It was great fun going through all the wonderful recipes and blogs. The best part of any culinery event is it makes you stretch your imagination that one extra bit to interpret an idea or a concept. The recipes I received were similarly a nice blend of healthy and calorie friendly adding beautiful color to the concept of A Healthy Bite
The first recipe comes from Lisa's Kitchen. She makes these earthly savory Feta Cheese and Cumin Crackers. These crackers come with a promise of being healthy without adding to the bulge on the waistline... ummm, definitely something to dig in!
Our Sunshinemom from Tongue Ticklers has a Mediterranean flavor to her Healthy Bite with mouth watering Tofu Croquettes and Hummus. Her post is full of beautiful pictures of the dish. Sunshinemom has very good photography skills I must say! In addition to the croquettes, she shares some very interesting experiences of her trip into the Himachal (A state in North India, very close to Kashmir), which is definitely worth a read!
My good friend Sups brings us Lettuce Wraps on her blog So Whats New Today? with juicy lettuce and ground turkey filling. Lettuce wraps have always been on my favorite list, so I am definitely giving this one a try. Now Sups has been following WW lately; so don't miss the points per serving at the end of her entry (always useful if you are watching your weight!)
Next, we have Priya's Easy and Tasty recipes. She has a platter full of appetizers with Microwave Tandoori Paneer , Baked Chickpeas Vada and Baked Cheesy Bread and Vegetable Pockets. Can't decide what to pick? Look at the beautiful pictures below. If you have paneer handy, you could put together these savory bites in minutes. Her version of baked vadas are also simple to make with minimal oil making them less greasy - What more could you ask for!!! She has been really creative with the left overs with the Cheesy Bread and Vegetable... Take a look!
Srivalli has put together nice Masala peanuts, always a favorite kid snacks. You can surely grab a handful as a quick snack (I remember I always did as a kid!)
One of my most favorite south indian dishes is Idli. Ashwini made this dish - Stir fry Idli for her son's daycare teachers to warm up their day with indian spices on a cold winter morning . That is indeed a very sweet thing to do. Doesn't it look tempting?
Our Alchemist Chef Caitlin brings us Cuban Black Bean, Mango
and Avocado Salsa. She recommends having this salsa with home baked tortilla chips and Mojito! Oh I can tell you, it is a great combination indeed!
Cham from Spice-club puts together her hors d’oeuvre/amuse bouche in a matter of minutes in both sweet and savory flavors. I remember having these sweet "little hearts" (Britannia Little Hearts) when I was in India, and now, with Cham's recipe, I can easily make this at home
Asha has made a flavorful and healthy appetizer with Chole and Dill. If you are not a big fan of Dill (like my DH), baby spinach or fenugreek might be a way to go. This dish is surely a perfect dose of healthy and tasty!
I have made sweet semolina cake in the past. Preety now brings us a savory Semolina Cake and it looks delicious! "Use any vegetables you have at home, such as courgettes, cabbage, spinach and even fresh fenugreek leaves", she says. This recipe is definitely a healthy appetizer for kids who are not vegetables -friendly (I just made that term up)
Priyanka from Asankhana brings 2 more appetizers in her entry Pizza and Green Peas fry. Pizza she prepared is simple to make with chives giving that special flavor. You could make these in bite sizes for appetizers. With a load of veggies, they are healthy indeed. She also has an interesting take on the egg toast and green peas fry
Now check this beautiful picture from Kalva. This is Seasoned and Spicy Black Eyed Peas. Kalva has provided so many health benefits of black eye peas including calcium, protein, fiber, Vitamin A and folate (an important diet requirement in pregnant women.) So if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, this might just be the recipe for you! Afterall, this is healthy and tasty in a single package!
A sweet and chocolaty welcome to guests and loved ones comes from Archy's Recipe Book with her Chocolate Sweet Heart Eggless Cookies. Now guys, she sent me this cookie recipe on her special day - Feb 19th when she got engaged to her sweetheart! So lets all use this forum to congratulate both of them!!!
Mahima from Spices Etc. has sent 2 appetizers and I can't decide which one I like more! I am a big fan of chaats (one of my entries for the event is also a chaat). And Mahimaa has served us with 2 varieties - Murmura Chaat and Chickpeas cutlets - Both look delicious! For murmura chaat, Mahimaa has improvised on traditional bhel by adding vegetables to puffed rice (murmura) making vegetables delectable. Chickpeas cutlets also is a great idea as well as very healthy compared to the traditional potato ones.
Sanika has captured almost all flavors in her blog name -Spicy & Tangy...Sweet & Yummy! Her platter consists of more chaat items - Sprouted Moth Bean Chaat and Baked Spinach Samosas. Moth beans chat is so easy to put together and baked samosa... that is indeed a great idea as against the more greasy traditional options
Looking at this next entry reminded me of my numerous trips to Shiv Sagar in Mumbai where one of my favorite dishes was Idli Manchurian. Now, with the recipe from Easy Craft, I can make it at home. This is especially handy when you have some left over idlis to put to good use.
If you are in the mood for some pakodas, try Seema's Chana and Cabbage pakodas. She recommends making them with little oil. Cabbage and channa is a healthy combination with a good blend of legumes, vegetable and spices.
Trupti brings her medley of vegetables with a Stir Fry. You could use the vegetables of your choice and can quickly put this together without compromising on nutrition. Serve it in smaller portion as an appetizer or with fried rice in your main course meal.
Corn has been my favorite in recent times. I have made corn salads, corn chaat and corn croissants in recent times. Now Swapna has made an addition to my list with her Corn Vadas. "Vada" is just an Indian term for patties. Just check the beautiful picture - even on a full stomach, it can make your mouth water! :)
A true Tofu lover, Varsha brings us another version of Tofu Croquettes. She has been experimenting on her photographic skills, so while you are on her blog, do leave a comment on your favorite picture among the 4 she has uploaded. I personally liked the 2nd one. She also elaborated on the goodness of tofu, which I myself did not know much about. I am going to load up my fridge with Tofu more frequently now!
Ginger Salmon vs. Spice rubbed Salmon? - Can't decide? Check Ivy's blog Kopiaste to Greek Hospitality. A true seafood lover that I am, making such a decision is a nightmare. I would rather have both. They look absolutely scrumptious!!!
Susan, our Well Seasoned Cook brings with her an Eggplant Caponata. This Italian appetizer dip with eggplants cooked with garlic, celery, onions and tomato paste and seasoned with ground pepper and toasted pine nuts definitely seems very appetizing!
On a lazy Saturday afternoon, Shobha from Anubhavati - Tastes from my kitchen put together this enticing italian lunch for her family with Basil Pesto Sauce, Swirly Stuffed Pizza Rolls and Spaghetti with Asparagus & Zucchini drizzled with Basil Pesto Sauce. I must say, the pizza rolls are a nice take on the more traditional pizzas and with a dose of vegetables, can be really healthy bite!
Poornima has a much healthier version of Spring Rolls on her tray with more baking and vegetables and less oil. With a myriad of vegetables like onions, bell peppers, carrots, cabbage, beans, mushroom or lean meats like chicken, this is definitely is one healthy appetizer without adding to my already existing bulge :)
Experiments in Kailas Kitchen brings us Crispy Bread cups with Vegetable filling. Jayasree has made small cups from bread slices which, she suggests, can be filled with any kind of sweet or savory filling and can be a great starter for any party! I really find the idea of making bread cups really innovative. Her recipe for the filling is also very enchanting!
This is Lavanya's first entry to food blog events. So I would like to welcome her to the food blog events world!!! She has made almond and peanut ladoos with seedless dates. The health benefits of these dry fruits are numerous. You can even find these while you are on her blog.
Rama makes this healthy Chana Sprouts for her kids and recommends serving these with semolina bread as appetizers. These sprouts cooked with onions, mango and tomatoes and seasoned with curry leaves and mustard seeds are quick to make and one can indulge without a guilt pang (I am sold!!!)
Roasted carrots with simple Tampenade is on Sweatha's menu card. No one can deny the benefits of our good ol' carrot! She makes a vegan tampenade with olives and capers without anchovies. You can have them separately or enjoy the luscious combination of sweet carrots complimenting the tangy tampenade.
The Aroma from Nithya's kitchen reaches us as she sends us her Tandoori Gobi. She made this on a cold wintery morning. Slightly cooked Gobi (cauliflower) is broiled after marinating in yogurt and spices for a few hours. I am sure it tastes as good as the picture!
If you are up for some mexican flavor, check out Joelen's culinary adventures with Smashed black bean quesadillas. The recipe is adapted from Heidi's cook book/blog, which is also one of my favorites. Home made tortillas and wholesome black bean, bell peppers and avocados can definitely be a very appetizing way to start a meal
Sitakiran starts her party with a glass of cold Carrot Juice. She claims that this juice could be enticing even of you hate carrots. Like I said earlier, health benefits of carrots are numerous. So this would be a perfect drink to start your party. And while you are at her blog, check out the beautiful carrot flower....beautiful, isn't it?
A last minute entry comes from Mia of Kahliya-Logue. She brings us a variation on Spinach Samosa (or Borekito as she has known it for years). It is filled with leek, spinach and mushrooms. She has some ajwain seeds in the dough. For those of you who don't know, Ajwain is very medicinal, helps in digestion, relieves a nasal passage during common cold and has many more benefits. So Mia brings a wholesome appetizer that is healthy, low calorie and light on the stomach!
Finally, my own participation in this event - I had 2 dishes on the platter - Corn Chaat and Spicy Grilled Catfish. (Will put the picture of Grilled Catfish very soon. Haven't had a chance to download it yet!)
This was a great party indeed with an amazing medley of appetizers. Thank you all for participating!
