Hors d’Oeuvres for a Crowd

It’s easy to celebrate parties and holidays and stay on The South Beach Diet. Preventive cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, who has helped millions of people the world over to lose weight and eat more healthfully, shows you how the basic nutritional principles of The South Beach Diet – choosing good, unsaturated fats; nutrition-rich, high-fiber fruits and vegetables; lean sources of protein; and low-fat dairy – easily translate to preparing and enjoying special occasion meals throughout the year.

Whether you’re inviting a few friends and relatives for a weekend brunch, throwing a baby shower or a backyard barbecue, celebrating Valentine’s Day, the Fourth of July, Christmas, or Hanukkah, or launching your South Beach Diet with a Phase 1 kickoff party, The South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook is filled with more than 20 menus and 150 recipes that will make every party or holiday celebration memorable.

No need to worry about what South Beach Diet dishes go together. We take all the guesswork out of menu planning for you. Whether you’re making Shrimp Salad in Cucumber Cups, Roast Turkey with all the trimmings, Crown Roast of Pork with Apple-Onion Chutney, Matzoh Ball Soup, Chicken Cassoulet, Ricotta Cheesecake, or Pumpkin Pie, you can be certain that every recipe meets The South Beach Diet guidelines for healthy eating and great taste.

Dr. Agatston also provides plenty of practical advice about maintaining your South Beach Diet lifestyle throughout the holiday season and making the best food choices possible whatever the occasion. In addition, full-color photos provide ideas for stylish food presentation, beautiful table settings, and creative centerpieces. And for every menu there are helpful nuke-ahead tips for stress-free entertaining.

Remember, The South Beach Diet is about living well. This book is your essential guide to preparing satisfying, delicious, and healthy meals for every special occasion.

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cook Time: 25 minutes

The sturdy texture of sweet potatoes makes them perfect for roasting and using as colorful orange ‘cups’ for tasty fillings like this one, made with feta, garlic, and chives.

Menu

• Smoked Trout Salad in Cherry Tomato Cups
• Spicy Citrus Shrimp
• Deviled Eggs
• Salmon Mousse
• Parmesan Zucchini Sticks
• Sweet Potato-Feta Rounds
• Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
• Cannoli Tartlets
• Raspberry-Ginger Fizzes

Party Game Plan

Up to 3 days before: Toast walnuts and sesame seeds for strawberries.

Up to 2 days before: Hard-boil eggs.

Up to 1 day before: Make trout salad; marinate shrimp; make salmon mousse; cut up zucchini sticks; prepare cheese mixture for sweet potatoes; make cannoli filling; make raspberry-ginger fizz base.

Day of: Dip strawberries; grill shrimp; assemble deviled eggs; fill tomato cups and cannoli tartlets; bake sweet potato rounds and zucchini sticks; make fizzes

For 10 Guests

The recipe is from ‘The South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook‘ by Arthur Agatston, M.D., with permission from Rodale, Inc. The book is available where books are sold or at (800) 848-4735.

To learn more about The South Beach Diet and related cookbooks, visit www.southbeachdiet.com.

Author

Preventive cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is the author of the best-selling books The South Beach Diet, The South Beach Diet Cookbook, The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook, The South Beach Diet Good Fats/Good Carbs Guide, and The South Beach Dining Guide. Dr. Agatston is frequently quoted as an expert in cardiac health and diet in the media. He maintains a private cardiology practice, focused on prevention, in Miami Beach, where he lives with his wife, Sari, and their two sons.