6 Secrets to Healthy Summer Entertaining

 

Article By: Laura Kalehoff Print Email

 

It's summertime, and the grilling is easy. But with swimsuit season in full swing, you won't win any hostess-with-the-mostess awards by stuffing your pals silly with heavy beef patties and franks. We asked David Tutera, author of America Entertains (Stewart, Tabori and Chang) and celebrity party planner for Barbara Walters, Prince Charles and Elton John, to share his tips for throwing a healthy summer shindi

With Tutera's advice, your friends will never know you've lightened the menu (unless they happen to get on the scale), and you won't sabotage your own plans to drop a few pounds.

Starters
Why offer the ubiquitous onion dip with limp potato chips (and watch your shady neighbor double-dip), when healthier, more flavorful options abound? Skewer shrimp and pineapple chunks on the grill for low-fat nibbles, or mix grape tomatoes and watermelon balls for a vibrantly colored first-course salad. Alternatively, Tutera suggests rolling newspaper, wax paper or white construction paper into cones to fill with grilled asparagus and green beans, so your friends can mingle as they nosh.

Sip lightly.
Party drinks needn't be a choice between decadent piña coladas (mega calories, morning-after bloat) and deprivational diet soda (it's a party, after all). Strike a delicious compromise with white wine sangria brimming with fresh fruit. Or, try Tutera's signature swill: Blend Belvedere vodka, seltzer and a splash of diet lemonade. Garnish with mint.

Main Courses
"You don't need to be at the beach to have a clambake," says Tutera, who steams lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp and low-fat turkey sausage along with corn, leeks and onions for a New England summer classic. You could also serve grilled mahi mahi or tuna brushed with honey on a bed of greens with a side of grilled fruit, fruit salsa or mango chutney. It's an entrée with a lot of plate appeal and without the hamburger hangover.

Sweeten the deal.
Fruits and fresh berries topped with low-fat crème fraiche or low-fat whipped cream will satisfy your guests' sweet tooths without sending them into sugar shock, says Tutera. For a cool finale, scoop a trio of sorbets into a glass or an oblong dish and top them off with a sprig of mint or basil.

Set the scene.
"A lot of people think summer parties are just about being outside," says Tutera, adding that in entertaining, as in life, it's the little things that count. So pick a fabulous tablecloth to set the mood, substitute your paper plates for colorful plastic, load up on candles (but keep smelly citronellas away from the food) and finish with pots of sunflowers or a tray of natural grass.

Get moving.
"Music is the heartbeat of any party," says Tutera. Not only is it a salve for the dreaded awkward silence, but the right soundtrack is bound to get your friends burning off their meals faster than your can say merengue. Pop in a crowd-pleasing compilation like Buddha Bar, Aria 1 or 2, Hotel Coast or Pottery Barn's party mixes, and you're good to groove.