Healthy Chef Skinny Dips

It’s time for a little skinny dipping over the holidays so I’ve given you my favorite healthy dip recipes.  There are 4 purely delicious dips to choose from and what I love about them is that they are easy to make and much healthier then store bought versions.  They all keep for about 4 – 5 days in the fridge, any leftovers are perfect to serve along side summer salads, dollop over steamed vegetables or pan roasted salmon or use as a sandwich spread in place of butter.

The secret to a good baba ghanoush is firstly to choose a great eggplant.  The seedless variety are available at the moment and what’s great about them is that the taste is sweet and velvety which makes for a delicious baba ghanoush.  It’s the seeds you see that can sometimes make your eggplant taste slightly bitter.  I aways roast my eggplant in a hot oven in preference to charing on top of a stove.  Mainly because I’m always doing other things in the process and like to be able to set and forget as opposed to standing over a stove. What I love to do is serve this dip topped with delicate jewels of pomegranate then drizzle over a little cold pressed olive oil just before you serve it.

What’s good about them:

Eggplants are low in fat, carbs and calories and are a good source of fibre that fills you up.  They are also high in the mineral magnesium that helps with nerve and muscle contraction in the body. Avocados are nutrient dense, low in carbs, high in fibre, antioxidants and healthy mono-unsaturated fats that are anti-inflammatory to the body. A number of age-related diseases have been linked to inflammation, including obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, arthritis, osteoporosis, depression and dementia. Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, reducing saturated fats from animal sources, and choosing good oils coming from omega-3 and oleic sources — such as fish, linseeds, avocado, olives and almonds — are steps in the right direction. Red capsicum (bell peppers) are low in fat, carbs and calories and high in antioxidants such as beta-carotene a precursor to vitamin A, helping to promote vision and support a healthy immune system. Beetroots are packed with phytonutrients called betalains that provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support to the body. They are also high in  minerals  such as calcium and magnesium that help with bone mineralization and muscle contraction.

Recipes for Skinny Dips

HEALTHY CHEF SKINNY DIPS

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Course: Appetizers and Snacks

Cuisine: Healthy Spa Cuisine

Keyword: Avocado, Beets, Eggplant, Spinach, Vegetarian

Servings: 20 Servings Each

Calories: 35kcal

Courtesy Of: Healthy Chef Teresa Cutter

Perfect for your spa parties, holiday appetizer tables and pot lucks.

Ingredients

MATMAHARA SKINNY DIP

• ▢ 3 large red capsicums (bell peppers)
• ▢ 80 g (2 oz / 1/4 cup) walnuts
• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or aged balsamic
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Sea Salt and Ground Pepper

ROASTED BEET SKINNY DIP

• ▢ 600 G beetroot (washed, trimmed, skin on)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (or aged balsamic)
• ▢ 2 tablespoonds extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 pinch Sea Salt and Ground Pepper

GREEN GODDESS SKINNY DIP

• ▢ 1 lemon juiced
• ▢ 1 cup Fresh mint leaves
• ▢ 1 cup parsley leaves
• ▢ ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
• ▢ 1 pinch pepper
• ▢ ¼ cup water

BABA GHANOUSH SKINNY DIP

• ▢ 2 eggplants seedless
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tahini paste
• ▢ 1 lemon juiced
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Sea Salt and Ground Pepper

Instructions

MATMAHARA DIP INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat your oven to 200 C/ 400F.
• Place capsicum onto a baking tray.
• Roast for 30 – 40 minutes or until the skin blackens and capsicum is soft.
• Remove from the oven and cover with cling film or plastic wrap (the steam helps your remove the skins easier).
• When easily removed, take off the skins. A few black bits are okay. You should have 500 g / 17 1/2 oz cooked weight.
• Combine the capsicum, walnuts, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, salt and pepper into a high speed blender or food processor.
• Blend until smooth and creamy.

ROASTED BEET DIP INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 200c
• Wrap each beet in foil and roast for 40 minutes, until soft.  Cool 1 hour in the foil
• Wash under tap water removing the beet skin.
• Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender until very smooth.

GREEN GODDESS INSTRUCTIONS

• Peel and deseed the avocados.
• Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender until very smooth.

BABA GHANOUSH INSTRUCTIONS

• Pierce the skins of the eggplants and roast on a baking sheet until the skin blackens, the vegetable has collapsed slightly and the flesh is soft.
• Drain the roasted eggplant in a colander to remove excess liquid, and cool the flesh.
• Remove the peel, save the flesh.  Juice the lemon, and reserve the juice.  Save the lemon halves for another use.
• Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender until very smooth.
  

Spa Index Kitchen Notes

Spoon into a serving bowl along side vegetable crudities such as: capsicum – carrot – radish – celery – cucumber – asparagus – witlof – broccoli + cauliflower flowerets + green olives and Persian feta.

Matmahara Dip:  25 g (1 heaped tablespoon), Protein: 1.1 g, Total fat: 2.8 g, Saturated: 0.2 g, Carbs: 1.2 g, Sugars: 1.2 g, Fibre: 0.6 g, Kilojoules: 143, Calories: 34.

Baba Ghanoush:  Nutritional info per serve 25 g (1 tablespoon), Protein: 0.7 g, Total fat: 1.3 g, Saturated: 0.1 g, Carbs: 0.8 g, Sugars:0.8 g, Fibre: 1 g, Kilojoules: 72, Calories: 17.

Green Goddess:   Protein: 1 g   Total fat: 3.7 g, Saturated: 0.7 g, Carbs: 0.1 g, Sugars: 0.1 g, Fibre: 0.5 g, kilojoules: 152, Calories: 36.

Roasted Beet:  Protein: 0.5 g. Total fat: 1.8 g, Saturated: 0.3 g, Carbs: 2.7 g, Sugars: 2.7 g, Fibre: 0.6 g, Kilojoules: 119, Calories: 28.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 35 kcal (2%) | Carbohydrates: 1.2 g | Protein: 1.1 g (2%) | Fat: 2.8 g (4%) | Saturated Fat: 0.2 g (1%) | Fiber: 0.6 g (3%) | Sugar: 1.2 g (1%)

About the Chef

Teresa Cutter is one of Australia’s leading authorities on healthy cooking and the founder of The Healthy Chef.  Healthy Chef is a company that creates purely delicious functional foods for optimum health + wellbeing.  We use organic and natural wholefoods and pride ourselves on developing quality that will inspire a deeper commitment to healthy living. A change in diet can bring about a change in health.   Teresa is the author of five healthy cookbooks – Bite Me, The Anti-Aging Cookbook, Fit Food, The 80/20 Diet, and 101 Ways to Lose Weight.