Healthy Appetizer Recipes: Les Canapés
This month I’m celebrating Spring entertaining by focusing on some healthy appetizer recipes, specifically Les Canapés. These little morsels are the perfect easy appetizers to keep you eating and having fun with your company without worrying about over-indulgence.
Today I’m joining with other bloggers to help raise awareness for Heart Disease. Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic lost her Mom to heart disease when her mother was 47, and Kim was 15. Each year on the day her Mom passed she shares stories and photos of her Mom. This year she joined forces with Jen of Juanita’s Cocina, whose life was also touched by heart disease when her Stepfather had a heart attack. Jen’s Stepfather is alive and well more than a decade later, and for that, Jen is thankful every day. The ladies got in touch with other bloggers to ask them to share their own stories about how heart disease has touched their lives. So today we share stories and recipes from our hearts to yours, in memory and honour of Momzie, Kim’s Mom. We hope you will share your stories with us today as well. Go to the bottom of this post for links to all the bloggers’ stories and recipes.
My Gee Gee passed away when I was 12 of a stroke. My Baba struggled with heart issues for all the years that I had her in my life. Many of my other family members now struggle with their weight, cholesterol and blood pressure. None of these have become a huge issue for me.
Not yet.
But I know that they will if I don’t take charge of my health now. It’s not just to be thinner. It’s to make sure that I stick around to be here for my kids. To hug them, play ball with them, dress up for Halloween with them, go snorkeling, watch fireworks, watch them laugh, hear what they learn, see who they love.
I’ve been making an effort but I find some things about healthy-eating harder than others.
Entertaining frightens me.
I find appetizers particularly difficult. They’re so often loaded with cheese and salt. I want to make them to spoil my guests but then I want to eat them too. And I know I shouldn’t.
But I do.
Finding delicious but healthy appetizer recipes can be hard. But I’m determined. It’s important. Thankfully, I think I’ve figured out a pretty good healthy appetizer strategy:
Les Canapés!
Oh, j’adore les canapés! In fact, I’ll be focusing on canapés all through March.
Why are canapés the perfect healthy appetizer for entertaining?
First and foremost, they’re portioned. I put one in my mouth and I know that it’s a single portion. I might have another, and maybe one more. But I’m not going to eat 20, the way I might sit there and plunge 20 chips into a dip (and then get all mad at myself. You know the drill).
Second, they’re small. Even if there is some cheese or other saturated fat, salt, sugar, whatever, there’s not going to be very much of it. I can eat one and usually know that I’m not doing much damage to my diet.
Third, they’re so darned pretty. We eat with our eyes first. Having a pretty morsel in front of me, even if it’s a healthy one, makes me feel like I’m indulging even if I’m not. How satisfying!
Have I convinced you?
If so, join me this month as I celebrate Les Canapés!
Make sure you Like Cook the Story on Facebook so that you don’t miss any of my Canapés madness. You can also get my posts sent to your email inbox so that you don’t miss out on any of my healthy appetizer recipes. Just enter your email addy here:
- 8 whole dried apricots
- 2 tsp goat cheese
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4 salt-roasted whole almonds, roughly chopped
- 8 fresh rosemary leaves
- Place the apricots on a serving plate. Top each one with a little ¼ teaspoon scoop of goat cheese and smoosh it down a bit. Grind some pepper over the whole plate.
- Using the goat cheese as the glue to which your remaining items will stick, sprinkle each bit of goat cheese with one-eighth of the almonds (a good pinch on each one is about right) and then gently press on two rosemary leaves.
- Indulge!
And now, here are all the recipes from the bloggers participating in Recipes And Stories From Our Hearts To Yours. Read the stories, think about those you’ve lost, those you could lose and how you can make a difference for you and your own family by eating healthily, exercising, having a healthy lifestyle and managing to stick around for all those important moments that you know you don’t want to miss. I know that I don’t want to miss a single one.
Spicy Oven Fries by Cravings of a Lunatic
Healthy Snacking with Radish Dip by Juanita’s Cocina
Arugula, Walnut Pesto by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Farro, Apple & Pecan Salad by It’s Yummilicious
Chicken-Quinoa Burgers with an Avocado Yogurt Sauce by The Spiffy Cookie
Pasta House Wilted Salad by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Gooey Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars by The Cooking Actress
Dark Chocolate Covered Walnuts by All Day I Dream About Food
Mini Pear Walnut Crisps with Blood Orange Caramel Sauce by Chocolate Moosey
Kung Pao Chicken Tacos by The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
Honey Soy Glazed Salmon by Curry and Comfort
Apple Walnut Spinach Salad by Magnolia Days
Broiled Salmon Gyros with Cucumber Feta Yogurt Dip by Damn Delicious
Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Make-Ahead Chocolate Oatmeal by Crumb
Hoisin Flounder by Taking on Magazines
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Cheesy Quinoa and Asparagus Bake by Hungry Couple
Ahi Tuna Salad by Noshing with the Nolands
Canapes of Apricot, Goat Cheese, Almonds and Rosemary by Cook the Story
Thai Chicken Soup by From Cupcakes to Caviar
Black Bean Quesadillas by Pastry Chef Online
What a neat appetizer. I love both goat cheese and dried apricots so this is one I know I’ll be trying soon.
JanetFCTC recently posted: Hummingbird Bundt Cake
I never thought of transforming dried apricots to canapes. They sure look very appetizing!
Katerina recently posted: Moustokoúloura (Traditional Grape Molasses Cookies)
What pretty canapes! I’ve never thought about using dried apricots. Brilliant idea. They go so well with the goat cheese and almonds. It would be one tasty bite for sure!
Renee recently posted: Apple Walnut Spinach Salad
What a great recipe!! So different, I love it!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
I love the idea of using dried fruit as a base–brilliant! I am going to try some variations, since I no longer eat bread.
Angela recently posted: Vanilla Bean Floating Island (dairy free)
Heart disease has touched so many people…
These canapes look so pretty! Great to serve at a party or anytime for a healthy option!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts recently posted: Arugula Walnut Pesto
I love canapes of any kind. The healthy aspect of these make them even better. We are having girls night in this month and these are so going on the menu!
Shannah @ Just Us Four recently posted: St Patrick’s Day Crafts – Yarn Wreath
I love dried apricots and filling them with goat cheese sounds like a scrumptious appetizer!! I’m sorry your family has been touched by heart disease….
Liz recently posted: Maple-Mustard Glazed Salmon…#RecipesfromtheHeart
First of all thank you so much for joining us today. It’s a pleasure and honour to have you. These look so good, cute and healthy food just makes me so happy. I don’t make enough canapes. I need to change that. I now know where to come when I need a fabulous recipe.
I am sorry about your Gee Gee. And for BaBa who struggled. It’s amazing how many people are touched by heart issues. I like the way you approach it, it’s not just about being thin, but being healthy. I think more of us need to think like that. I’ve struggled with my own battles over the years and getting older and closer to the age my mom passed at scares the heck out of me. So it’s just time to start making some changes so I can be around for my kids and one day, grandkids.
Thanks again for sharing today. It means the world to me that you did this. xx
Kim Beaulieu recently posted: Spicy Oven Fries in Memory of Momzie #recipesfromtheheart
Christine, these little apps are the cutest! Most folks think of using a cracker or crostini as a base; I love that you chose little apricot saucers. Wonderful, healthy combination of ingredients here.
I am really enjoying reading all of the heart-healthy recipes in this collaboration. And hearing everyone’s stories. The more I read, the more it hits home that heart disease is more than just statistics. It’s families. More than enough reason to look at the way we eat.
Jenni recently posted: Black Bean Quesadillas with Salsa Rice: #recipesfromtheheart
What a wonderful collaboration for a very worthwhile cause! I think your apricot canapes are both healthy and delicious. What a great little appetizer.
I think you could add reason #4, they look elegant and are sooo easy to put together! This recipe looks amazing in both taste and presentation! It’s hard to get that from something that will take you less than 10 minutes! :)
Meghan {For the Love of Dessert} recently posted: Savory Parmesan Plantain Donuts
It’s like you put all of my favorite foods in one little bite! So gorgeous and so amazing!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and this fabulous recipe!
Jen @JuanitasCocina recently posted: Healthy Snacking with Creamy Radish Dip ~ #RecipesFromTheHeart!
What beautiful canapes, Christine! I WISH I had the self-control to stop at one (or three!), but I may have to cut off my fingers to prevent myself from delighting in the entire tray of these!!
All of my grandparents passed away before I was born, so as saddened as I am that you’ve lost yours, I’m secretly a bit envious that you had a special bond with your grandmas <3
Becca from It’s Yummilicious recently posted: Farro Salad with Citrus Basil Vinaigrette #recipesfromtheheart