Atkins Appetizers

Our good friends the Bradley’s were here last Saturday as a prelude to our Valentine’s Day dinner. Debbie warned me they were trying to stay on the Atkins Diet, so as I was the host for drinks and appetizers, I thought I would cooperate. I happen to know a lot about the Atkins Diet – I have been on it about 60 times. It does work if you are allergic to bread and pasta, which is not the case for me. So, here is what I came up with:

I blanched asparagus until just tender and then put them in cold water so they stayed green. I then spread a very thin bit of Dijon mustard on thin slices of ham (for a flavor bite) and placed the asparagus inside and rolled it up. Perfect!

Combining small fresh mozzarella pieces (not that hard mozzarella, but fresh), grape tomatoes and bright basil leaves on a skewer provided a bit of brightness to my platter. I marinated the mozzarella in red wine vinaigrette, but it turned the cheese pink, so I won’t do that again. Bonnie says to use olive oil, spices and white wine vinegar.

Adding to the antipasti platter were folded salami slices, provolone cheese, and black olives. I also made deviled eggs which were delicious! A really nice appetizer presentation without any bread or sweets.