These sushi-inspired Cucumber Hummus Bites are scented with toasted sesame oil then topped with pickled ginger and roasted sesame seeds. The ultimate healthy snack recipe!




Two ingredients I always have in my refrigerator are Sabra hummus and English cucumbers. My boys will eat hummus with anything from a spoon to apple slices and the same goes for cucumbers. In fact, we frequently whip up a quick batch of my Japanese Quick Pickled Cucumbers to snack on while I’m cooking dinner.




Whether or not you have little ones at home, I think we can all agree: snacks are life. When my friends at Sabra asked me to create a healthy snack recipe, I decided to create a sushi-inspired Hummus Cucumber Bite with Pickled Ginger.




Made with just 5 simple ingredients, this healthy snack recipe takes just minutes to make. Hummus is mixed together in a bowl with soy sauce and sesame oil before before piped onto cucumber slices using a simple plastic bag.

For crunch and tanginess, I top each piece with pickled ginger and black roasted sesame seeds. Scallions would be great sprinkled on top as well. While we typically eat these as a snack either after the gym or after school, they are beautiful and tasty enough to serve at a party.


INSTRUCTIONS

Place cucumber slices on a large platter and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together hummus, soy sauce and sesame oil. Carefully scrape entire mixture into a pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag. If using a plastic bag, cut off a small tip at one corner for piping.

Working one piece at a time, pipe about 1 tablespoon of the hummus mixture on to each cucumber piece. Top each with a piece of pickled ginger and sprinkle with black roasted sesame seeds to serve.




INGREDIENTS

1 English cucumber sliced in rounds
16 tablespoons Sabra Original Hummus
2 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
6 tablespoons pickled ginger (about 16 pieces)
black roasted sesame seeds optional garnish


NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Amount Per Serving    (4 pieces)     Calories 182 Calories from Fat 111    Total Fat 12.3g 19%    Saturated Fat 2.3g 12%    Monounsaturated Fat 10g    Sodium 669mg 28%    Total Carbohydrates 13g 4%    Dietary Fiber 2.4g 10%    Sugars 2g    Protein 5g 10%


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For our evening meal last night we made a rotisserie chicken purchased from our local meat store – free range, no antibiotics, and no hormones. It tasted like the chickens we had growing up – delicious! As long time “empty-nesters,” we faced the usual next day leftover problem. Joanie’s solution was to make a classic chicken salad. To kick it up a notch she decided to prepare the salad in a “Caprese style.” We were off to search for tomatoes. Chicken salad stuffed tomatoes are low carb and tasty!





Serving the salad stuffed inside the tomato is what makes it a salad. We found home-grown large tomatoes grown from farms in the White Mountains. That is a treat for us in the hot summer heat of Arizona. The temperature is cooler in the mountains and the tomatoes are firm and delicious. You can also use smaller tomatoes and serve the chicken salad as an appetizer. Filling a lettuce wrap or an endive spear with the chicken salad would also make a perfect salad.







Chicken Salad Ingredients

Our rotisserie chicken is the base for this salad, but the avocado mayonnaise is the “glue” that holds it all together. Regular quality mayonnaise would work, as well. But, avocado mayonnaise has similar properties found in olive oil. It is high in fat, loaded with potassium, and also helps with weight loss. Studies also suggest it provides cardiovascular benefits and even benefits for our eyes.

One unique feature of Joanie’s recipe is that it is loaded with vegetables. Celery is the usual ingredient for chicken salad. Her chicken salad recipe also adds red onion and green onion. She also added basil. After all, it is a Caprese-style recipe. It is also lighter on the mayonnaise than most chicken salad recipes. Joanie used sour cream to provide a different flavor than just mayonnaise.

Adding to the creaminess is fresh mozzarella. Often called “buffalo mozzarella,” it is readily available and combined with the tomato provides the classic “Caprese-style.” All it needs is a garnish of fresh basil and you have perfection.

Bacon – bacon – bacon! Look closely and you will see bacon crumbles in the salad. Bacon makes everything better!






Chicken Salad Preparation Tips

After removing the tomato tops, use a pairing knife to cut a 1/4 inch circle around the edge of each tomato. Then use a spoon or melon scooper to remove the pulp or flesh of the tomato. It will then form a hollow shell. Make sure to save the inside of the tomato to make another dish. Marinara sauce is always our “go-to” for over ripened tomatoes or leftover tomato pulp.

It is a good idea to place the tomato cups upside down on a paper towel for a few minutes to drain any excess liquid from the inside. This will give you time to prepare the rest of the chicken salad.

Taste your chicken salad when mixed for saltiness. Bacon does vary in terms of its saltiness so we suggest mixing and tasting before adding your salt. You do not want the chicken salad to have an overwhelming amount of salt. Joanie also likes to add celery salt in addition to the chopped celery. It really does add to the taste! Stuff the tomatoes – garnish with basil and enjoy!



INSTRUCTION


Slice the tops off of the tomatoes and scoop out the fleshy inside pulp. Place tomato cups upside-down on a paper towel to drain the liquid from the inside.

Combine all remaining ingredients is a large bowl and mix well. Adjust the saltiness to taste based upon the salt content that is added by the bacon. Save some of the bacon crumbles and green onion for garnish.

Fill the tomato cups with the salad mixture.

Top with garnish of green onions and reserved bacon crumbles and basil leaves.







INGREDIENTS


2 cups Chicken chopped
1 cup Celery finely chopped
1/2 cup Red onion chopped
3 Green onions sliced
1 cup Fresh mozzarella diced
1 cup Crumbled bacon
1/2 cup Sour cream
1/2 cup Avocado mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Celery seed
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
6 Tomatoes large
6 Basil leaves




NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories 375    Calories from Fat 279    Total Fat 31g 48%    Saturated Fat 9g 45%    Cholesterol 64mg 21%    Sodium 801mg 33%    Potassium 522mg 15%    Total Carbohydrates 7g 2%    Dietary Fiber 1g 4%    Sugars 4g    Protein 15g 30%    Vitamin A 28.9%    Vitamin C 23%    Calcium 14.6%    Iron 5.7%



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How cute are these;  bacon, egg and toast all rolled up in one muffin-sized package. They take no time to throw together and are perfect when you need to cook lots of eggs at one time. Customize them to your own particular taste or to whatever extra’s are at hand. Prosciutto or Pancetta could be substituted for the bacon, and sauteed chopped mushrooms with chives could replace the spinach.





PREPARATION


Preheat oven to 190°C. Brush a 6 hole muffin tin with half the melted butter for the egg cups. Grease and line a baking tray for the bacon dippers

Gently roll each slice of bread flat with a rolling pin and press each slice of bread into the prepared muffin hole. Brush with remaining melted butter

Wrap a strip of bacon around each reserved crust and place on the lined baking tray. Bake both trays in the oven for 10 minutes

Remove both from the oven, turn the bacon soldiers over. Place a few spinach leaves into the bread cups, and divide the cheese evenly between them. Gently crack an egg into each cup

Carefully place both trays back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until the egg is just set and the bacon soldiers are crispy

Remove from the oven, allow cups to cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing. Serve sprinkled with chives, salt and pepper

Dip bacon soldiers into gooey eggs and enjoy!


INGREDIENTS


50g butter, melted
6 slices Helga's Traditional Wholemeal bread, crusts removed and reserved
6 rashers streaky bacon, cut in half lengthways
40g baby spinach
1/3 cup shredded tasty cheese
6 eggs
Chives, snipped, to serve



NUTRITION INFORMATION


Serving Size: 1 (87 g)     Servings Per Recipe: 6

Calories 152.6    Calories from Fat 82 54%    Total Fat 9.1 g 14%    Saturated Fat 3.6 g 18%    Cholesterol 207.6 mg 69%    Sodium 600 mg 25%    Total Carbohydrate 1.3 g 0%    Dietary Fiber 0.1 g 0%    Sugars 0.3 g 1%    Protein 15.4 g 30%

As innocent as they may look, bite-sized appetizers are often fried or loaded with over-processed and less-than-healthy ingredients. So pass up the puff pastry-covered goodies in favor of these finger food alternatives from healthy recipe bloggers around the web. You’ll be a dinner party hero in no time.

1. Chilled Soba in Cucumber Cups

These cucumber cuties are simple, stylish and easy to make. Paired with soba noodles, a thin, buckwheat-based specialty that hails from Japan, these bite-sized cups are a good source of fiber and manganese, and are also gluten-free. Just make sure to check that the soba noodles don’t have any added wheat flour

2. Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip

Move over, guac. This creamy but guilt-free dip deserves to be front and center at your next fiesta. The rich texture comes from protein-packed Greek Yogurt and two ripe avocados, loaded with fiber and vitamin C. Serve with some whole-wheat pita chips or sliced raw veggies.

3. Watermelon Cups with Feta and Mint

The sweet and salty combo of watermelon and feta will hit the spot on a hot summer day. Plus, with only five ingredients (watermelon, feta, cucumber, mint and EVOO), this recipe is super easy to make and requires no baking (hooray!). Consider serving them as a party-pleasing appetizer or side dish.

4. Bora Bora Fireballs

Go cuckoo for coconut with these tropical-tasting pork meatballs. Ground pork has fewer calories and fat than ground beef, but with about the same amount of protein to keep you satisfied. The Paleo-friendly fireballs get their sweetness from crushed pineapple and shredded coconut., while cayenne pepper, dried ginger and  jalapeño spice things up. 

5. Beet Pesto Crostini

Hummus is quite possibly one of my favorite dips. Well besides eating straight up sour cream on pretty much anything…even a spoon. I’m not the only one who likes that right?! I still remember the first time I had hummus and I remember thinking, thank god this tastes nothing like chickpeas! It’s not that I don’t like chickpeas…it’s just they are so dry normally…and they don’t have much flavor. It’s kind of like eating weird little balls of flavorless dough. Ok, so maybe it is that I don’t like chickpeas. But if you add in enough garlic and olive oil, turns out chickpeas aren’t half bad!






When I saw this recipe for Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus, I immediately tossed a couple of sweet potatoes in the oven. I knew I was going to love it considering my love of sweet potatoes…and I also knew that I could make a big batch and freeze the leftovers for later in the month. Plus, I really needed to use up those last few sweet potatoes I had bought when they were on sale after Christmas for .40 cents a pound! I have been making Sweet Potato Fries and my favorite Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup like they were both going out of style, but I was excited to try something new with my last two precious sweet potatoes.






And this hummus did not disappoint! In fact, I think it’s one of my favorite hummus flavors yet! It’s sweet and spicy and goes perfectly with my favorite Stacy’s Baked Multigrain Pita Chips*.  I am so glad I made a large batch to freeze and I am already dreaming up ways to use it! I think it would be awesome in a turkey wrap and can’t wait to try it out for lunch later this week.

I make hummus a lot, so I already had all the ingredients. But if you don’t, you may have a hard time finding Tahini. I find it in the “ethnic” aisle at my grocery store or you can also pick up a jar online for the same price I pay at the store. It may seem expensive, but a little goes a long way! With a 16 oz jar, you could make 8 batches (24 cups) of this hummus! So go ahead, and get your hummus on



PREPARATION


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap each sweet potato with foil. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until tender. Peel sweet potatoes, set aside. In a large food processor (or blender), puree garlic cloves and chickpeas. Add tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, brown sugar, and spices. Puree until smooth. Then add sweet potatoes and puree until completely combined. 

Serve immediately with pita chips or store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. This makes a LARGE amount of hummus and is perfect to freeze! To freeze, place in a freezer safe ziplock bag and ensure there is no air in the baggie and freeze for up to 3 months.  



INGREDIENTS


2 large sweet potatoes (or 2 cups mashed sweet potato)
3 garlic cloves
1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tahini
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt




NUTRITION INFORMATION


Serving Size: 1 (93 g)      Servings Per Recipe: 4

Calories 313.7    Calories from Fat 140 45%    Total Fat 15.6 g 24%    Saturated Fat 2.1 g 10%     Cholesterol 0 mg 0%    Sodium 931.7 mg 38%    Total Carbohydrate 37.7 g 12%    Dietary Fiber 7.8 g 31%    Sugars 1.7 g 6%    Protein 8.9 g 17%




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Let’s take a second to talk about lasagna. It’s the ultimate comfort food. The best, really.But it just takes too long to make right at home. Plus, serving it up can be such a mess. That’s why these mini lasagna cups are pure genius. It’s so easy to make and they’re conveniently made into single serving portions. And with those crisp wonton wrappers, this may just be the best lasagna you will ever make. Plus, miniature food always tastes better, right?






PREPARATION


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 12-cup standard muffin tin or coat with nonstick spray.

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat and stir in marinara sauce.

Season ricotta cheese with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.

Fit wonton wrappers into each of the 12 muffin tins, pressing carefully to make sure there is an opening in the center. Fill each cup with 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese. Top with 1 tablespoon marinara mixture and 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese; repeat with one more layer.

Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the wonton wrappers are golden brown.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.






INGREDIENTS


1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Italian sausage links, casing removed
1 cup marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
24 2-inch won ton wrappers
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves




NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serving Size 3      Servings Per Container 12

Calories 181.4    Calories from Fat 81 %     Total Fat 9.0g 14%    Saturated Fat 4.5g 23%    Trans Fat 0g    Cholesterol 28.0mg 9%    Sodium 341.7mg 14%    Total Carbohydrate 14.4g 5%    Dietary Fiber 0.9g 4%     Sugars 2.1g    Protein 10.5g 21%




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As expected, our zucchini yield in our garden wasn’t as spectacular as it probably should have been this summer.  I don’t know what it is, but we just don’t have a green thumb when it comes to growing zucchini.  The first year we planted it, we got zero zucchini.  How depressing.  This year, our three seedling plants grew fabulously, flowered like it was there job (it was), and so far we’ve only gotten two zucchini (two more will be ready this week though).  From three plants, I don’t consider that to be a success.




But nonetheless, one of the zucchini we picked got chopped up and made into these baked zucchini fries.  And to be able to eat what we grew and picked from our own yard made for such a satisfying dinner – all of the dread of a low yield just melts away.  These fries are freaking awesome!  A quick run through a basic flour-egg-panko combination then into the oven for 20 or so minutes is all that separates you from zucchini heaven.

Because the fries aren’t actually fried, I feel like you are actually able to taste the zucchini and not just the grease (there is none of here anyway), which is certainly the goal with such fresh ingredients.  They come out of the oven crispy on the outside and tender and not mushy on the inside…and not at all watery, which I was slightly worried about since zucchini is such a watery vegetable.  While the zucchini fries were baking, I whipped up a batch of our favorite ranch dressing in the blender to dip them into – this should be a requirement when making these fries.  I have a few other recipes planned for the rest of the zucchini that we pick but it’s certainly going to take a heckavalot of restraint not to make these fries again this summer!

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a 12×18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk the eggs together until bubbly in a shallow pie dish or bowl.  In another shallow pie dish or bowl (glass baking dishes work great too), stir the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper together until well-blended.  Set both dishes aside.

Place the flour in a large zipper bag (gallon-size works best) and toss in all of the zucchini sticks.  Seal the bag well and shake up the zucchini until all of the sticks are coated with flour.

Taking a few sticks at a time, roll them around in the beaten egg then coat them in the breadcrumbs, lightly patting the breadcrumbs onto the zucchini if needed.  Try to not to handle the zucchini too much at this point or the breading with fall off.  Carefully transfer the sticks to the baking sheet, spacing them about 1/2-inch apart.  You’ll be able to fit the entire pound of zucchini on a 12×18-inch baking sheet, so push them close together if needed.  Repeat with remaining zucchini sticks.

Bake for 18-22 minutes until golden brown and delicious-looking.  Serve with ranch dressing or marinara sauce.

If you have leftovers, they reheat ok in the microwave, albeit soft and fork-necessary.  The best way would be to reheat them in a 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes until they are heated through.




2 eggs
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 lb zucchini, cut into 4-5-inch long sticks, about 1/2-inch wide




NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 (126 g)     Servings Per Recipe: 1


Calories 32.6    Calories from Fat 11 30%    Total Fat 2.3 g 0%    Saturated Fat 0.1 g 0%    Cholesterol 3.5 mg 1%    Sodium 25.9 mg 1%     Total Carbohydrate 5 g 0%     Dietary Fiber 0.1 g 0%     Sugars 0.3 g 1%    Protein 1.5 g 1%




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As I write this post I can’t take the smile off of my face.  I am literally giddy with pride. I think I have just discovered the secret to life-long happiness.  And it involves two of my favorite things.

Beets and basil are great friends.  It just took me a while to realize it.  Better late than never!

PREPARATION

Blend everything together in a food processor. Taste test and adjust seasonings. 
Slice up a baguette of bread. Spread pesto followed by goat cheese. Place in the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Serve with a basil leaf on top of each slice of bread.
Enjoy!
Notes

Use this recipe as a guide and taste test as you go.

INGREDIENTS 

PREP TIME: 5 MINS    COOK TIME: 15 MIN    SERVES: 4-6

3 beets, cooked
2 cloves of garlic, minced
handful of fresh basil leaves
handful of fresh parmesan cheese
handful of toasted walnuts
about 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
salt and peppeper to taste
Crusty bread
Goat cheese



NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving Size: 1 (14 g)     Servings Per Recipe: 4


Calories 77.4    Calories from Fat 57 74%    Total Fat 6.3 g 9%    Saturated Fat 4.4 g 21%    Cholesterol 16.8 mg 5%    Sodium 109.5 mg 4%    Total Carbohydrate 0.5 g 0%    Dietary Fiber 0 g 0%     Sugars 0.5 g 2%    Protein 4.6 g 9%

Clearly, I’ve got finger food on my mind. We’ve been testing meatball recipes for Well Fed 2, and we have finally settled on the 15 (Yes! Fifteen!) varieties that will be included in the new cookbook. In honor of bringing the testing phase to a close, I thought I’d share a favorite recipe of mine 






These meatballs came to me in a dream. I woke up with tumbling thoughts about a lush combination of pineapple, succulent pork, and creamy-sweet coconut. I was haunted by images of tikis and luaus. The only way to clear my mind was to surrender to the kitchen gods. After three attempts, something still wasn’t quite right. Later, while lost in photos of tropical beaches and coral reefs, I landed on the fiery name, and the rest of the recipe fell into place. These taste even better the second day, so if you can endure the wait, you will be rewarded.

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, then add the coconut. Toast, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Set aside to cool.

2. Drain the cup of canned pineapple in a sieve placed over a bowl to catch the juice. Press the pineapple pulp against the sieve with a wooden spoon to extract the excess moisture. Place the pineapple in a large mixing bowl and save the juice for later.

3. To the pineapple, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cayenne, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, scallions, jalapeño, and eggs. Beat with a wooden spoon until combined. With your hands, crumble the pork into the bowl and knead until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

4. Arrange the bowls of pineapple juice, spiced coconut, and seasoned pork for easy access. Measure a level tablespoon of pork to make a meatball, lightly douse it in the pineapple juice, then roll it in the coconut, pressing the coconut shreds into the meat by lightly rolling the ball between your palms. This is a rare case in which more isn’t better — don’t go too cuckoo with the coconut. Line up the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart.

5. Slide the meatballs into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until sizzling and golden brown. These taste great with Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Rice and/or Sunshine Sauce.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 cup canned crushed pineapple, sugar-free, packed in its own juice (DO NOT USE FRESH PINEAPPLE!)
2 tablespoons coconut aminos or homemade substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons dried ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
3-4 scallions, white and green, very thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 fresh jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, finely minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 pounds ground pork



NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION


Servings:  3

Calories 209 Sodium 231 mg    Total Fat 6 g Potassium 218 mg    Saturated 3 g Total Carbs 32 g    Polyunsaturated 1 g Dietary Fiber 1 g    Monounsaturated 2 g Sugars 3 g    Trans 0 g Protein 7 g    Cholesterol 16 mg Vitamin A 5% Calcium 3%    Vitamin C 1% Iron 13%




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Here is one of our favorites this summer. So refreshing and a mouthwatering balance of salty and sweet! Everyone we have served this to have LOVED it! Here is how we did it:

Recipe is so easy we did it in pictures enjoy




Fallow the pictures recipe is quick and easy




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