Easy Herb and Garlic Green Dip

November 1, 2016 · 4 Comments

My whole family loves a tasty dip.

It’s a great way to boost your vegetable intake – carrot sticks taste a whole lot yummier with something to dip them in.

This nut free dip is great in lunch boxes or for afternoon tea for the kids and even fancy enough to take to a barbecue. In fact, I always get asked for my recipe when I make this!

As well as serving the dip with plenty of fresh veggies, I also like to ‘upnourish’ as Kristin from Mamacino says, with extra vegetables and veggie powder added in.

This green dip is also so much cheaper to make than buying a pre-made dip from the supermarket. Seriously how expensive and full of additives is dip these days! Even the ones in the gourmet delis are full of canola oil and will set you back the best part of $10!

Anyhow…. here is the recipe. Let me know if you make it and what you think!

Easy Herb and Garlic Green Dip

Vital Stats: gluten free, grain free, nut free, egg free, vegetarian

This is what you need:

500g cream cheese*

1-2 small garlic cloves

1/2 cup parsley

2 cups baby spinach

4 small green shallots, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon Herbamare or salt to taste

2 teaspoons Vital Veggie Power

cracked black pepper to taste

*make sure you buy a plain cream cheese, not the low-fat ones as they are full of weird additives

This is what you do:

Wash all your greens well. Chop the shallots into a few pieces.

In your food processor or thermomix, throw the garlic and greens and whizz up.

Scrape down and add the remaining ingredients.

Whizz until well combined.

I don’t mind mine a bit chunky but if you have fussy kids, keep blending!

This is a spreadable, thick dip. If you want something softer and dippier (yep that’s a word), add a tablespoon or so of yoghurt or sour cream.

Serve it with plenty of cut up veggies and some seed crackers.

It will last around three days in a well-sealed container in the fridge.

Hot tip: If you want to go really hard-core, have a crack at making your own raw cream cheese.

Sonia’s Super Salad Dressing

February 19, 2014 · 17 Comments

Sonia’s Super Salad Dressing

Do you make your own salad dressing?

Commercial salad dressings can be a really nasty toxic chemical cocktail. Let’s not even talk about the refined sugar and salt that goes into them.

Make your own with fresh, quality ingredients! Trust me, it’s dead easy and once you taste it, you won’t go back to stuff in a bottle.

This ‘salad’ dressing is also delicious over steamed vegetables or tossed through rice or pasta to give them a bit of oomph.

Okay, so why is my salad dressing so super?

Well, it’s got supercharged ingredients that are really good for you!!

♥ Apple Cider Vinegar. There are so many benefits of ACV, I don’t know where to start. It is really ones of those things that is a cure-all. It has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. It helps alkalize your diet. It can help you lose weight, improve your digestion and so much more. We even use it to cure sore throats. Pretty much, get into it!!

We bought the Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar book a few years ago. It’s a good read for $10 and goes into a lot of detail of how to use ACV for all sorts of things.

♥ Inca Inchi Oil. Inca inchi oil is a fabulous source of Omega 3 (with an appropriate combination of omega 6 and 9). It allows us to metabolise our own DHA, EPA & GLA and many more ‘non-famous’ omega 3 derivatives. This makes Inca inchi oil a far superior product for health (compared with other oils). This is a wonderful vegan/vegetarian ethical, sustainable alternative to fish oils. For more details and to watch Cyndi O’Meara on video talking more about Inca Inchi, go here.

♥ Pink Himalayan Salt with Dulse. This is the salt we use for mostly everything now. Himalayan pink sea salt isn’t your average table salt. Hand-harvested and minimally processed, it contains 84 minerals and trace elements that are highly beneficial for the body including magnesium, calcium, copper, potassium and iron. Dulse Flakes (seaweed flakes) are high in vitamins and minerals – specifically Vitamins B6, B12, A, Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, and Manganese. It helps heal poor digestive systems, rebuilds and maintains all glands in the body and cleanses the body of heavy metals. It’s also high in calcium, fibre, and protein. It helps support healthy brain function. Very high in iodine for healthy thyroid function.

♥ Garlic. Another wonder food! Garlic has ant-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties. It helps boost the immune system, detoxify the body and reduce inflammation. Choose organic garlic where you can for the best benefits.

♥ Raw Honey. Raw honey helps your body alkalize and it has many vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants. It also has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. Raw, organic, local honey is best for your health.

♥ Black Pepper. Not often thought of as a ‘health food’ but black pepper is indeed very good for you. It helps to improve your digestion, has antioxidant and antibacterial effects and stimulates the breakdown of fat cells. Pass me the pepper!!

Did you know?? Nutrients from greens are better absorbed when accompanied with a little oil, so always have a salad dressing on your salad!!

Sonia’s Super Salad Dressing

Okay, so this is what you need:

3 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother)

2 tablespoons inca inchi oil

1 clove organic garlic

1 teaspoon raw honey

pinch freshly ground black pepper

pinch pink Himalayan salt with dulse

Okay, so this is what you do:

Finely grate the garlic using a microplane or fine grater. Add all ingredients to a glass jar. Shake the bejesus out of it! You can whisk it or pop it in a food processor, but why make more washing up?

Store in the fridge.

[box] Get Creative! This recipe is just the starting point. You can add any sort of spices or herbs to your salad dressings. Try some tahini to make a creamy dressing or some wholegrain mustard for a little bit of texture.[/box]

Do you have a signature salad dressing recipe?

Tomato Noodle Soup

April 7, 2012 · 12 Comments

This is one of those great recipes for lazy Sunday nights or the times you haven’t been shopping or the times the budget is a bit stretched. It uses foods you probably already have in the pantry and is still very nutritious and tasty.

Tomato Noodle Soup

Vital Stats: Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Vegetarian, Vegan

So, this is what you need:

2 tspn macadamia oil

2 cloves crushed organic garlic

2 x 410g cans Spiral organic diced tomatoes

1 tbs organic tomato paste

1 tspn dried Italian herbs

4 cups/1 litre chicken bone broth or vegetable stock

250g thin uncooked organic spaghetti or gluten free spaghetti

1 organic zucchini (optional)

fresh herbs and fresh parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Okay, so this is how you do it:

In a large pot, slurp the oil. Then grate in the organic garlic (or use Spiral organic garlic in a jar) and cook for one minute on a low heat. Get the garlic pong off your hands by rubbing them vigorously on your stainless steel sink.

Next, fling in the diced tomatoes – use Spiral Organic tomatoes as there is no BPA plastic lining the can. Then chuck in the tomato paste, herbs and the stock or broth. Stir and bring to the boil.

Now this bit is optional, but I like to feel virtuous by adding green stuff! Grate in one zucchini. You could also use this opportunity for a bit of a fridge clean out and throw in any leftover veges instead!

Add the spaghetti and cook for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Go and put your feet up, get a kid to stir it occasionally to make sure it doesn’t catch on the bottom. If you want some protein, you could add any cooked leftover meat or a tin of tuna now and heat through.

Serve with some fresh herbs, cracked pepper and fresh grated parmesan cheese on top (not the packet stuff please!). It makes about 4-6 portions, depending on how big you like your serves. It works well next day for lunch too.

Now, a word about tinned or canned food and BPA.

It’s not good. Most people are aware of the dangers of BPA or bisphenol A as it has been pretty topical lately. You can read more here. It’s something I have been very careful of and have taken steps to remove it completely from our home.

Take a look inside the can next time you open one. Is the lining plastic? Good chances are it contains BPA and the BPA has leached into your food! I can only find one brand of organic tomatoes that do not contain BPA and that is Spiral Organic. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anyone in my area that stocks it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and the kids like it too. Remember to come back and tell me how it was!

Update: I have had some great feedback on this recipe via Facebook. Here is what other mums have to say:

* Melissa says “I made your tomato & noodle soup for dinner tonight. It was yum! M loved it too, & when I could get I (aka Miss I don’t like soup) to have some she said it was nice.”

* Peta says “Tomato Noodle Soup was AMAZING!!! It was the nicest soup I have eaten in AGES!! My Miss 2 LOVED it and Master 4 devoured half my soup while waiting for his noodles to cool! He has also re-named it in our house-hold as “Christmas Soup” because it has the red tomatoes and green zucchini!! Thanks once again :)”