The best Christmas appetizers are the ones that disappear first, and most of those are fried. That's good news, because fried party food is the easiest thing in any cookbook to lighten: a hot oven and a pastry brush replace a pan of oil, and the filling barely changes.
These 18 come from 17 cuisines, and they are the ones I would make for a crowd.
The hot plates
| Dish | Traditional, kcal | Lightened, kcal | Saving | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croquetas de JamonSpanish | 639 | 369 | 42% | 20g |
| AranciniItalian | 546 | 325 | 40% | 20g |
| Spring RollsChinese | 429 | 221 | 48% | 16g |
| SamosaIndian | 335 | 244 | 27% | 14g |
| GyozaJapanese | 343 | 256 | 25% | 16g |
| ManduKorean | 372 | 302 | 19% | 21g |
| QuesadillasMexican | 696 | 381 | 45% | 19g |
| Halloumi sto TiganiCypriot | 421 | 220 | 48% | 17g |
Croquetas de Jamon, the Spanish ham croquettes, are the first to go at any party I've cooked for. The roux is made with half butter, half quark, and they're baked. They come in at 369 kcal against 639.
Arancini are a party in a ball: risotto wrapped round a filling, crumbed and fried until golden. Baked with 15g of olive oil instead of a vat, they keep 20g of protein a serving.
Halloumi sto Tigani is the simplest: halloumi in a dry non-stick pan, no oil at all, and a smaller portion. It goes from 421 to 220 kcal and still squeaks.
On sticks
| Dish | Traditional, kcal | Lightened, kcal | Saving | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken SatayThai | 625 | 365 | 42% | 40g |
| Yakitori NegimaJapanese | 355 | 234 | 34% | 30g |
| Polpette al SugoItalian | 479 | 305 | 36% | 28g |
Skewers carry the protein. Chicken Satay on breast rather than thigh, Yakitori Negima the same way, and Polpette al Sugo made with half lean beef and half turkey. These are the plates for the people who lift and still want a party.
Cold, and made the day before
| Dish | Traditional, kcal | Lightened, kcal | Saving | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked Mackerel PateJewish | 339 | 162 | 52% | 18g |
| Pate de CampagneFrench | 270 | 140 | 48% | 22g |
| Crostini di FegatiniItalian | 438 | 335 | 24% | 20g |
| SpanakopitaGreek | 447 | 305 | 32% | 17g |
Smoked Mackerel Pate and Pate de Campagne are made the day before, which matters more than the calories when you're also cooking dinner. The pâté swaps pork belly for lean loin and drops from 270 to 140 kcal a slice.
The dumpling table
Gyoza and Mandu are where lightening costs least: leaner pork, more tofu in the mandu, and nobody notices at a party. Steam or pan-fry them; both are in the book.
How to run the tray
Bake everything on the same two oven settings, so you aren't juggling. Put the skewers out first, because they hold their heat. Croquetas last, straight from the oven, because they're the ones people talk about.
The full recipes, with the traditional versions printed first, are in Authentic-ish Christmas. For the rest of the season, see Christmas dinner ideas from 17 cuisines.