Healthy New Year's Dinner Party Recipes

Bitter crunch from the Belgian endive is a foil for the creamy, peppery egg salad and briny caviar topping in this healthy appetizer recipe.

This cheesy dip recipe is lightened up by subbing mashed butternut squash for some of the melted cheese. We also loaded it with chili-spiced caramelized onions. Serve this healthy makeover with tortilla chips or sliced jicama for dipping.

Don't let the fancy French name for these cheese puffs mislead you--this is an easy appetizer recipe. They're traditionally made with Gruyère or Comté; we couldn't resist turning to our Vermont roots and using good old Cheddar instead.

For this healthy appetizer, make sure you don't get paper-thin roast beef--it's harder to work with. Instead, ask at the deli counter for medium-thick slices (number 3 on most meat slicers).

Perk up any appetizer buffet or antipasto tray with these tempting mushrooms brimming with broccoli, feta cheese, garlic, and oregano.

Fragrant fennel does quadruple duty in this recipe--fennel seed flavors the brine, there's fennel pollen in the glaze, the pork roasts on a bed of fresh fennel and the fronds garnish the dish. Serve with roasted new potatoes, a green salad and a glass of pinot noir.

Our chicken piccata, served over whole-wheat pasta, has a rich lemon-caper sauce that's made with extra-virgin olive oil and just a touch of butter for flavor. If you like, you can use a mild fish like tilapia or even shrimp instead of chicken breast.

Our stuffed shells are filled with spinach, sautéed onions and part-skim ricotta and topped with prepared marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. The shells hold and reheat well, which makes them great for entertaining.

Any variety of mushroom will work in this creamy vegetarian pasta sauce, but we particularly like a combination of shiitake, oyster and cremini. Adding a few wild varieties, such as chanterelle or lobster mushrooms, will make the sauce extra-special.

In a hurry? These satisfying quesadillas take just 15 minutes to make. We like them with black beans, but pinto beans work well too. If you like a little heat, be sure to use pepper Jack cheese in the filling. Serve with: A little sour cream and a mixed green salad.

Our healthier version of the cocktail party favorite loads up on artichokes and plenty of Parmesan cheese, garlic and lemon zest for flavor. Who says healthier can't taste better?

An updated and untraditional rémoulade makes a tangy sauce for these spice-rubbed shrimp. While this is a warm-weather favorite on the grill, you can also cook the shrimp under a preheated broiler. Cook shrimp on a lightly sprayed broiler rack, about 4 inches from the heat, for a winter warmer any night of the week.

You might be tempted to save beef filet for special occasions, but this low-fat cut is actually perfect weekday fare: it cooks up fast, stays juicy and carries other flavors perfectly. The kebabs are a wonderful mix of lemon, herbs and fresh vegetables.

Spicy peanut sauce is the perfect match for these Thai-marinated grilled chicken strips.

Saffron, tomato and a touch of cream yields a flavorful sauce for these simple steamed mussels. Soak up the sauce with plenty of crusty whole-grain baguette.

You'll feel like you're dining in a French bistro when you sit down to a bowl of these mussels, flavored with fennel, garlic, tomatoes and white wine. Save some of the fennel fronds to sprinkle on top to intensify the fennel flavor or add a touch of fresh basil if you prefer. Serve with whole-grain baguette to soak up the sauce.

Hunter's Chicken is found across Northern Italy, with many variations. This version uses meaty bone-in chicken thighs and is full of onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. It's also delicious served over egg noodles.

Rich, red-wine-infused risotto is served as a first course or side dish all over Northern Italy. The type of wine used varies according to region. In Piedmont, a local Barbera or Barbaresco is the wine of choice. Any dry red wine that's good enough to drink can be used in its place.

Shrimp top a delicious saute of fennel, scallions and feta in this version of saganaki. A saganaki is a shallow, two-handled skillet that is one of the most traditional cooking vessels in Greece. Saganaki is also the fried cheese, made in the pan, that is one of Greece's most famous appetizers.

A brandied mixed mushroom sauce tops seared strip steak in our healthy version of the classic dish Steak Diane. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.