Happy Holidays ladies!
Traditionally, h’ors d’oeuvres have always kinda stumped me. On one hand, you want to offer guests “a little something” to have along with cocktails – but not SO much that it ruins their appetite.
Then there’s the issue of not serving something super sloppy, where it’s just a pain-in-the-ass, especially for women, to eat with any semblance of lady-like decorum. I know you know what I mean.
Think…. eating a sushi roll in public:
It’s awkward to bite in half without crab falling into your lap, but stuffing the whole piece in your mouth makes ya look like a Linebacker at Soup Plantation. Not cute.
We’re going for that perfect, pop-it-into-your mouth bite that’s delicious, flavorful and just enough! IMO, these Ricotta Cranberry Cocktail Bites, with Toasted Walnuts & Honey Drizzle totally hits the nail on the head!
Herbed Ricotta, Toasted Walnuts, Tart Cranberries and a Drizzle of Honey atop a Sweet Potato Round or Crostini. The Perfect Holiday Bite!
Yes – It’s Healthy. It’s Also Delicious & Festive
Ricotta cheese is probably one of the most underrated foods in a healthy diet. We all know that egg whites, cottage cheese and Greek Yogurt are high in protein – but so is Ricotta, with 9grams of protein in 1/2 a cup!
Creamy herbed ricotta is balanced with toasted walnuts for crunch, and cranberries for a little tart – all atop a Sweet Potato round that’s been sprinkled with sea salt and cinnamon. A final drizzle of honey brings it all together perfectly!
Sweet Potato rounds, sprinkled with olive oil, sea salt & cinnamon then roasted in the oven – serve as the base of the bite.
Smart Short Cuts:
Here’s the deal: The recipe is very easy, but the sweet potato rounds are the biggest time-suck since you have to roast them in the oven for a total of 25-30 minutes. Here are a couple of Smart Short-Cuts that I use:
+ Use Prepared Crostini to Eliminate Baking Time of Sweet Potato
Saves 25-30 minutes
If you’re short on time – you can totally substitute prepared crostini, usually found in the Bakery section of the grocery, for the sweet potato rounds. I do this on occasion. It’s equally delicious – and actually adds a very nice crunchy component to the bite.
+ Make the Ricotta Mixture & Toast the Walnuts the Day Before
Saves 10-15 minutes
Store ricotta mixture in the fridge, in an airtight container. Store toasted walnuts in an airtight container in the pantry or fridge. These are small shortcuts that are invaluable in terms of eliminating stress and hassle “the day of.”
No joke. I left the kitchen for 2 MINUTES and Oliver ATE my display!!!! I wasn’t finished with pictures ;-(. He must be disciplined.
RICOTTA CRANBERRY Cocktail Bites (with Toasted Walnuts & Honey Drizzle)
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Sea Salt
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, reduced calorie if possible
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp honey
For serving:
- ½ cup – 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted & roughly chopped
- ½ cup (or to taste), dried cranberries, no added sugar
- Light drizzle of honey
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400-degrees.
- Slice sweet potatoes into 1/3″ thick rounds. Place then on a non-stick baking sheet. Spray & season both sides with a touch of salt & sprinkling of cinnamon.
- Roast for about 20-minutes, flip and roast for another 15-minutes or until they are fork tender.
- Remove from oven, keeping rounds on the sheet. Turn oven to Broil.
Meanwhile, Toast Walnuts & Make Ricotta Mixture:
- Place walnuts into a non-stick frying pan over low-heat. Allow them to toast, shaking & giving an occasional stir. Don’t burn your nuts. They’ll turn quickly from toasted to burnt – so keep an eye on them.
- Transfer the toasted nuts to a chopping board, give them a rough chop and set aside.
- Ricotta: In a medium mixing bowl, stir together Ricotta, basil, oregano, salt, nutmeg & honey. Taste & adjust seasonings as you wish.
Assemble
- Top each round (still on the baking sheet) with a dollop of the Ricotta mixture.
- Place back into the oven & broil for a couple minutes – or until cheese is slightly golden.
- Move Bites to a pretty serving dish. Top each with walnuts & cranberries. Drizzle lightly with honey. Enjoy!
