HEALTHY FOOD so TASTY you'll
want to eat it EVERYDAY.
CRUDITE NIBBLES
This is a great way to offer guests a fresh and healthy snack that helps keep hunger at bay without filling them up before dinner is served. I like to fill small glasses with a pesto-based dip then add the veggies. You can then place the glasses around the room so that no one has to reach over anyone, and the veggies comes 'pre-loaded' with the dip, so you also remove the double dipping effect! And hey, it just looks pretty, so what's not to love?
PREP TIME: 10-20 min
MAKES: 3 small glass-fulls
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CRUDITE
-
1 yellow bell pepper, deseeded
-
1 red bell pepper, deseeded
-
1 cucumber
-
1 carrot, peeled
FOR THE DIP
-
¾ cup (180 ml) greek yogurt
-
¼ cup (60 ml) soft cream cheese
-
¼ cup (60 ml) Classic Basil Pesto
-
1 tsp lemon juice
-
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
-
1 tsp onion powder
-
½ tsp salt
-
¼ tsp black pepper
PREPARATION
Cut your vegetables into even sizes (if possible...nature varies!).
Add all the ingredients for the dip to a small bowl and mix well.
SERVE
Divide the pesto-yogurt dip evenly across 3 small glasses so that you have about 1 to 1½ inches in each (note, the 'dip level' will rise once you insert the vegetables)
Add your vegetable sticks and place around the room or table in easy reach for your guests.
Recipe and photo credit: Cathy Menees
COOK'S NOTES
PORTIONS:
To minimize food waste, allow me to point out that 1 of each vegetable (red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, cucumber and carrot) makes enough to fill 3 glasses that measure 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter and 2.75 inches (7 cm) high (on the inside of the glass). This is plenty for 4-6 guests, so you can adjust the recipe accordingly to the size of your party!
INGREDIENTS:
Going for a more indulgent/rich flavor? A tablespoon of mayonnaise will pump a lot of richness into this dip if that's more to your tastes. For those that like a light, fresh taste, ignore this note! ;-)
EAT THIS:
This is one of those snacks that delivers a lot of vitamin and minerals, as well as the healthy bacteria (for your gut) from the yogurt, so you can feel good about setting this out for yourself and your guests!
