Monday, February 20, 2012

Wrapped Up Appetizers

(Family Features) - Special occasions call for special food. You don't need a big, expensive spread to impress the crowd - you just need to get creative. And choosing versatile ingredients is the first step to an impressive first course.

PBS-TV Chef Jim Coleman, the host of the "Healthy Flavors" cooking show, recommends using Nasoya fresh pasta wrappers to make a variety of delicious appetizers. "They can be used creatively for any meal and they help stretch your budget." The all-natural wrappers contain no MSG or trans fats, are a good source of iron, and contain six to eight grams of protein per serving.

Chef Jim suggests creative wrapped up appetizers such as

  • Shrimp Poppers with fresh shrimp, cream cheese, garlic and hot sauce
  • Spinach and Feta Purses that twist up spinach, mushrooms and feta into bite-sized purses
  • Mini Quiches with Swiss cheese, bacon and onion
  • Turkey Harvest Poppers with turkey or tofu, cranberry sauce and walnuts

Prosciutto and Asparagus Roll Ups are elegant and showy - but they're a cinch to make. If you want to make a vegetarian version, just leave out the prosciutto, substitute Nasoya tofu for cheese, and all's well. Or to make a reduced calorie version, cut the wrappers in half and switch the butter to cooking spray.