Spa Party Food – Healthy Snacks
Spa Party Food:
II. Healthy Snacks:
i.Vegetable Hash Browns – serves 4: 2 potatoes grated; 1 carrot grated; 1 zucchini, grated; 1 tbsp poppy seeds; 2 eggs lightly beaten; freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbsp vegetable oil;
Place potatoes, carrot, zucchini, poppy seeds, eggs and black pepper to taste in a bowl and mix to combine. Lightly brush or spray a nonstick frying pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Place spoonfuls of mixture in pan, flatten slightly and cook for 4-5 minutes each side or until golden.
ii. Tasty Hawaiian Pockets – serves 4: 4 small wholemeal pocket breads;
Hawaiian Filling: 220g / 7 oz canned pineapple pieces, drained and chopped; 1/2 cup cottage cheese; 4 slices ham finely chopped; 3 tbsp grated cheddar cheese; 1 tbsp smipped fresh chives; freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp vegetable oil;
To make filling, place pineapple, cottage cheese, ham, cheddar cheese, chives and black pepper to taste in a bowl and mix to combine. Make a small slit in the side of each pocket bread and spoon in filling. Brush a nonstick frying pan with oil and heat over a medium flame. Cook pockets for 3 minutes each side or until crisp and heated through.
iii. Potato And Corn Crostini – serves 6-8: 1/2 loaf French bread cut into 1/2 inch thick slices; 2 potatoes boiled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes (1 1/2 cups);3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/4 tsp oregano or to taste; 2 tbsp oil; 1 large tomato pureed in the mixer (1/3 cup); 2 tbsp corn canned or frozen; 2 tsp tomato ketchup;
Garlic butter: 3 tbsp softened butter; 1/2 tsp minced garlic crushed; a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp freshly crushed pepper;
Topping: 1/2 cup grated cheese, preferably parmesan or mozzarella; 2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter;
Heat oil. Reduce heat and stir fry potatoes for 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, oregano and tomato puree. Cook for about 5 minutes or till crisp. Add corn, ketchup and mix well. Remove from heat. Prepare garlic butter by mixing softened butter with garlic, salt and pepper. Cut French loaf diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. On each slice spread some garlic butter. Arrange some potato mixture on it. Cover with grated cheese. Spoon a little olive oil or melted butter on top of the cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or till the base of the bread turns crisp and the cheese melts. Serve hot.
iv. Buckwheat Pancakes With Banana Topping – serves 4: 1/4 cup buckwheat flour; 1/4 cup self-raising flour; 1 tsp ground allspice; 1 cup milk; 1 tbsp honey warmed; 1 egg white lightly beaten; 1 tsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp grated lemon rind;
Sift buckwheat and self-raising flours and allspice together into a bowl. Combine milk, honey, egg white and oil. Add to flour mixture and mix to make a smooth batter. Stir in lemon rind. Drop tbsp of mixture into a heated nonstick frying pan and cook until golden on both sides.
v. Banana Yogurt Topping- makes 1 cup: 1 banana sliced; 3/4 cup natural yogurt; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon;
Place banana, yogurt and cinnamon in a bowl and mix to combine. Serve as a topping for Buckwheat pancakes.
vi. Cool Lime Dip And Chips: Dunk spicy tortilla chips and vegetable sticks into soured cream flavored with a squeeze of lime and a handful of chopped coriander.
vii. Falafel Pockets – makes 12: 3 whole wheat pita breads; 1 onion cut into rings; a few lettuce or cabbage leaves shredded; some mayonnaise or cheese spread;
For The Falafel: 1/2 cup white chickpeas, soak overnight or for at least 6 hours with a pinch of baking soda; 1/2 tsp coriander seeds; 1.2 tsp cumin seeds; 1/2 onion finely chopped; 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice; 3/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 1 tsp garlic very finely chopped; 1/2 cup chopped parsley; fresh bread crumbs;
For the falafel, grind uncooked white chickpeas without water with coriander seeds and cumin seeds to a rough paste. Add onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic and chopped parsley to the chickpeas in the grinder and process again for a short while to a coarse paste. Remove from mixer. Add fresh bread crumbs. Check seasonings. Make round, flat, patties about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Heat oil and fry falafel, 3-4 at a time, on medium heat till golden brown. Keep aside. Cut the pita bread into 2 pieces. Open a piece with a knife from the cut side, going almost till the curved edge, keeping the base joint from the edges, such that you get a pocket. With the help of the knife, rotate it to form a pocket. With the help of a knife, spread some mayonnaise or cheese spread inside the pocket. Throw some sauteed onions and arrange lettuce leaves and the falafel patties inside the pockets. Serve warm.
viii. Caramel Popcorn – serves 2-3: 70g popcorn (7 cups after popping); 1/2 cup roasted peanuts; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 3 tsp cornflour dissolved in 1/4 cup water; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp vanilla essence, 1/4 tsp soda bi-card;
Mix brown sugar, cornflour paste and salt in a big saucepan. Put the pan on fire. Bring to a boil stirring continuously for about 2-3 minutes till it coats the spoon. Remove from fire. Add vanilla essence and soda-bi-carb. Stir. Immediately put popped corns and peanuts. Mix well to coat properly with the caramel. Transfer the popped corns to an oven proof dish. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 250 degrees C for about 8-10 minutes till it has a well browned crispy look.
