Healthy Party Dishes
Sweet Pea Guacamole
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 pound bag of frozen peas, defrosted
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice or 1 tablespoon lemon juice + 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fire roasted chile peppers (though I bet I could have used the whole can … it was small and the dip wasn’t spicy)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion (your choice)
• 1 tomato, chopped
• lots of freshly ground black pepper
Puree the peas, garlic, chiles, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin until smooth. Pulse in the cilantro, onion and tomato. Taste and increase seasonings to your liking.
Just a few notes. Because the peas are so sweet, you probably want lemon juice as opposed to lime; it’ll give your dip a little more kick. But try it out and see what works for you. You can add raw jalepenos for more spice and always more garlic and cumin. This guacamole was perfect served with thick, organic, restaurant-style yellow corn chips.
Healthy spinach dip
Healthy Artichoke and Spinach Dip Recipe
• This delicious recipe couples two great veggies with a few simple ingredients to make a dip that is both healthful and palate pleasing. You will need 10 artichoke hearts (may use canned), a handful of baby or regular spinach (coarsely chopped), 2 small garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp. cumin and a bit of olive oil to get the dip consistency just right. Put all ingredients into a blender except the oil and mix while slowly pouring olive oil down the side of the blender until you have a nice dip-like consistency. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste. Be sure to clean your veggies well for this recipe; serve with dry toast or low-fat crackers and it will be sure to be a hit.
Creamy No-Guilt Spinach Dip
• Why not try this tasty dip packed with protein and phytonutrients? It also has zero cholesterol and is quick to prepare. Just mix 1 cup of plain low-fat Greek yogurt, one package of onion soup mix, and 1 cup of low or non-fat cottage cheese; mix these ingredients together well in a bowl. You will then add one 10-ounce package of thawed, drained and chopped spinach, one can of water chestnuts (chopped) and 1/4 cup of grated carrots. Stir this mix together and refrigerate for two hours. Serve with your favorite accompaniments.