Maria Liberati

These days I have been busy putting together  recipes for the Feast Your Eyes campaign of  the American Academy of Ophthalmologists and Eye Care America as I am serving as a media spokesperson for this event.

The recipes have to be ‘yummy’ but they also have to contain ingredients that are healthy for your eyes.  Since it’s getting to be that time of year when Holiday Parties are on everyone’s mind, I decided to put together healthy appetizers.

This first healthy appetizer makes agreat dip (and donlt tell nayone but it is contains many ingredients that are healthy for your eyes):

Crema Di Carote (Carrot Cream Appetizer)

*2 lbs of carrots

*2 cups of vegetable broth or boullion

*pinch of nutmeg

*pinch of hot pepper

*4 tblsps of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

*1/3 cup of pitted black olives

*8 slices of crusty Italian bread

*1 tblsps of extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil

*1 tblsps of unsalted butter

*pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Wash, peel and cut carrots into large pieces. Bring broth to a boil. Place in carrots and cook for 20 minutes. When finished, pour liquid and carrots into a bowl and mash carrots with fork and mix with liquid.

In a sauté pan, place in oil, warm on low heat for 30 seconds. Place in mashed carrots, add in butter and grated cheese. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pepper, nutmeg. Cook for 2 minutes and mixing continuously with wooden spoon so mixture does not stick.

Remove from heat. Divide cream onto 4 small appetizer dishes. Garnish with black olives on side of dish. Serve with 2 slices of crusty Italian bread on each plate.
For more great recipes get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati at http://www.marialiberati.com

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene

Maria