3 Vibrant Greek Yogurt Dips – Beet, Turmic & Matcha

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

Brighten up any winter snack situation with these Vibrant Greek Yogurt Dips colorized with some of Mother Nature’s most vivid ingredients including beet powder, turmeric powder and matcha tea. No need to go all fake and freaky to create edible rainbow colors for your holiday appetizers and other fun recipes throughout the year. These natural ingredients are superfoods (typically found on the health food, spice and tea aisles) and not only pump up the pigment, but boost nutrition as well!

While there are lots of additional benefits, beet root powder boosts nitric oxide in your blood (helping circulation, blood pressure and stamina), ground turmeric is a spice that can help to reduce inflammation and lessen the perception of pain, and matcha tea is known to boost the metabolism, calm the mind and help protect against certain cancers.

The other beauty of these three Vibrant Greek Yogurt Dips is how easy they are to make – I originally created the recipes for Litehouse Foods using first their Homestyle Ranch Dip, then later the OPAdipity Greek Yogurt Dips and finally with Greek yogurt from scratch. Using prepared dips (found in the refrigerated section of your produce department) is an “almost homemade” shortcut perfect when you need to pull together a party ASAP or at the 11^th hour realize you didn’t bring a dish for the office shindig. I feel more than comfortable using the Litehouse Foods brand because they are VERY mindful to keep their products as fresh and preservative as possible.

But, knowing these dips aren’t easy for some of you to find (and that many prefer scratch recipes), I’ve written out the full preparation of the recipes (and then noted how to swap in the prepared dressings if that’s the route you choose). The base recipe is the same for all three dips, simply mix in 2 tablespoons of the chosen “superfood” ingredient and add extra garnish on top as desired!

These dips also take sandwiches, wraps, side dishes and steamed veggies to the next level with just a drizzle or dollop! Enjoy and Happy Holidays to Hue!

If you need a visual on the beet powder, ground turmeric and matcha — here are the products I used:

Beet, Turmeric & Matcha Greek Yogurt dips

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

5 mins

The base recipe is the same for all three dips, simply mix in 2 tablespoons of the chosen "superfood" ingredient and add extra garnish on top as desired!

Course: Appetizer, Condiment

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (fat-content, your preference)
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried parsely
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauces
2 tablespoons Pick ONE: beet powder, ground turmeric, matcha tea
optional garnish: for Beet use Sriracha, for turmeric use black sesame seeds for matcha use pepitas

Instructions

Add Greek yogurt to small bowl. Stir in all ingredients except for optional garnish. Let sit in fridge for an hour to overnight to let flavors mingle. Add garnish before serving.
Serve with chips, crackers or veggies. Can also be used as a sauce or spread for sandwiches, wraps, side dishes, fish, chicken and more.
To make with Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dip or OPAdipity Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip, simply use 8 ounces in lieu of the Greek yogurt and spices.

Lower-Fat Blue Cheese & Fire-Roasted Tomato Queso – Good Game Day Grub!

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

Football parties, tailgating and fall season gathers require dip to draw people together. Just think of all the great gossip, high-fiving and friendly smack talk that has gone down in, what I like to call, the “Chip and Dip Zone.”

But, maybe you hesitate to enter the ZONE for fear of the cheesy dip – is it made of mystery processed “cheese,” loaded with fat upon fat, or just boringly bland? I’ll admit, these thoughts cross my mind, especially flashbacks of tepid fake orange stadium cheese on stale round tortilla chips. That’s why I came up with my Lower-Fat Blue Cheese & Fire-Roasted Tomato Queso – it’s bold and it’s better for you made with REAL ingredients.

I think you’ll definitely widen your mind (and mouth) in appreciation for my Blue Cheese & Fire-roasted Tomato Queso. This unique cheese dip marrieds the audacious attitude blue-cheese with the smoky laid-back goodness of tomatoes roasted over flames. I’ve used my fav brand of blue cheese (Simply Artisan Reserve Blue Cheese Crumbles) and canned fire-roasted tomatoes which. Of course, canned tomatoes are convenient and taste great in recipes, but did you know that they contain more lycopene (a free-radical destroying antioxidant) than those fresh off the vine? It’s true!

While this cheese dip recipe requires a whisk, it’s quite easy prepare, coming together in just 15 minutes or less– and you can keep it warmed for a party but pouring into a small slow cooker. It was first whipped up to celebrated International Beer Day with Litehouse Foods. Using low-fat dairy products help keep this snack sensible in moderation and, if you are on a gluten-free diet, it is easy to swap out flour used in the roux with a gluten-free flour blend (I use Living Now Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour, it’s inexpensive and provides the right texture for my recipe)

Serve Lower-Fat Blue Cheese & Fire-Roasted Tomato Queso with veggie sticks, artisan chips, or chunks of crusty bread. I’ve even reheated the leftovers and poured over cooked zoodles and topped with shrimp for an impromptu “pasta” dinner.

If you are hosting a huge football party, you might want to consider adding my Healthy Snack Stadium to your spread of snacks, appetizers and game-day grub.

[Tweet Not yer stadium cheese dip! Lower-Fat Blue Cheese & Fire-Roasted Tomato Queso #fitfluential #livinglitehouse”]

What football team(s) are you rooting for this season? Are you typically an at-home or stadium spectator? Please share in comments, xoxo Jennifer

Blue Cheese & Fire-roasted Tomato Queso

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Up your game day grub with this lightened up queso featuring the bold flavors of blue cheese and flame-kissed tomatoes. It's even a winner at dinner served over zoodles or pasta!

Course: Appetizer, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups reduced-fat 1% milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour can sub gluten-free all purpose blend
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon Itlalian herb blend
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, both white bulbs and green tops
15 ounce can petite cut tomatoes, drained
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 ounces shredded low fat mozzarella

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, warm milk (without boiling), stirring occasionally.
At the same time, heat butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add flour to melted butter and whisk continuously, cooking until it is bubbling and has turned lightly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stream in heated milk, whisking continuously, and continue to cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens slightly. Add cheeses and whisk well until melted smooth and incorporated. Add Italian Herb Blend, dried red pepper flakes, green onions and drained tomatoes, stirring until combined.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into serving bowl and garnish as desired.

“Gimme Mo” Mojo Citrus Guacamole

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

We eat guacamole by the truckload over here and I see nothing wrong with that! — I mean, HELLO heart-healthy, creamy, satiating fats! This simple pleasures is a staple in my life, dolloped on my salads, sandwiches and veggies sticks. Making a yummy meal and NOT having guacamole within lifting distance from my lips feels like a hot date that didn’t end with a kiss. Such a bummer!

I’ve used avocados every which way and have a dozens of guacamole recipes in my mealtime rotation. A recent creation is “Gimme Mo” Mojo Citrus Guacamole with a sensational Latin American-inspired twist that is perfect for plantain chip dipping, toast smearing and fish taco topping.

Before jumping into this quick and easy guacamole recipe, let me give you the quick 411 on the magical sauce that inspired it. While originating in the Canary Islands, mojo is a simple sauce that is now splattered and slathered on nearly everything edible in Central America, the Caribbean and parts of the southern U.S. With as many regional variations as there are uses for this quintessential Latin condiment, I’m most familiar with the Cuban preparation. Cuban mojo is made with olive oil, sour citrus juices (like bitter orange and lime juice), oregano, and garlic – loads and loads of garlic. It’s often used as a marinade for pork, chicken and seafood, a dip for fried plantains or yucca, or for dressing veggies and potatoes.

I love the mojo flavor profile and have done past recipes like Mojo Steak Kebabs and Mojo Chicken with Grilled Oranges (below) are both delicious! This guacamole would be a perfect complement to both! Not only can “Gimme Mo” Mojo Citrus Guacamole be served atop a main dish on the dinner plate, to the side of a salad, or in a festive dip bowl – it also makes a clever single-serve presentation scooped into the emptied halves of the orange peel.

I originally developed this recipe for the new Guacamole Herb and Spice Blend from the Instantly Fresh line at Litehouse Foods.It’s a mixture of freeze-dried herbs and seasonings (including cilantro, garlic, red onion and red chili) that make it easy to get the guacamole bowl filled to the top “chop-chop” without endless slicing and dicing! There are no preservatives or other yucky chemicals in this convenient spice blend that you can pick up on the spice aisle or in the produce department (although it doesn’t need to be chilled). If you find a bottle, just swap out the red onion, jalapeno and cilantro in the recipe below for 4 tablespoons of this magical spice blend.

“Gimme Mo” Mojo Citrus Guacamole – this avocado dip won’t last long! #Fitfluential

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Are you an avocado addict? How many would you guesstimate you eat in a month? What is best thing you’ve dipped a chip or carrot stick into lately? Please share in the comments, XOXO – Jennifer

“Gimme Mo” Mojo Citrus Guacamole

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

10 mins

This Latiin-inspired take on guacamole adds loads of garlic and zesty orange juice! The perfect condiment for your main dishes . . . but mainly for dipping!

Course: Appetizer, Fruit, Salad, Side Dish, Snack, Vegetable

Cuisine: Caribbean, Mexican, South American

Servings: 8 servings

Instructions

In bowl, mash together peeled and pitted avocados with orange juice and lime juice (if avocados are extra large, you may need a small splash extra of each).
Stir in onion, pepper, cilantro,oregano (or 4 Tbsp swap of the guacamole blend mentioned in blog post), salt and garlic.
Use zester, to remove approximately 1 tablespoon zest from orange. Stir into guacamole.
Peel orange and cut away any pith and most membrane. Dice into small chunks. Gently stir into guacamole.
Serve as dip or condiment for sandwiches, burgers, fajitas, salads, etc.

Steak and Quinoa Squachos – NachOMG!

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

You may be thinking, “Ummmm, excuse me . . . but what the heck on God’s green Earth are SQUACHOS”? This quick and easy appetizer is a healthy swap for traditional nachos made with tortilla chips which are typically fried, overly salted and plentiful in carbs (if you’re counting). Made on slices of summer’s finest squash, my Steak & Quinoa Squachos are, in two simple words, “life changing!”

The farmer’s markets (and personal gardens of you green-thumbers) are exploding with green zucchini and yellow summer squash this time of year — and this fun and fit finger food is a tasty way to take advantage of a bumper crop and squeeze a few extra veggies into the day.

Recipes similar to this use panko bread crumbs to create that familiar nacho crunch — but that defeats to purpose of my low-carb, higher protein mission. So, instead, I tossed together almond meal and cooked quinoa with a bit of cheese to create a tasty texture on top of each squash disc.

I used two of my go-to non-GMO, gluten-free and certified organic pantry staples from NowFoods.com — Tri-Colored Quinoa and Raw Almond Flour. This tri-color quinoa a blend of white, red and black seeds and is a great source of protein and iron — I typically serve it as a side dish or salad, but freeze leftovers for speedy recipes like this! Raw Almond Flour (or Almond Meal, as some people call it) is simply finely ground almonds and it makes a great low-carb swap for flour in many recipes. If you can’t find these products in your market, I’ve dropped the Amazon links below.

Now, if you’ve been following along on the blog or social media, you know I’ve been sharing my (numerous time) journey on the Protein Challenge and encouraging others to join. This free 30-day challenge sponsored by BeefLovingTexans.com (who I also originally developed the Squacho recipe for) shows you how to tweak your daily protein intake for optimal heath — to be very succinct, you should be getting about 25 – 30 grams of protein at each of your three meals — and also protein rich snacks throughout the day and possibly at bedtime, depending on your activity level. You can register for the Protein Challenge and get tips, support and recipes HERE.

So, are you making these Squachos this weekend, or what?!

What are your other plans – a race, a vacation, just catching up on the to-do list? Let’s chat in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

Crazy Low-Carb Good Steak & Quinoa “Squachos” @beeflovingtexans @nowfoods #proteinchallenge #sp

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Steak & Quinoa Squachos

You'll exclaim "squash-OMG" when you taste these unique beef nachos that swap tortilla chips for discs of zucchini -- almond meal and quinoa create a crunch texture while keeping the appetizer gluten-free and low carb.

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 as appetizer

Ingredients

baking spray
2 lbs summer squash (such as zucchini, crookneck etc.)
1/2 cup raw almond flour I like Now Foods "Living Now" brand
1 tablespoon dry fajita seasoning
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cooked quinoa I like Now Foods "Living Now" brand
2/3 cup prepared Pico de Gallo, drained of any excess juice
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves
garnishes salsa, guacamole, sour cream or others as desired

Instructions

Preheat broiler on high. 2. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil, coat with baking spray.
lice squash into ¼” slices. Place squash, with edges touching each other, onto baking sheets.
In bowl, toss together almond meal with dry fajita seasoning. Stir in cheese, cooked quinoa and almond meal until combined.
Use a tablespoon to pile a big dollop of this cheese mixture on top of each squash slice. If leftover topping in bowl at end of dolloping, sprinkle evenly across tops.
Cut leftover steak or fajita meat into bite-sized pieces. Place a piece of two of beef on top of each Squacho.
Place oven rack on second to top position. Broil Squachos for 2 to 4 minutes, or until cheese mixture bubbling and turning golden brown on edges Watch carefully to prevent burning.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with drained Pico de Gallo. Serve with other desired accompaniments such as guacamole, sour cream or salsa.

Feta & Herb Cantaloupe Truffles – One in a Melon!

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

Welcoming the official first day of summer with these beautiful little bites — Feta & Herb Cantaloupe Truffles.

This easy, no-cook appetizer recipe uses simple ingredients to create a stunning starter for a poolside party, al fresco meal or impromptu happy hour — also, how scrumptious and refreshing to pack in a picnic basket?!

Only four ingredients needed — mint, basil, feta cheese and a cantaloupe. I always rely on my sense of smell to pick out the best cantaloupe, this no-nonsense nose method scores me a sweet and juicy winner nearly every time! Pick up the melon and sniff, it should smell sweet and slightly musky — like a cantaloupe. If it doesn’t have that signature scent, don’t buy it! Also, the best cantaloupes feel heavy for their size (lots of water content) and has a stem end that is slightly soft, yielding to your finger a bit when pressed.

You know I can’t resist a good food pun, so here ya go! Bwahaha!

Get the nutrition label for these Feta & Herb Cantaloupe Truffles here:

One in a Melon Feta & Cantaloupe Truffles #Fitfluential #Summer #YUM

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So what are you doing on this first day of summer? What is your favorite summer-time fruit? Please share in the comments below, XOXO — Jennifer

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Tag Archives: appetizer

3 Vibrant Greek Yogurt Dips – Beet, Turmic & Matcha

Lower-Fat Blue Cheese & Fire-Roasted Tomato Queso – Good Game Day Grub!

“Gimme Mo” Mojo Citrus Guacamole

Steak and Quinoa Squachos – NachOMG!

Feta & Herb Cantaloupe Truffles – One in a Melon!