Party Time!

My 21st birthday is coming up in a few weeks and I definitely want to have a little party with my girlfriends.  Instead of going out though, I decided it would be fun to have a little party at my sorority house  and do the cooking with my friends and such.  So I did a little bit of searching and found some DELICIOUS healthy appetizers that I'm going to whip up with my girls!  I love fun, creative food so I'm just going to make a bunch of these appetizers and make it a sort-a tapas theme night.  I thought you guys may enjoy some of the recipes so here goes! (From SELF magazine)

White Bean and Artichoke Dip

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 cans (15.5 oz each) white beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts (packed in water, drained)

PREPARATION:

1. Place garlic and rosemary in a food processor and finely chop. Add lemon juice and blend. Add beans and artichoke hearts and puree until smooth, stopping the machine a few times to scrape down the sides. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with carrot and celery sticks and/or pita bread (not potato chips!). Dip will keep refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.
   
   
   Asparagus Guacamole 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium Anaheim chile (or for extra heat, 1 serrano chile) 
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 5 or 6 fresh asparagus spears, ends trimmed
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 2 medium avocados, cut into cubes (about 2 cups)
• 1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (or more to taste)
• Dash garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Baked tortilla chips

PREPARATION

1. Preheat broiler. Wearing rubber gloves to protect your skin, rub chile with oil; broil 5 minutes, turning with tongs so all sides get charred. Transfer to a plastic bag, seal and set aside to steam 10 minutes. Remove stem, skin and seeds from chile and dice. Set aside. (Remove gloves only when you are finished handling the chile.) Fill medium sauté pan halfway with water and bring to a boil. Prepare a medium-sized bowl of ice water. Place asparagus spears into boiling water 3 to 4 minutes or until just tender. Remove and plunge spears into ice water to halt cooking and preserve color. When cool, remove, dry thoroughly and chop into 1-inch pieces. Transfer to blender or food processor, add yogurt and avocado and process until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in remaining ingredients (except chips). Serve with baked tortilla chips.
   
   
   Margherita Pizza with Arugula
   

   INGREDIENTS

   • 1 can (25 oz) crushed plum tomatoes
   • 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
   • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh garlic
   • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
   • 1 1/2 cups grated lowfat Romano
   • 1 1/2 cups grated lowfat fontina
   • 6 cups roughly chopped arugula
   • Balsamic vinegar

   PREPARATION

   1. To make sauce, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic, and 1 tbsp oil in a medium-sized bowl. Stir well and set aside for up to 1 hour. Mix cheeses together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine arugula, remaining 2 tbsp oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Make crust. While second side of each crust is grilling, spread 1/8 cheese mixture over cooked side of each crust; dollop each with1/3 cup sauce. (Do not spread.) Top with arugula. Rotate 3 to 4 minutes until bottom is golden brown.