Clean Hummus

A few months ago I tried a 10-day cleanse. I had to eat "clean" for 10 days and it actually wasn't as hard as I had expected it to be. I came across this recipe for a clean hummus and it was a great way to make veggies more interesting. It was rather easy, and only required getting out my food processor (although cleaning food processors are never fun...ha!).

The recipe here is actually called Clean Hummus by Audrea's Aunt Sandy, but since I don't know who Andrea or Aunt Sandy is (I do have one though), I am just calling it Clean Hummus. I also added in some cayenne pepper and some fresh ground black pepper because I thought it was a little bland. Now season to taste and start by adding slowly. What I think is a ton may not be the same as what you think a ton is.

Please note that tahini looks like peanut butter, but it is really a paste of ground sesame seeds. I had an aweful time trying to find this, but finally found at Krogers in the organic peanut butter section. It looks like a jar of peanut butter, but more expensive -- like $8. I put it in my fridge to last longer.

~ Clean Hummus ~

Ingredients:

·    2 cans chick peas, drained

·    1/3C lemon juice

·    1/3 C olive oil

·    1 Tbsp garlic (I used minced garlic from the jar)

·    1/8 tsp sea salt

·    1 heaping tbsp tahini (The recipe suggested blending the whole jar of tahini first until smooth and put back in jar before adding to hummus. I was lazy and just stirred with a knife, but you may get better results by doing this)

·   Cayenne pepper and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Blend in food processor a long time (The recipe said 10ish minutes, but I think I maybe mixed it for about 3-4 mins). Add more lemon juice (or olive oil depending on your taste, the more lemon juice you add the more it will taste like lemon) for a good consistency.

For lunch over the weekend I had a little crudite type plate out on the patio. Some carrots with the clean hummus, cheese and apples with peanut butter is a great summer lunch or snack. And very heathy especially if you use the natural peanut butter that is just ground peanuts and nothing else. Meijer has an organic brand version of this that is great. No salt or other ingredients, just ground peanuts...yum!

Cheers to summer eating!

P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

I found this recipe on Iowa Girl Eats and am kind of obsessed with it. So obsessed I have made this for dinner 3 weeks in a row! It's just so easy, you can make it in the time it takes to brown ground meat, and it's healthy...holla!

I changed it up a little by using ground turkey instead of ground chicken breast and I omitted a few ingredients based on my own likings. Simple, easy, delish, and tastes like the real thing...I have had 3 other taste testers confirm and then they ate it all up in like 2 mins...no leftovers for this one!

I get about 12 wraps out of this recipe, so it's serves about 3-4 people for a light dinner (me) or an appetizer.

P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground turkey
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• salt & pepper, a dash of each
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon water
• 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 1/2 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (or more if you like it hotter)
• dash of fresh pepper
• 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
• 10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Directions:

Heat a large, non-stick skillet on high. Add ground turkey, onion, salt & pepper, and cook until turkey is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. Add in minced garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until turkey is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add into the skillet and stir to combine.

Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and serve with cold lettuce leaves. Enjoy!

Pineapple Salsa and Homemade Tortilla Chips

I love making salsa, and I seem to be making some sort of salsa or dip every weekend. I am kind of addicted to perfecting the perfect salsa. This pineapple salsa is becoming one of my favorites, and I love making baked homemade tortilla chips. When made with whole wheat tortillas, they are lower in fat and calories than regular chips.

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

-- 1 large can of pineapple tidbits
-- 1/4 of a red onion
-- 2 jalapeño peppers
-- 2 tablespoons of cilantro
-- 1 tablespoon lime juice
-- pinch of coarse salt to taste

Directions:

I like to put the red onion, jalapeño peppers and cilantro in a small food processor to dice. You can also put the pineapple in for a couple of pulses if you want it crushed a little more (that is what I did in the picture above). Then mix in the lime juice and salt and enjoy!

Homemade tortilla chips

Ingredients:

-- Whole wheat tortillas cut into triangles (1 makes about 8 chips)
-- Spray butter or olive oil
-- Coarse salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cut tortillas into triangles and spread out on baking sheet. Spray with spray butter or brush with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle salt on one side. Bake for 5 mins, then turn them over and bake for an additional 2 mins until golden brown.

Guilt-Free Spinach and Artichoke Dip

For my niece’s birthday party last weekend, I made a Guilt-Free Spinach and Artichoke Dip from Bethenny Frankle’s book Skinnygirl Dish. This dip was a big success, and I think almost everyone loved it. I modified it slightly for the ingredients I had available, but you can find the original recipe on Bethenny’s website.

Image from Bethenny's website

Ingredients:
-- 1 can of artichokes (about 9 ounces) well drained
-- 1 box spinach (about 9 ounces), defrosted and liquid drained
-- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
-- 1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
-- 1/4 container (8 ounces) reduced fat cream cheese
-- 2 tablespoons lowfat mayonnaise
-- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
-- 1 clove garlic, minced
-- 3/4 teaspoon salt
-- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
-- 2 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or more if you like it hot)

Directions:
Defrost the spinach in the refrigerator overnight (or in the microwave like I did), then drain in a colander in the sink or over a bowl. After drained, press with paper towels to get rid of any extra moisture that would dilute the dip’s flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine all the ingredients except 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese into a large bowl or into a food processor (I used the food processor). Blend or pulse until mostly smooth but leave some artichoke chunks for texture.

Pour the mixture into an oven-proof dish or casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through and just starting to bubble.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm with thin slices of baguette, raw vegetables, baked tortilla chips, crackers or pretzel sticks.