Peanut Butter Dip

I have a serious addiction to peanut butter. Of course, it couldn't be the healthy peanut butter; no, I love that processed, sugary, creamy goodness of Skippy or Jif peanut butter.

In the past, I have been known to take a spoon to the peanut butter and demolish half a jar in one sitting. With the high fat content in peanut butter, this was a horrible habit that needed to stop. I know it's the "good fat," but when you eat as much as I like to, it negates the goodness.

This recipe has allowed me to reintroduce peanut butter into my diet in a healthier way. Eaten with apples, I have found it to be a quick and easy snack for those days when I get home from work late at night and need a fast meal before bed. 

Ingredients:

3 T fat-free plain Greek yogurt

3 T peanut butter

1 t cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until uniform. This makes enough dip to eat one sliced apple. For larger amounts, just keep the yogurt-to-peanut butter ratio at 50/50 and add cinnamon to taste. The addition of fat-free Greek yogurt adds protein and volume, tricking your brain into thinking you are pigging out on peanut butter when you're actually eating something somewhat healthy.

Pretty!

The original recipe called for more yogurt and added honey as a sweetener, but I found the peanut butter flavor that I love so much was lost in that version. See the link below if you are interested in the sweeter version.

References:

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/food/galleries/photo/-/8858091/low-calorie-treats-for-the-sweet-tooth/8858093/

Vegetarian Taco Dip - A Night at the Oscars

Last Sunday I attended an Oscar-watching party that had multiple vegetarians on the guest list. The host planned an all-vegetarian menu for the occasion. I took this as the perfect opportunity to try out this vegetarian taco dip recipe, originally obtained from a good friend and former coworker.

You can substitute a pound of cooked ground beef instead of veggie crumbles if the word "vegetarian" scares you, but I promise this tastes amazing without the meat. To quote my meat-eating boyfriend, "If you hadn't told me this was vegetarian, I never would have known." He encouraged me to make this recipe as often as possible. Other party attendees were big fans of this dip as well.

Ingredients:

1 12-oz package Morning Star Veggie Crumbles

1 package taco seasoning (I used Trader Joes brand)

1 16-oz can vegetarian refried beans ("Fat free" often means vegetarian in this product)

1 8-oz package reduced fat cream cheese (freeze for 15-20 minutes)

1 16-oz jar of mild salsa

1 small can sliced black olives

1 small jar sliced jalapenos

1 bag Mexican grated cheese blend

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 T olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add frozen veggie crumblers, cooking over medium heat until hot and cooked all the way through. Stir often to prevent burning. Remove from heat and mix in the packet of taco seasoning. Feel free to add hot sauce or chili powder if you really like extra heat.

Grease a 9x9 pan with a very small amount of olive oil. Spread refried beans in bottom of pan, using a spatula or spoon to form an even layer. Remove cream cheese from freezer and slice into thin slices (about 1/4 inch). Place these slices on top of the beans, trying to create a full layer of cream cheese.

Spread the whole jar of salsa on top of the cream cheese, again using a spoon or spatula to create an even layer. Spread the seasoned veggie crumblers on top of the salsa. 

Arrange slices of olives and jalapenos as the next layer, keeping in mind how spicy jalapenos (don't go overboard!). I like to chop the jalepenos into smaller pieces to spare party guests from a shockingly spicy bite. Sprinkle grated Mexican cheese on top, using as much cheese as you want.

Bake for 350 degrees for 30 minutes. This dip is best served warm with tortilla chips.