recipe – Betsy Schow

Snack Smart: Add Some Caliente

A little heat can go a long way. It also serves as stopper from eating to much. This week I made Huancaina sauce (Peruvian cheese sauce) for a class presentation. It has a lot of cheese, but it also has aji amarillo, yellow chile paste. It really keeps you from using way to much, but it’s so flavorful. Traditionally it’s served on potatoes, but you can use it as a dip for veggies too.

I don’t use a recipe per se, its largely to taste. But this is how I made it

Mix together equal parts cream cheese, cottage cheese, and queso fresco.
Add evaportated milk to make the mixture sauce like.
Add seasoning: Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste.
Add the aji amarillo paste a spoonful at a time until you reach your desired spiciness.

Blend together until a thick and creamy. If it’s too thick, add more milk. Too liquidy, add more cream cheese.
Tada! So easy, even I can do it.

Bien Proveche

Snack Smart: Kale Chips

Ok, so I am attempting to live a greener life. Aside from a salad, I had no clue how to do this.

My friend, Tres Hatch helped me discover Kale chips. Hers were much better than mine, but I’m working on it.

First, buy a bunch of kale at the grocery store. They are the leafy things hotels stick on everything to make it look pretty. And yes it’s edible. Tip* shake out the water before you buy it. Weighs less, costs less.

Next go home and preheat the over to 350.

Now wash, and strip all the leaves off the stem. The stem is bitter and nasty.

Throw in a bowl with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and kosher salt. I way over salted mine. More than a pinch,. less than a handful.

Toss and then lay out on a cookie sheet.

Throw them in the the preheated oven for around 30 minutes.

Voila. Tasty Potato chip substitute.

Snack Smart: Whole wheat pitas and Smoky Hummus

Here’s another yummy recipe. I had it on my other blog, but thought I would share it here as well. Plus a new Smoky Hummus. Both are the brain child of my husband. I take no credit other than the fact that they’re yummy

Recipe for: Whole Wheat Pita Bread

To prepare: Bake in oven on pizza stone at 450° F.

Ingredients

Directions

3 cups whole wheat flour

1½ Tbs sugar

1½ tsp salt

2 pkg (1½ Tbs) active dry yeast

2 Tbs olive oil

1¼ cups warm water

Mix all ingredients and knead for about 10 min.

Let dough raise in an oiled bowl until doubled, 1-1½ hours.

Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450° F.

Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces (divide again into 4 for mini-pitas) and roll into balls.

Roll out balls on lightly floured surface into thin, 8” rounds (2” for mini-pitas).

Place rounds on pizza stone and bake until they puff up, then about 30 seconds more (about 3½ minutes total).

Note: instead of a pizza stone, you can use a baking sheet. Just make sure to preheat it in the oven.

Recipe for: Smoky Hummus

Ingredients	Directions
1 can (16 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans) ¼ cup lemon juice 3 Tbs tahini (sesame paste) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp salt	Drain and rinse chickpeas. Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, adding a small amount of water to thin if necessary. Garnish with olive oil.

No picture for the hummus. I ate it too fast 🙂

R is for Recipe

Here’s my favorite recipe for healthy whole wheat pitas.

Recipe for: Whole Wheat Pita Bread

To prepare: Bake in oven on pizza stone at 450° F.

Ingredients

Directions

3 cups whole wheat flour

1½ Tbs sugar

1½ tsp salt

2 pkg (1½ Tbs) active dry yeast

2 Tbs olive oil

1¼ cups warm water

Mix all ingredients and knead for about 10 min.

Let dough raise in an oiled bowl until doubled, 1-1½ hours.

Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450° F.

Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces (divide again into 4 for mini-pitas) and roll into balls.

Roll out balls on lightly floured surface into thin, 8” rounds (2” for mini-pitas).

Place rounds on pizza stone and bake until they puff up, then about 30 seconds more (about 3½ minutes total).

Note: instead of a pizza stone, you can use a baking sheet. Just make sure to preheat it in the oven.

Snack Smart: Hummus Recipe

I don’t cook. That’s why my house is still standing. But my husband does like to experiment in the kitchen. This is his recipe for hummus that got me through the potato chip withdrawals. I’m sure he swiped it off Allrecipes.com

Hummus
Part 1
2 cups canned garbanzo beans
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil

Part 2
1 dash of paprika to taste
1 teaspoon fresh minced parsley

Put everything from part 1in a ninja, magic bullet or food processor. Push the button until it smooths out. Then put it in a bowl, preferably one of those ziplocy containers, cuz you are not gonna want to eat all this at once. Portion control. Then sprinkle on part 2. You can add a teensy tiny bit of Olive oil if you like.

Voila, yummy hummus. Eat a small portion with a few baked pita chips or 1 pita. If you are using as a meal substitution, then go for broke with 2 pitas.

There is some good fats involved as well as some fiber. I think 1/8 a cup is 77 calories. Not including the pita. Make the flavors good and strong so you only need a little.