Healthy Entertaining Foods

These great appetizers will surely please the crowd.  They are also “good” for you!

CRAB CANAPES

2/3 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 package (8 oz) imitation crabmeat or lobster, flaked
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 green onions with tops, sliced (about  ¼ cup)
64 cucumber slices (about 2 ½ medium cucumbers cut 3/8 in. thick) or melba toast rounds.

Combine cream cheese, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce in medium bowl; mix well.  Stir in crabmeat, bell pepper, and green onions; cover.  Chill until ready to serve.  When ready to serve, spoon 1 ½ teaspoons crab mixture onto each cucumber slice.  Place on serving plate; garnish with parsley, if desired.  YIELD: 16 Servings (4 pcs. each)
Dietary Exchange:  ½ Lean Meat

QUICK AND EASY STUFFED MUSHROOMS

1 slice whole wheat bread
16 large mushrooms
½ cup sliced celery
½ cup onion
1 clove garlic
Nonstick cooking spray
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon marjoram leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
Dash paprika

Tear bread into pieces; place in food processor.  Process 30 seconds or until crumbs form.  Transfer to small bowl; set aside.  Remove stems from mushrooms; reserve caps.  Place mushroom stems, celery, onion and garlic in food processor.  Process with on/off pulses until vegetables are finely chopped.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray.  Add mushroom mixture; cook and stir over medium heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender.  Turn into bowl.  Stir in bread crumbs, Worcestershire, marjoram, and ground red pepper.  Fill mushroom caps with mixture, pressing down firmly.  Place filled caps in shallow baking pan about ½ inch apart.  Spray lightly with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake 15 minutes or until hot.
YIELD:  8 Servings (2 mushroom caps each)  Dietary Exchange:  1 Vegetable