Decadent WHITE BEAN Dip

Here is a recipe for an unusual dip that is QUICK to make and absolutely delicious!  With unexpected herb combinations of thyme and basil and a beautiful colouring, this dip is crowd and family pleaser!

What's special?

-Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Yeast-Free, Vinegar/Ferment-Free, Corn-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free.

-Excellent source of fiber thanks to the average 8g fiber per cup of white beans!

-High in protein (and is a complete protein when eaten with whole grain crackers).

-Low in fat (approx. 7 grams fat per half cup serving), but it's a that healthful extra virgin olive oil kind of fat!

-Flavorful party hit, and sneakily healthy!

-A great way to encourage your family and friends to eat raw vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower when served with a veggie platter.

-Keeps in fridge for up to 6 days.

 Decadent Low-fat, High Fiber

White Bean Dip

Ingredients:

2 (14 oz) cans or 3 cups white beans (cannelli, navy beans, great northern beans), drained and rinsed

*reserve 1/2c of the juice from the can or cooking water*

1 TB fresh thyme, chopped 

2TB fresh basil, chopped 

4 TB fresh lime juice

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves raw garlic, crushed

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend on medium/low until smooth.  You may have to add a bit of water to help the blender process it.  You're gonna love it!!!  Keeps for 6 days in refrigerator.  

A little tip on herbs - I buy them when it's fresh and plentiful in the summer, then wash and freeze them separately (basil and thyme for example) in ziplock bags.  You have to take the thyme off of the branches and freeze the "leaves" only, and wrap the basil leaves in paper towel before bagging.  They'll keep for close to a year that way.  When I make these dips, it's quite fast because I've got all the prepped ingredients on hand!

Serving Ideas:  Serve as a dip with whole grain rye crackers, wholemeal rye bread, or raw vegetables (red/yellow/orange peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, green beans, etc).  It is so nice a quick to chop up veggies for a huge platter or to keep the dipping veggies ready in the fridge.  Use as a topper for tempeh, tofu, left-over chicken or fish.  Use as a spread for sandwiches or lettuce wraps.  Eat it with a spoon and don't tell anyone you got the idea from me!  :)

Preparation time:  15 minutes 

Yield: Approx. 3 cups

Summer Menu

Helloooooooo Everyone!

So I haven't posted in a bit, because life is quite packed at the moment - but wanted to post a note about how to eat healthy when you're busy busy.

Right now I have a fridge full of ready to eat healthy meals. Here's a preview:

-3 berry FRUIT SALAD (2 medium glass containers)
-my WHIPPED MAPLE cottage cheese (I combine with brown rice and pea protein powders)
-home ground, light-sealed flax seed
(all of this makes for a beautify breakfast bowl!)

-my THAI GINGER PEANUT COLESLAW dressing w shredded cabbage (bought this bag) and home julienned beets, spinach - all ready to go in a bowl w sockeye salmon for a super quick and delish meal.

-my COTTAGE CHEESE CAESAR dressing with steamed kale and brussel sprouts, edamame (shelled) and boiled eggs, sun-dried tomatoes, romaine hearts - all ready to be quickly tossed as is for an antioxidant rich, cancer-fighting, protein packed yummy meal at home or to go.

-my CUMIN SPICED HUMMUS with raw broccoli (do you know how good this is for your body??!)and baby carrots and zucchini for afternoon snacks.

-all NATURAL CHICKEN and HAM meat slices ready to be paired with YOGURT SPREAD/LEBANY (home made - just let 1% yogurt strain in cheese cloth for 24 hours over the sink and mix with salt in a container)and rolled into cute little things for 15 g of lean protein per four slices/rolls and almost no fat. I also eat raw red/yellow peppers, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes to fill the rest of the plate.

-KELP NOODLES (raw and awesome - I just discovered these crunchy no-fuss noodles - they are packed with nutrients and minerals and 21 amino acids!), soaked pumpkin seed kernals (makes them biologically active and insanely more bioavailable/absorbable), hemp seed nuts, raw dehydrated kale/caraway bread (made of that and flax - no wheat - I buy these from LIVE FOOD BAR) for snacks and health-packed additions to meals and salads anytime.

-decaf ICED COFFEE with stevia, almond milk, soy milk, water and starbucks via/kicking horse decaf coffee, brewed hot then refrigerated for an incredibly refreshing, low calorie drink.

-my home made ICED TEA LEMONADE in a medium sized pickling jar, concentrated so I add about 1/4c of it to ice and sparkling water/regular water - no calories, detoxifying and mmmmmmm good!

So the point is, I'm busy but I took some time (not that much time really) to buy and prepare all of these things and stock my fridge, and now I won't have to cook for close to a week, I can eat out once or twice if I get bored or can't pack my food in the heat.. and I'm mostly eating super healthy, energy-giving, low fat, whole, pure foods that will help me be at my best. I save plastic rectangular take-out containers and fill them with salads to-go. So awesome!

I wanted to share this so you can get an idea of how to do some food prep and then NO COOKING for a week! ;) Enjoy!!

SPARKLING ICED TEA LEMONAIDE (Sugar Free!!)

What's special?

-Splendidly sweet, but sugar and carbohydrate free!  Excellent choice for diabetics and everyone who would like to avoid refined sugar and needless calories!

-Sweetened with NOW Stevia powder, which is pure, has no aftertaste (unlike other forms and brands of stevia) and actually stabilizes and LOWERS bloodsugar!

-Contains freshly sqeezed, pure lemon juice which is a natural detoxifier, will Divinely bless your complexion and help with digestion among a zillion other great things! 

-Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Yeast-Free, Corn-Free, Nut-Free.

Sparkling Iced Tea-Lemonaide (sugar-free)

Ingredients:
(Below are photos of everything you will need, including the brands of ingredients I use!)

-4 celestial seasonings tea bags (best iced flavours are: Country Peach Passion, Black Cherry Berry, Cranberry Apple Zinger and Raspberry Zinger)

-3 cups cold water

-1/4 tsp NOW Stevia powder (heaping) or more afterward to taste if you like it very sweet.

-juice of 6 lemons

-2 cups cold water

-2-4L club soda/plain sparking water (lemon/lime flavour is fine too, just read the ingredients to be sure there is no added sugar!)

Preparation:

Place the 4 tea bags and 3 cups cold water in a pot and bring to a boil.  Stir it around and press the tea bags to extract the most flavour, then let it sit for 15-20 minutes.  Place a strainer over a large salad type bowl (see photo), halve lemons and juice them over the strainer with a large spoon (this method gives the maximum juice yield for lemons compared to "lemon juicers").  Press seeds into strainer and try to empty all of the juice into the bowl this way.

Next, pour the two cups of cold water into the bowl and add the stevia.  Squeeze well and remove tea bags from pot of tea, then pour the tea into the large bowl.  Transfer to glass jars (that's what I use) and refrigerate.  That's it!  Should be enough here for a party! 

Serving Ideas: 

To serve, fill wine glasses with ice, fill it half-way with the iced tea then add half a glass of plain sparkling water or unsweetened club soda.  This pop is so refreshing and satisfying on a hot day, but without the sugar and calories!!!

 

CREAMY, LOW-FAT PROTEIN PACKED CAESAR SALAD!

Here is my new Creamy Caesar Salad - why would you want to make it, you ask?  Because it's:
-ridiculously creamy, but so low fat!
-loaded with lean protein (cottage cheese, edamame, boiled eggs)
-contains immune boosting ingredients of red onion and garlic.
-easy to prepare in large quantities for quick meals and lunches to-go!
-Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Yeast-Free, Corn-Free, Nut-Free.

Creamy Low Fat Caesar Salad with Edamame

Ingredients:

Dressing:

-500g container 2% Cottage Cheese

-Juice of 2 lemons

-4TB grainy mustard 

-3TB caesar salad dressing

-1TB sea salt

-1/2-1TB pepper

-5-7 cloves garlic, crushed

-2-3TB grated parmesan &/or romano cheese

Salad:

-romaine lettuce (I use hearts)

-mixed greens

-red onion, sliced medium-thin 

-handful sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in warm water and chopped 

-1 bag frozen shelled edamame (just the beans), boiled, rinsed in cold water and drained

-boiled eggs, chopped

-diced carrots

Preparation:

Dressing: combine all dressing ingredients in a medium size bowl then stir to mix well.  Add garlic to your taste.  I like a lot of garlic, so I use 7 cloves.  Transfer to jars/storage containers and refrigerate.  

Salad: chop all salad ingredients except boiled eggs, toss then dress and toss again.  Top salad bowls with extra parmesan and boiled eggs. 

Serving Ideas:  Make dressing ahead of time and have it on hand for quick meal preparation.  Pre-boil edamame, hard boil and peel eggs and keep on hand in the fridge.  Dress only what you will serve immediately as salad will get soggy otherwise!  Add chopped chicken, tofu bits or tuna for extra protein.  Try adding wild/brown rice, chickpeas, black beans or quinoa to include grain/carbohydrate in the meal.  

I buy organic romaine hearts and combine one heart/head, 1c edamame and one boiled egg (plus all other salad ingredients), generously dress it all and have a delicious vegetarian yet high protein meal in a matter of 4 minutes when the dressing is sitting in the fridge!  Dressing will keep for about 5-6 days.  

Preparation time:  15 minutes (dressing) + 5 minutes (vegetable chopping for your salad!)

Yield: Approx.: (the dressing here is good for about four meals for me=four gigantic bowls of delectable creamy salad!)

New Recipes

I've  been gone almost a year, but I do have some new items on the summer menu to share!  Creamy and delicious low fat Caesar Salad, Egg Cheese Cakes (tikki), Salmon Radicchio Rolls and oh so sweet and rich (but low fat!) Vanilla Cream Berry Bowls!

Mmmkay.... stay tuned!

Delicious Rice/White Bean/Kale Dip

This uniquely flavored dip is based on a white bean dip recipe I found online and modified.  This dip is unbelievably healthy for you, yet it is absolutely delicious... hence the name!  Beans and rice each contain what are called "incomplete proteins", but by combining them you make a complete protein which your body can readily use.  Kale and Rainbow/Swiss Chard are both nutrient packed dark leafy greens which strengthen the immune system and keep our bodies purring.  Combine that with lime juice (cleansing) and raw garlic (daycare.. bring it on!) and you have this amazing yummy dip that might just make you live to be 100!  That's my goal anyway....  ;)

What's special?

-Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Yeast-Free, Vinegar/Ferment-Free, Corn-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free.

-Contains true whole grains (rice mix), lentils, and white beans for a complete protein.

-Raw garlic and lemon cleanse and strengthen immune system.

-Kale is a superfood for the immune system and will make your skin glow!

-Low in fat.

-Very high in fiber.

-A super quick and balanced meal in a bowl if you combine 1 cup with a can of tuna, tempeh/tofu or leftover chicken!

-Family sized recipe.

-Keeps in fridge for up to 6 days.

Sara’s Delicious Rice/White Bean/Kale Dip

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked mixed rice/lentils 

(I use a brown/wild rice blend (2/3c)  and (1/3c) lentils with 3 cups water.  Bring rice, pinch of salt/pepper to a boil, simmer on low for 15 minutes, add lentils and cook for another 25-30 minutes.)

2 (14 oz) cans or 3 cups white beans (cannelli, navy beans, great northern beans), drained and rinsed

2 TB fresh thyme, chopped 

4TB fresh basil, chopped 

8 TB fresh lime juice (3 limes juiced with a large spoon) 

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

2 TB (8 cloves) raw crushed garlic.

1 TB sea salt

1 tsp pepper

4 cups kale (1 large bunch), steamed and finely chopped (stems removed, steamed for 3 minutes.) 

2 cups swiss/rainbow chard (1 large bunch), steamed and chopped (use stems, just chop off very bottoms- steam stems first then add leaves 2 minutes later, steaming for 1 more minute.)

Preparation:

Cook rice and lentils according to instructions above.  Steam kale and swiss chard.  Combine beans, thyme, basil, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, sea salt and pepper in blender until mixed.  Add 3 cups warm rice/lentils and blend again until you can't see rice grains anymore.  Remove half of mixture and place in medium bowl.  Add 1/2 of the rainbow/swiss chard (1c approx) and 1/2 of kale (2c approx) to blender and mix well.  Pour this mixture into a large salad bowl, refill the blender with the other half of the dip, add remaining kale and swiss chard and blend well.  Combine both batches of dip in the large bowl, mix well, transfer to storage containers and refrigerate (preferably glass containers to keep it fresh for longer).  Can be served hot or cold.  Keeps for 6 days in refrigerator.

Serving Ideas:  Serve as a dip with whole grain rye crackers, wholemeal rye bread, or raw vegetables (zucchini, carrots, cucumber, green beans).  Use as a topper for tempeh, tofu, left-over chicken or fish.  Use as a spread for sandwiches or lettuce wraps.  The usual dip drill....!

Preparation time:  1 hour 20 minutes (including 50 minute rice cooking time)

Yield: Approx. 9 cups

Sara's Tangy Guacamole

This guacamole recipe is a bit of an oddity, but it is SO good.  Goes so nicely with so many different things. Tomato paste gives it an unexpected edginess.

What's special?

-Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Yeast-Free, Vinegar/Ferment-Free, Corn-Free, Dairy-Free.

-Contains raw garlic and red onion to fight off those cold bugs before you can sniffle!

-Avocado is a super healthy fat source if used in moderate portions (1/2 avocado = 1 TB oil = 15g fat)

-Quick and easy to make and delicious with crackers.

Sara’s Tangy Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados (turning dark and very soft on outside)

1c diced red onion

4 cloves garlic, pressed

juice of 1 lime (halve lime, use spoon to twist juice out for maximum yield)

1 heap tsp sea salt

3/4tsp fresh ground pepper

1 can tomato paste(5.5oz/156ml)

Preparation:

Halve avocados, remove pit then quarter them for easy peel removal.  Place avocado quarters, lime juice, garlic salt and pepper in a medium bowl and mash with a fork until you reach a creamy consistency.  Add onion and stir in.  then with a large spoon, drop the tomato paste into bowl in three scoops, mixing in gently each time as to have swirls of red and green in your bowl.  Be careful not to overmix as it will turn into a weird brownish colour... but don't worry if you do because it still tastes amazing!  Transfer to serving/storage bowl, chill and serve.  This keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days and tastes much better after chillin' like my brother for a day!

Serving Ideas:  Serve as a dip with whole grain rye crackers, wholemeal rye bread, or raw vegetables (zucchini, carrots, cucumber, green beans).  Buy dry pressed cottage cheese cubes and slice into 1 inch cubes, top with guacamole for an unusually delicious lunch.  Use as a spread for sandwiches or lettuce wraps.  Give yourself a facial... just kidding!

Preparation time:  15 minutes

Yield: Approx. 2 cups