Eat This – Holiday Party Appetizers

By:  Samantha Ray

Are you feeling overwhelmed on navigating the non-stop holiday partying without hindering your goals and hurting yourself?  My advice is to ALWAYS plan and be prepared for success.  Fail to plan, plan to fail!  Some suggestions: eat before you go out, especially if you’re uncertain what’s being served.  Potluck?  Bring a GT dish to share, this ensures there’s something for you to eat.  Celebrate this holiday season by preparing health giving festive recipes, including faux cocktails.   Rejoicing through the holidays does NOT have to equal eating poo food and alcohol.  True commemoration can be appreciating the season by sharing time with friends, friends, and eating whole foods to foster many more healthy holiday years to come!

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Quick, easy, and a tasty direct sodium hit.  Great for company – don’t make a daily habit out of these sweet-salty taste bombs!

Ingredients:

8 oz dates, pitted

1 lb nitrate free bacon

Instructions:

Preheat broiler.  Wrap each date in a quarter of a bacon slice, securing with a toothpick or alternatively lining them up on skewers.  Broil for 15 minutes, turning once, until bacon is evenly browned.  Can be served hot or cold.  Don’t leave them laying around after the party – these are crazy addictive!!

Deviled Eggs

Your standard fare, upgraded for health.  DO use the All-Good Mayo recipe found in both cookbooks and the GT website recipe section.  There isn’t a good clean mayo on the market right now, and it’s really easy and quick.

Ingredients:

.25 cup GT All Good Mayo

12 eggs

2 tsp mustard

.5 oz onions

.5 oz parsley

.5 oz red bell pepper

Instructions:

Boil your eggs.  Slice eggs carefully in half, removing yolk and placing the yolks into a small bowl with the mayo, mustard, and VERY finely diced veges.  Mix the yolks and ingredients with a fork until creamy.  Lay the whites out on a plate or tray and fill each one, heaping, using a teaspoon.  Sprinkle paprika on the top.

Flax Focaccia Bread

This is a delicious bread.  You can add seasonsings to it, like garlic and green onion, if you want a savory bread – or sweeten it and add cinnamon and raisins for a sweet breakfast bread.  Try it like this, first, and see if you like it just the way it is!  Serve it with Genesis Kitchen’s flavored balsamics and olive oils.

Ingredients:

2.3 oz extra virgin coconut oil

1 TBS coconut palm sugar

5 eggs

16 oz flaxseed

.5 oz baking powder

.5 cup water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Grind your own flax seed in a coffee grinder, spice mill or blender – do NOT buy it pre-ground in the store.  In a large bowl, combine the flax and baking powder (and dry seasonings if you’re using any) and mix well.  Now add the oil, water, and eggs and mix it all up – allow to sit for about 3-5 minutes to thicken.  It will get quite thick.  Line a large baking tray with 1 to 2 inch sides with oiled parchment paper.  Pour the batter into the pan and spread it out to whatever thickness you want, but at least .5 inch thick.  Bake it for about 20minutes – it should spring back a bit when you press it with your finger.  Let it cool and then cut it however you like.

Steamed Artichoke and Lemon Herb Dipping Sauce

This dipping sauce for the artichokes is also exquisite on asparagus, brussels sprouts and lightly steamed broccoli.

Ingredients:

4 artichokes, whole

2 tsp chives

.5 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 garlic clove

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

2 TBS fresh lime juice

5 TBS GK extra virgin olive oil (lemon fused would be delicious!)

2 tsp fresh parsley

2 tsp dried tarragon

2 tsp mint leaves

.5 tsp lemon zest

Instructions:

Artichokes should have stems and leaves removed.  Also the garlic clove, parsley, chives, mint leaves, tarragon should be minced.  Rub fresh lemon juice on cut surfaces of artichokes.  Place artichokes upside down in a steam basket over boiling water.  Cook for 25-30min or until leaf easily pulls out from artichoke; bottom should be tender when pierced with fork.  Rinse under cold water to stop cooking.  Transfer to a plate and place upside down to drain then serve with dipping sauce.  In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients except olive oil and whisk until slightly thickened.

Shrimp Kabobs with Chili Lime Marinade

These are pretty addictive.  Great appetizers for parties.

Ingredients:

4 TBS chili powder

4 TBS fresh lime juice

2 TBS GK olive oil

1 tsp fresh black pepper

1 lb raw shrimp

Instructions:

Use large deveined and shelled tails on shrimp.  If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water about an hour.  Whisk together the chile powder, oil, and lime juice.  Add the shrimp and toss to coat in the mixture.  Let marinate for 15 minutes.  Thread the shrimp onto the skewers so that the shrimp lie flat.  Grill on high heat until shrimp are golden brown and slightly charred, about 1.5 minute per side.  Watch carefully!  Serve with lime wedges and chopped cilantro sprinkled over the skewers.

Caribe Alaska Halibut Appetizer Kabobs

Watch the grill while you’re cooking the kabobs – you don’t want to overcook the fish.

Ingredients:

2 TBS chili powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 TBS cumin

2 lb wild halibut

6oz fresh lime juice

4 oz fresh mango

1.5 TBS fresh mint

3 TBS Genesis Kitchen Persian Lime Olive Oil

2 tsp dried oregano

16oz fresh pineapple

1 lb red bell pepper

Instructions:

Cut your fresh mango, bell pepper, and fresh pineapple into chunks.  Place halibut pieces in shallow pan.  Prepare marinade by blending lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon.  Reserve 1/4 cup marinade for fruit; pour remaining marinade over halibut and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate 1-4hrs.  Divide halibut, fruit, and peppers between skewers.  Grill kabobs until fish is cooked through, about 5 min.

Almond Carob Bars

These are delicious, easy, require no baking, and taste candy-like.  Great holiday treat!

Ingredients:

.5 cup unsalted raw almond butter

2 cups raw almonds

.5 cup carob powder or raw cacao powder

.5 cup unsweetened dried coconut

.5 cup extra virgin coconut oil

14 grams raw honey

.5 cup flax seeds

1 TBS vanilla extract

Instructions:

Place almonds in food processor and grind nuts.  Add flax (freshly ground), shredded coconut, almond butter, carob, and mix.  In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat.  Remove coconut oil from stove, add honey and vanilla into oil.  Add coconut oil mixture food processor and pulse ingredients together.  Press mixture into 8×8 baking dish and refrigerate for 1 hr before serving.

Cinnamon Almond Truffles, Raw

Easy to make and decadent.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds

4 TBS ground cinnamon

4 TBS organic cocoa powder or raw cacao powder

100 grams dates

.25 cup water

2 TBS goji berries

.25 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

In food processor combine almonds, dates, cacao powder, goji berries, and vanilla.  Blend a minute or so then slowly add the water until it makes a dough.  Roll into balls and roll into cinnamon.

Genesis Kitchen Cocktail

Delicious festive substitute for an alcoholic cocktail or glass of wine!

Ingredients:

8 oz Sparkling water

1-2 TBS Genesis Kitchen Flavored Balsamics (recommendations below)

Stevia to taste

1 lime or lemon wedge

Instructions:

Add  GK’s Balsamics (Cranberry Pear, Cinnamon Pear, Raspberry, Grapefruit,  Strawberry, or Wild Blueberry) to sparkling water, add stevia and squeeze lime/lemon wedge into drink.  Prepare in a wine glass for parties or celebrations.

 

LOOKING FOR MORE HEALTHY RECIPES?  Find our cookbooks here!  Great for holiday gifting!