"Broccomole" (Creamy Broccoli Dip)

I saw a recipe for this on Pinterest and immediately went to boil some broccoli (which I conveniently had on hand and wanted to use up)  You can look at the original recipe here.  What a great idea! I changed it up a little to make it imitate my regular guacamole recipe a bit more.  It was quite tasty and I'll definitely be making more broccoli dips in the future- I'm thinking Italian-themed might be next.

What you need:

4 cups fresh Broccoli, cut into chunks
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
6 ounces fat-free Cream Cheese (or Greek yogurt)
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
1-2 Garlic cloves
1-2 tablespoons Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh Cilantro
1-2 teaspoons Chili Powder

Boil the broccoli in a large pot of lightly salted water until very tender (think the overcooked mush that is a bit appealing at the dinner table).  Drain and place in blender or food processor.  Add the rest of the ingredients and puree.  Enjoy with dippers of choice.

*After eating a good bit of this, I had the idea to stir in a bit of store bought salsa (mine was mango habanero) to add a little kick... delicious!

Pizza Hummus

After making my Pizza Dip for the first time a few weeks ago, I'm been on a major pizza-y dip kick. And now that there is no more cottage cheese to buy here for the time being (oh, the woes of Saba), I tried using chickpeas to make a pizza-y dip instead.  And then I made it again, and again. Yep, it worked well.

Every time I've made these dips (both the cottage cheese one and this hummus version here), I change things up a bit depending on my mood, my time commitment, and what ingredients I have on hand.  Below is a basic recipe with various add-in options listed.

You could even make a pizza using this dip as the sauce- it would work wonderfully for a vegan pizza as long you left out the cheese and pepperoni, of course.  I've also spread it on a baked portobello mushroom (similar to this here) for a light lunch.  Or just dip with veggies or crackers or chips or whatever you like.  Or make a "pizza" out of the dip: make a basic version of this, spread it in your serving dish and top with layers of other pizza-y ingredients (olives, chopped tomato, artichoke, pesto, cheese, etc).  However you decide to use this stuff, I'm sure it'll be a hit.

What You Definitely Need:

1 can of Chickpeas (14-19 ounces, doesn't really matter)

2-4 fresh Garlic Cloves (or a head of roasted garlic)

1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

1-2 teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar

Olive Oil/Broth/Water

1/2 cup Pizza sauce/ Marinara sauce/ Pasta sauce (some sort of tomato sauce that is pre-spiced- if you use plain canned tomatoes, you'll need to make sure to add extra spice)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Italian Seasoning, to taste

And What Would be Great to Add:

1/2 cup roasted Eggplant, skin removed

1/2 cup canned Artichoke in brine, drained

2-3 tablespoons good quality Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup "Broiled Pepperoni" slices (or regular, but if you broil it for a few minutes first, you can drain out the grease and it also becomes a little crispy)

1/4 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes

handful of Arugula 

Red Pepper Flakes

Just blend everything in the blender, adding your olive oil and other liquids as needed.  I start with a little olive oil and then add either water or broth to cut down a bit on the calories.  Just olive oil would be fine, of course.

Experiment and Enjoy!

Carrot-Sweet Potato Hummus

I made this using some of the leftovers from yesterday's Carrot-Sweet Potato Puree.  Tastes mostly like the regular hummus I make, with a little extra flavor.  Though that might be due to the slightly disgusting amounts of raw garlic I put in it... it's hard to taste too much of.  Anyway, it's delicious.  I also added a little tapenade-like topping for extra pizzazz, but you can skip it if you don't feel like it.  It's pretty intense, what with the extra raw garlic and red pepper flakes.  But I think it's delicious.

What you need:

1 cup Carrot-Sweet Potato Puree (or just roast enough sweet potatoes or carrots to make a cup and add those in with a little extra liquid)

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 head of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped (or just a few cloves- the raw garlic flavor it pretty intense, so if you don't support a pretty passionate love affair with garlic, reduce it)

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

3-4 tablespoons tahini

1-2 teaspoons chili oil

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon fat-free italian dressing (or just add olive oil... I'm just trying to cut back a bit on the calories and this works well for me)

Simply put everything into the blender or food processor and puree.  In the blender, you'll definitely have to stir it around a few times to get everything to blend.  If it still isn't working, add a little more italian dressing or olive oil.  Refrigerate for at least an hour to let it firm up and allow the flavors to meld a bit.  Top with my tapenade-y stuff (recipe below) or just leave it plain.  Enjoy!

Oh, and try making some Veggie Chips to dip with.  Awesome.  Or stick with baby carrots, cucumber slices, or the chips of your choice.

"TAPENADE" TOPPING:

Chop the following finely and mix together along with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt:

2-3 tablespoon pecans, toasted

4-6 cloves of garlic

scant 1/4 cup dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons green olives

up to 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

Homemade Croutons for Soup or Salad

I made these to go with this pumpkin-butternut squash soup.   They would also be perfect for a tomato or french onion soup.  Or just on salad.  Feel free to mix up the seasonings depending on what you are using them for.  I kept it simple here for this soup, but would definitely add different herbs and spices for different soups.  

What you need:

5 cups of cubed bread- each piece should be about a 3/4 inch cube (I used three largish sandwich rolls)
2-3 tablespoons butter, melted (if you want them to be richer, add a bit more butter)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
garlic powder, salt, pepper (I used 1-2 teaspoons of EACH)

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place bread cubes in a large bowl.  Mix the butter, olive oil, red wine vinegar and seasonings in a bowl.  Drizzle over the bread and toss to coat evenly.  Spread onto a large baking sheet.  Bake for about 5 minutes, mix them around with a spatula, and return to oven.  Do this again a couple more times, or until there is no more moisture left and they are golden brown.  Enjoy!

Roasted Romaine Hearts

My newest obsession:

It's healthy, delicious, super quick and easy.  Way better than eating regular lettuce- trust me.  For now (like the last four times I've made it, all in the past week), I like to spread my favorite low-fat dip (which I just posted) on it.  I will soon be trying some new variations- maybe sprinkling a little parmesan before broiling, or a little goat cheese after.  And maybe doing a bleu cheese and low-fat homemade ranch dressing, or a homemade caesar.  I think it could be used to amp up any regular salad, so try experimenting topping it with your usual favorite salad toppings.  Or eat it plain.  That's tasty too.


What you need (for one large or two smaller servings):

1 Romaine lettuce heart
Olive oil spray
Salt and pepper

Heat oven to broil on high.  Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil.  Slice Romaine heart down the center lengthwise.  Open it up and place on the baking sheet.  Spray with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Broil for 5-8 minutes, depending on how hot your broiler gets.  The lettuce should be browned in spots but not burnt.  Dress as you wish and enjoy!

Favorite Low-fat Dip

In my opinion, this goes great with everything.  My favorite use of it is with roasted veggie chips, but regular chips also work, or roasted romaine lettuce, or on top of chicken, or by the spoonful...  It's delicious and really pretty healthy.  I make slightly different versions of it all of the time, but what I'm listing below is pretty typical.  Feel feel to try your own experiments by adding a little mustard, a splash or lemon juice, chopped artichokes, olives, or some different veggies sauteed with the bacon.

What you need:

1 packet Lipton Vegetable Dip/Soup Mix

2 cups lowfat or fat free plain yogurt

4 ounces fat free cream cheese 

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

Olive oil spray 

3-4 slices turkey bacon, chopped into small bits

1 leek, sliced thinly (I've also substituted a little onion for this, and have also added in celery and/or mushroom at the point I add the leek)

3/4 cup frozen spinach

1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 

Black pepper

Garlic Powder

Season-all 

Mix together the dip/soup mix, yogurt, cream cheese, and mayonnaise.  Spray a saucepan with a little olive oil, heat to medium, and saute the turkey bacon until it just begins to brown.  Add the leeks (and other veggies if you are doing so) and saute until slightly softened and browned.  Add in a little season-all (seasoned salt) and the spinach.  Stir around until the spinach thaws.  Let cool for a few minutes and then add this to the yogurt/cream cheese/mayo mix.  Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.  Season to taste with the pepper and garlic powder.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  Enjoy!

Cauliflower "Breadsticks"

Saw these on a low carb blog and wanted to give 'em a try. I keep meaning to do the cauliflower pizza crust thing, but never end up getting to it.  Here's a compromise.

To be honest, they did not turn out quite like I expected and definitely stuck to the pan.  But they were tasty and pretty healthy, and I'm pretty sure I'll make them again.  I just need to get a food processer when I get off Saba and that will make it a lot easier.

What you need:

One (small to medium) head of cauliflower

2 eggs

1/4 cup shredded cheese ( I used a "pizza" blend- I would have used either low-fat mozzarella or cheddar or low fat anything if they had it here)

2 Tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt

Salt (maybe a teaspoon?), pepper to taste, dried oregano, garlic powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease a 13 x 9 pan with olive oil cooking spray (or maybe a full coating of olive oil- mine stuck pretty badly).  Cut the core out of the cauliflower and purree the rest in a food processor or dice it REALLY finely by hand (which is what I did- messy, time-consuming, but possible, even for an impatient person like me).  Mix cauliflower and the rest of the ingredients and then press into pan.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until browned around the edges.  Then flip and bake for another ten minutes (at 400 degrees instead).  Cut into pieces and serve with a marinara sauce.

Enjoy!  (and don't stress if it fall apart a bit when flipping.  mine did too, but it was still tasty!)

BAKED BRIE with Roasted Red Pepper and Walnuts (best wine dinner ever)

Baked brie topped with a mix of spicy and sweet cannot be beat.  Especially if you are pairing it with a bottle (or two? oops) of wine while dining with your sweetie.

This is my favorite "cheat" meal.  I make it differently depending on my mood and what's in the cupboards and fridge.   The picture shows the recipe below, but at the end you will also find further suggestions.  Use bagel chips, pita chips, raw veggies (baby carrots, sliced red pepper, and cucumber), or homemade veggie chips to dip.


What you need:

Brie cheese, either a round or a wedge.  I guess a round is fancier if you have company, but the wedge suits us fine.
Roasted red pepper (either homemade or from the jar), cut into small pieces
Walnuts, chopped (2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup, depending on how much brie you are making)
Honey
Red Pepper Flakes


Slice the brie in half lengthwise and place on greased baking sheet (if you have something that both looks nice and is oven-proof, use that.  This thing isn't moving after baking).
Top with roasted red pepper and walnuts.  Drizzle LIGHTLY with honey and sprinkle the red pepper flakes.  Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, or until the brie is completely melted and bubbly at the edges. (If you have a toaster oven use that!  It broils it a bit as it cooks, which helps toast the nuts and caramelize the sugar a bit).

Enjoy!


And some variations:

Instead of roasted red peppers and walnuts, try out the following combinations:

*spread low sugar/ "just fruit" apricot or orange jam on top of brie and then top with sliced jalapenos or red pepper flakes
*top the brie with thinly sliced fresh peach/nectarine and then sprinkle on the jalapenos or red pepper flakes
*try adding almonds/ walnuts to either of the above options
*if you are like me, and living somewhere you can not easily get jalapenos or red pepper flakes, Tabasco sauce works in a pinch to add some heat to your fruity brie

Baked Veggie Chips

Crispy, flavorful, and totally healthy.  The perfect accompaniment to any dip, or delicious on their own.  We made these to go with a brie, peaches, and hot pepper dish for a "fun supper" night (which I like to have every now and then while drinking a few glasses of wine).  They take a while, but the actual labor is not so much and the oven temperature is low enough that you do not need to be super attentive (also see note at the bottom for a quick fix alternative).

What you need:

Variety of vegetables (we used sweet potato, beets, carrots, and zucchini), sliced as thinly and evenly as possible.  A mandolin would be handy for this, but I just used a sharp kitchen knife and mustered up whatever patience I could manage (let's just say the slices were not perfect).  But, really, the thinner and more even they are, the better the results.

Olive oil spray

A couple of baking sheets 

Seasoning- salt and whatever else you want to add (pepper, garlic, cumin, seasoned salt)

After slicing the vegetables, pat them dry with paper towels to get rid of extra moisture.  Spray two large baking sheets LIGHTLY (all the vegetables are going to really shrink up and will end up greasy if you add to much oil.).  Spread the vegetables across the baking sheets so that they are just touching.  Spray lightly again and season with salt and whatever else you like (I've done just seasoned salt, just salt, and salt, pepper, and garlic on different occasions- all worked well).

Place in the oven and heat to 275 or 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cook forever.  Or 1 and half to 3 hours, depending on how thick you cut them.  Since the oven temp is pretty low, you do not have to check them too often and worry about burning.  The end result should be lightly browned, shrunken, and slightly crispy.  Once they cool a little, they will finish crisping up. 

Repeat with two more pans if you have the dedication (Two pans don't really make much because they shrink so much).

Enjoy by themselves or with the dip of your choice!

OR, IF YOU LACK PATIENCE:

You still have to suck up thinly and evenly slicing the veggies.  But I've made the beets, regular potatoes, and carrots in my toaster oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit or on a low broil in the oven for much less time (maybe 20 minutes with a possible need for flipping over).  For these, I didn't even spray the beets or carrots with oil, just added a little salt.  I did spray the potatoes though.  You have to keep an eye on them with this method because they can burn quickly.  Good luck!

Zucchini Chips

Craving something salty and crunchy, but trying to avoid fried, carbs, and empty calories in general?  Make some baked zucchini chips!  These are delicious and super healthy.  I kept seeing recipes for things like this all over Pinterest and decided to give them a try.  Trust me, they're definitely worth giving a try.

What you need:

1-2 zucchini, sliced as thinly and evenly as possible (this will take a good sharp knife and a bit of patience)
Olive Oil cooking spray
Seasonings:  Salt, pepper, garlic powder OR some sort of season-all and pepper OR whatever combination of things you feel like using

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a cooking sheet (or two) with olive oil and then lay the zucchini slices out on the pan(s).  They can be just touching, but not overlapping.  Spray again and sprinkle your seasonings on top.  Just be careful about how much salt you're using- these shrink A LOT and will end up way to salty if you use more than a tiny bit of salt.  Place in oven and bake for 1 and a half to 3 hours, or until they have become nice and crispy.  Enjoy!

Simple "Sushi" Snack

A quick and healthy snack or appetizer with a bit of flair.

What you need:

A cucumber, sliced into rounds
Fat free cream cheese ( or use the 1/3 less fat kind if you don't care for fat free)
Imitation Crab or Smoked Eel
Avocado, cut into thin slices or little chunks
Wasabi Dipping and Grilling Sauce (mine was Asian Gourmet brand)

Place a dab (about 1/2 teaspoon) cream cheese on each cucumber round, then top with a chunk of crab or eel and piece of avocado.  Drizzle with the sauce.  Enjoy!