Martha Stewart On How to Make Healthy Appetizers People Will Actually Want to Eat

When it’s cold out, people think they should serve hearty food, but if your guests are making the party rounds, they probably don’t want everything they eat to be smothered in cheese. Here, we ask Martha Stewart to give up some pointers on healthy apps. We thought she would be the best person because a. she's Martha Stewart and b. her new book, Martha Stewart’s Appetizers, is all about this subject.

Don’t go overboard. "For an afternoon or early-evening get together, plan on two different bite-size snacks per guest. If the party will extend through the dinner hour, add more substantial dishes, such as dips and antipasti. Aim for at least three servings per person."

Take party mix to the next level. "Spiced nuts are easy to make using ingredients you probably already have—and they go hand in hand with practically any drink. I love a mix of sesame-soy cashews, wasabi peas, and nori. Mix together a glaze of two tablespoons soy sauce, one tablespoon sugar, three quarters of a teaspoon sake, a half teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and a quarter cup sesame seeds. Pour that over two cups unsalted cashews and bake, stirring occasionally, at 250 degrees for 40 minutes. After they’ve cooled, mix in two cups wasabi peas and half a sheet of toasted nori, snipped into pieces. For herbed almonds, sauté four cups blanched almonds in a skillet with olive oil and a quarter cup fresh thyme leaves for 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool."

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Drink your vegetables. "Soup shooters can look beautifully festive when served in small vessels, like candle votives, and they are delightfully warming. There’s a rainbow of options: beet, butternut squash, spinach and pea, or yellow tomato and mango."

Pickle your shrimp. "Quick pickling offers all the flavor of fried hors d’oeuvres without the heaviness. Simmer one pound of peeled shrimp in two quarts of water with one teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, one tablespoon salt, and a bay leaf for 30 seconds. Drain and place them in an airtight container with one cup olive oil, one third of a cup each lemon juice and cider vinegar, a quarter cup chopped parsley, a half teaspoon red-pepper flakes, two minced garlic cloves, half a thinly sliced onion, a teaspoon mustard seeds, a quarter teaspoon whole cloves, a quarter teaspoon juniper berries, and a half teaspoon celery seeds. Refrigerate for at least eight hours."

Wrap anything small in bacon. "A little decadence is important. Pistachio-stuffed dates, halved new potatoes, figs: Wrapped in a thin slice of bacon and baked, they’re the perfect salty companions to cocktail hour."

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