dip

DIY Wednesday: Baba Ganoush

/ ktbuchs87

Ok, before making this recipe I had never had baba ganoush.  In fact, I didn’t even really know what baba ganoush was and the only reason I thought about it was because of the movie Wedding Crashers.  Yes, the movie with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.  It’s one of my sister’s and my favorite movies and it’s awesome and if you’ve never seen do it now.

Well, in the movie Owen Wilson’s character affectionately calls Vince Vaughn’s character “Baba Ganoush”.  So the other day I was randomly thinking about the movies and I decided to figure out what baba ganoush meant and when I saw that it was an eggplant and tahini spread I decided I needed to make it for myself.DIY Wednesday: Baba Ganoush | Life Healthfully Lived

Yes, this is how my brain works.

I really love how light and simple this dip is and it’s amazing on chips (particularly pita), cut up vegetables, and while I haven’t tried it yet I bet it would be good spread on fish or chicken.  You could buy baba ganoush at the store but the kind I found had odd ingredients and was way more expensive and why buy it when you can easily make it?DIY Wednesday: Baba Ganoush | Life Healthfully Lived

While this dip won’t replace hummus (hummus love forever yo) it is a new fun dip!

Baba GanoushDIY Wednesday: Baba Ganoush | Life Healthfully Lived

  • 1 medium sized eggplant
  • half a lemon
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, roasted
  • 2 tbsp tahini*
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped or 1 tsp dried parsley
  • roasted sesame seeds for garnish, optional
  1. Preheat oven to 400 and prepare a large baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
  2. Wash and rinse the eggplant really well and poke it all over with a fork.  Place it on the baking sheet.  Take 4 cloves of peeled garlic and wrap them in a little foil pouch with a little olive oil and salt and place the pouch on the pan with the eggplant.
  3. Roast the eggplant until it’s soft and starting to collapse rotating it halfway through. About 30 to 35 minutes.  Roast the garlic for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. Once the eggplant and garlic are done roasting, let them cool until you can easily handle the eggplant.  Slice in half and scoop out the flesh and place it into the food processor along with the rest of the ingredients, except the sesame seeds.
  5. Process until it’s smooth.  Scoop into a bowl and if you’re serving right away top with toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.

* I also tried this with almond butter and it worked just fine but I like the flavor tahini adds. Use whatever you like and have on hand.DIY Wednesday: Baba Ganoush | Life Healthfully Lived

DIY Wednesday: Cheesy Garlic Spread

/ ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Cheese and garlic are two words that need to be put together as often as possible.  Who doesn’t want something cheesy and garlicky?DIY Wednesday: Cheesy Garlic Spread | Life Healthfully Lived

People who are lactose intolerant, vegan, or a vampire.  While I can’t make a cheesy garlic spread that would be suitable for a vampire, I can make one for those people who don’t or can’t do dairy.

This spread could not be easier to put together, especially if you already have roasted garlic on hand (which you should ALWAYS have roasted garlic on hand), and it goes with everything.  On top of soup or stew, in tacos, as a salad dressing, on crackers, as a vegetable dip.  The possibilities are endless! Heck, eat it with your finger.  I won’t judge.

Make sure you have a batch of this on hand for Friday’s recipe because you aren’t going to want to miss that one.  It’s pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

Cheesy Garlic SpreadDIY Wednesday: Cheesy Garlic Spread | Life Healthfully Lived

  • 2/3 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight or very hot water for 4 hours
  • 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp roasted garlic
  • 3 to 4 tbsp nutritional yeast, depending on how cheesy you want it
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  1. Drain and rinse the cashews and place everything into a blender or food processor.
  2. Blend for 3 to 4 minutes until everything is completely smooth.  It will probably take less time if you have a high-speed blender.
  3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

That’s it!  Now go put this on everything and save a little bit for later in the week! DIY Wednesday: Cheesy Garlic Spread | Life Healthfully Lived

Last Minute Christmas

/ ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Two more sleeps!  Two more sleeps!  We are almost to the big day and I hope you are as excited as I am!

I do have to admit, though, I was a little grinchy earlier.  I know, I know but I was getting bogged down under my Christmas to-do list on top of my regular to-do list and it felt like they were both growing no matter how hard I was working.  Everything was starting to make me grouchy and less than Christmas-y. Last Minute Christmas | Life Healthfully Lived

Then I took these pictures for last minute Christmas recipes, and I started to feel that Christmas spirit again.  I may have also been watching Elf and other Christmas movies to help put me in the mood.  Either way, I’m glad I snapped myself out of it.  I know this time of year can be stressful, especially if you’re the one planning everything.  You want everyone else to feel the cheer of the season while you’re slowly going crazy with baking cookies, planning feasts, wrapping presents, and making hot chocolate.

While I can’t do everything on your list, I can help out with a few last minute recipes.  Both these recipes take minimal effort and can be made beforehand and then brought out when your guests arrive.  One is sweet and one is savory and both are delicious.  So if you need a quick dessert or appetizer, try one of these out.

And remember, Christmas comes without ribbons, it comes without tags.  It comes without packages, boxes or bags.  Christmas doesn’t come from a store.  Christmas means just a little bit more….

Creamy Cranberry DipLast Minute Christmas | Life Healthfully Lived

  1. Make both the cranberry sauce and no mozzarella, mozzarella.  You can do this a few days before you plan on serving the dip.  Just store them in the fridge.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375.  Oil a small glass casserole dish or another oven safe dish with a little olive oil.  Pour in the mozzarella and bake for 10 minutes.
  3. Pull out the mozzarella and pour the cranberry sauce on top.  Place the dish back in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven and serve warm with whatever dipping device you have.

Christmas BlondiesLast Minute Christmas | Life Healthfully Lived

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and skins removed (don’t skip this last step!)
  • 1/4 cup oat bran
  • 2/3 cup date sugar
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract Last Minute Christmas | Life Healthfully Lived
  1. Preheat oven to 350 and oil a brownie pan with a little coconut oil.
  2. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
  3. Pour the batter into the dish, scooping out the last bits with a spatula.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  Pull out the pan and check the middle.  If it is still gooey, bake for another 10 minutes.
  4. Let the blondies cool on a rack completely before cutting and serving.  You can also sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top.  It is Christmas after all!

Last Minute Christmas | Life Healthfully Lived