As Thanksgiving approaches, with the end-of-year holidays nipping on its tail, you’re going to be attending a lot of parties—or hosting your own. Maybe you’ll be asked to bring a dish, or maybe you’ll ask some friends to come over for hors d’oeuvres.
Whatever the case may be, it’ll be good to have one of these recipes in your file. Not only are they tasty, but they’re healthy, too. As much as we love pies and cookies around the holidays, you’ll be appreciated for offering something that has some nutrition in it.
And you’ll look like a pro. How do we know? We got these recipes from an expert: Marcey Brownstein of Marcey Brownstein Catering and Events. Does that name look familiar? That’s because she was the caterer for the wedding we featured as October’s Wedding of the Month.
Here’s what Brownstein had to offer:
Edamame Avocado Mash on Cucumber Flowers
For edamame avocado mash:
1 lb peeled edamame
½ cup miso paste
1 inch ginger, grated
2 tbs sesame oil
1 ripe avocado, mashed
¼ cup mirin
½ cup vegetable oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper pinch of red pepper flakes
â…“ cup cold water
juice of 3 limes
For cucumber flowers:
3 English cucumbers
Directions:
Blanche edamame in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. While still warm, process in vita-prep with remaining ingredients until smooth.
Cut off cucumber stem ends and cut cucumber into ¼-inch slices. Using a flower petal cutter, cut out a floral shape retaining as much of the flesh of the cucumber as possible. You can also simply use cucumber slices for this recipe.
Using a pastry bag or baggie with a small hole cut on one corner, pipe the edamame and avocado mash onto the middle of each cucumber round. Or, serve edamame avocado mash in a bowl along with the cucumbers on the side.
Mango and Green Papaya Rice Paper Roll
Ingredients:
1 firm mango
1/2 green papaya
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch mint
1 bunch Thai basil
1 package rice paper wrappers
Directions:
Julienne the mango and papaya flesh using a Japanese mandoline or in the food processor using the shredder blade. Pick the cilantro, mint, and basil off of the stems. (You can reserve the stems for another use.) Mix all ingredients together.
Following the directions on the package, one at a time, dip the dry rice paper wrappers into warm water and place on a dry kitchen towel or paper towels. Blot dry and put a small handful of the filling at the end of the wrapper closest to you. Fold the bottom half of the rice paper over the filling. Holding the whole thing firmly in place, fold the sides of the wrapper in. Then, pressing firmly down to hold the folds in place, roll the entire wrapper from the bottom to the top to create a tight package. Cover with damp paper towels and plastic wrap loosely over the towels until ready to serve. Can serve whole or cut into halves or thirds.