Need Appetizers for party

[JoanOH]

Hi all,

You're always such a wealth of ideas, and I'm in need!

I've gotten invited to a "Women's Garden Party" Thursday evening. I need to bring an appetizer. It makes sense to me to bring something *I* can eat but that non-Atkins folks would like too.

Unfortunately, there's a few stipulations in what I will/will not eat! I'm on the first rung of OWL, so veggies are good. I don't eat eggs, so deviled eggs are out. I don't eat seafood, so bacon-wrapped shrimp etc., are out. I was going to do jalapeno poppers, but that might be a little too firey for this crowd. A veg platter with dip is all I can think of and that doesn't sound special enough. Any ideas???

Thanks in advance!
Joan J

[texannie]

Here are some ideas..

I did this for a party, a different twist on the usual. serve it with chopped veggies and crackers. (please everyone).

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=79312

Shrimp Pico de Gallo
I use premade Pico de Gallo from our deli section
( if you don't have that you will need to chop...
about 10 Roma tomatoes, 2 onions, one bunch cilantro and 6 jalepenos into fine bits...squeeze about 2 or 3 lemons)
to the Pico add about 60-70 cooked small sized shrimp cut into bite sized pieces (i get the fresh frozen)
add black pepper and garlic to taste
put all this in a ziplock bag over night
right before serving, add a couple of avocadoes chopped.
serve with chips and celery stalks

Another fun idea is today roast beef sliced thinly. Spread that wasabi mayo from Hellman's on it and roll, then slice into pinwheels.

HILL COUNTRY RANCH DIP

Ingredients
2 (8oz) Cream Cheese
1 (8oz) Sour Cream
4 TBS Milk
2 jars Chipped beef
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp black pepper
½ Cup chopped Green Pepper
2-3 Jalepenos diced
1 –1 ½ cups chopped pecans
butter

Directions
Mix all ingredients together except for pecans & butter. Put into an over proof dish. Saute pecans in butter and spread on top of dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes unitl bubbly. Serve with chips or red pepper quarters.

Marinated Cheese
½ Cup olive oil
½ Cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbs minced green onion
1 tsp sugar
¾ tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2 oz) jar diced pimento, drained
1 (5 ½ x 2 x 1”) block sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz), chilled
1 (8oz) cream cheese, chilled
Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs

Combine first 10 ingredients in a jar, cover tightly and shake vigorously. Set marinade mixture aside.
Cut block of cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut into 1/4" thick slices, set aside. Cut cream cheese the same way. Arrange cheese slices alternately in a shallow baking dish, standing slices on edge. Pour marinade over cheese. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours.
To serve, put cheese slices on serving platter. Spoon marinade on top. Garnish with parsley. Serve with crackers. You can also eat it without.

this marinade is also fantastic if you want to pour it over shrimp and just serve marinated shrimp.



ETA..ooops, just re-read about the shrimp. You could just make the pico de gallo and serve with chips and celery stalks.

[not2late]

I had a marvelous veggie "fries" platter a couple of months ago: different veg: raw zucchini, summer squash, cucumber, celery and jicama sliced into "fries", steamed asparagus spears, broccoli and cauliflower florets, cherry tomatoes, some carrots (for those who can eat carrots). It was served with a blule cheese dip.

If you don't mind doing "fussy" type finger foods, you can hollow out cherry tomatoes or small sweet peppers and stuff them with a chicken salad (cooked grilled or boiled chicken, mayo, spices and herbs of your choice). Or finely chop the chicken and make chicken salad into a chicken spread or dip and serve with veggies.

You can also make a chilled cucumber soup (unusual but delicious, especially in this hot weather!), or gazpacho.

[bcrgirl]

Sicilian olive salad
sicilian green olives with the pit
mozzarella cheese cubed
celery chopped sweet
onion chopped
few pepperchini's
little garlic fresh or powder
olive oil
oregano or italian seasoning

take a heavy coffee mug and smack olives to break them open do not remove pits chop cheese and veggies add to the olives toss salad with oil and seasonings the brine from the inside of the olive acts as the vinegar this is Great if you like green olives and you can add as much of a ingredient as you like

[MotherOfGizmo]

Dried beef rolled up w/ cream cheese always goes good w/ Atkineers and non Atkiners.

Mexican Meatballs with a small chunk of cheddar cheese ---you mix the ground beef w/ a package of taco seasoning and an egg, form the meatballs and bake them, I do this then put them in a crockpot w/ enchilada sauce to keep them warm and serve them with sour cream--there are never any leftover!

A plate w/ sliced cheeses, pepperoni, olives and sugar free pickles is always a good one and so easy!

Too bad you don't like seafood because I have lots of great seafood appetizers that are delish. :sadblinky

[SaraS]

Cream Cheese/Pickle Rollups

This sounds wierd, but my Mom used to make these and they are great.
Ingredients
Deli Ham: that is sliced so that it is plyable enough to roll
but not so thin that you can't spread chream cheese on it.
Cream Cheese
Garlic Powder
Large/Whole Dill Pickles

Set out the cream cheese to soften so that you can spread it.
When soft, mix in some garlic powder to taste. Don't use so much that it overpowers, but just enough to get a hint of garlic taste to it. Spread the cream cheese on the deli meat, put a whole pickle on the meat and roll it up. When you have made the desired number of rollups, refrigerate them so they will set up. After they have set up, slice them into medallion pieces (they should look be about the shape and size of a Reece's Peanut butter cup: sorry for the reference, its the only thing similar in size and shape I could think of). Keem them refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

[Sashie]

I was going to say just a simple meat and cheese platter. Could even bring some crackers for those who are not doing atkins. Deviled eggs, hot wings, tuna pate, chicken or tuna stuffed tomatos, stuffed portabello mushroom's, cheese ball, kebabs, Mozzarella Sticks, stuffed celery with cream cheese, simple meats rolled with different cheeses. I like the platter with the meats, cheese, olives, peppercinnis myself. Those dried beef roll up are really good too, my stepmom used to stuff them with sweet pickles as well as the cream cheese.

http://www.fouracross.net/recipes.html

salami cones

http://www.landolakes.com/mealideas/ViewRecipe.cfm?RecipeID=10889

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[BunnyD]

My standby for parties has always been stuffed mushrooms. Non-Atkins folks LOVE them, and they're very Atkins friendly. Here's the recipe I use:

http://www.lowcarbrecipes.org/recipe.cgi?action=view_recipe&id=2198&recipe=Sausage+Stuffed+Mushrooms&category=Appetizers

[JoanOH]

All those are GREAT ideas and I'll be trying most of them, party or not!

I did a meat, cheese, veg platter (the party is tonight) -- I did salami with cream cheese roll-ups, plain cheese cubes, large black olives that I stuffed with feta cheese (you don't want to be in a hurry for that one -- took forever!), cucumbers (from my garden) stuffed with salmon/cream cheese/dill mixture, cherry tomatoes (from my garden!) stuffed with egg salad, mozzarella stix (I cut them in 1 inch pieces though), bacon/cheese balls from the original Atkins book (YUM) and ham/swiss cheese/dijon mustard roll-ups. I scattered some almonds and macadamia nuts around it, and it looks pretty Unlike my kitchen that looks like World War III just happened in there... LOL

Thanks, everyone, for some really GREAT ideas!

Joan J

[Sashie]

LOL I hope you have a great time! You all have me craving meat and veggie platters now! ensive