My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

dips

Healthy Dips

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I’ve really been craving dips lately. I’m snacking on hummus right now! I thought it would be helpful to have links to all of my dip recipes in one place. A few of these aren’t exactly dips but I use them as dips so I’m including them here.

Some people might argue that dips are not healthy, I beg to differ. These are healthy dips.

In case you are wondering all of these are gluten-free and oil-free in addition to being vegan.

Healthy Dip Round Up

Get out your veggies, crackers and chips and get ready for this collection of healthy dips!

GF Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip

GF Vegan red pepper dip

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

GF Vegan Green Chili White Bean Dip

Green Chili White Bean Dip

Dairy-free Faux Cheese sauce

Faux Cheese Sauce

Oil-free black beans

Unfried Beans and Unfried Black Beans

pico de gallo

Oven Roasted Salsa, regular Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Jalapeno Hummus

You have likely noticed that I use the same bowls in all of these pictures! Some of the additional recipes link to photos with other bowls. Have you tried any of these dips? I’d love to know which dips are your favorite!

If you are a blogger leave a link to your favorite dip creations in the comments.

4 Ways to use your Blender this Fall

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Do you have a huge blender sitting on your counter? We do. We love our Blendtec but now that the weather is cooling off we don’t make smoothies quite as often. Since our Blendtec takes up such important counter-top real estate I make sure to use it all year long. Same goes for those of you with a Vitamix!

Love your blender? Love it all year long with 4 ways to use your blender that is not smoothies.

 

Here are a 4 ways to use your blender all year long, even when smoothies are off the menu.

1. Savory Soups

I love soups in the fall. While chunky, hearty soups definitely have their place I love smooth creamy soups as well. You don’t have to follow a recipe although my Slow Cooker Potato Soup and Tomato Soup are both good choices. Any soup, especially those that are bean or veggie based will blend nicely. Try adapting your favorite soup recipes.

2. Dips

I’m a sucker for dips. We used to have a “snack nite” on the weekends. The whole family loved it. Salsa, Jalapeno Hummus, and most recently my Spinach Artichoke Dip are pretty much guilt-free.

Get creative and mix your favorite flavors together. I love to start with white beans as a base like in my Green Chili White Bean Dip.  You can adapt it by adding roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes or fresh herbs and spices. Slowly add liquid until it reaches your preferred consistency.

3. Salad Dressings

Similar to dips, salad dressing are easy to make in a blender. They need a lot more liquid but don’t add too much too fast. I make Creamy Italian Salad Dressing and Sweet and Tangy Salad Dressing most often but I love making salad dressings with fruit too. Blueberry Vinaigrette and Cranberry Salad Dressing are both oil-free.

4. Make Your Own Oat Flour or Instant Oats

I buy Gluten Free Whole Grain Rolled Oats in bulk from Amazon and use them for more than oatmeal. Toss some oats in your blender and pulse for a few seconds at a time to make Instant Oatmeal. It will cook quicker since it’s broken down into smaller pieces. You can continue to blend it into a fine flour to use in gluten-free baked goods.

Do you used your blender for more than smoothies? How do you use your blender? 

If you don’t have a good blender I highly recommend Blendtec. It’s a great investment in your health!

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Guilt-Free Spinach Artichoke Dip

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The tell me it’s football season. I don’t watch football so for me it translates into “Football Food Season.” If you get together with friends to watch the game you know most of the food is like fatty death on a platter. Yes, I just said that. Hot wings, Deep-Fried ______ (fill in the blank), Chips & Dips that are full of fat and dairy, and lets not forget all of that Cheese.

Now let me introduce you to my Guilt-Free Spinach Artichoke Dip. That sound is the Hallelujah Chorus.

Guilt Free Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

I’ve been sitting on this recipe all summer just waiting to let it debut. It was actually featured in one of the classes I taught this summer. You don’t have to save it for football. It’s perfectly suited for movie nights, pre-dinner (or post-dinner) snacks, on a sandwich or wrap, or to make when you are all by yourself and don’t want to share.

Guilt Free Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip (Vegan and Nut Free)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup warm white beans (I use Great Northern)
  • ½ cup water (more or less)
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ½ cup artichoke hearts (I use jarred, without oil)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup raw spinach

Do

  1. Puree beans, water and spices in a food processor or high-powered blender, I use my Blendtec.
  2. Add artichoke hearts and lemon juice and pulse slightly until it reaches desired texture.
  3. Pour dip into heat safe container (I use an oven safe casserole dish). Rip spinach into smaller pieces and mix into dip.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes at 350° or until warm.

Serve

This dip is great with crackers or chips but also really good on bread or in a wrap. This is oil-free and diary-free but tastes sinfully good.

You can also keep it warm in a Little Triple Dipper (but add a little more liquid), along with Faux Cheese Sauce and other Chili.

For more football food ideas visit my Party Food Pinterest Board! It’s full of delicious dips and finger foods.

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