Serve Up Healthy Snacks at Your Next Party

(ARA) - The next time you put on a party, surprise your guests and do something different.

"Your guests will probably be expecting greasy chicken wings, ribs, pizza, and nachos for appetizers, but do them a favor, and serve snacks that are good for them instead," says Chef Tony Merola, corporate executive chef for Litehouse Foods.

Merola says serving healthy foods at a party is just as easy as doing the opposite. Instead of chips and dip, he recommends you serve vegetables and fruits with one of Litehouse Foods™ new dips. They are available in six flavors, including ranch and jalapeno cheddar. "Our dips are healthier than others out there," says Merola. "They are made with 100 percent canola oil, which is an unsaturated fat, have no preservatives or MSG and are gluten free."

Merola says the dips are also very versatile. They can not only be used as a straight dip, but incorporated into recipes. "Instead of serving chicken wings, nachos dripping with processed cheese, French fries or onion rings, try making one of these recipes," says Merola. "They are all easy to make and good for you," he adds.

* Tangy Crab Dip

Ingredients:
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup celery, finely diced
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons Litehouse Original Bleu Cheese Dressing & Dip or Litehouse Big Bleu Dressing & Dip
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds imitation crabmeat, cut up Directions:

Mix ingredients well. Chill. Serve in a lettuce leaf or on platter surrounded with crackers.

Substitution: Litehouse Chunky Bleu Cheese Dressing & Dip may be used in place of Original or Big Bleu.

* New England-style Crab Cakes
Ingredients:
1 pound crabmeat
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1/4 cup Litehouse Lite Salsa Ranch Dressing & Dip
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
3 to 4 scallions, sliced
1 1/2 cup white bread crumbs (try Japanese panko crumbs)
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Safflower oil or canola oil

Directions:
Pick over crabmeat and place in mixing bowl. Sauté vegetables in 1 tablespoon oil until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cool vegetable mixture completely. Add vegetables to crabmeat. Add in dressing, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, scallions and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and chill until ready to cook. To finish, warm large sauté pan or skillet over medium burner, add oil. Shape crab cakes and then press cakes into more bread crumbs. Place cakes into hot pan (cook in two batches). Do not overcrowd pan. Brown nicely on both sides; add more oil as needed. Serve with additional dressing. Serves 6 as lunch or entree (makes 12 cakes) or 24 to 30 small hors d' oeuvres cakes.

These are just a few of the party recipes Merola has posted on the Litehouse Foods site. Dozens more are available by logging onto www.litehousefoods.com and clicking on the tab that says recipes. If you come up with a recipe you think is worthy of being featured that includes a Litehouse Foods dip or salad dressing, send it in to be added to the company's recipe database.

SIDEBAR
Here is another popular recipe developed by Chef Tony Merola.

* Grilled Spinach & Bleu Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:
9 ounces frozen chopped spinach. Cook according to directions and pat dry.
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons Litehouse Freeze-Dried Red Onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 thick slices Italian bread
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
4 ounces Litehouse Idaho Bleu Cheese Crumbles
2 scallions (white and light green), cut into thin julienne strips

Directions:
Preheat the broiler. In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, dried red onion and salt; mix well. Brush both sides of the bread with the olive oil and sprinkle with the pepper. Place on a cookie sheet and broil about 4 inches from the heat, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the bread, but leave the broiler on.

Spread the spinach-ricotta mixture over the bread, dividing evenly. Sprinkle each slice of bread with cheese. Broil about 4 inches from the heat until the cheese melts, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle the scallions over each sandwich and serve hot. 2 Servings. Courtesy of ARA Content

Now that you're ready to serve up a menu of healthy choices for your guests get ready for that dinner party with these welcoming Party Invitations.  Try these recipes with your friends and enjoy an evening of fun and guilt free food.  Select an invitation to suit your theme and entertain in style.

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