Cucumber Cups

6 medium cucumbers

1 (8 oz) container red pepper hummus

1 (8 oz) container lemon hummus

Chopped chives for garnish

Create decorative stripes on the sides of the cucumbers using a vegetable peeler (for wide stripes) or a citrus zester (for thin stripes). We did a combo of the two, as shown above.

Cut the cucumbers crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Using a teaspoon or melon baller, scoop out the seeds to form a well, about 1/3 inch deep, in each slice. (A great job for kids!)

Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the red pepper hummus into the wells of half of the cucumber cups, mounding it slightly. (For a fancier look, use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe in the filling.) Repeat the process with the lemon hummus and the remaining cups.

Sprinkle all with chopped chives. 

Cherry Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds frozen sweet cherries, thawed

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 large onion, peeled and diced

4 stalks stalks celery, diced

6 cups crumbled day old cornbread

1 (14.5 ounce.) can low sodium chicken broth

3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Drain cherries in a sieve and press between several layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture and coarsely chop; set aside.

Remove the sausage from the casings and crumble into a medium skillet. Cook for 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain excess fat and blot with paper towels to remove extra fat.

Melt the buttery spread in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery; cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Mix together the sausage, vegetables and cornbread in a large bowl with the broth and rosemary. Season to taste with pepper and fold in the cherries.

Transfer to a buttered 13 x 9-inch baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned on top.

Pumpkin Ginger Parfait

4 small individual serving Greek yogurt, honey vanilla bean flavor
8 tbsp canned pumpkin
8 ginger snap, crumbled
4 individual Weight Watchers carrot cake
Nonfat whipped topping

In a bowl mix Greek yogurt and canned pumpkin with a spoon. With a long spoon, carefully place one third of this mixture into parfait glass.  Do not let your spoon touch the edges. Crumble carrot cake into small pieces and put one third of it into the parfait glass. Squirt nonfat whipped topping over carrot cake to cover. Crumble the ginger snap and sprinkle one third of the ginger snap crumbs over the whipped topping. Repeat steps until done.  

PO Box 236, Lynnfield MA 01940

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