Impress your friends with this easy, beautiful appetizer.

Antipasto

8 oz firm waterpack Tofu, drained, cut into large cubes
8 oz cauliflower florets
2 carrots, cut in large dice
1/2 cup pitted (pitless) black olives
1/2 cup stuffed green olives
1/2 cup roasted or canned button mushrooms
1/4 cup canned pearl onions (optional)
1/4 cup canned capers (optional)
1 & 1/2 cups Italian dressing
1 tsp natural sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Dash pepper

Steam Tofu 10 minutes. Drain, and dry on paper towels.
Mix dressing, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Put remaining ingredients in a bowl.
Toss dressing with remaining ingredients gently but thoroughly.
Marinate in fridge several hours or overnight.
Taste, and add more dressing or seasonings, if needed.

2 - 3 servings.

VARIATIONS:
Use tuna substitute or cooked tuna in place of the Tofu.
Add sardine substitute or sardines.

Cousin to the Stromboli and the Stuffed Pizza.

Calzones

Unbaked bread dough or pizza dough (enough for 2 pizzas)
1 10-oz box frozen chopped broccoli, steamed, squeezed dry
1 (14-oz) jar pizza sauce
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded cheese (dairy or soy)
1/2 cup soy burger crumbles, thawed (Boca, LightLife, Yves,
Morningstar Farms, etc)
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten (or egg substitute for 2 eggs)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup sauce, broccoli, burger, cheese, garlic,
salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Divide dough into 6 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a 7" circle.
Spoon 1/6th of the filling mixture onto half of each circle.
Brush outer edges of dough lightly with egg mixture.
Fold dough over filling to form a half-circle; crimp to seal edges.
Put on baking sheet and brush calzones with egg or sub.
Bake 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Heat remaining pizza sauce and serve with calzones.

VARIATION:
Use cooked ground beef, turkey, or chicken in filling
(sauté until done, drain, and cool).

This delicious favorite is especially appealing on a cold winter day.

Tomato Bisque

2 lbs ripe tomatoes -- peeled, seeded, and chopped (or use canned)
1 small onion -- peeled and chopped
1 Tbs margarine or butter
1 Tbs sugar substitute
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 - 2 tsps chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup water or broth
2 cups creamer (Coffee Rich)
1 cup soy milk
Toasted croutons
Chopped chives

Sauté chopped onion in margarine until softened.
Add tomatoes, water, sugar sub, salt, pepper, and basil.
Simmer on very low heat, stirring occasionally, 20 - 30 minutes,
or until tomatoes are thoroughly cooked
(Use lesser amount of time for canned tomatoes).
Puree mixture in blender.
Add creamer and soy milk.
Heat until hot, but do not let it boil.

Serve garnished with toasted croutons and chopped chives.

Try these when you want a healthy and delicious snack.

Egg Rolls

1 pkg egg roll wrappers (with eggs or eggless)
1 Tbs cornstarch + 2 Tbs water (mix together)
1/4 cup shredded onion
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup shredded celery
1/4 cup mung bean sprouts
1/4 cup finely chopped ham, soy ham, Seitan, or Tofu (optional)
1 Tbs oil
1/2 tsp sugar

In large pan or wok, heat oil to medium.
Sauté onion until it begins to soften.
Add sugar, and stir to coat.
Add other vegetables, and sauté until they are crisp-tender.
Add ham, Seitan or Tofu and cook briefly.
Let cool.
Put 1 wrapper in front of you, with a point towards you.
Put 3 Tbs of the filling in a line across the wrapper, below the middle, left to right.
Take the end pointing towards you, and fold it over the filling.
Fold the side flaps over, pointing towards each other.
Roll wrapper away from you, enclosing the filling.

A lovely appetizer or first course.

Velvety Ginger Carrot Soup

1 Tbs oil
2 cups potatoes
3 cups sliced carrots
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 - 2 Tbs grated fresh ginger
4 cups broth or water
1/2 - 1 tsp salt, to taste
2 scallions, sliced

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add onion, celery, and carrots, and sauté until onion is golden, 3 - 4 minutes.
Add a little water, to prevent sticking.
Add broth, potatoes, garlic, and ginger, and bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Add salt to taste.
Puree soup in batches in blender.
Adjust seasonings.
Serve.

Smooth and delicious.

Winter Squash Soup

3 Tbs butter, margarine, or oil
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cups cooked winter squash
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Crushed red pepper (optional, to taste)
3 cups unsalted vegetable broth (or as needed)

In a large soup pot, melt butter or margarine (or heat oil).
Add onion, and mix well to coat.
Cook, partly-covered, on medium-low heat, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Onion should be golden. Do not let it become burned.
Add cooked squash.
Mix in vegetable broth.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste.
If the soup is too thick, add more hot broth.
Serve hot.

VARIATIONS:

Sweet Potato Soup
Use cooked sweet potato instead of cooked squash.

Pumpkin Soup
Use cooked or canned pumpkin instead of cooked squash.

This is a very popular snack food item. But why settle for store- or restaurant-bought varieties, loaded with hydrogenated fat, empty calories, and who knows what else? Make your own, and save big on money, calories, and your own health and peace of mind.

Baked Buffalo Wings

1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 lbs chicken wings, sectioned
1 cup cornflake crumbs
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
Butter-flavored pan spray
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce (Like Tabasco)
1 tsp butter or margarine, melted
Ranch Dressing (recipe follows)
Celery and carrot sticks

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a bowl, put milk.
In another bowl, mix crumbs, salt, pepper, and paprika.
One at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the milk,
then into the crumb mixture, coating well.
Arrange in a single layer in a greased baking pan.
Spray lightly with pan spray.
Bake at 350 F for 60 minutes, or until chicken reaches 180 F on a meat thermometer.