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From jalapeño poppers and quesadillas to tasty dips and salsas, start your meal off right with summer appetizers featuring fresh, flavorful produce. Some may even work well for a light summer supper. Try one of these great options or visit the full collection of summer appetizer recipes from Cooking Light for more ideas.
Chilled Avocado Soup with Seared Chipotle Shrimp
A delicious combination of tastes and textures, this first course soup combines smoky chile heat, crisp sweet corn, and silky-rich avocado.
INGREDIENTS
Soup
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups diced peeled avocado (about 2)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lime Cream
3/4 cup reduced -fat sour cream
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Shrimp
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Cooking spray
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
DIRECTIONS
1) To prepare soup, place chicken broth and next 5 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon black pepper) in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill.
2) To prepare lime cream, combine sour cream and next 3 ingredients (through 1/2 teaspoon black pepper) in a bowl; stir well. Cover and chill.
3) To prepare the shrimp, sprinkle shrimp with cumin, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. Remove 1 chipotle chile and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can, and finely chop chile. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.
4) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp, and cook 2 minutes. Turn shrimp over.
5) Add corn, onion, and garlic; sauté for 2 minutes. Add chopped chipotle chile, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, and 1 tablespoon lime juice; sauté for 2 minutes or until shrimp are done and vegetables are crisp-tender.
6) To serve, ladle about 1/2 cup soup into each of 8 bowls. Top with 1 1/2 tablespoons lime cream, one-eighth of shrimp, and about 2 tablespoons corn mixture.
Total Per Serving:
Calories - 184, Carbs - 13g, Fat - 10.5g, Protein - 12g, Fiber - 4.6g, Sodium - 286mg.
Source: Cooking Light, June 2011
Fire-Seared Antipasto Platter
This classic Italian appetizer makes a great fridge-clearer: Throw whatever vegetables you've got on the grill, and pair with cheese, cured meats, condiments like capers and olives, and anything else you want to include. Virtually anything can go on a platter like this.
INGREDIENTS
Dressing
6 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
Vegetables
3 plum tomatoes, halved
2 red bell peppers, quartered and seeded
2 yellow bell peppers, quartered and seeded
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 (1 1/2-pound) eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
Garnishes
4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 ounces capocollo, thinly sliced
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons capers
6 green olives, sliced
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
DIRECTIONS
1) Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2) To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.
3) To prepare vegetables, brush 1/4 cup dressing evenly over tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, onion, and eggplant.
4) Place vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until lightly charred.
5) Arrange vegetables on platter; brush with remaining dressing.
6) Arrange prosciutto, capocollo, and cheese on platter.
7) Sprinkle platter with basil, capers, olives, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Total Per Serving:
Calories - 291, Carbs - 32g, Fat - 13.2g, Protein - 15.6g, Fiber - 10.1g, Sodium - 986mg.
Source: Cooking Light, July 2009
