Tzatziki with pita chips
½ large English cucumber
1 tsp salt
¾ cups 0% fat plain Greek yogurt
¼ tsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅛ tsp black pepper, freshly-grated
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves
2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Peel the cucumber and remove the seeds by halving it lengthwise and running a spoon down the middle to scoop out the seeds. Slice in half lengthwise again, then dice into ¼ inch cubes. Place the chopped cucumber in a fine sieve and sprinkle with salt. Top with paper towels and add some weight, over top. Place in the refrigerator to drain while you prepare the rest, about 30 minutes. Combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, black pepper, parsley, and mint in a bowl. Stir to combine. Remove cucumbers from the fridge and wipe off as much remaining moisture as you can, using additional paper towels. Add the chopped cucumber to the yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour before serving to allow the flavors to fully develop.
Pita chips
3 large loaves pita bread
6 teaspoons olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
Celtic sea salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl combine crushed garlic and olive oil. Mix well and allow tosit for 2-4 minutes. Take each pita loaf and cut into eight triangles. Brush the garlic mixture evenly over each side of the pita triangles. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 5-7 minutes.
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Butternut Squash Hummus
Serves 4
1 small butternut squash, halved, seeds scooped out
1/4 cup tahini
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon himalayan salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the squash with oil and place on a baking sheet, cut side down. Roast for about an hour, until the squash is very tender. Scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor along with the remaining ingredients.
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Kale Chips
1 head of kale *
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp celtic sea salt
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Preheat over to 350 degrees F
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Tear kale into bite size pieces, breaking it off of the stem. Wash and dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pinch of cayenne pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes
* Sweet potatoes and carrots can be also baked with olive oil and sea salt to make healthy chip options:) Sweet potatoes take about 25 minutes and taste great with cinnamon and paprika. Carrots take about 30 minutes.
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Cranberry Chutney
Makes 4 cups
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup raisins
½ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup water
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 medium macintosh apples, cored and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon
Combine cranberries, raisins, maple syrup, cinnamon, lemon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and water in oven. Place over medium heat and cook 15 minutes. Sir in onion apples and celery and cook 15 minutes more. Remove from heat, fold in lemon peel and serve.
Chutney is perfect to serve with turkey and mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner.
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Sweet Pea Hummus
Serves 4
2¼ cups of cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or 1 cup dried (*)
1 cup of frozen peas
1 cup of filtered water
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
2 Tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil
Handful of parsley or cilantro
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 freshly squeezed lemon
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp pepper
Soak garbanzo beans over night. The liquid should be 1-2 inches above the beans.
Bring to a boil or reduce heat to simmer, partially cover the pot. They usually take from 1- 1 1/2 hours (until soft).
Puree beans, peas, olive oil, cilantro,garlic lemon, and spices in a food processor, slowly add in water until desired consistency
Add more water to thin out your hummus. Sea salt, pepper and cumin to taste.
*optional* : You can used canned chickpeas(make sure BPA free).
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Flax Crackers
2 cups ground flaxseed
1 cup water (start with 3/4 c. and add more as needed to make a workable dough)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until an even dough forms. Spread evenly onto a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet – about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Gently cut dough into squares on the baking sheet (you just need to score the dough so it snaps after it’s baked – be careful not to cut up your silicone mat or cookie sheet!) Bake for 20-30 minutes until crisp and edges are browned but not burnt.
*optional add sunflower seeds or hemp seeds