Guacamole-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Mona’s Family Favorites: Not all party finger foods have to be heavy, greasy “calorie bombs.” These little “cherry bombs” are a simple and satisfying alternative for your guests. With only 25 calories in each filled tomato, you can go back for a second, or third, or fourth without any guilt!
Guacamole-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Prep time
Total time
Author: The Perfect Portion
Recipe type: Entertaining
Makes: 24 Tomatoes or 6 Appetizer portions
Ingredients
- 24 large cherry tomatoes (about 2 pints)
- 1 lime, halved
- Salt
- 1 cup Fresh Guacamole (see recipe below)
- 6 corn tortilla chips, crushed
- Chili powder
- Fresh cilantro
Directions
- Slice the tops and bottoms off each cherry tomato, cutting just a thin sliver from the bottoms for the tomatoes to stand upright.
- Use a melon baller or grapefruit spoon to remove and discard the pulp and seeds from each tomato, placing them on a serving dish as you finish.
- Squeeze the lime over all the tomatoes on the serving dish, and then lightly sprinkle with salt.
- Fill each tomato with 2 teaspoons of the Fresh Guacamole, letting it pile up and out of the tomato.
- Top the filled tomatoes with crushed tortilla chips, and then sprinkle lightly with chili powder. Garnish each with a leaf of fresh cilantro and serve.
HELPFUL TIP: Stores are often overstocked with (oval) grape tomatoes and have very few (round) cherry tomatoes. If you are having trouble finding them, don’t forget to check the organic produce section. They may even have both yellow and red cherry tomatoes to make a multicolored platter!
Serving size: 4 tomatoes Calories: 100
Avocados are known to be an expensive, temperamental fruit, so it’s no wonder that store-bought guacamole is often loaded with fillers and preservatives to bulk it up and prolong the shelf life. Yet the one thing they don’t seem to bulk up guacamole products with is flavor! We vastly prefer homemade! The best time to make guacamole is when avocados go on sale, as they’re not only less expensive, but they’re typically at their peak as well.
Fresh Guacamole
Prep time
Total time
Author: The Perfect Portion
Recipe type: Entertaining
Makes: 3 Dip or 6 Topping portions
Ingredients
- 2 medium Haas avocados, halved and pitted
- Juice of ½ lime
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
- 1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeño
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Directions
- Use a large spoon to scoop the avocado out of the peel, then roughly chop.
- Place the chopped avocado in a medium-size mixing bowl, and toss with lime juice.
- Use a heavy fork or potato masher to mash the avocado until creamy and mostly smooth.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately, or cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour to let the flavors combine.
HELPFUL TIP: A ripe Haas avocado has brown skin, is slightly soft to the touch, and reveals green when the short stem on the top is pulled out. Hard avocados should be ripened at room temperature. Ripe avocados can be kept in the fridge for 2–3 days before using.
Serving size: ¼ cup Calories: 100
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Savory Southern-Style Cornbread
Some cornbreads are just as sweet, if not more sweet, than dessert. Real southern cornbread is far more savory. While we don’t call for baking our cornbread in the traditional cast-iron skillet, our cornbread’s deep corn flavor and tender crumb has all the other qualities of a fantastic, authentic southern cornbread. And we don’t have to fret about seasoning our skillet!
Savory Southern-Style Cornbread
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: The Perfect Portion
Recipe type: Sides
Makes: 8 Side dish portions
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, and spray a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and butter.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing together just until combined into a batter.
- Spread the batter in the prepared baking dish, and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the top has lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. For 100 calorie portions, slice into 16 sections by cutting 4 rows by 4 rows.
HELPFUL TIP: When preparing a quick-bread such as this (as well as biscuits and muffins), it is always best to lightly mix the batter, as overdoing it can make the final bread more dense. A few lumps in the batter are perfectly alright!
Serving size: 1/16 cornbread Calories: 100
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
No Need to Skip the Dip
Forget about the packaged powder dips… bring your own amazing onion dip made with caramelized onions. The secret ingredient for the perfect 100 calorie portion? Greek Yogurt!
Forget about packaged powdered dips. We build layers of phenomenal flavor by first caramelizing onions and then mixing in bold seasonings. Cool, creamy, and loaded with onion flavor, this is a dip that you won’t want to wait to dive into!
French Onion Dip
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: The Perfect Portion
Recipe type: Entertaining
Makes: 9 Appetizer portions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups diced yellow onions
- 18 ounces plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Directions
- Place the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook until well caramelized, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cooled onions and all the remaining ingredients, folding until well mixed.
- Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving garnished with additional chives, if desired.
HELPFUL TIP: Two cups of diced yellow onions is about the yield of two medium onions. Sweet yellow (Vidalia) onions are recommended over Spanish onions, as the natural sugars in the Vidalia onions will help them caramelize in step 1.
Serving size: ⅓ cup Calories: 100
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Eat a Bunch of Crunch
Raw veggies not only add color and crunch to your party, plus the fiber keeps you fuller. For 20 calories or less, you can enjoy 1 cup of celery sticks, broccoli, zucchini, baby carrots, peppers, or cucumbers! Happy Munching!
Smart Dipping
1 cup sugar snap peas = (35 calories)
1 cup sliced radishes = (20 calories)
1 cup celery sticks = (15 calories)
1 cup broccoli florets = (20 calories)
1 cup baby carrots = (70 calories)
1 cup sliced cucumber = (15 calories)
1 cup sliced zucchini or squash = (20 calories)
1 cup sliced bell pepper = (20 calories)
½ cup Oven-Fried Potato Chips, see recipe below = (100 calories)
7 whole-wheat pita chips = (100 calories)
10 pretzel chips = (100 calories)
6 reduced-fat woven wheat crackers = (100 calories)
8 multigrain tortilla chips = (100 calories)
We forego the mess of deep-frying with a tidier and healthier alternative, the oven-fried chip. Rinsing our potato slices washes away sticky surface starch, allowing us to use a mere 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a couple of spritzes of cooking spray to “fry” our chips. Not to mention, they taste fantastic! You can have your chips and eat them too, without any guilt.
Oven-Fried Potato Chips
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: The Perfect Portion
Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 8 Snack Portions
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F. Spray 2 sheet pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- Slice the potatoes into very thin slices, about ⅛ inch thick. For best results, use a mandolin slicer or the slicing attachment of a food processor.
- In a large bowl filled with water and the ½ teaspoon of regular salt, soak the sliced potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain well, and pat potatoes dry.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced potatoes with the olive oil, separating the slices to ensure that each is evenly coated.
- Arrange the oiled potatoes in single layers on the prepared sheet pans.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges of the potatoes are well browned.
- Season with the seasoned salt, pepper, and chopped chives before letting cool for at least 5 minutes.
HELPFUL TIP: Soaking the sliced potatoes in salted water helps remove some of their excess starch and liquid content, making for crispier baked chips.
Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 100
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Restaurant-Style Salsa
Smart Dipping
SALSA is the healthiest dip around—all fresh chopped veggies with a flavor kick!
Most homemade salsa recipes are made by either dicing tomatoes for a very chunky, pico de gallo style or by puréeing them to a thin, tomato sauce-like consistency. This recipe uses both techniques to give you a variety of fresh flavors and textures in every bite.
Restaurant-Style Salsa
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: The Perfect Portion
Recipe type: Entertaining
Makes: 2 Appetizer or 8 Topping portions
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds plum tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper
- 1 large jalapeño pepper, finely diced, with seeds
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Directions
- Core, seed, and dice the plum tomatoes, and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, and toss to combine, adding any additional salt to taste.
- Transfer ⅓ of the salsa to a food processor, and process until very finely minced and almost smooth.
- Fold the puréed salsa back into the diced salsa, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors combine before serving.
HELPFUL TIP: For a milder salsa, discard the seeds of the jalapeño, as that is where most of the heat comes from. Or simply omit the jalapeño and increase the diced green bell pepper from ¼ cup to ⅓ cup.
Serving size: 1⅓ cups Calories: 100
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Stovetop Popcorn
Fresh popcorn is a fantastic snack, because it provides great volume (2 cups for 100 calories!), great crunch, and endless flavors. As a whole grain, popcorn is a wonderful source of dietary fiber, but it’s also only as healthy as what you cook it in. We selected fruity, heart-conscious extra virgin olive oil for popping this simple, yet satisfying staple. Try different flavors to spice up your week!
Stovetop Popcorn
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: The Perfect Portion
Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 8 Snack portions
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup popcorn kernels
- ½ teaspoon popcorn salt (see tip)
Directions
- Add the oil to a heavy 6-quart pot over medium-high heat.
- Allow the oil to heat for 1 minute before adding the popcorn kernels and covering immediately.
- Keep the pot covered, and let sit until you hear the first kernel pop. Once popcorn has begun to pop, shake the pot from side to side while still keeping it over the heat.
- When popping slows to 3–4 seconds between kernels, remove from heat, and shake for at least 10 more seconds before removing lid.
- Immediately transfer the popcorn to a large bowl. Season with salt or spice it up with suggested blends (see ingredients).
Spice it Up Blends:
Cracked Pepper and Rosemary:
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Garlic and Oregano:
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Tex-Mex Spiced:
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
HELPFUL TIP: Popcorn salt or “superfine salt” is recommended to better stick to the popcorn, but ordinary table salt can be used if it is the only salt you have on hand. You can also make your own popcorn salt by processing table salt in a spice grinder or small blender/food processor for 1 minute.
Serving size: 2 cups Calories: 100
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Caprese Salad Stacks
Cooking doesn’t get more simple or satisfying than this. We layer slices of sweet tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella, and basil for a fantastic looking and tasting snack or appetizer. Use different colors of heirloom tomatoes for variety.
Caprese Salad Stacks
Prep time
Total time
Author: The Perfect Portion
Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 8 Snack portions
Ingredients
- 2 heirloom tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- 8 (1-ounce) slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 16 leaves fresh basil
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
Directions
- Slice ends off tomatoes, and discard before slicing each into 8 equal slices.
- Season all sliced tomatoes with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- Halve each slice of fresh mozzarella cheese to make 16 half-moon-shaped pieces.
- Assemble the “stacks” by topping a slice of tomato with a piece of mozzarella. Stick the stem of a basil leaf under the mozzarella to hold it in place.
- Make a second layer of tomato, mozzarella, and basil on top of the first. Repeat to make 8 double-layered stacks.
- Drizzle all with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar before serving.
HELPFUL TIP: This is also great as an appetizer. Lean the second layer of ingredients on a slight bias to create a “leaning tower” of tomato, rather than simply stacking the ingredients straight up.
Serving size: 1 stack Calories: 100
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Southwestern Skillet Scramble
This protein-packed breakfast combines scrambled eggs and plenty of turkey sausage, onions, and peppers in one skillet. A pinch of cumin whisked into the eggs and a topping of melted Pepper Jack cheese adds just the right amount of spice, while a garnish of chopped fresh tomatoes and cilantro cools things off.
Southwestern Skillet Scramble
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: The Perfect Portion
Recipe type: Breakfast
Makes: 3 Breakfast portions
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 4 turkey breakfast sausage links (such as Jennie-O® brand)
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- ⅓ cup diced green bell pepper
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
- 1 small tomato, diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat.
- Add the turkey sausage links to the skillet, and brown well, crumbling the links with a spatula as they cook.
- Add the onion and bell pepper, and sauté for 3 minutes, or until bell peppers are crisp-tender.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper, and cumin.
- Add to the skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are firm and scrambled.
- Top the scramble with the Pepper Jack cheese, cover, and remove from heat. Let rest for 45 seconds to melt cheese.
- Sprinkle the tomato and cilantro over the top of the scramble before serving.
HELPFUL TIP: Fully cooked turkey sausage links (sold in the freezer section) can be cooked according to the package directions, chopped, and used in place of the fresh turkey sausage links in this recipe.
Serving size: ⅙ skillet Calories: 100
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]