Appetizers

Crab Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Spring Rolls

4 cups shredded cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup bean sprouts
2 green onions, thinly sliced
4 oz crab meat, (canned or fresh) Or, substitute cooked chicken breast.
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
10 spring roll wrappers (8 x 8 inches)
White of one egg, lightly beaten

Dipping Sauce

3 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 green onion, green part only, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon fragrant toasted sesame oil

Spray a large skillet with vegetable oil spray.  Heat over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes.  Add the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes.

Add the carrot, bean sprouts, and green onions and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Add the crab meat, vinegar, and soy sauce and cook until the meat is warmed through, about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and  and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To assemble the spring rolls, usually there is directions on the back of the wrapper package.  Like filling a burrito, with one point of the wrapper pointing towards you, put 1/3 cup of the filling in the middle of the wrapper.  Bring the bottom point of the wrapper over the filling.  Lightly brush the two side and top points of the wrapper with egg white.  Bring the side points into the center, and starting from the bottom, roll the wrapper up to the top point so the filling is enclosed. Press to make sure the wrapper is sealed.  Lightly spray the outside with vegetable oil spray and place on a sprayed baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until they turn a light golden brown.  Meanwhile, place all dipping sauce ingredients expect green onion in a medium bowl and whisk.  Sprinkle dipping sauce with green onion and serve with the spring rolls.  This makes at least 10 wrappers, you may freeze them and reheat for another time if desired.

Per serving: 138 calories, 7g protein, 22g carbohydrate, 3g fat.   From AMA Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook.

Salmon Pate 

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese or ricotta
15 oz. red salmon, skin removed
3 water packed artichoke hearts
2 scallions
6 drops Tabasco
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 oz. pimento, drained
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill, or 1 Tbs. dried
1 tablespoon capers packed in water or vinegar

Blend the cottage cheese in a food processor until it is smooth.

Add the salmon, artichoke hearts, scallions, Tabasco, mustard and lemon juice using short pulses, until everything is combined and coarsely chopped.

Add the pimento, dill, and capers and using short pulses, process again, so that there are still pieces of pimento showing.

Chill or serve at room temperature as a spread for crackers or vegetables.  It also makes a great sandwich spread.

Per 1/4 cup serving: 86 calories, 4 g fat. From The Pritikin Weight Loss Breakthrough.

John Caputo's Anchoiade 

2 ounces canned anchovy fillets
1 hard cooked egg yolk
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional, anchovies already are packed in oil)
A few drops of champagne vinegar
White pepper to taste
12 to 15 baguette rounds, toasted
1 tablespoon minced parsley

Using a food processor, puree the anchovies, egg yolk and garlic to a paste.  Stir in the olive oil.  Add the vinegar with white pepper.

Spread the mixture on toasted baguette rounds and sprinkle with minced parsley.

Serve as an hors d'oeuvre, add to a romaine salad or float on fish soup. From Socca Restaurant in San Francisco.  This is a great way to satisfy your salt cravings after a long, hot run.  Just put a baguette in the oven to warm up, and serve as a spread.

Eggplant with Mushroom Stuffing

2 medium eggplants

1/6 cup olive oil, or vegetable spray

1 small shallot, minced

2/3 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and finely chopped

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/6 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cayenne pepper, to taste

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 450. Halve eggplants lengthwise. Score the flesh of each half lightly to make a border about 3/8 inch from the skin. Score center of each half lightly three times to allow heat to penetrate. Sprinkle cut surface with salt. Place eggplants, cut side up, on a lightly sprayed sheet pan and bake until flesh is tender, 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, spray vegetable oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add shallots and sauté about 30 seconds until soft but not brown. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, stirring continuously, until mixture is dry, 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

Cut each eggplant gently along scored border and remove pulp carefully with a spoon without piercing skin. Put shells in large, oiled gratin dish. Chop eggplant flesh. Mix with mushroom stuffing and stir in garlic, parsley and cayenne pepper. (or, just throw it all in the food processor! ;^)

Spoon stuffing into eggplant shells. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, then mist with vegetable spray or drizzle with oil, if desired. Bake until hot, 10-15 minutes. If bread crumbs have not browned, run under a broiler for a few seconds. Serve hot. Optional: sprinkle with parmesan or nonfat pizza cheese.

Per serving: 200 calories, 10 g fat (using olive oil in recipe). Adopted from Faye Levy's International Vegetable Cookbook.

Cowpea Chow Chow

2 cups seeded tomato

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded serrano chile

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 (15 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and stir well. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Per serving: (1/2 cup) 39 calories, 0.4g fat. From Cooking Light Magazine.

Leeway: We don't eat green or red peppers, and it still tastes super as a salsa dip for lowfat tortilla chips or vegetables. Also, use as a filling for burritos.

Cat's No-Fat Salsa

3 tomatillos, diced

4 roma tomatoes, diced

1 large onion, diced (preferably vidalia)

1 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-4 jalepeno peppers, diced

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced

1 tablespoon parsley

Juice of 1 lime

Mix all of the ingredients. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving. From Cat.

Asparagus Guacamole

2 cups asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch lengths

2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt

1 medium tomato

2 tablespoons sliced green onion

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Steam asparagus until tender. Rinse with cold water, blot with a paper towel.

Combine all ingredients in a blender, process until smooth.

Chill, and serve with lowfat tortilla chips, or raw vegetables. This sounds awful and looks it too, surprisingly, it is pretty good. From Rob.

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