Turning Recipes Into Finger Food

The Skinny ChefSlightly altering directions for a recipe and improving its presentation can make almost any dish entertaining-worthy. Finger food is best for outdoor entertaining since no one wants to be burdened with loads of dishes, or worry about glass or ceramic breaking where kids, dogs and barefoot guests might be mingling. Even paper plates can be hard to balance with a drink in your hand.

If your party happens to be "standing room only" inside a small garden or on a terrace, these meal ideas are handy because no plates are needed.

Skewer It

Convert your favorite appetizers, desserts and side dishes into neat skewered bites by cutting them into cubed pieces and pressing them onto a skewer. You can serve skewers chilled, drizzled with dressings or sauces, or alongside dips.

Instead of serving hunks of unruly watermelon, cut it into cubes and serve with a honey lime dipping sauce. Instead of a large plate of cheese, try skewering mini mozzarella balls along with grape tomatoes and fresh basil leaves.

Love pasta, but want to do something fresh? Try tossing your favorite cooked tortellini with a light sauce, like pesto for example, and skewer it with cubes of zucchini and small chunks of fresh red pepper or roasted red pepper.

Try grilling your skewers -- like these prosciutto honeydew ones that are a crisp spin on an Italian classic.

Prosciutto and Honeydew Skewers
1/4 ripe honeydew, cut into cubes
4 slices prosciutto, fat trimmed
Non-stick cooking spray

Nutritional Stats Per Serving (2 skewers):
61 calories, 4 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat (.5 g saturated), 7 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber, 390 mg sodium.

Sandwich It

Want to serve flavorful healthy salads at your next cookout? Purchase small whole wheat pitas, cut them in half and stuff them with your favorite salad. Combos like tomato, feta and cucumber; tomato, basil and mozzarella; and arugula, pear and prosciutto can make great salad stuffers.

Looking for a cute, compact way to serve ice cream? Mini ice cream sandwiches are a cinch when you buy low-fat frozen yogurt and sandwich it in between two low-fat Nilla waffles. Simply wrap in wax paper and freeze until ready to use.