Lemon Bean Dip

This creamy lemon dip almost has the essence of summer in a bowl. Light and fresh, perfect for sharing on a summer day. A refreshing appetizer that soothes and satisfies the peckish.   

Lemon Bean Dip

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serves 6 to 8 

1 x 540ml can white (navy) beans, drained and rinsed

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

zest from 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

In a food processor... or a blender, whiz the beans, garlic, lemon zest and juice until smooth. Once smooth, pulse in the olive oil and parsley. 

Scrape into a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on top. Serve with your favourite crackers.

Will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. - JD 

Tangy Pineapple Salsa

We were beating the heat this weekend and doing some entertaining while serving this delicious salsa. With very few ingredients you can create a refreshing and tangy summertime dip. 

Tangy Pineapple Salsa

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6 roma tomates, diced

1 sweet red onion, diced

1 medium green pepper, sliced and diced

1 medium red pepper, sliced and diced

1 to 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 

1 can of crushed pineapple, drained and set aside the drained juice

1 lime, juiced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

First, wash and prep the veggies.

In a blender, blend together half of the tomatoes, onion and peppers. Then add half the cilantro, if adding any, half the pineapple and the garlic. Pulse for a few seconds. Empty into a large bowl then stir in the remaining ingredients. Add a bit of the reserved pineapple juiced, to your liking. Cover and let mellow in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Serve with multigrain corn chips, tortillas, and tacos. May also be served with fish, chicken, and burgers.

Notes: For a more chunkier salsa do not partially blend the ingredients. You can use fresh pineapple or canned pineapple tidbits too. For some bite add a bit of hot sauce to kick things up! Add black beans.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. It was a lovely one for us. - JD 

Lovely Green Goddess Dip

I did make the Green Goddess Dip that I posted about before Christmas. Here it is! in it's cool pale green glory. I avoided the anchovy paste, used white wine, and did about 3/4 cup low fat sour cream and 1/4 cup light mayonnaise. It was quite easy to make and very delicious. Next time, I will definitely add an avocado. Just in case you missed the recipe I am posting it again. Enjoy! 

Green Goddess Dip

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Makes about 2 cups

1/4 cup white wine or white balsamic vinegar

1/2 - 1 cup chopped fresh parsley (stems removes)

3 green onions, chopped 

small bunch of fresh chives, chopped 

1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (optional)

1 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 freshly ground black pepper 

1 cup low fat mayonnaise

Purée the vinegar, parsley, green onions, chives, anchovy paste (if you like), garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor until smooth; blend in the mayonnaise. Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

* You can add a mashed ripe avocado to the mixture before adding the mayonnaise.

Just getting back into the swing of things with our usual schedules. - JD  

Grazing

I thought I would post about this cookbook before we get into the throws of the Holiday spirit and the blissful overindulgences. Christmas, or any holiday, for that matter bring together family, friends, and food. Snack food during this time is just as important as the main meal. You do not want to border on too little or overwhelm with too much. Balanced choices that can maintain energy levels, blood sugar, and hunger are key. So that the company and conversation keeps them preoccupied rather than the food... the food should keep them satisfied.

Nowadays we all lead busier more complex lives and snack food... fast food is more readily available and that comes at a cost to our health, wallets and waistline. This cookbook has plenty of healthy snacks and finger foods for kids and adults. Whether you plan ahead or in dire need of something quick these recipes will help you through those busy periods  like the Holidays. Like Peanut Butter Power Bars, Breakfast Bean Cookies, Smoked Salmon Devilled Eggs, Fig and Olive Tapenade, Savoury Parmesan Biscotti and Spiced Tomato Apple Cake. Everything from savoury to sweet... crackers, granola, spreads, skewers, samosas, brownies and cupcakes. There is even a section called quickies so if you are really pressed for time you can whip something together quite easily.         

I wanted to share the Green Goddess Dip recipe as this is not a typical dip you would serve. It is different and I thought it would be a lovely accompaniment to the holidays. It is green and therefore very festive looking. 

Green Goddess Dip

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Makes about 2 cups

1/4 cup white wine or white balsamic vinegar

1/2 - 1 cup chopped fresh parsley (stems removes)

3 green onions, chopped 

small bunch of fresh chives, chopped 

1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (optional)

1 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 freshly ground black pepper 

1 cup low fat mayonnaise

Purée the vinegar, parsley, green onions, chives, anchovy paste (if you like), garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor until smooth; blend in the mayonnaise. Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

* You can add a mashed ripe avocado to the mixture before adding the mayonnaise.  

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Hummus

I have tried many hummus recipes. Some with much success and others with much less. Hummus is a great dip to have with vegetables, crackers, or multi-grain corn chips. Also it is fabulous on burgers (veggies or meat), toast, and sandwiches. A healthier snacking choice that contains 20 Amino Acids, has many minerals, rich in Vitamin C and B6, offers good fat from the Tahini paste and is about 30-40% protein when made homemade. Store made hummus might not be as healthy. 

Armed with a blender and only 5 to 7 easy ingredients you will have a lovely snack in no time. Positively tasty, this hummus recipe is simple and in my opinion one of the best
   

Hummus

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1 can of chickpeas or Garbanzo beans (drain only half of the water)

1/4 cup Tahini (sesame seed) paste

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of cumin

1/4 teaspoon of chili powder

1/4 cup lemon juice to taste

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or a food processor for about 3  minutes or until smooth. Place in a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and paprika.

Notes: Alter the amounts of cumin and chili powder according to your taste. Try other herbs or spices. Try adding roasted red peppers. 

It is Wednesday and we have been granted with snow. Thick. Heavy. Slushy snow. - JD 

Falafel and Cucumber Dip

The other day I was cruising the aisle at the new No Frill's grocery store in our neighbourhood and I found a falafel mix by Alfez which salt quantity wasn't that bad... I think it was 10% or less and which fat and ingredient contents were pretty palatal. So I purchase said box and happily walked home. That night I made the mix into falafel patties not the round meatball shape that is the usually recognizable symbol of the falafel. I was impressed as they were quite tasty. Even though I would purchase this mix again, I would still like to make falafels from scratch. 

To compliment the falafel patties I made a cucumber dip/sauce otherwise known as Tzatziki sauce. I took the remainder of the plain organic yoghurt I had and placed it in a bowl. Then I chopped up some cucumbers into tiny bits... not to fine I wanted the dip to have some crunch. Then I finely chopped a shallot and added both cucumber and shallot to the yoghurt. I then added a bit of dill, summer savoury, pepper and a pinch of salt. Stirred to mix everything together. Covering the bowl with cling film and letting it sit for and hour or so. It was very delicious! - JW 

Dill Pickle Dip

Knowing that the tub of sour cream was about to expire I decided to quickly whip up a little something... a dip! This dip was so easy to make. I am sure you won't want to buy another ready made one again. My recipe is as follows:

Dill Pickle Dip
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1 cup light sour cream
2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 low sodium garlic dill pickles, chopped and diced
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried herbs, consisting of chives, parsley, shallots, onions and leeks 
or add
1 shallot chopped and diced
2-3 sprigs of fresh chives, chopped
some peeled and chopped onion
some parsley finely chopped

Mix all together and let mellow for about an hour in the fridge or overnight. Can also be spread on crackers or bread. Enjoy your weekend everyone! - JW