"Not-Yo" Normal Cheese Dip

Orriant Health Coach, Corene, shares her recipe.

"Not-Yo" Normal Cheese Dip Recipe

1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours or overnight

2 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons miso*

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 red or orange bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced (keep seeds if you want more heat)

3 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast **

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon turmeric ***

Drain the cashews. In a blender or food processor, puree them with broth, miso, and cornstarch until very smooth. This could take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, depending on your blender.  Rub between your fingers to test; slight graininess is ok, but try to get it as smooth as possible. 

In the meantime, preheat a sauce pan over medium heat.  Saute onion, pepper, and jalapeno in oil with a pinch of salt until soft, about 7 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute about a minute more. 

Transfer vegetables to the blender where the cashew mixture is.  Add cumin, chili powder, nutritional yeast, and salt.  Blend again until very smooth. 

Transfer mixture back into the pot.  Whisking often, turn heat up to medium until the sauce comes to a slow rolling boil.  Lower the heat so that it doesn't burn and cook for about 15-20 minutes.  Whisk often and check to see that it's thickening.  If not, then turn heat up a bit.  It should become nicely thickened but still pourable and velvetta-ish.  

Stir in the lemon juice and turmeric at the end.  If the sauce seems too think, drizzle in a little water and whisk to desired consistency.  Serve hot!

*  Miso is a soybean paste.  If you can't find it in your grocery store, you can easily find it in an Asian grocery market.  

** You can find nutritional yeast in the bulk bins at some grocery stores and most health food stores.  This can easily be omitted from the recipe, as well. 

***This is used to deepen the yellow color of the sauce and can be omitted if you don't have it on hand. 

• You can substitute sunflower seeds for the cashews if you have a nut allergy. 

Note: the sauce will thicken as it cools.  Stir in a bit of water and re-heat. 

(Recipe adapted from Post Punk Kitchen Recipe)

Spaghetti with Garlic Scape Pesto with Tomatoes

If you can't find garlic scapes, you can make the pesto by substituting 2-3 cloves of garlic and an additional cup of basil.

Spaghetti with Garlic Scape Pesto and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

·                     14 oz high fiber spaghetti (I like Ronzoni SmartTaste)

·                     5 tbsp garlic scape basil pesto

·                     2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced

·                     kosher salt and fresh pepper

Directions: 

Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain pasta and toss with pesto and tomatoes. Top with fresh cracked pepper and grated cheese on the side.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Size: about 1 1/2 cups soup, 1/2 cup rice • Old Points: 5 • Points+: 7 pts 
Calories: 261 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 37.5 g • Fiber: 5 g • Protein: 17.6 g • Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 606 g  (without salt)


Ingredients:

·                     3 cups cooked brown rice

·                     1 lb 95% lean ground beef

·                     1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

·                     1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

·                     1 cup finely diced onion

·                     3 cloves garlic, chopped

·                     2 cans (14.5 oz each) cans petite diced tomatoes

·                     1 3/4 cups tomato sauce

·                     2 cups reduced sodium, fat-free chicken broth

·                     1/2 tsp dried marjoram

·                     salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot or dutch oven, brown ground meat on high heat and season with salt. Drain fat if any, reduce heat to medium-low, then add peppers, onions and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes on low heat.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, marjoram and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Serve about 1 1/3 cups of soup in each bowl and top with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.

Makes about 9 1/2 cups.

Skinny Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 14  • Size: 2 mini muffins  • Old Points: 3 pts • Weight Watcher Points+: 4 pt 
Calories: 160 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 27 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 2 g • Sugar: 18 g
Sodium: 118 mg • Cholest: 0 mg

Ingredients:

·                     1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (King Arthur)

·                     3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour (King Arthur)

·                     3/4 cup raw sugar

·                     3/4 tsp baking soda

·                     1 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

·                     1/4 tsp cinnamon

·                     1/4 tsp salt

·                     1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

·                     2 tbsp virgin coconut oil (or canola)

·                     2 large egg whites

·                     2 tsp vanilla extract

·                     baking spray 

·                     2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray liners with oil for easy removal.

In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix pumpkin puree, oil, egg whites and vanilla; beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

Add flour mixture to the wet mixture, then blend at low speed until combined; do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tin and bake on the center rack for 22 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let them cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 28 mini muffins or 14 regular sized muffins.