Mangia! Mangia! Easy Italian Entertaining

I love entertaining!

There’s nothing better than having a few friends over for some good food, fun conversation and perhaps a few glasses of vino. The only trouble is – it can be hard to be the “hostess with the most-ess” when you are stuck in the kitchen.

Sure, your guests are over to eat, but they’re really there to spend time with you – so don’t deprive them!

When you’re entertaining, make it SIMPLE. And I don’t mean order take-out (although that could be cool in some situations)! You can make a healthy meal that is satisfying with very little effort. Not everything must be made from scratch.

Here’s a yummy, super-healthy Italian dinner that’s quick and easy and healthy.

Appetizer: I’m all for simple, so I like to incorporate some healthy prepared foods so that I can socialize.  My go-to source for prepared foods right now is FITzee Foods, based right here in San Diego (but they ship all across the US).

I love the Veggie Pita Pizza. It has peppers, onions, squash, olives, pine nuts and two kinds of cheese. Bake ‘em up and then cut into small slices for a quick appetizer.

Plus it comes in 4 different sizes, so you can get the right amount for your party.

Salad: When time is of the essence, I don’t waste it by washing and chopping lettuce. Trader Joe’s has tons of pre-washed/pre-chopped organic greens. Trader Joe’s also has a Bruschetta sauce that is delicious and full of basil. So I just toss a bag or two of greens with a container of that Bruschetta sauce and – shazam – a tasty salad!

Main Dish: Lasagne is a super dish for a party and FITzee has one that’s made with whole wheat pasta, ground turkey, squash, onions and broccoli. For the vegetarians in the group (including me), there is an eggplant lasagne or eggplant parmesan that are gluten-free also. Both of these come in 4 different sizes so that you can pick the right size for your group.

Side Dish: I always like to get in as many veggies as possible and garlic sauteed zucchini is about as easy as it gets. Chop the zuc and toss it in a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder for about 3 minutes.

Dessert: Toss together berries of your choice and top with a small dollop of creme fraiche or full-fat greek yogurt (Noosa’s honey flavor is amazing), a tiny drizzle of honey and balsamic vinegar. This is such an easy, impressive, healthy dessert.

This meal will be a hit and you’ll barely spent any time in kitchen. Success!