Seasonal Flavors featuring Healthy Finger Foods
St. John’s and MVP Health Care‘s most recent Seasonal Flavors cooking demonstration and educational series featured fancy and healthy finger foods. Recipes included Artichoke and Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms, Chilled Soba in Cucumber Cup, and Eggplant Sliders.
Be sure to sign up for our next class on October 12 featuring Squash-tober Fest
Artichoke and Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms
Yields: 8 servings (3 mushrooms)
Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
24 medium cremini (baby bella) or white mushrooms
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup drained marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs, divided
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
½ teaspoon fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler to low. Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray.
Remove and finely chop mushrooms stems. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the stems, shallot, and garlic stirring until the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in artichoke hearts, 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, Parmesan, mayonnaise, and thyme.
Toss the mushroom caps in another bowl with 2 teaspoons of oil and pepper. Stuff each with filling and place in the prepared pan. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs and 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle on the mushrooms.
Broil on upper rack until the mushrooms are soft and teh breadcrumbs are golden, about 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition Information: 64 calories/serving, 3 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 7 g total carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 mg cholesterol, 173 mg sodium, 3 g protein
Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2014
Chilled Soba in Cucumber Cup
Yields: 12 servings
Soba Cucumber Cup
Ingredients
2 large cucumbers
4 ounces soba noodles (about ½ package)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1½ tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Peel the cucumbers and cut into rounds 1-inch to 1½-inces thick. Scoop out the middles to create a cup. This is most easily done with a melon baller; you could also use a knife to make the initial cut and then use a grapefruit spoon or dinner spoon to hollow out the walls.
Bring a pot of water to a simmer and cook the soba noodles according to package directions, usually 6-8 minutes. Drain and rinse the noodles under cool water. Transfer to a bowl.
Whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Pour half the sauce over the noodles. Add the green onions to the noodles, saving a few for garnishing, and gently toss the noodles to coat them with the sauce. Soba noodles are fairly fragile, so your hands tend to be the best tool for this task.
Pack each cucumber cup with noodles, twirling them slightly to help them settle in the cup. Pour ¼ teaspoon or so of the reserved sauce over the noodles in each cup and sprinkle the tops with a few green onions.
Serve immediately or cover and chill for a few hours. If chilling, wait to add the reserved sauce and green onions until just before serving as the noodles tend to soak up the sauce.
Nutrition Information: 50.5 calories/serving, 1.3 g total fat (0.2 saturated fat, 0.5 g monounsaturated fat, 0.5 g polyunsaturated fat), 8.8 g total carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 148.1 mg sodium, 1.8 g protein
Source: www.thekitchn.com
Eggplant Sliders
Yields: 15 sliders (6-8 full-sized burgers)
Eggplant Sliders
Ingredients
1 lb. eggplant
½ cup onions, diced
1 cup white beans
½ cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup oats
½ ground flax seed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
slider buns
Oregano Tomato Slaw
2-3 large roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Half the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Slice into slivers and mix with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Peppercorn Aioli
Yields: 1 cup
1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 – 1½ teaspoons coarse black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a backing sheet with parchment paper.
Pulse the eggplant and onions to a medium-fine coarseness. Be sure to squeeze the water out of the eggplant mixture (too much moisture will change the consistency of the patty). Spread eggplant mixture onto a tea towel to further dry.
Pulse the white beans, parsley, and olive oil. Set aside. Pulse the oats, flax seed, garlic powder, and pepper until a flour forms. Set aside.
Return back to the eggplant and press out any remaining water onto the tea towel. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Roll 2 tablespoons into a ball and flatten to form a patty, continuing to do this until all the sliders are formed. Place the sliders on the lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping halfway.
To assemble, place the sliders between the buns and layer with tomato slaw and peppercorn aioli.
Nutrition Information: 195.8 calories/serving, 6.3 g total fat (0.4 g saturated fat, 1.5 g monounsaturated fat, 2.8 g polyunsaturated fat), 30.7 g total carbohydrates, 4.5 g fiber, 0.0 mg cholesterol, 330.5 mg sodium, 7.1 g protein
Source: www.withfoodandlove.com