Skinny Dips for the Spring
By Annessa Chumbley, RD LDN
Spring is upon us! We are all aware that when attending a luncheon, the dip can be so full of fat that one could hear a room full of arteries clogging as the chunky dip is served with greasy chips. Now that we’ve chosen this new, wonderful lifestyle of living healthfully, does that mean we have to go dip-free? Not anymore! Today we’re skinny dipping! We’ve got two fabulous dips that your bariatric surgeon and your cardiologist would be proud of.
First, we cannot corrupt our skinny dips by using regular unworthy chips. Our High-Protein, Low-Carb Crisps recipe is not only completely worthy of our skinny dips, it will win over the critics who have yet to align with your new outlook on health. Wondering what the best chip is for these dips? Sliced vegetables, of course!
The Pesto Skinny Dip uses the high-protein, low-fat powers of cottage cheese. Typical dips of this nature are 120 calories and 10 grams of fat for 1/4 cup. Our Skinny Dip is only 45 calories and 1 gram fat.
The Asiago Skinny Dip starts off not with sour cream but instead with 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt. It’s tangy, smooth, creamy, and best of all, super-concentrated with protein. Greek yogurt has the hidden talent of leading a double life as sour cream. This simple recipe is packed with vegetables but has a hearty flavor. A delicious dip for cauliflower, grape tomatoes, zucchini slices, or sliced red bell pepper!
The Pesto Skinny Dip
1 1/2 cup low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese
1 tablespoon milk, skim or 1%
1 packet pesto seasoning
1. Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. If dip seems too thick, smooth out with a splash more milk.
2. Serve with cheese and cut up vegetables.
The Asiago Skinny Dip
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup diced mushrooms (such as baby Bellas or button mushrooms)
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1/3 cup grated asiago cheese, plus 1 tablespoon for topping
1 cup light or fat-free mayo
1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly.
2. Spoon into a 1 quart dish, and top with 1 Tablespoon asiago cheese.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes and serve with vegetables and/or high-protein, low-carb crisps (recipe below)
Tortilla Crisps
2 wraps (low carbohydrate, high protein, high fiber)
cooking spray (butter or olive oil-flavored)
any dried spice such as oregano flakes, ground cumin, paprika, etc.
kosher salt
1. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Using a knife, kitchen shears or your hands, cut or tear the wraps into chip-sized pieces. Lay flat on the baking sheet, do not overlap.
3. Spray the chips with cooking spray and then sprinkle them with salt and any seasoning you prefer.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 -12 minutes, watching them so they don't burn! If you enjoy them crispier, bake a couple of minutes longer. Let cool.
Nutrition Facts: Serving Size 1/2 wrap. Calories 50; Calories from Fat 10; Total Fat 1.5g; Saturated Fat 0g; Trans Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0g; Sodium 180g; Total Carbohydrate 7g; Dietary Fiber 4g; Sugars 0.5g; Protein 4g
