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Tag Archives: healthy snack

Spinach Artichoke Dip

21 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by whatahipster in Uncategorized

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Tags

artichoke dip, Casserole, healthy lifestyle, healthy snack, party, party dip, spinach artichoke dip, spinach dip, vegan, vegan party dip, vegan spinach artichoke dip, veganism, vegetarian, vegetarian party dip

I actually had never really experienced spinach artichoke dip until I dined at Brixx Wood Fired Pizza. Sure, I tasted it at Super Bowl parties and family reunions but it was never really something that I saw as an exquisite dish or appetizer. Spinach Artichoke dip at Brixx is the most savory, warm, salty dip served with either pita bread or blue corn chips for the gluten-free. It completely opened my eyes to how amazing this dip can be. Since turning vegan, I have tried many imitations of cheese, cream, dairy, and meat. Other than when I made Vegan New England Clam Chowder, I feel like this recipe replicates the creamy, cheesy, gooeyness of non-vegan food the best! 



Ingredients:

  • 3 slices whole grain bread                      ($0.16)
  • 3 tbsp. vegan butter                                ($0.24)
  • 1 medium onion, diced                           ($0.24)
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil                                        ($0.02)
  • 2 cans white beans, drained, rinsed      ($1.10)
  • 6 tbsp. nutritional yeast                          ($1.60)
  • ½ cup vegetable broth                           ($0.35)
  • 2 tsp. sea salt                                         ($0.02)
  • ¼ tsp. dried basil                                    ($0.04)
  • 2 tsp. red pepper flakes                         ($0.06)
  • 6 cloves of garlic, minced                      ($0.99)
  • 8 cups of spinach, chopped                  ($1.60)
  • 2 cans artichoke hearts, drained           ($0.99)
  • 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese            ($2.35)
  • 1 can french fried onions                       ($0.99)

Preparation:


Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the bread and butter in a blender or food processor and blend to create a dough like consistency. Set aside. Insert the white beans, nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, salt, basil, and red pepper flakes in the same food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside. Sauté the onions in the olive oil on medium heat until translucent. Toss the garlic in and cook for 2 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and stir until warmed. Slowly throw some of the spinach in a few handfuls at a time. Wilt the spinach and then add some more. This will take some time but will yield a healthy, hearty dip! Turn the heat off and add the white bean mixture and half of the mozzarella cheese. Stir until warmed through. Place in a casserole pan and spread the dough mixture over the top of the dip. Add the rest of the cheese on top and place a layer of aluminum foil over the dish. Bake for 20 minutes; remove the foil and add the french fried onions. Bake for an additional 15 minutes; you should have an irresistibly savory spinach and artichoke dip! 

Bread and Butter
Gooey butter dough
Bean Batter
Blended bean batter
Just onions… 
DELICIOUS GARLIC ONIONS
ALL THE SPINACH
Starting to look like artichoke dip
REMEMBER THE BATCHES
ADDING ALL THE SPINACH AT ONCE WILL MAKE A MESS
Wet, wilted, wonderful spinach
Even more gooey than you ever thought possible
Dollops of dough
This is Daiya brand mozzarella but Trader Joe’s has a nice version
Are you excited yet??
You do not have to add the whole jar
I LOVE FRIED ONIONS
The cheese is also optional but who does not love CHEESE??
Crunchy, creamy spinach dip
Layers of luscious dip
Another amazing artichoke entrée
Look at that oozing artichoke casserole!
Soooo….we ate the entire casserole in one sitting
It is seriously that DELICIOUS
Devilishly delicious dough makes a great addition to this dip
Look at my new kitchen! It is so much bigger than I am used to
I have room to take display food photos!
I still have a lot to learn so if you guys have any advice on
cooking OR photography, please let me know!

Alright, alright… this casserole dip concoction is a tiny bit more expansive than the recipes I usually post; if you do not eat it in one night it will save very well and actually evens out in price versus quantity of food. BUT WE ARE COWS AND VEGANS NEED MORE FOOD. Anyway, I just thought I would send a shout out to One Green Planet for providing the base for this amazing resskippee (how my boyfriend pronounces recipe, isn’t he cute?!) and another should out to my coworkers for being the guinea pigs for this recipe. Except that would involve animal testing. And I am vegan. And I am against animal testing. So never mind about the guinea pigs; I just want to thank them for being so supportive and eating the delicious food that I make. That is all.

Baked Acorn Squash Seeds

14 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by whatahipster in Uncategorized

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Tags

acorn squash, baked seeds, fall, garlic salt, healthy living, healthy snack, pumpkin seeds, squash seeds, vegan, winter squash

I was messing around with different squash recipes and came across one using acorn squash. Never having eaten or even seen this type of squash before, I dove in and boiled some squash. Here is a picture of an acorn squash for those like me who had no idea what it was.
baked acorn squash seeds garlic salt vegan snack healthy
This is an acorn squash. It is very firm with a thin outer skin.
Ranging from greenish yellow to orangish brown in color,
the flesh of this squash will soften when boiled.

My boyfriend loved the mashed squash over pasta, although I did not care for it. I will post the recipe soon for those interested. As I was seeding the squash, I noticed they looked very much like pumpkin seeds. Baked pumpkin seeds are the way to my heart, so I quickly googled “baked acorn squash seeds” and found many positive results! I instantly preheated the oven, threw the seeds together, and MUNCHED! Here is how it works:

  • Preheat the oven to 275°F
  • Separate the stringy innards from the squash seeds and rinse thoroughly
  • Pat dry on a cloth towel
  • Place in a bowl with 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. garlic salt and mix
  • Spread the seeds evenly on a baking sheet with aluminum foil over it
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until the seeds start turning brown
  • If any seeds start to pop then they are fully baked
  • Let cool and CHOW DOWN

baked acorn squash seeds garlic salt vegan snack healthy
Dry the seeds well so the oil and salt will stick better.

baked acorn squash seeds garlic salt vegan snack healthy
Garlic salt must be constantly coursing through my veins
but feel free to use regular salt or other seasoning of your choice.
Try it with red pepper flakes, oregano, or cinnamon-sugar
for a sweeter crunch!

baked acorn squash seeds garlic salt vegan snack healthy
These acorn squash seeds are smaller than pumpkin seeds
but I feel they have a naturally saltier taste.
They also bake quicker and are crispier than pumpkin seeds.

baked acorn squash seeds garlic salt vegan snack healthy
This seed has popped and some seeds are crispy golden brown!
YUM!

baked acorn squash seeds garlic salt vegan snack healthy
FALL is here! Celebrate with a crispy snack of baked squash seeds!


Kale Chips

17 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by whatahipster in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

chips, greens, healthy snack, kale, kale chips, lifestyle, potato chips, snack, vegan, veganism, vegetarian, vegetarianism

“Eww…kale!” you may say. Do not be fooled by this dark green, curly, spiky leaf! Kale is delicious. Even the most veggie-hating, meat munching person loves a nice big bag of salty, fatty potato chips; well, kale is the new potato! I make my kale chips by placing one cup of sliced kale leaves in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the leaves and add some garlic salt on top. Toss the leaves to spread the oil and salt evenly. Place on a baking tray in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes. 

kale, kale chips, garlic salt, olive oil
Sliced, seasoned kale ready to be baked

kale, kale chips, garlic salt, olive oil, healthy snack
Arrange the kale evenly on the baking tray

Seriously, these kale chips will fool you. They crisp very nicely and they taste amazingly fresh. I naturally love the taste of green veggies, but even for the picky eater, baked kale with salt and oil is an incredible treat. At Trader Joe’s, a huge bag of Organic Tuscan Kale runs about $2.28 and will yield 4 servings kale chips. I challenge you to find a bag of potato chips that will nourish you and satisfy your snack craving for only $0.57. It is pre-sliced and very convenient for kale chips. You could also buy a head of kale and slice it yourself. 

Did you know?

Kale is marvelous. Grouped with other green vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussels sprouts, kale is jam packed with vitamins and minerals. High in beta carotene, vitamins C and K, and calcium, kale also contains 2 grams of protein and dietary fiber per 1 cup serving. The anti-cancer properties of kale are simply mind-blowing. Indole-3-carbinol encourages DNA repair in cells and blocks the growth of cancer cells. Steaming kale actually increases the bile acid binding properties that lower cholesterol and decrease the absorption of fat. Baking kale actually alters a chemical in the green that affects the thyroid; people with hyperthyroidism can eat kale chips without a worry that their condition will be affected.

Put down the store bought, greasy, fried potato chips. Make your own delectable, healthy chip alternative with kale! 

Impoverished Vegan

Impoverished Vegan

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