Chocolate Caramel Dip

This Dip.  Just.  This Dip.

I'm at a bit of a loss for words.

It's really good, guys.  Really good.

This is the kind of dip one eats by the spoonful.  You could dip in fruit or cookies, but when you have a healthy chocolate caramel dip sitting in fruit of you, I doubt you'll worry about that.  More likely, you'll go in with a spoon.

I know I did.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Caramel Dip

• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1-2 tbsp special dark cocoa powder

In a small saucepan, mix together peanut butter and maple syrup.  Heat on medium, stirring constantly, until mixture has reduced by half.  Lower heat and add milk.  Continue to stir until mixture thickens to the consistency of a sauce.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Once cool, transfer to a container and add cocoa powder.  Mix until completely incorporated.  Serve with fruit, crackers, or eat it by the spoonful.

No Bake Cookie Dip {Recipe ReDux}

I'm sure by now most of you have heard of the deliciousness that is Cookie Butter.

I haven't tried the crunchy stuff yet, to be honest I'm a bit scared I'll become addicted, but I did find a half eaten jar of the regular kind hidden in my cabinet last week.  A tried a little spoonful, and bam, I was hooked again.

Spreadable cookies in a jar is something I doubt many can resist.

In an attempt to make the remaining butter disappear before I could stuff it all into my mouth in one go, I decided to use it in a bit of my baking.  Or, in this case, no baking.  This months recipe ReDux theme is to go raw and create a quick, no bake, healthy dessert.

I took the cookie route and added a couple tablespoons of Cookie Butter to a typical Cookie Dough Dip recipe.  The result was a thick dip with hints of cinnamon and gingerbread and quite the addictive quality.  If you decide to make it, I must warn you, it may last even less time than the cookie butter.

Cookie Dip (With Cookie Butter!)

• 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 banana
• 3 tbsp cookie butter
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend on and off until ingredients are well mixed and a thick mixture has formed.  Make sure there are no chickpeas clumps.  Scoop into a bowl and store in fridge until serving time.  Use as a dip for cookies or fruit, or spread onto toast.

Lemony Edamame Hummus

Beans and I have a weird relationship.

Take black beans for example.  I pick them out of chili, yet gobble up black bean brownies like there's no tomorrow.

Or chickpeas.  Alone or in hummus, they're just "uck", but the moment you roast them they become a highly addictive snack.

It's the same with edamame.  Just the plain bean... I think I'll pass.  Blended into hummus... oh my god, give me more!

I told you it was weird.

But sometimes, it's good to embrace your oddities.  After all, they can lead to very good things.  Like Lemony Edmame Hummus, which is indeed, very good.

Lemony Edamame Hummus
(makes 1 1/2-2 cups)

• 1 12-oz bag shelled and cooked edamame
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp tahini

Place all ingredients in a blender.  Blend on high until desired consistency is reached.  I like mine just slightly chunky, so it still has a bit of a chew to it.  You can make it as smooth or chunky as you like.  Stop to scrape down sides of blender and move mixture around when necessary.  Serve hummus with chips, on a sandwich, or with vegetables.  Keep refrigerated.

Have you ever tried Trader Joes Edamame Hummus?  This recipe was based off of it.

Though similar, this spread isn't exactly the same, as it has more of a lemony punch than that from the container at the store.  Personally, I like this version better.

But, then again, homemade is always better.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Carrot Chickpea Hummus

Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

Greek yogurt has a special place in my heart.

I used to not like yogurt at all.  In fact, when I was a kid, just the smell of it made me gag.

So, even when Greek yogurt started to pop up everywhere, it wasn't something I necessarily wanted to try.  That is, until I started to hear about all it's amazing nutritional benefits.  Especially the protein.

Protein is always something I've struggled to get into my diet.  I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, and eggs and nuts have never really been my favorites, so sometimes it's hard to be sure I'm getting enough of that essential nutrient.  Greek yogurt helped me fix that problem.

At first I didn't like it.  It was too tangy for me, and the only way I could even slightly enjoy it was with lots of honey and fruit.  I kept trying it different ways though.  You see, I wanted to like Greek yogurt really really bad.  And eventually that happened.

One day, something just clicked.  I'm honestly not really sure what happened, but I had a bowl of plain Greek yogurt with nothing on it at all, and then, I wanted more.  And more and more and more.

Greek yogurt went from being something I extremely disliked, to something I eat almost every day in just a matter of months.

Now, I use Greek yogurt in almost everything.  Sure, not everything works out, but the things that do are absolutely delicious.  Like this fruit dip, for instance.

It's creamy and tart with just a hint of chocolaty-goodness.  Dip in strawberries, bananas, or maybe even spread some on your morning toast!

Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip
(makes about 1 cup)

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (vanilla would probably work too)
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp melted chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp chocolate sauce (homemade if you like)
• sweetener of choice, to taste (I used just a bit of date paste, because I wanted by dip to be pretty tart)

Mix all ingredients together in a cereal bowl until little to no clumps remain.  Alternately, if you want a very smooth dip, you can blend everything together in a blender.  Serve dip chilled with fruit or cookie/crackers (spoons work too :)).  Store any leftovers in the fridge.

If your a Greek yogurt newbie, I suggest this dip.  It's a good introduction to everything Greek yogurt has to offer, and on top of it all, it's really tasty.  I bet if someone had given this to me while I was in the "trying to like yogurt" stage, my love would have blossomed right then and there.

And, If you have leftovers, you can't go wrong with chocolate Greek yogurt dipped strawberries!  Just coat strawberries in already made dip and freeze.

Enjoy!

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Peach Blueberry Breakfast Crumble

Cookie Dough Dip

I finally decided to try this out.

Gosh, why did it take me so long?

Cookie Dough Dip!


Cookie dough... that you can eat by the spoonful.  That you're supposed to eat by the spoonful.

That is just genius.

I think Katie sure deserves a round of applause for thinking this one up.

I mean, who knew chickpeas could make such a great dessert?

Oops! I gave away the secret ingredient.

But don't worry.  You can't taste them at all.

Cookie Dough Dip - inspired by Chocolate Covered Katie's many recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (or 1 can) chickpeas
• 3 tbsp softened butter, vegan butter substitute, or nut butter of your choice (if using a nut butter, the dip may take on that taste)
• 1 tbsp applesauce
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch baking soda
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup sugar (If you don't have a big sweet tooth, you can use less.  Just taste as you go)
• 1/4 cup quick oats or ground flax

Rinse and drain chickpeas very well.  Then, put all ingredients into a food processor and blend away until smooth.  Scoop dough into bowl and top with chocolate chips and/or sprinkles if desired.  Store in fridge (If using butter, the dip will harden when chilled)

Please don't make the same mistake I did.

Make this dip, and make it now!

I mean it.

Run to your kitchen!

You better already be measuring out your ingredients.

Or maybe, you're one of those speedy cooks, and already have your food processor mixing away.

Either way, if this cookie dough dip is already starting to form, you are less than 10 minutes away from a big bowl of cookie dough... and a spoon!

Revisited Recipe of the Day:














Better than Average Sugar Cookies

Carrot Chickpea Hummus

As you may recall, I don't like (mushy) chickpeas.  That means I definitely don't like hummus.

Why are you posting about it then?

Well, you see, I made this for a party, and it was devoured.  It would have been a crime not to give the recipe!

And, anyway, I had a bunch of pictures.

Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Hummus
(makes about 2 cups)

1 pound carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices
6 cloves garlic (skins still on)
1 15 ounce can chickpeas, washed and rinsed

1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 1/2 tsp ground cumin, divided use
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1-2 tbsp tahini
Juice and grated zest of 2 medium lemons
1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy), more or less as needed
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (hot or sweet), plus more for sprinkling 

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a roasting pan or on a large rimmed baking sheet, combine the carrots and garlic with the oil, 1-1/2 tsp cumin, and salt. Roast the carrots, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.Cool, then squeeze garlic out of their skins.

2. In a food processor, pulse the carrots and garlic until chopped. Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and lemon zest; pulse until blended. Add the milk, smoked paprika, and remaining cumin; pulse until smooth, adding more milk if necessary.

3. Transfer hummus to bowl. Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of smoked paprika.

Now, I never tasted this, but I have witnesses who said it was really good.

To quote someone: "This hummus is lighter than the usual, but still delicious"

So, you should go make it!  Even if you don't like hummus, you could always bring it to a party like I did.