Some cooking ideas!

1: Chicken tenders cut into smaller pieces, Celery, Two cups water, one bullion paste serving, and some spicy Mrs. Dash seasoning. Serving size amt of whole wheat toast.

2: Chicken tenders cut into long skinny pieces, Serving size of whole wheat crushed toast with lots of seasonings, raw chicken with breading. Cook at 350 degrees. Make sure the chicken is on a rack, so it doesn’t need any greasing or is cooking in fat. Yellow Squash sliced with Mrs. Dash, salt and a little water. You can choose to cook in micro or stove top, but I love stove top.

3. Onion cut into small pieces (how you like them), seasonings of choice. I really like Cayenne pepper, seasoned pepper, and the table blend of Mrs. Dash. Cook this until just before the onion becomes transparent. Add diced apples and small pieces of chicken… It is best that the chicken is pre seasoned and when you put it into the pan, make sure it’s getting seared right on the pan. If you have it on a med-high setting, it should brown nicely, but will not have a problem sticking without oil. Make sure the chicken is browned on all sides and since the pieces are so small it will be done in just about 2 min! This is my most favorite of all times! Sounds crazy with the apples, but hmmm so good!

4. A bed of spinach, boiled chicken and then a mix of (paprika, cayenne, mustard power, garlic powder, and onion powder) seasonings together. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides so it has some extra flavor. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add diced tomatoes, Dressing: lemon juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. So good and I always think it’s better than a restaurants!
There are just a few ideas that I have come up with!

20 Healthiest Foods for Under $1
by Brie Cadman www.divinecaroline.com

1. Oats
2. Eggs
3. Kale
4. Potatoes
5. Apples
6. Nuts
7. Bananas
8. Garbanzo Beans
9. Broccoli
10. Watermelon
11. Wild Rice
12. Beets
13. Butternut Squash
14. Whole Grain Pasta
15. Sardines
16. Spinach
17. Tofu
18. Lowfat Milk
19. Pumpkin Seeds
20. Coffee

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander

I’ve been doing the low-fat thing for almost a year now, so when I Can’t Believe It’s Not Fattening by Devin Alexander floated across my desk, it got my attention.
     Especially the desserts.
     I am right smack in the middle of a big-time, sweet-yearning jones, and the Skinny Cows just aren’t cutting it anymore. When I remembered swim suit season is right around the corner, I got a grip and realized I am facing a typical dieter’s pitfall (that nearly prompted a raid on the kids’ candy stash): boredom. What I need is something sweet, satisfying and new.
     I immediately flipped to the desserts section of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Fattening. I found Strawberry Shortcake to Go and Icy Mocha Blended. Then I turned to Peppermint Brownie Pizza, a baked concoction, creamy with whipped topping and crunchy with peppermint candies. When I am making every calorie count, mouth feel plays a big role in satiating my cravings.
     In this dessert, Alexander uses No Pudge! Original Fudge Brownie Mix, but in the headnote she mentions an 88 calorie homemade brownie from a previous cookbook. This launched me on a frenzied Google search to find that recipe. You see, I love to bake and embrace whole foods, so anytime I can bake a low-fat confection, I’m into it.  
     But let’s face it, when you are eating healthy and longing for some lusciousness sometimes you gotta indulge in a little ”processed delight” (like a cookies and cream Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich) to satisfy without sabotaging the diet. For me this has made all the difference in sticking to my “lifestyle change.” Alexander addresses this dilemma in the section Natural Versus Artificial Ingredients: The Perpetual Conflict.
       The book is subtitled Over 150 Ridiculously Easy Recipes for the Super Busy, so the methods are quick and easy to boot. There are tips to make weeknight cooking more user-friendly. Alexander suggests cooking in bulk one night a week, relying on pre-cut, pre-chopped foods and decreasing cleanup by using parchment or foil.
     Devin Alexander’s resounding mantra is “Twenty minutes in the kitchen can save you three hours on a treadmill.” In essence she’s saying low-fat does not equal no flavor; that you can cook healthy, light and flavorful in your own kitchen. The big payoff here is once you’ve learned to cook lighter, you are no longer dieting. You’re on the road to a healthier lifestyle and keeping the weight off for good.
     Here’s a recipe that spoke to me. I make a lot of air-popped popcorn as a light snack and I am constantly searching for flavorful, low-fat toppings. In her Buff-Corn recipe, Alexander blends hot sauce (I used my favorite Chipotle Tabasco) with light butter to make a spicy and piquant snack. I’m looking forward to trying her Grilled Chicken and Caramelized Onion Flat Bread with Blue Cheese. I think the Quick Crunch Potato Chips, made in the microwave, are a novel and interesting idea. And her Buffalo Shrimp sounds spicy and satisfying. There are kid-friendly recipes too, like the Chocolate Peanut Butter Breakfast Banana Split and Chocolate Peanut-Bears.
     Alexander knows how to make healthy recipes taste good. She’s a culinary-school trained chef and former caterer to the stars who has worked with The Biggest Loser TV show and hosts Healthy Decadence with Devin Alexander on Fit TV. She’s author of the New York Times bestseller, The Biggest Loser Cookbook. But most importantly, she’s a former heavy kid and teen who’s kept over 55 pounds off for nearly 20 years.
     For sure Devin Alexander’s got the culinary cred. And clearly she knows how to keep the weight off, which is challenging when your work is food. Even accomplished cooks need guidance and education when cooking healthier. Devin Alexander is a great teacher. — alyce eyster

Peppermint Brownie “Pizza”

Butter-flavored cooking spray
2/3 cup Fiber One or naturally sweetened fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 box (13.7 ounces) No Pudge! Original Fudge Brownie Mix (look for it in the baking or natural foods aisle in your grocery store or at Trader Joe’s)
1 cup fat-free frozen whipped topping, defrosted
2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint disks or candy canes
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mist a 10 1/2-inch tart pan with spray (as a backup, you can use a 10-inch nonstick deep-dish pizza pan, but the brownie won’t pop out as easily as from a tart pan).
In a medium bowl, stir the yogurt into the brownie mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it with a spatula so it evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center is no longer wet (a few crumbs are okay). (continued)
Allow the brownie to cool completely. Spoon the whipped topping into the center and then, using a spatula, spread it to evenly cover all but the outer 1/2-inch of the brownie. Sprinkle the crushed candies evenly over the top. Drizzle the syrup in a fine stream from the edge of a spoon to create a criss-cross pattern. Cut into 8 equal wedges. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Makes 8 servings. Each serving made with Fiber One yogurt has: 142 calories, 3 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, trace fat, 0 g saturated fat, <1 mg cholester, 2 g fiber, 107 mg sodium
Recipe and photo used with permission from I Can’t Believe It’s Not Fattening: Over 150 Ridiculously Easy Recipes for the Super Busy by Devin Alexander.

Zucchini linguine with creamy pesto sauce

Submitted by cupcakes revenge on March 22, 2010 - 4:15pm

Average:

0

Servings: 

4

Easy to make zucchini linguine in a deliciously creamy pesto sauce.
More recipes at http://kellysfacesmells.blogspot.com/

Ingredients: 

To make the pesto
1/4c pine nuts
2T flax or olive oil
1/2c basil
1 clove garlic
Add a bit of water as needed to achieve consistency you want.
To make the pasta
2 zucchini
1 avocado, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped

Preparation: 

Pesto:
blend all ingredients together, adding a bit of water or lemon juice as needed to achieve consistency desired. Normally I just wash the basil and don't dry it off before adding it in - the water from that is usually sufficient.
Pasta:
Using a knife, cut the zuccinni in thirds, but don't cut all the way through. With a vegetable peeler, peel thin slices of the zucchini - because it's cut in thirds, the pieces will be thinner and more like linguine. I didn't use the core of the zucchini (the part with seeds) - I save it for soups.
Assembly
In a bowl, toss the zucchini linguine with the pesto sauce until well coated. Then add the chopped avocado and tomato and toss until mixed well.

Making a healthier banana split
The way we're going to increase the fruit quota is by adding strawberries and pineapple to the banana split. And instead of the high calorie strawberry or chocolate syrup that usually tops a banana spilt, we're going to use a strawberry sauce made from fresh strawberries instead.
Reducing the amount of ice cream in a banana split is as simple as using two small scoops of ice cream instead of the typical two or three large scoops. And we're going to forgo the whipped cream all together. Although, if you have this banana split as only an occasional treat, feel free to add a little. But we find that a banana split is already creamy from the ice cream, and banana has a naturally creamy texture in its own right, so it's not really something that's essential anyway.
Let's have a look at how these changes have impacted the calorie and saturated fat content of a banana split:





In the end, we have a banana split that's not only far lower in calories and saturated fat than a regular banana split, but it's also rich in nutrients as well. The banana is a good source of dietary fiber and potassium; the strawberries contain fiber and also plenty of vitamin C (which acts as a powerful antioxidant mopping up free radicals); the nuts sprinkled on top also contain healthy unsaturated fat, and even the ice cream is a good source of calcium.
Here's the step-by-step instructions for making two banana splits:

Cut bananas in half lengthwise

Peel and cut two bananas in half lengthwise and place in bowls.

Hull and slice strawberries

Hull 4 fresh strawberries and slice. Hull and chop more fresh strawberries to make up 1 cup for the sauce.

Make the strawberry sauce

Place the cup of chopped strawberries in a blender or food processor with 1 tablespoon water and 2 teaspoons superfine (caster) sugar and process until smooth.

Place strawberries and pineapple on split bananas

Arrange 2 sliced strawberries and ¼ cup fresh or canned pineapple pieces (drained) on top of each banana.

Add the ice cream

Place 1 small scoop each of chocolate and strawberry ice-cream on top of each.

Add strawberry sauce, crushed nuts and cherries

Drizzle each split with equal amounts of strawberry sauce, sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon of crushed roasted peanuts, and top with a cherry on each scoop of ice-cream to serve.

A healthy Caesar salad
The way we've made the salad healthier is to use olive oil infused toasted whole wheat bread pieces instead of fried croutons. The dressing in this recipe is relatively high in calories (mainly from healthy unsaturated oils), but it's also high in flavor, so a little goes a long way. We're also not going to go overboard on the Parmesan cheese. Finally, this Caesar salad is a deluxe version with bacon bits-- but we're going to use lean Canadian bacon instead of typical fatty bacon. (You can, of course, use soy bacon if you don't eat meat.)

Let's have a look at how these few small changes have impacted the nutritional content of a Caesar salad:





Our Caesar salad contains substantially fewer calories than a regular version. It's also lower in fat and higher in dietary fiber. And best of all, it tastes just as good as the regular version. Here's the recipe so you can try this recipe out at home. This recipe makes two servings.

Mix together dressing

Place 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 clove of minced (crushed) garlic, 2 finely chopped anchovy fillets, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a jar with a screw top lid and shake until well combined.

Cook and chop bacon

Broil (grill) 2 lean bacon rashers, such as Canadian bacon, (rind and fat removed) on both sides until cooked and chop into small pieces.

Brush bread with olive oil and toast

Brush 2 slices of whole wheat bread evenly on both sides with 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and toast until golden brown.

Cut into croutons

Remove the crusts and cut into croutons.

Assemble and serve

Place 3 handfuls of washed and dried romaine (Cos) lettuce leaves in a salad bowl with half the bacon bits and croutons, drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat well. Scatter the remaining bacon bits and croutons on top and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of finely grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Sweet Pepper-Chicken Sandwich

Season 7's Estella Hays and I invented this recipe one day at the Ranch when we were bored with a plain chicken sandwich. The addition of bell peppers gives this sandwich added flavor, and the sprouted grain bread lends it a great texture.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon yellow or spicy mustard
2 slices Trader Joe's or other brand sprouted whole grain bread, toasted
1 large leaf romaine lettuce
3 ounces lean, low-sodium sliced chicken breast
1/2 roasted red bell pepper, cut in strips
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican four-cheese blend

Directions
Spread the mustard on 1 piece of toast. top with the lettuce, chicken and bell pepper, ending with the cheese.
Place the half sandwich under a broiler or in a toaster overn for 20 to 30 seconds, until the cheese melts. top with the second piece of toast. Cut in half. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 sandwich.
Per serving: 310 calories, 31 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates (3 g sugars), 7 g fat (3 g saturated), 65 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 1,380 mg sodium

Read more: http://www.ivillage.com/sweet-pepper-chicken-sandwich/139157#content#ixzz0n4ra4MtF
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Do a Quick Gym Workout 

Mini Workout or a great Workout for someone that has ADD or no patience

JoAnne Ragan, 32, of Akron, Ohio, used a heart rate monitor equipped with a calorie counter to figure out how she could burn 100 calories in 15 minutes. She started with five minutes of hill climbing on the treadmill, elliptical or bike, followed by two minutes of bicep curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises and upright rows with 8- to 10-pound weights. Next comes five minutes of interval training--alternating walking and running on the treadmill--and finally, three minutes of squats, lunges and wall sitting. “I can’t stand cardio, so interval with strength training is my favorite,” says Ragan, who has lost 116 pounds and was a Grand Prize winner of the 2009 Weight Watchers Inspiring Stories of Change contest.

Read more: http://www.ivillage.com/do-quick-gym-workout/121821#content#ixzz0n4mttyuq
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Peanut Sauce, So yummy with Chicken as a salad

Annika and I made dinner tonight! It was so yummy I so wish I could have taken a picture of this yummy Dinner...

What we did to make the salad amazing!

• Spinach as Salad
• Tomato
• Coconut flakes
• Chicken grilled
• Sauce alllll over!!! and Enjoy the amazing!!!

Using only five ingredients, this quick and easy peanut sauce recipe is a great choice for nights when you don't have time to chop fresh herbs or crush peanuts.

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 3 teaspoons white granulated sugar

Preparation:

Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Note:For best results, refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Before serving, thin the sauce with a bit more warm water if needed. Use the peanut sauce within 3 - 4 days.

cabbage and lime salad with roasted peanuts

I know that on the surface, peering in from your side of the computer screen, this looks like a pile of shredded cabbage, a poorly lit one (look, it was late, okay?). But from my site, from my seat right here, this is pretty much the best thing ever, a yearly event I like to call First Slaw of the Season.

Yes, friends, rooftop grilling season is back (or it was, er, briefly last Saturday afternoon but not really by Saturday evening, when we shivered around the actual grill; details) and I could not possibly be more excited. That means summer is coming. That means Jacob and I get to go to barbecues as separate human beings this summer (aw). That means that this one, the adult one, gets to have a beer (yay).


And I know this is old news to some of you, but still, I must underscore again: We are slaw people. We really, really love our summer slaws. Not Your Mama’s Cole Slaw, Dead Simple Slaws, Green Onion Slaw, Tartar Sauce Slaw, slaw on tacos, Broccoli Slaw and Salads That Are Distinctly Slaw-Like. I even wrote an article about my slaw devotion. And then had a baby that looks like a cabbage (patch kid). I need help, I know.

I also have a serious thing for the Lee Bros., those Charleston guys that got stranded for a few years on the lonely island of Manhattan and were forced to sell boiled peanuts and other wonders to their fellow displaced Southerners to stay warm. Okay, perhaps that’s a wee bit of a dramatic retelling but I do get carried away when I see their approach to cooking. And that they have a new cookbook out. I flipped it open in Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago and it landed on this page, exactly, with the prettiest peanut-ed slaw I’ve ever seen and literally, on the basis of that photo alone (see above: unhealthily obsessed with slaw), I bought the book. It was when I got home that I saw the pudding cakes and pudding parfaits and the, look, I just said pudding twice. How could you need to hear anything else before falling in love with this book?

Cabbage and Lime Salad with Roasted Peanuts
Adapted from the Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern
Right, so, about the slaw: Lime. Peanuts. Red and green cabbage. Slivers of spinach. The lime is awesome, although I really have to advise against the whole lime segments they suggest in the original recipe (which I omit here) as we lovelovelove lime around here and it was still too much lime, by far. Peanuts are wonderful, even better if you can find some of those giant Virginia peanuts I sometimes see at stores (these, sadly, were not). The spinach is definitely a little odd in the slaw department; it is not the most stable lettuce thus not the kind of thing I’d want to eat hours after it had been tossed with dressing but in this, it works. And it makes the salad even prettier, which in my book counts too.
1/2 small red cabbage, trimmed, cored, and shredded (about 6 cups)
1/2 small green cabbage, trimmed, cored, and shredded (about 6 cups)
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 bunch fresh baby spinach, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (about 4 cups loosely packed)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 small limes)
1 tablespoon Dijon or other salty prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl, toss the shredded red and green cabbage with the salt. Transfer the cabbage to a colander and let it drain for two hours. (I was in a rush and did this in one. It was still nicely wilted, but of course could have been even softer.)
If you’re worried about the cabbage being too salty when you’re done with the salting process, taste a piece of cabbage and if it concerns you, rinse and drain the cabbage well. This is not a suggestion in the original recipe, but something I suspect might bother some people.
Put the salted, drained cabbage back into your (rinsed and dried) large bowl and add the spinach. In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice, mustard and cumin together. Add the peanut oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until the ingredients are thoroughly emulsified. Toss the salad with the dressing and add the roasted peanuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
This salad is best served immediately, but it does keep surprisingly well in the fridge for a day or two.

Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes

These are wonderful and are almost too healthy to be true. Lots of calcium, protein, fiber, etc. I usually eat them without any topping and just keep popping them in my mouth! Yum. But a good jam will do them nicely as well.

SERVES 1

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• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 egg whites

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in blender.
2. Spray skillet with cooking spray and cook just like"silver dollar" pancakes, a few small ones at a time.
3. Top with your favorite pancake topping!

Real Recipes for Real People Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets

by Kaylin Cherry
kaylin@
realfood4realpeople.com

I love the convenience of the instant oatmeal packets sold in grocery stores, but I do not like the cost. My children also love the instant oatmeal packets, and so I researched until I came up with this recipe for making them ourselves. Over time, we have added to the list of variations for this recipe, and have come up with some very fun packets, which are delicious as well as economical. We make these up as a family project, and the children help to choose which extra ingredients to add to the basic oatmeal packets. This is not only fun, but keeps them excited about eating them later, because they helped to make them. I hope you find them useful.

Instant Oatmeal ala-Home

• 3 cups Quick-Cooking Oats
  
• Salt
  
• Small sized Zip Baggies

Put 1/2 cup oats in a blender and blend on high until powdery. Set aside in a small bowl, and repeat procedure with an additional 1/2 cup oats. If you're using a food processor, you can do the 1 cup of oats in one batch. Put the following ingredients into each zip baggie: 1/4 cup un-powdered oats, 2 Tbsp. powdered oats, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Store in an airtight container.
To serve: Empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes. For thicker oatmeal, use less water - for thinner oatmeal, use more water.

Variations:

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp. chopped dried apples.
Sweetened Oatmeal- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar or 1 packet 'Equal' artificial sweetener.
Brown Sugar/Cinnamon Oatmeal - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. brown sugar & 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Oatmeal w/Raisins & Brown Sugar - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. raisins.
Health Nut Oatmeal - To each packet add 2 Tbsp. any kind of wheat germ
Fruit & Cream Oatmeal - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer and 2 Tbsp. dried fruit
Fun Fruit Oatmeal - To each packet, add 6 or 7 pieces of 'fruit snack' type dehydrated fruit.
Confetti Oatmeal - To each packet, add 1 tsp. decorative cake/cookie sprinkles.
S'More Oatmeal - add 6 miniature marshmallows and 1 Tbsp. Milk Chocolate Chips to each packet.
Cookies n Cream Oatmeal - add 1 crushed Oreo cookie and 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer to each packet.
Exploding Oatmeal - add 1 tsp. sugar, and 1/2 tsp. 'Pop Rocks' candy to each packet. This one is fun for celebration days, such as birthdays.
Bart-man Oatmeal - add 2 Tbsp. 'Butterfinger B.B's' candies to each packet.

How to Make Coconut Milk

If you….

1. Love recipes that only take about 3 minutes of total prep time…
2. Love all things coconut
3. Don’t love all things coconut (like me…but I love this milk!)
4. Love milk
5. But maybe don’t like or can’t drink regular milk for various reasons
6. Are a Vegan
7. Don’t like paying for overpriced coconut milk in the stores
8. Like being able to control the type/amount of sweetener in your coconut milk
9. Have yet to ever experience the sweet, creamy, rich goodness of coconut milk…….

Then this recipe is for you!!!!!

Truly, it’s so fast, and so simple, so cheap, and so delicious that there’s no reason NOT to try it.  :)  It’s full of great nutrients, and can be used a zillion ways.  (I’ve included a short list below of some possible uses, both in and out of the kitchen.)  So grab a bag of coconut, and give it a try!  I really think you’ll love it!


How To: Make Coconut Milk
(Adapted from Elana’s Pantry)
Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 4 cups water
• 1 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar (or 6 drops stevia)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:
Soak coconut in water for 1-2 hours (do not discard water).
In a blender (or you could do small batches in a food processor), combine coconut, water, vanilla and honey and process on highest speed.
Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer (or a strainer bag, or cheesecloth would work), discarding solids.  Serve or refrigerate.
Possible Uses:

• Baking: can be used as a substitute for milk in a variety of baking recipes
• Beverages: coffee, tea, smoothies, milkshakes, eggnog, pina coladas, or a variety of alcoholic beverages
• Cooking: used in noodle dishes, rice dishes, grain dishes, stir-frys, etc., and it is called for especially in many Thai, Indian, African and Hawaiian dishes
• Skin Care: used as a moisturizing face wash, mixed into water for a bubble bath, or even used as a hair conditioner

Ali’s Tip:
This also works with sweetened coconut.  Just omit the extra natural sweetener (honey, agave, stevia, etc.).

Spinach Avacado Hummus

April 19th, 2010

For the final recipe on Day 7 of “Hip Hip for Hummus Week”, we visit a classic cheesy dip translated into a healthier (and vegan) alternative — spinach and artichoke hummus!
I thought it would be a fun experiment, but was surprised by how much I loved this recipe!  The classic spin-artichoke combination, paired with the rich tahini and lemon juice proved to be even more flavorful (in my opinion!) than the classic dip I’ve made for years!  And…you get to trade in a bunch of extra fiber for all of that cheese.  :)
I’m sure I’ll still continue to make both, but this is a wonderful alternative for whenever you get the spinach artichoke craving!  And, with no baking required, it can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes.  Perfect!
As a recap, here were the 7 recipes in “Hip Hip for Hummus Week”.  Enjoy!!

• Classic Hummus
• Black Bean Hummus
• Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Hummus
• Edamame Hummus
• Guacamummus/Hummamole (Avocado Hummus)
• Roasted Garlic, Rosemary & White Bean Hummus
• Spinach Artichoke Hummus

Spinach Artichoke Hummus
(Original recipe)
Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained (juice reserved)
• 4 cups fresh spinach, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts
• 2 Tbsp. tahini
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and blend until smooth.  If you desire a thinner consistency, add in a few extra tablespoons of the reserved chickpea juice.
Ali’s Tip:
To give this an extra kick, I also tried adding in a seeded fresh jalapeno, and it was fantastic!  You could even add in half of a pepper if you’d like.
Also, to make this taste a little more like classic spinach-artichoke dip, just mix in 1/4 (or 1/2 cup) grated parmesan cheese.

  Cauliflower Soup

Aren’t these just wonderful?
Let me introduce these delicious ingredients that have been captured bathing in the morning sun.
And they are ready and eager to turn into…



… the most yummilicious and soul-warming soup ever invented.



And here we have our ingredients introducing themselves to you in a written form.
So kind of them.
In case you’d also like to have the delightful experience of tasting this soup, just go on and follow these easy steps…

1. Chop the onion finely.

Chop, chop, chop.

2. Cut the carrots into small even dices.

3. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and cut it into halves.

4. Now break it into individual florets.

Rinse the florets under running water and then slice them into smaller pieces – you can slice one floret into 2 or 3 pieces (depending on what mood you are in).

5. In a large soup pot melt two tablespoons butter.

6. Add the chopped onions, stir and let them get a little color inside there.

7. Then, after about 3 minutes, add the carrots.

Stir around for about 2 more minutes.

8. Soon we are going to use the chicken broth/bouillon.

You can use the ready-made stuff from a store or you can prepare it at home – from bouillon cubes – like I do.

I used 3 bouillon cubes for 7 cups (1.75 l) hot water.

And, of course, you can also use your own, home-made bouillon.

You really have a wide range of possibilities here.

9. Throw the cauliflower into the pot and pour in the bouillon.

10. Add 2 teaspoons parsley, …

11. … 2 bay leaves, …

13.  … and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Stir to combine.

14. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for about 25-30 minutes.

15. Meanwhile, we can prepare our white sauce that will make the soup nice and thick.

In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups milk with 4 tablespoon flour…

… and mix with a whisk.

16. In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter.

17. Pour in the ‘milk-flour’ mixture…

18. … and stir constantly over medium heat.

Bring to a boil and mix for about 2 more minutes.

Then remove from the heat.

19. Add the white sauce to the soup mixture and stir to combine.

Let simmer for about 5-10 more minutes.

Then remove from the heat.

Add 2 1/2 heaping tablespoons sour cream and stir again.

Taste the soup and add salt to taste (if needed).

This is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

Just trust me.

The best soup ever.