy dip without all the fat, but it still tastes great.

Low Fat Spinach Dip

Use organic when available. Serves 8

 

Ingredients

• 10 oz fresh baby spinach, steamed
• 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt, drained of excess whey
• 4 oz fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

• Place steamed spinach in a towel and squeeze until dry
• Chop spinach finely
• Place in medium bowl
• In a small bowl, add yogurt & cream cheese, and stir until smooth
• Add cheese mix to the spinach
• Add scallions, garlic, Parmesan, and lemon juice
• Stir until blended well
• Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving
• Serve with fresh vegetables, pita chips, and/or bread sticks

 

 

 

 

 

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Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

 

Al Fresco Uncured Chicken Bacon has 70% less fat and 40% less sodium than pork bacon.  Now I’ve tried turkey bacon before and expected something similar. I stand corrected. Tasted like regular bacon with great flavor. It comes both uncooked and precooked and ready to use. If you’re interested in trying it, check out your zip code for stores in the USA that sell it. This is NOT a sponsored post.

 

 

Memorial Day is coming at the end of the month with the remembrance of those who gave their lives for our country. It also marks the beginning of summer for most of us in the USA. Today I’m sharing a simple cold appetizer which is perfect for cookouts, parties, and other get-togethers. It’s an easy recipe for stuffed cherry tomatoes with bacon crumbles, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, green onion, and parsley. Don’t use bacon bits or a can of grated Parmesan if you want great flavor. Crumble the cooked bacon and add the mayonnaise, green onion, fresh parsley, and fresh grated Parmesan.

 

Stuffed Bacon & Cheese Cherry Tomatoes

Use organic when available. Makes approximately 8 servings with 2 pints of cherry tomatoes.

 

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes (about 24)
• 1 lb bacon cooked, drained, and crumbled
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or mayonnaise substitute
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup green onions chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Cook bacon, drain, and crumble
• Cut a very small portion of the bottom of each tomato so that they stand upright
• Cut a small slice from the top of each cherry tomato
• Using a melon baller or a small spoon carefully scoop out the seeds and pulp of each tomato & discard
• Place each little tomato upside down on a paper towel to drain
• In a bowl, stir together mayonnaise, Parmesan, garlic, bacon, green onions, and parsley until well blended
• Stuff each cherry tomato with the bacon mixture using a very small spoon
• Garnish with fresh parsley, green onions, or other herbs as desired
• Cover tray of stuffed tomatoes and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to blend flavors
• Serve chilled

 

  

 

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Deviled Easter Chick Eggs

 

 It will be the first day of spring in a couple of weeks, and then Easter is April 5th this year. Today I’m trying another cute food presentation that I pinned years ago, Deviled Easter Chick Eggs.  Use your favorite deviled egg recipe or mine below and decorate the little eggs to look like chicks. It’s not hard to do, and it looks adorable for holiday get-togethers.

Start with week old eggs, as fresh eggs are hard to shell. To prevent cracking, remove eggs from refrigeration about 30 minutes prior to boiling. Place eggs in cold water, bring to boil, turn off burner, and cover.  Let sit for 15 minutes. Let cool, and refrigerate at least two hours before cutting for best results. Serve using an egg holder, a saucer, bowl, or a platter  To use on a flat platter, with a sharp knife, slice off a very thin layer from the base of the egg to make it flat. You have the option to make feet but it’s not necessary.  Then cut 1/3  of the egg off the top. I cut straight across but later you can make ragged edges if desired.

 

 

 

 

 

Deviled Easter Chick Eggs

Use organic when available, makes 12 Easter chicks

A cute food art for spring & Easter using deviled eggs decorated to look like little chicks.

Great as an Appetizer or Snack

Ingredients

• 12 hard-boiled eggs peeled
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
• Optional make w/o mustard
• 1 dill pickle finely diced
• 1 tsp pickle juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 carrot cut into rounds
• 12 slices of pickle or black olives

Instructions

• Refrigerate hard-boiled eggs for at least two hours or overnight 
• With a sharp knife, slice off a very thin layer from the base of the egg to make it flat if you're using a platter
• Slice top 1/3 of eggs leaving a little yolk with the skin
• Use a spoon to remove bottom yolk to a bowl
• Mash yolks with a fork
• Add mayonnaise,  pickle, pickle juice, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix well
• Fill a piping bag or plastic bag with a corner snipped with the egg yolk mixture
• Pipe yolk mixture into bottom of egg whites to create chick
• Cut small wedge from carrot rounds to make a beak for each chick
• Cut pickle or olive slices into small squares to use for eyes
• Add 2 olive eyes to each chick
• Add egg white top to each chick
• Adjust so it looks like chick peeking out of egg
• Serve on deviled egg tray as centerpiece or in egg holders or on platter
• Optional, add a dab of deviled egg filling as glue to stick them to the platter
• Optional, make 3 cuts in carrot round for a foot, 2 per chick
• Optional, decorate platter with herbs like parsley or dill
• Optional, serve on saucer or bowl with salad greens as first course of meal – you've made a free-range chick  Enjoy!  

 

 

This dish was shared on St. Pete’s Channel 10, Good to Know Segment:

How to Impress Your Easter Guests with Creative Snacks & Thrifty Tablescapes.

  

 

Please see my Link Parties page for the parties where this post was shared.

 

 

Tomato Tulips Spring Appetizers

 

 

 I love cute food art.  For the last few years, I’ve been trying some of my favorite pins of Food Art. One of the spring appetizers I love is Tulip Tomatoes. It is shown in a bouquet of tulip tomatoes on chive greenery.  It is so cute.  Below is the photo found all around the internet.

 

I like that tulip tomatoes are a healthy side dish perfect for any spring or summer occasion. Everyone says this food art can be created in less than 30 minutes. It took a little longer for me.  This post is a little different from most of my food posts.  Have you ever tried to replicate a pin and wondered what happened?

 

 

Above are more of the original photos on making tulip tomatoes.  They must have originally been on a blog or social media that no longer exists.  I’ve found over 12 blogs with the same photos and instructions on this food art.  My recommendation is to first decide if you just want a decoration for your table, or if you want appetizers to eat.  If you just want a decoration, go with the idea of a tied bouquet. If, like me, you want pretty finger food, I’ll try to give you easy ideas.

 

 

The tulip tomatoes are made with mostly fresh ingredients like cucumber, cream cheese, tomatoes, and green onions or chives.

 

 

 

 The original instructions say to make a cross on top of large cherry tomatoes, going 3/4 way deep. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon; a grapefruit spoon is suggested.  First, DO NOT GO 3/4 DEEP!   The little tomato becomes too flimsy and you will have cream cheese everywhere. I know as I did it.  I suggest 1/2 deep. Then you use a toothpick or skewer to make a hole where the stem was on the bottom. Push a green chive through the hole to make a stem.  

 

 The original recipe uses a filling of cream cheese, cucumber, and dried parsley.  It really sounds a little bland to me, and I added lemon juice too. It was still too bland.  I think the dried parsley would add more flavor if it is added to the cream cheese and put back in the refrigerator for a day.  The original recipe says to use a teaspoon full of cream cheese mix in each tomato.  I bought large cherry tomatoes, and they are still small for 1 teaspoon.  I saw another blogger piped the filling in which probably makes it easier to fill the tomato.  It is a messy procedure filling the top with a spoon and keeping the chive in the bottom hole. I had lots of leaks from both ends. Use a clean paper towel to clean the outside of each tomato.

 

 

I believe a better filling would perk up the taste of the  little appetizer.  I was tempted to just buy garlic and onion cream cheese when I went shopping for the ingredients.  I think that or the herb flavored cream cheese would be tasty and so easy to use.  I think that adding minced or processed cucumber makes the cream cheese too watery. Cucumbers are pretty much water in composition.

You could try your favorite dip as long as it is firm enough. Over on One Little Project, Debbie makes a whipped Feta/cream cheese filling. It sounds interesting.  Then I made my tomato flowers on a plate. Originally, the recipe said to tie the green stems with a chive like a bouquet.   If you want appetizers, don’t tie the bouquet and make a single layer of flowers. If you want a decoration, then tie the bouquet.

 

 

 

I know that trying to pick up the little flower tomato will make the eater’s hands messy.  I think serving them with toothpicks is a better idea. Below you’ll notice that the green stems do not go into the bottom of the tomato.  I tried both ways (above and below) and believe not all the guests would want to eat the green chive.  Placing the tomato on the top of the chive gives the same look, but the tomato can be lifted from the plate with a toothpick without chives.

 

 

 

I started thinking about serving them at the dinner table.  I like Roma tomatoes for a good size to make tulips.  I again cut a cross on the top and scooped out the seeds.  If the tomato does not have a flat bottom, cut the bottom to level it.  This time I used hummus as the filler; there are so many flavors I can try.  I served the tulip tomato on a saucer with romaine lettuce for leaves.  I think it’s a great first course or snack. I ate two of them with whole grain crackers for lunch. I cut the tomato into pieces with a knife and fork and ate it with my fork. It was yummy, and my hands were clean.

 

Whether you want small tomato tulips on an appetizer plate or larger Roma sized tulips, choose your filling of choice, make the tulips and arrange with chosen greenery.

Tomato Tulip Appetizers

Use organic when available. Makes 16 tomato tulips.

Ingredients

Cherry Tomato Tulips

• 16 large cherry tomatoes
• 16 stalks of chives
• 8 oz flavored cream cheese or favorite dip

Roma Tulip Appetizers

• 1 or 2 Roma tomatoes per person
• romaine leaves or other green vegetable for each Roma
• 8 ox flavored cream cheese or favorite dip

Instructions

Cherry Tomato Tulips

• With stem side down, cut a cross in the top of each cherry tomato (about 1/2 down the tomato).
• Using a spoon (grapefruit spoon works very well) to gently scrape out the tomato seeds.
• Option 1: Take a grilling skewer or toothpick and make a hole where the stem currently is. You may need to twist the skewer in a circle a few times to make room for the chive to fit through.
• Option 2: Do not make a hole in the bottom of tomato.
• Starting with 1/2 tsp of filling, fill tomato top. Adjust amount according to size of tomato.
• Option 1: Insert a chive into the hole at the bottom of each tomato.
• Use a damp paper towel to clean any excess filling from outside of tomatoes.
• Option 1: Make a bouquet of chive flowers and wrap last chive around the green chive stems and tie.
• Option 2: Place green chives on plate or platter like stems of flowers.
• Option 2: Place tomato flowers on top of green chives. Add tooth picks.
• Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
• Serve on plate or platter chilled.

Roma Tomato Tulips

• With stem side down, cut a cross in the top of each tomato (about 1/2 down the tomato).
• Using a spoon (grapefruit spoon works very well) to gently scrape out the tomato seeds.
• Starting with 1 tsp of filling, fill tomato top. Adjust amount according to size of tomato.
• Clean outside of tomatoes with damp paper towel.
• Shape romaine leaves to look like flower leaves and place on saucer.
• Add 1 or tulip flowers on green leaves.
• Add whole grain crackers to saucers.
• Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
• Serve as first course of dinner, snack, or lunch.  

I hope you enjoy the tulip spring appetizers.

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