Healthy Spreads and Dips

Last month I shared with you my favorite healthy sauces for pastas and meat dishes.  This month I wanted to share with you my favorite healthy spreads and dips for wraps and sandwiches.  These basic recipes contain no sugar, gluten free and many are dairy free.  They aren’t just for those who have allergies or wanting to lose weight, but really for everyone because the recipes call for REAL food.  No preservatives or processed foods.  But instead fresh herbs, fresh vegetables and healthy oils.  Each spread, dip and sauce has so much taste that it will enhance the flavor of your food.

One of the easiest dinners I do and my kids favorite is what we call a “lettuce wrap feast”.  Not only does it take just a few minutes to place on the table, but it’s a dinner where my kids will try new vegetables.  What I do is cut-up fresh vegetables and fresh herbs and place them in little bowls.  Vegetables like spinach, kale, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, basil, cilantro, parsley, onions, broccoli, green beans, sprouts, seeds….anything that you can find in the produce aisle and would taste good in a wrap.  This is a good opportunity to introduce new veggies that your children have never tried.  If they turn their nose up on it, I say to them be a food scientist–taste and compare and then share what they have discovered.  A fun science project!  Who knew you can learn while you eat dinner?  Chances are they usually will like the vegetable and eat it again in the future.  I then will put out some kind of protein, like rotisserie chicken, and brown rice or buckwheat soba noodles.  I let my kids assemble their own lettuce wraps, picking and choosing what veggies to place in each wrap.  Their favorite part is pouring or spreading on the different sauces on their lettuce wrap.  We always have so much fun when we have our “lettuce wrap feast”.  A frequent request in our house!

These recipes are simple spreads.  Once you get the recipe down, I encourage to get creative and add variations like bell pepper, garlic, cinnamon, herbs of choice (basil, cilantro, parsley).

Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 tsp. fresh pureed ginger

1 tbsp. sesame seed oil

1 tsp. sweetener like agave, honey, maple syrup, stevia to taste (add more if needed)

1 tsp. arrowroot (optional)

Instructions: Warm in saucepan coated with sesame oil.  Sauce can be thickened with arrowroot.

Ginger Pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 tbsp. fresh pureed ginger

1 tbsp. coconut oil

Natural sweetener to taste

Salt to taste

Instructions: Puree in blender

Creamy Sauce

1 cup greek yogurt

1 tbsp. tahini

Fresh chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Blend in a bowl and store in refrigerator

Hummus

3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed)

juice of 1 lemon

1-2 garlic cloves

1/8-1/4 cup raw tahini

1 can garbanzo beans, drain most water leaving a little

1-2 teaspoons cumin

garlic hearb bread seasonings (Spice Hunter) to taste

Real Salt

Instructions: Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Store in refrigerator.

Hope you enjoy these sauces as much as we do!  I love to make large batches and use throughout the week in various dishes and lunches. Get creative and be a food scientist yourself!  You might be surprised what flavors you uncover.

You can find out more of my healthy living over on my blog.

Do you know what pairs perfectly with a wrap or sandwich? Soup, of course! Check out these yummy soup recipes:

Crazy Easy Italian Sausage and Basil Soup

Scandi Spiced French Onion Soup