Hors D’oeuvres & Snacks

Skillet Cornbread

Vegan, Dairy-Free, Detox-Friendly

Makes 4 servings | 175 calories per serving

Grapeseed oil, for coating skillet

1 cup yellow cornmealMMGF

1 cup white flourNGF

1 tablespoon baking powderMMGF

½ teaspoon sea salt

1¼ cups soymilk

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Coat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet in grapeseed oil, then preheat the skillet in a 425°F oven for a half hour.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
3. Put the soymilk, olive oil, and maple syrup in a blender and blend until smooth.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix lightly to combine, but do not overmix!
5. Remove the skillet from the oven (leave the oven on) and carefully coat it in grapeseed oil.
6. Pour the batter into the well-oiled, HOT cast-iron pan. Cook on the stovetop a few minutes over medium-low heat, until bubbles start to appear on the surface.
7. Then bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes: A cast-iron skillet produces the best texture, but if you do not have one, you can use a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. The texture will be very different, but the flavor will remain the same. (The skillet makes it crunchy.) • Option 1 (not for detox diet): add 1 red apple, peeled, cored, and grated, to the wet mix. Option 2: sauté the kernels from 1 ear of corn and/or 1 chopped red pepper (not for detox diet) in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 3 minutes. Add this to the batter and then cook as directed above. –Chef Philip

Pearl Balls

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Makes 8 servings | 200 calories per serving

1 cup short-grain Asian rice (sticky rice)

4 dried shiitake mushrooms

1½ pounds ground chicken or turkey

½ pound ground shrimp

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

3 teaspoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)

2 teaspoons sakePT

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oilPT

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cornstarchMMGF

3 large cabbage leaves

1. Soak the rice in enough water to cover for 4 hours. Drain and pat dry. Set aside.
2. In warm water, soak the mushrooms until soft. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Remove the stems and finely chop the caps.
3. Combine the mushrooms with the remaining ingredients (except the rice and cabbage leaves) in a bowl and mix until well blended. Form the mixture into balls 1 inch in diameter.
4. Coat each ball completely with rice.
5. Line a steamer with the cabbage leaves and set the pearl balls on top. Steam the pearl balls in a pan or wok for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes: This traditional steamed Asian dish got its name because the rice looks like little pearls studded over the juicy chicken balls. • These make a fabulous appetizer for any dinner party, as they present exquisitely. –Sonia

Marbled Tea Eggs

Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Makes 6 servings | 70 calories per serving

6 eggs, hard-boiled

¾ cup tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)

1 cup water

½-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced

2 black teaPT bags (optional)

½ teaspoon Chinese spice blend (page 220)

1. Crack the hard-boiled eggs well but do not peel. This will give the eggs a mottled look.
2. Add the eggs to a pot with the tamari, water, ginger, black tea bags, and Chinese spice blend. Make sure that the liquid completely covers the eggs and add more water if needed.
3. Simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, then let the eggs steep for 30 minutes. Remove from the liquid and let cool.
4. When cool, peel the eggs and slice into wedges to serve.

Notes: This famous Chinese street food was one of my favorite snacks growing up. • The staining and cracking process creates a beautiful marbled effect. • Serve them as a snack or a whimsical addition to breakfast or brunch. • Black tea may be a trigger food for some people and may be omitted. –Sonia

Royal Caviar Egg Treat

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Makes 1 serving | 170 calories per serving

3 jumbo hard-boiled eggs

1 small jar salmon roe (caviar)

1. Peel the eggs and slice them in half crosswise. Scoop out the yolks.
2. Line up the six egg halves, leaning them against each other so they stand up. (Using a sharp knife, you can cut the tip off the pointy end so that it stands up more easily.)
3. Finely chop one of the yolks and with the knife place some yolk in each egg half.
4. Top each mound of yolk liberally with caviar.

Notes: You don’t have to use jumbo eggs, but that is all I use because the yolk is generally the same in different-size eggs, so the jumbos just have more egg white. • For easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs, don’t use recently bought eggs; eggs that are at least a week old simply peel better. • Also, after they are boiled, cool them quickly and get them in the refrigerator. • Relatively inexpensive salmon roe is great; don’t buy expensive caviar for this snack. • This might be a treat at work and can be served to company as an hors d’oeuvre. • If you are serving caviar eggs to company, cut the pointy bottoms square so that they stand up on a plate. • Also, place a cocktail napkin or a small doily on each plate to keep the eggs from sliding around. • These look and taste special—hence “Royal.” –Dr. Jamie

Popcorn with Rosemary & Salt

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Detox-Friendly

Makes 4 servings | 100 calories per serving

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup popping corn

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

⅓ teaspoon powdered rosemary

1. In a hot pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and popping corn. Cover tightly. Shake the pot until you hear the corn start to pop and then stop popping.
2. Remove from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Turn on a movie and enjoy the popcorn.

Notes: Nutritional yeast is different from baking yeast and is easy to find in bulk sections of grocery stores. • It is gluten-free, and it adds a “cheesy” flavor to a dish.• It also provides a lot of B vitamins. –Chef Philip

Beet Nut Pâté

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Makes 4 servings | 345 calories per serving

½ cup raw pine nuts

½ cup raw sunflower seeds

½ cup raw pistachiosPT

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon tamari (gluten-free soy

sauce)

¾ cup grated raw purple beets

½ red bell pepperPT

½ small carrot

2-inch piece daikon radish

20 fresh basil leaves

Salt to taste (optional)

1. Place all of the ingredients except the salt in a food processor and purée until smooth. Add a little bit of water if needed.
2. Season with salt if desired.

Notes: This is a wonderful spread for fresh bread or a great accompaniment to a buffet, providing a bright purple color and complex flavors. –Chef Philip

Garbanzo (Socca) Crepes with Smoked Eggplant Spread & Vegetables

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Makes 4 servings | 175 calories per serving

Crepes

2 cups garbanzo bean flour

2 cups water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 tablespoon dried sage

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Vegetables

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 carrot, julienned

10 snow peas, julienned

10 medium stalks asparagus, julienned

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons raw pine nuts

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar PT, MMGF

Spread

2 large whole eggplants, cap and stem intact

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

Apple wood or alder wood, for smoking

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprikaPT

1 whole raw tomatoPT

Directions for the crepes

1. In a bowl, whisk together all of the crepe ingredients. Cover and let rest for 2 hours.
2. Over medium heat, warm up a cast-iron pan or crepe pan for 10 minutes.
3. Coat the pan with olive oil.
4. Whisk the crepe batter well and then ladle about ½ cup of the mixture into the center of the pan, making a circle extending outward until the batter thinly coats the pan by using the ladle or swirling the pan.
5. Cook over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Flip only once and cook on the other side about 1 minute.
6. Remove from the pan. Best served hot and crisp!

Notes: This is best cooked in a cast-iron or crepe pan. If not available, it can be baked in a baking dish. If baking, keep the batter thin (1/8-inch maximum thickness in pan) for best texture and flavor.

Directions for the vegetables

1. In a hot skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.
2. Add the carrot, snow peas, and asparagus and sauté for 2 minutes. 
3. Add the sea salt and pine nuts and sauté for 2 more minutes.
4. Add the balsamic vinegar and mix well.
5. Reserve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Notes: Always use what is in season! In the spring, I like to use asparagus, snow peas, and carrots. In the fall and winter, replace the asparagus with thinly julienned kabocha squash or cubes of butternut squash. In the summer, I replace the asparagus with the kernels from 2 ears of corn for great texture!

Directions for the spread

1. Rub a little grapeseed oil and ½ teaspoon sea salt on the eggplants.
2. Smoke the eggplants, using apple wood or alder wood or a combination, until the eggplants totally collapse.
3. Remove and discard the charred skin.
4. Place the flesh of the eggplants with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and purée until smooth.

Notes: Smoking takes eggplants to a whole new level! Smoking provides a primal flavor, perhaps the second flavor humans experienced after raw. I never miss any meat flavors, but once I started smoking tempeh, tofu, and vegetables, I realized how much I had missed smoked flavors! Outdoor grills are ideal for smoking foods. Stovetop smokers are available for inside the home, or you can easily rig up a smoker using a wok, chopsticks, and a wok lid.

Directions for serving

1. Smear the smoked eggplant spread on a crepe and top with the sautéed vegetable mixture. Cut into 4–8 sections like a pizza.

Notes: Socca is a flat bread or crepe made from garbanzo beans from southern France, influenced and developed by Arab immigrants. • This is one of the most popular finger foods on my catering menu. • We serve this at practically every catering event, varying the toppings based on the season. • Socca is a wonderful fancy appetizer for a party. • Although it requires several steps, each step is fairly easy, and the results are colorful and flavorful, and they will wow your guests. –Chef Philip

Turkey Lettuce Cups with Pine Nuts

Dairy-Free

Makes 8 servings | 200 calories per serving

2 teaspoons olive oil

1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, diced

1 pound ground turkey

2 tablespoons oyster sauceNGF, PT

2 tablespoons tamari (gluten-free soy

sauce)

¼ cup finely sliced green beans

¾ cup raw pine nuts

Salt to taste

8 iceberg lettuce leaves

¼ cup shredded carrots

1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the ginger and cook until fragrant.
2. Add the ground turkey and sauté until the turkey is browned.
3. Add the oyster sauce, tamari, green beans, pine nuts, and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
4. Divide the mixture between the lettuce leaves, top with the shredded carrots, and roll up as best as you can.

Note: These wraps are delicious and bursting with flavor. • The clean crispness of the lettuce and the crunch of pine nuts play well with the saltiness of the turkey mixture. • Can be made into beautifully tantalizing bite-size appetizers by trimming the lettuce to the desired size, or serve family-style and let everyone make their own. –Sonia