Healthful Summer Snacks

With so many summer activities, it's difficult to get a meal on the table at your regular time.
When the days are long, the dinner hour sometimes is delayed. With so many summer activities, it’s difficult to get a meal on the table at your regular time. This week, American Profile presents two easy and healthful summer snacks to tide over your hungry crew until dinner is served.

Tortilla chips and salsa is a great pre-dinner snack. Anna Victoria Reich uses fresh, ripe tomatoes to prepare her version of the spicy dip. “I grow tomatoes in a pot, and I have enough fully grown tomatoes to make a fresh tomato salsa,” the Stafford, Va., resident says.

Blue Cheese and Cranberry Stuffed Endive is another super summer appetizer. “The nice thing about using endive is it stays crisp for several hours, so I can make this appetizer in advance,” says Margee Berry, of Trout Lake, Wash., who sent in the recipe.

As always, we look forward to receiving and printing your recipes and sharing them with our millions of readers across the nation. Send your recipes, the story behind them and a color photograph of yourself to Hometown Recipes, American Profile, 341 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067. Please note that recipes and photographs will not be returned.


Fresh Tomato Salsa

submitted by reader Anna Victoria Reich of Stafford, VA

Ingredients
3 medium tomatoes
1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
6 medium green onions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
1 medium jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, or to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice, or to taste
½ teaspoon salt
Tortilla chips
Instructions
1. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Squeeze to remove excess liquid and seeds; chop.
2. Combine tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl. Toss gently to blend, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Serve with warmed tortillas or tortilla chips. Serves 12.



Blue Cheese- and Cranberry-Stuffed Endive

submitted by reader Margee Berry of Trout Lake, WA

Ingredients
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons apple jelly
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
¼ cup dried sweetened cranberries
2 heads Belgian endive
¼ cup pecan pieces, toasted and finely chopped
Instructions
1. Combine cream cheese and apple jelly in a medium bowl. Using a mixer, beat until smooth. Fold in blue cheese and cranberries.
2. Carefully peel leaves from endive, discarding any bruised leaves. Trim ends. Fill center of each leaf with 2 teaspoons cheese mixture and arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle evenly with pecans. Serves 12.

Tips from the Test Kitchen
Tips From Our Test Kitchen: Don’t confuse the leafy green variety of endive with Belgian endive. Belgian endive resembles a pointed, closed tulip, is creamy in color, and has large leaves. Goat cheese may be substituted for the blue cheese.

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