Healthy Layered Bean Dip October 18, 2008

Healthy is not a word that comes to mind when you think of layered bean dip, right? Well it can be with just a few tweaks.  

‘Tis the season for football and this is a great appetizer to bring along to any party that will sure be a crowd pleaser.

 

Layer all of the following ingredients (in the following order) in a casserole dish and serve with corn tortilla chips.

- Vegetarian Refried Beans (Amy’s Organic is an excellent brand)

- Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt or Vegan Sour Cream

- Reduced-fat shredded cheese or shredded soy cheese

- Pico De Gallo (Note: A nice chunky pico de gallo in best. If your brand has too much liquid just drain a little before you layer).

- Chopped tomatoes

- Chopped green onions

- Chopped cilantro

- Another layer of reduced-fat shredded cheese or shredded soy cheese

- 1 can of drained black olives

Dressed Up Hummus October 14, 2008

Sometimes when I am asked to bring an appetizer to a party or get together and I know I don’t have a lot time to cook; I opt for the following fake-out. I buy a nice brand of quality pre-made hummus and I dress it up. It’s super simple, it’s “semi-homemade” and people love it.

My Hummus “Accessories”

Add the following to 12 to 14 oz. of quality store bought hummus

1 stalk of celery finely chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped (optional)

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely chopped

Handful of chopped fresh parsley

Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

 

Easy breezy!

Do you have any healthy fake-out tips on “semi-homemade” dishes that you prepare? If you do, please share!

Tomato-Artichoke Bruschetta July 30, 2008

OMB! (Translation… “Oh My Bruschetta!”)

For lunch yesterday I made the following bruschetta and served it with toasted pita to accompany a simple meal of grilled chicken. It was oh so very tasty. But the pièce de résistance came later than evening as I sat down to my dinner of grilled mahi mahi and broccoli. I thought… I have just a little of the bruschetta left, I think I’ll heat it up and put it on top of my fish. YUMMY! YUMMY! Seriously Yummy! It would even make a great pasta sauce. The toasted walnuts add a real meatiness to the bruschetta. Delete the Parmesan for a great vegetarian option. I definitely give this a recipe rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. I did, of course, make some changes and additions. See below…

I used 3 tomatoes instead of 2

I substituted 1/2 cup of chiffonade basil instead of the fresh parsley. I just felt that the flavors would better suit my palate. I did however add 1 tsp. of fresh Italian parsley paste.  

Finally, the recipe says to use a food processor. I didn’t. I just chopped everything really fine and the consistency was GREAT!   

http://www.shape.com/healthy_eating/recipes/6262