Countdown to Football Season: Appetizers! - Part 1 of 2

With Football Season right around the corner, many of us will be spending our Sunday afternoons gathered around the television with friends and family! Casual entertaining menus with appetizers as opposed to full-course meals are always a hit for gatherings such as these. Below are some simple, low-fat and heart-healthy ideas for your next fall gathering that will be sure to score with your guests!

Baked Tortilla Chips
12 corn tortillas Salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 2 cookie sheets with no-stick spray. Stack the tortillas and cut the stack into six wedges. Place the tortillas on the prepared cookie sheets in a single layer. Lightly spray with non-stick spray, followed by salt (if desired). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Serve with a variety of dips or for some extra kick, one of the salsa recipes that can be found in, "Let's Talk Salsa!", on the articles page of this section.

Party Meatballs
8 ozs. of lean ground turkey breast
6 ounces lean turkey sausage
2 egg whites
1/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons dry wheat breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons minced onions
2 tablespoons minced green peppers
1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced celery leaves

Spray a cookie sheet with no-stick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, egg whites, Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs. Crumble in the turkey breast, turkey sausage, onions and green peppers. Shape the poultry mixture into 32 meatballs. On a sheet of wax paper, combine the parsley, celery leaves and remaining 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Roll the meatballs in the parsley mixture until coated evenly. Preheat the broiler. Transfer the meatballs to the prepared cookie sheet. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until browned on all sides and no longer pink in the center, turning occasionally.

Roasted Eggplant Dip
1 pound Japanese eggplant
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Bay Leaf
2 sprigs fresh oregano or 1 tspn. dried oregano
1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram or ½ tspn. dried marjoram
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut slits in the eggplant and insert garlic slices into the slits. Wrap the eggplant, bay leaf and oregano tightly in a large piece of foil and bake at 350 degrees, turning the eggplant over after 45 minutes, until the eggplant is completely soft all over, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Open the package and let it set for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf, oregano (if fresh) and any liquid. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh and garlic into the bowl of a food processor or a blender container fitted with the steel blade; discard the skin. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, marjoram and parsley. Process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh veggies, crackers or toasted cocktail bread.

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