Tag Archives: healthy eating

Beet Hummus Dip

31 Jan

This is one of my favorite Dips, and it is always a crowd-pleaser. Another great addition to your healthy yet delicious Super Bowl Appetizers. It is the perfect Dip for Crudites, or whatever your heart desires (awesome as a sandwich spread, too).

3 large garlic cloves, peeled*

2 cups cooked Garbanzo Beans, (or 1 15.5 oz can, drained)

1/3 cup Tahini (sesame seeds paste)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup roasted Beet Roots (or pickled Beets)

1 tbsp Unfiltered Cold Pressed Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Method

1) Using a Vegetable Scrub, scrub the outside layer of the Beet Roots to remove the brownish, tick part. Don’t peel it, specially if you are using organic Beets, a lot of the nutrients are in the peel. Pat dry, cut into same size pieces so they roast evenly ( about 4 pieces per Beet). Place them in a sheet pan lined with parchment, sprinkle salt, pepper, and rub olive oil on them. Place at pre heated oven at 375F for about 45 minutes. Let Beets cool until they are warm.

2) In a Food Processor, add the Beets, Garlic, Garbanzo Beans, Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse, scraping the bowl until it becomes a smooth paste.

3) Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for about a week. Can be made one day ahead, in fact the flavors will marry and it will taste better if made the day before.

* Garlic can be roasted unpeeled together with the Beets for a more subtle garlic flavor. If you don’t mind a strong garlicky flavor, go ahead and add it peeled and raw to the food processor

BEET dip

Gluten Free Healthy Meatballs in San Marzano Tomatoes + Carrot Sauce

14 Jan

 

It doesn’t matter where you are from, every country and culture has their version of meatballs. Meatballs are easy to make, and a great way to get kids involved in cooking.

Purists believe the perfect meatball must have a combination of beef and pork. Some use lamb, and I have eaten some mighty tasty chicken and turkey meatballs. The key is to add some type of starch and eggs to the mixture, so it will all stick together and not crumble. Breadcrumbs are a family favorite, and so is old bread soaked in milk. For these recipe I used Brown Rice Flour because I did not have any bread at hand.

 Ingredients

1 lb Organic Grass Fed ground beef

1 small sweet onion, grated or shredded in food processor

¼ cup chives or green onions, chopped

¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp kosher salt

ground black pepper to taste

1 pasture raised egg

1 tbsp brown rice flour

Method

  1. Mix all ingredients together with your hands. Make 1 tbsp size balls and pace them in a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.
  2. Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and remove the fat that accumulates around each meatball with a butter knife. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. Discard the parchment paper. In the same sheet pan, place a cookie baking rack and place the meatballs. Bake for another 10 minutes.
  3. After the tomato sauce is ready, place the meatballs in the sauce pan with the lid on and let the flavors meld for 15 minutes on low.

San Marzano Tomatoes and Carrot Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp ghee, or unsalted butter

1 can of San Marzano Tomatoes (1Lb 12 oz)

¼ cup organic tomato paste

1 small sweet onion, grated or shredded in food processor

2 medium organic carrots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup red wine

1 tbsp demerara sugar (raw sugar)

1 tsp red chilli flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 bay leaf

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. In a medium heated pan, add the olive oil and butter. Add the onions and let them sweat until translucent, for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, red chili flakes, and carrots and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and let it cook until the alcohol evaporates.
  2. Add the tomato paste, demerara sugar(raw sugar), and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Let it come to a boil, and turn the heat down to low. Place a lid in the pan, and let it simmer on low for about 2 hours.
  4. Remove the bay leaf. Using an emulsion blender, blend the sauce until it is smooth.

GFMeatballs2

Bom Apetite!

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