Creamy Avocado and Kale Dip and Not Breaking the Calorie Bank

I'm a sucker for Spinach and Artichoke Dip. It's one of the few times I'll actually man up and eat something with mayonnaise in it.

I know people will think that I'm crazy, but I really dislike mayonnaise. The taste, the smell, the concept... I just can't do it. I'm not even sure why. I never had a traumatic mayonnaise experience like I did with banana flavored things. I just don't care for it. I think part of it is that I know mayonnaise comes from eggs mixed with oil. I've seen eggs and I've seen oil, and they don't look anything like mayonnaise. I think I'm mostly just freaked out by the transformation that occurs. It makes me a touch uncomfortable.

But oh man, Spinach and Artichoke dip is my jam. I adore it. I love the richness and the creamy and the tangy and the yum of it all.

But, these days, I try really hard to eat healthy. It's not easy, and I still act out once in a while. Case in point, I may have had ice cream for brunch today. Just ice cream. From Baskin Robbins while I walked around the grocery store.

But I'm balancing out here. I wanted something for lunch that was decadent and rich, but wouldn't break the calorie bank. I've recently hopped on the Kale bandwagon. I'm definitely not as gung ho as some people, but I will admit that sauteed Kale is pretty yummy when seasoned well, and it's nutrition values are nice.

This dip has the creaminess of a calorie rich dip, but you don't feel afterwards as though you should go run a 5K while carrying a backpack full of rocks to make up for your transgressions. The color of it is also really sumptuous and lush. I love how the green just pops. Fantastic.

Creamy Avocado and Kale Dip

1 Avocado
3 Stalks of Kale
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons Non-fat Yoghurt
Juice of Half a Lemon
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (plus 1/2 Tablespoon for the Kale)
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Wash your kale and with a knife or just using your hands, separate the leaves from the center stalk. Chop the leaves up in small chunks.

In a skillet, heat half a tablespoon of olive oil and add in the minced garlic. Cook for a minute or two, just to soften it. Add in the kale and mix around to coat, then add in 1/2 Cup of water. Let cook for a few minutes until almost all of the water has evaporated. Set aside to cool.

In a blender or a food processor, add in the flesh of the avocado, the lemon juice, yoghurt, tablespoon of olive oil, and then about four grinds of salt and six or seven grinds of pepper. Pulse a few times to blend together, but don't puree it. You want it well mixed, but not smooth. Add in the kale and pulse again until everything is blended together and thick and chunky.

Enjoy with crackers, use as a sandwich spread, or eat it with a spoon while standing in front of the refrigerator while your cat is winding around your ankles, angrily insisting it's her turn to be fed.

Makes 1 Cup.

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Cocoamint Cookies

Tzatziki and Other Adventures

When I was ten or eleven years old, my Mum took my sister and I on holiday to Kefalonia in Greece. It was our first holiday that didn't involve sleeping in a caravan in somewhere terrifying like Wales.

I have flashes of memory from that vacation. I remember it being beautiful and I remember thinking that it smelled amazing at night time. I have a vague memory that I think might be the taste of honey. I remember the colors of the bougainvillea and I remember that I got an absolutely horrible sunburn.

I have a really weird memory. Lots of things are lost to me. My Stunt Guy clearly remembers conversations we had two years ago, but often I draw a blank. I can, however, probably recite entire episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for you, and I know pretty much everything there is to know about Anne Boleyn.

Anyway, after that family holiday to Greece, a couple of years later Mum went back to spend a week sailing with a bunch of other people. Evidently, and to me this sounds like the most amazing holiday, they spent two days learning how to sail a small boat with several other couples, then they sailed around the Greek islands in a small flotilla, anchoring up in bays in the night and swimming from one boat to another for visits. I think this was the first of my mothers amazing adventurous vacations. When she came back, she regularly started making Tzatziki. It became an easy staple in our household, frequently served with fresh sliced baguette. I love it for it's punch of garlic and it's cool refreshing bite. I'm sure my mother still thinks of Greece when she makes it. I still want to have all the adventures that she had. I think I still have time.


Tzatziki

You can use store bought Greek yoghurt here, or you can make your own strained yoghurt which is incredibly easy. Set a paper towel in a mesh sieve over a bowl. Spoon the yoghurt into the paper towel and set in the fridge for an hour or two. Lots of liquid will drip out of the yoghurt and into the bowl, leaving you with amazing rich thick strained yoghurt.

8oz Cucumber
6 Mint Leaves
2 Cloves Garlic
6 Tablespoons Greek or Strained Yoghurt

Peel your cucumber, then grate it with a box grater. Squeeze out as much of the liquid in the cucumber as you can. I've found that the easiest way to do this really is to just use your hands.
Mince the garlic cloves and mint up finely. Stir all of the ingredients together in a bowl.

Serve with pita chips or a freshly sliced baguette.

Makes about 1 Cup.

Hummus with a Twist and Breaking Records

Yesterday hit record temperatures here in the valley. It was 99 degrees. Have you noticed that is in April?I have learned in the last 15 months that Las Vegas really just has Summer and Winter, with a brief two week flirtation with Spring. The pool at my condo complex is already full of jovial happy people.  I, personally, am not impressed or happy regarding this temperature. This is because the air conditioning in my car is broken.  Because it is so hot outside, rolling down the windows simply creates a hair dryer effect. Fixing it is becoming a higher priority with every ride to work that I take.  I'm going to be eating out of my pantry possibly for what feels like the rest of my life to squeeze the necessary funds out of my meagre budget.

The big plus here, though, is that I frequently forget what I have in that pantry. I was sitting at work the other day, thinking about food, craving hummus, lamenting how I can't shop for food right now unless I'min dire need of something like spinach for my daily salad, when i did a mental inventory of my pantry and realized that I had everything that I needed to make hummus myself. Take that, gods of fate and fortune!

Since it's so hot, a nice cool dip with some carrots and maybe a few crackers is something that can really hit the spot.

Hummus is beautifully simple and it comes together quickly and easily. I adore it. I don't make it that often, because when I do I have a hard time not eating it all instantly. I tend to run out of dipping materials quite quickly. 

This recipe is a very classic recipe, though I add an odd and awesome little twist that, in my opinion, gives it a little extra depth.

Hummus with a Twist

The twist in this hummus is a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. It adds a little nuance to the finished product. It isn't overpowering, just enhancing. 

1 Can Chickpeas, drained with 1/4 Cup of liquid reserved

1 Large Lemon, juiced

2 Cloves of Garlic, peeled

2 Tablespoons Tahini

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Ground Pepper

In a blender or food processor, put 1/4 Cup of the chickpea liquid. Juice a large lemon, or use 5 tablespoons on lemon juice. Then, add in the olive oil, salt, pepper and the garlic. Blend this together, then add in the tahini and blend again. Blend in the chickpeas until a smooth paste is formed. When you're happy with the texture, stir in the balsamic vinegar and taste. Feel free to add in a little more acid if your palate leans that way!

Makes about 1 1/2 Cups of Hummus. 

Want something sweet with this? How about a Vanilla Bruise Pie!