Elevate Your Holiday Appetizers

Treat your friends and family to healthy holiday bites! California Live contributor Ashley Reinke-Hawk shares easy-to-do recipes to elevate your flavors this season. Find Ashely’s ‘Whipped Feta Dip’ and ‘Holiday Stuffing Bites’ recipe below. -Whipped Feta Dip Ingredients: 8 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled ¾ cup whole milk Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Favorite seasons: Garlic, cracked black pepper, sea salt, za’atar seasoning Serving options: Dip fresh pita bread or chopped veggies Spread onto a crostini and top with apples Directions: 1. Combine feta, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings in a food processor and blend until smooth 2. Pour into a bowl or spread on a board to serve -Holiday Stuffing Bites Ingredients: 6-8 Cups of Holiday stuffing of choice (homemade or store-bought) 1 Apple peeled and diced 2 stalks of celery finely chopped 1 Tbsp Olive Oil Directions: 1. Cook stuffing and set aside to cool 2. Preheat oven to 350F 3. In a large saute pan pour in the olive oil or butter then add the celery and apples, sautee for 5-7 minutes until the apples and celery are cooked 4. Over low heat pour in the pre-cooked stuffing and fold in the apples and celery, remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes 5. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or large spoon and your hands shape the mixture into 1-1.5 inch balls and set them on a lined baking sheet 6. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the tops are golden brown 7. Allow the stuffing balls to cool then serve with a dipping gravy or as a side with your entree.