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Oatmeal Muffin Recipe with 8 Healthy Options

Muffins are a great way to use up leftover fresh and dried fruit and an easy way to sneak some healthy whole grains into your family’s diet. Homemade muffins can be baked in large batches, and most times an oatmeal muffin recipe produces muffins that freeze well.

Baking muffins from scratch is also an excellent way to reduce food costs – they are much cheaper than store-bought granola bars and snack cakes and more nutritious as well. If you are a beginner baker and haven’t made muffins at home before, this oatmeal muffin recipe is a good place to start.  Once you master the basic muffin recipe,  experiment with additions or substitutions to create a muffin that your family loves.

Oatmeal muffins should be baked using large-flake oats or quick-cooking oats, NOT instant oats.  Instant oats become mushy as soon as they are mixed with milk, oil, or other liquids, resulting in heavy and pasty muffins.  This recipe for oatmeal muffins makes 12 small muffins, but can easily be doubled.

Oatmeal Muffiin Recipe With 8 Healthy Options

Basic Oatmeal Muffin Recipe Ingredients

1 cup sour milk made from Carnation powdered milk, water, and a tablespoon of vinegar.

1 cup quick cooking or large flake oats

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil or organic grapeseed oil

3/4 cup organic all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

 

How to Make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or line it with muffin papers.

Make up 1 cup of sour milk. Pour 1 tablespoon of vinegar in the bottom of a mixing cup, add water and Carnation milk powder as per package directions.  Pour the sour milk into a medium bowl and add oats.   Pour 1/4 cup of oil into a measuring cup and add 1 egg.  Beat together in the cup then pour it into the oatmeal mixture.  Set aside to soak.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose and whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Add any dry substitute ingredients now.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet oatmeal mixture.  Combine gently until it is just mixed. Spoon into muffin pan, filling each about 2/3 full.  Bake for 20 minutes, checking after 18.  Cool in pan for  three minutes, then finish cooling on a baking rack.

Lemon Cranberry Oatmeal Muffin Recipe

Instead of vinegar, use 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sour the milk. Grate 1 tbsp lemon peel and add it to the dry ingredients.  Substitute 1/2 cup of dried cranberries for the chocolate chips.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Dust 1/2 cup frozen blueberries with 1 tsp flour to keep the blueberries from “bleeding” into the oatmeal muffin batter. Replace the chocolate chips with frozen blueberries and add 1/2 tsp almond extract to the wet oatmeal mixture for a delicious Blueberry Almond Oatmeal Muffin recipe.

Orange Date Oatmeal Muffins

Grate 1 tbsp orange rind into dry ingredients. Replace chocolate chips with 1/2 cup of dates that have been soaked in 1/2 cup of orange juice for about an hour.

Peach Almond Oatmeal Muffins

Substitute a fresh peach or canned peaches. for the chocolate chips. Dice 1 fresh peach into small pieces and mix into dry ingredients, or use 1/2 cup of well-drained canned peaches. Add 1/4 tsp almond extract to wet ingredients.  After spooning the batter into the muffin tins, sprinkle the top of each muffin with a few slivers of almond.

Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

Reduce the sour milk to 3/4 of a cup, and add 1 1/2 medium-sized mashed bananas to wet mixture.  Kids LOVE the combination of bananas with chocolate, so be prepared to make a double batch of this one!

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

Reduce the sour milk to 1/2 cup and the cooking oil to 2 tablespoons. Add 1/2 cup of applesauce.  If it is sweetened, you may wish to reduce the brown sugar to just under 1/4 cup. You can either omit the chocolate chips or substitute in 1/3 cup of raisins. This applesauce oatmeal muffin recipe can be made a little spicier with the addition of 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.  Delicious with coffee and baking any of these homemade oatmeal muffins will make your kitchen smell wonderful.  Happy Baking!

 

 

 

Healthy Crunchy Granola Recipe

Looking for a great healthy crunchy granola recipe? Give this one a try.

My mother used to make what she called “crunchy granola” for us when I was a little girl in northern Ontario.  She mixed it up in a huge bowl, then baked it in the oven, and stored it in a big tin once it had cooled.

Homemade granola is a different consistency than storebought;  this granola recipe makes bite-sized clumps that are just the right size for little hands to hold and snack on.

When I was a girl, we ate Mom’s crunchy granola with yogurt for breakfast,  with stewed apples and ice cream for dessert, and took it in little containers for snacks on our canoe trips.  Today many families enjoy granola from the grocery store or health food store, but it is easy and cheaper to make it at home yourself.

Here is a good basic healthy crunchy granola recipe that is very adaptable to your family’s taste, with a list of variations and additions at the bottom.  If you prefer your granola crunchier, bake it a little longer, but watch out if you have raisins or dried cranberries as they can burn quickly.

Healthy Crunchy Granola Recipe Ingredients

5 cups large-flake rolled oats (NOT quick cooking oats – they will get mushy)

2 cups barley flakes

1 1/2 cups raw unsalted chopped almonds

1 cup sesame seeds

1 cup sunflower  seeds

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1 cup skim-milk powder

1 cup wheat germ

1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

3/4 cup canola or grapeseed oil

1/2 cup black strap molasses

1/2 cup organic honey

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 cups raisins

 

Method

NOTE: You can either mix this in a large mixing bowl or small bucket, then lay it on two rimmed cookie sheets to bake, or mix and bake it in a large roaster – the kind you would use for your Christmas turkey.  The second method makes softer granola.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine oats, barley flakes, raw nuts, all seeds, skim-milk powder, wheat germ and coconut.  Mix well.

In a separate bowl, stir together oil, molasses, honey and cinnamon.  Mix well with oats mixture until it is completely combined.  Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until it appears to be a golden brown colour.  Use a wooden mixing spoon to stir the granola mixture even ten minutes while baking.  Cool in pan, then stir in raisins.  Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

Nutritional Information

Per 1/2 cup serving

241 calories, 3 grams dietary fiber, 14 grams fat, 24 grams carbs, 7 grams protein.

Granola is good high energy food, but is also high in calories and fat and should be eaten in small quantities with fruit, low fat yogurt or skim milk.  Try the following substitutions and use your imagination to develop your very own favorite granola recipe.

Granola Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Nuts: try chopped pecans, peanuts, or walnuts

Seeds: flax, chia

Molasses: – if black strap is too strong, use regular cooking grade or fancy molasses.

Honey – change it up – try buckwheat honey for an interesting flavor variation.  You could also try maple syrup.

Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe

Looking for a fast, cheap, and easy tuna noodle casserole recipe? You are in luck – there are hundreds of tuna casserole recipes tucked in cookbooks and recipe boxes all across the world.  The combination of tuna, pasta, vegetables, cheese, a creamy sauce and a crunchy topping are common ingredients in tuna casserole, but the variations are endless.

Here is an easy tuna noodle casserole recipe that I developed over the years with lots of input from my family.  I believe it began as the Campbell’s Mushroom Soup recipe, and then just evolved based on the needs of picky eaters and a mom who was trying to find a healthy tuna recipe. This recipe makes four medium sized servings, but if you have company or teenage sons then double it – use a 9 inch by 12 inch lasagna pan.

Ingredients:

2 cups of dry whole wheat macaroni noodles or other short pasta

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cooking onion, diced

2 cans of flaked or chunked tuna, drained

2 cans of low-sodium cream of mushroom soup

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

1 tsp to 1 tbsp freshly ground pepper (depending on your family’s tastes)

1 rounded tbsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

3/4 cups crushed stale crackers

1 tsp dried parsley or chervil

 

How to Make This Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the pasta to boil in lightly salted water.  Add a little extra virgin olive oil to stop the pasta from sticking together.  In a  lightly greased 2 1/2 quart casserole dish, mix diced onion, tuna, soup, peas, pepper, dijon mustard, and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Sprinkle the stale crackers, remaining cheddar cheese and dried parsley over the top of the tuna casserole dish.  Place the casserole on a baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.  Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.  Add a glass of low fat milk and a salad of mixed green salad for a well-balanced meal.

 

Tips:

  • Use flaked or chunked tuna packed in water instead of oil to reduce the fat content
  • Whole wheat pasta noodles add flavor and fiber to recipes.  If you suspect your family will give you a hard time when you introduce whole grains into your cooking, begin by just replacing 1/4 to 1/2 of the amount of pasta with the whole wheat noodles. The next time you cook, add a little more…..then a little more….
  • Save your stale Ritz crackers, cheddar Goldfish crackers, other soda crackers or breadcrumbs for the topping.
  • This is a cheap family meal for the end of the week when you are low on groceries, or when you are looking for affordable family dinner recipes. This is a low-cost, high nutrient meal for your family, and the leftovers heat up well in the microwave.
  • This simple tuna casserole recipe is delicious on its own, but I like to add a little ketchup.  Others in my family add mint sauce (ugh) or HP sauce.

Chicken with Mango Dressing

Wraps are a great option for families looking for healthy lunch recipes, and a good way to use up leftover chicken breasts and salad from a previous evening’s dinner. The variety of wraps are endless.  Choose a whole-wheat or roasted red-pepper tortilla for your wrap, or visit your local health food store for one of the new options such as flax, multi-grain or spinach wraps.  The flavor of the dressing you choose can also significantly change the flavor of the finished chicken wrap recipe.

Chicken wraps are also a healthy lunch choice for picky kids.  My toddler loves chicken and avocado wraps and especially this recipe that uses mango dressing and dried cranberries.  Experiment with flavored tortilla wraps, dressings, veggie choices, and seeds and nuts (sesame, sunflower and flaxseeds are good choices) to find the perfect combination that your kids enjoy. Children love to help in the kitchen, and learning how to make a chicken wrap recipe is  a good opportunity to teach your kids about making healthy food choices, measuring ingredients, and also safe food preparation -scrub those little hands well prior to handling poultry and all other ingredients! Some picky eaters become less finicky when they have prepared the food themselves.

 

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced thinly

one handful of romaine lettuce, shredded OR

one handful of mixed greens, including mustard greens and arugula

1/4 cup shredded carrots

6 grape tomatoes, sliced

2 green onions, chopped finely

3 tablespoons of homemade or commercially prepared Salad Dressing (see Mango Salad Dressing Recipe below)

3 tablespoons dried cranberries, either original or orange-flavored

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 large tortilla wraps

How to Make a Chicken Wrap:

Lay tortilla wraps flat on a large work surface or dinner plate.  Line each tortilla with romaine lettuce or mixed greens.  Place sliced chicken in a horizontal line about 1/3 of the way up the tortilla.  Add shredded carrots, grape tomatoes,  and chopped green onions over the chicken.  Sprinkle salad dressing over everything, and add dried cranberries and fresh cilantro leaves to taste.  Carefully roll up wraps and slice in thirds. Serve with a glass of low-fat organic milk or almond milk for a healthy lunch, or add some fruit and yogurt for a healthy dessert.

 

Easy Mango Salad Dressing Recipe

3 tablespoons organic freshly squeezed mango juice

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients together well in a glass bottle. Store in fridge for up to one week. That’s it – super easy!

This recipe serves two adults for lunch, or one adult and two children.  It can be easily doubled or tripled.  This make-ahead lunch recipe can be taken to work or school and stored in a cooled and insulated lunch bag.

 

Seven Layer Salad

When I was a little girl, my mother would make a Seven Layer Salad for special family dinners.  This salad is different from others in that it is best served in a clear glass bowl instead of the traditional wooden salad bowl – part of the appeal of this recipe is how pretty it looks when you can see all seven layers at once.

This seven layer salad recipe makes a good brunch dish with a couple of substitutions; instead of frozen peas use small frozen broccoli florets, and instead of (or in addition to) the green pepper, use 3/4 cup of chopped ham with the chopped green onions and black olives.

Mexican Seven Layer Salad

If you are looking for a Mexican Seven Layer Salad simply use 1/2 can of black beans (drained and rinsed) instead of the eggs,  corn instead of the peas, 1 cup of crumbled tortilla chips instead of the bacon, and 1 tsp dried chili powder instead of the dill.  A Christmas Seven Layer Salad is easily created by using 1/2 green pepper and 1/2 a red pepper (instead of one whole green pepper).  This make ahead layer salad tastes best when it is made the day before serving, and refrigerated for at least 24 hours.

There are many, many versions of layered salads, but this is a good starter recipe and the light yogurt salad dressing is easily adaptable to whatever vegetables, beans or other proteins you add.  As you can see, it is easy to start mix and matching various ingredients to make your own version of this layer salad; with a little practice you will soon have your very own family favorite!

Ingredients:

1/2 small head of iceberg lettuce

1/2 small head of romaine lettuce

6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

350 gram (12 ounce) bag of small frozen peas

1 green pepper, diced

7 green onions or 10 chives, chopped

1/2 cup sliced black olives

13 slices crisp fried bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup non fat yogurt

1 cup low-fat sour cream

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp dill OR 1 tbsp fresh cilantro

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 1/2 cup low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese

8 grape tomatoes, halved

Method:

Wash and dry lettuce leaves.  Chop into small pieces, and layer in the bottom of a large glass or crystal serving bowl OR a 9 x 13 glass Pyrex lasagna dish.  Layer sliced hard-boiled eggs over the lettuce, then the peas over the eggs.  Combine the chopped green pepper, onions and black olives in a small bowl, then spoon carefully over the layer of peas.  Use 9 of your 13 pieces of bacon to make the next layer.  Use a small bowl to combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, sour cream, pepper, dill and sugar.  Mix well.  Carefully spread over the salad and make sure you completely cover the salad.  Combine remaining bacon with shredded Cheddar cheese and sprinkle over the mayonnaise layer.  Cover with Saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  Just prior to serving, garnish with grape tomatoes. This recipe makes 10 servings.

Shrimp Salad Recipe

Shrimp is an excellent addition to your summer salad recipes.  This versatile crustacean is the most commonly eaten seafood in the United States, coming in a close second to canned tuna – also great in salads.  Shrimps may be small, but they pack a powerful nutritional punch with high quality protein, selenium, vitamins B6 and D.  Just one four ounce serving of shrimp provides almost 50 percent of your daily requirement of protein.  An excellent low-fat source of protein and a good alternative to higher fat meats, shrimp is high in cholesterol, so if you are on a low-cholesterol diet use caution. Recent studies in Greece and Italy have shown that diets that include fish at least three times a week help reduce the chance of heart disease and stroke as well as helping with high blood pressure.  By adding a tuna sandwich to your lunch, having a salad with tuna, salmon or shrimp, and one dinner entree each week that has a seafood serving you can enjoy delicious and healthy recipes while doing your body good.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of low-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp organic horseradish

1/4 to 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 lb small cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 ounces fresh snow peas in the pod

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup celery, sliced diagonally

1 cup fresh bean sprouts, washed and dried

1/4 cup green onions or chives, sliced

1 tomato, diced, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 cups cooked whole wheat macaroni noodles

6 cups mixed salad greens: romain lettuce, arugula, watercress, mustard greens, baby spinach

Method:

Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for four to twelve hours.  Just prior to serving, arrange six plates with mixed greens on the plate.  Spoon the shrimp mixture onto the plates.  Serve with whole grain bread or buns, and have fresh fruit and yogurt for dessert for a well-balanced meal.

Warm Thai Chicken Salad Recipe

This Thai Chicken Salad Recipe is perfect for entertaining on a hot summer weeknight.  Marinate the chicken in yogurt sauce, make the dressing and cook the potatoes the night before your dinner.  All you’ll have left to do is simply grill the chicken and prepare the plates.  Add a glass of wine or beer and some fruit and yogurt for dessert for a perfect summer evening.

Thai Chicken Salad Recipe Marinade:thai chicken salad recipe

1 cup organic or homemade yogurt

1/4 cup organic milk

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

freshly ground pepper

Ingredients for Thai Chicken Salad Recipe

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

6 medium red-skinned potatoes that have been cooked and quartered

6 cups leafy green mixed salad greens

Thai Chicken Salad Recipe: The Dressing

1/3 cup organic or homemade low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup organic peanut butter

1/4 cup sliced green onions

3 tbsp rice vineger

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp grated ginger

1 tbsp sherry

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 clove garlic, minced, or 1 tsp chopped garlic in oil

1/4 tsp table salt

Red onion rings

green onions, sliced

cherry tomatoes, halved

Method:

Use a shallow glass dish to mix the ingredients for the marinade.  Place the chicken pieces in the marinade, spooning some over each piece.  Cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

To make the dressing, use a blender or food processor and place all ingredients into the container.  Puree until smooth.  Pour into a glass container, cover and refrigerate.  This will keep well for about 24 hours.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and discard the marinade.  Grill each piece (or broil it) until it is no longer pink inside.  Add the cooked quartered potatoes for the last 8 minutes or so of barbecuing.  Remove the chicken from the grill and slice it diagonally into thin strips.  Place one generous handful of mixed greens on 6 large dinner plates. Arrange the chicken slices and potato quarters on each bed of greens. Place two to three red onion rings on each plate, and sprinkle green onions over top. Garnish with several cherry tomato halves. Drizzle with peanut dressing and serve.  Your guests will be impressed!

This Thai Chicken Salad Recipe serves six.  There are 400 calories per serving, 4 grams of dietary fiber and 42 grams of carbs.  The peanut butter and chicken provide a whopping 35 grams of protein, and there are 11 grams of fat.  Choose low-fat yogurt to reduce the fat content.

 

 

Chicken and Yogurt Recipes

For those of us who don’t want to surrender great taste in our search for low-fat recipes, chicken marinated in yogurt is a wonderful option.  The good bacteria in the yogurt helps tenderize the chicken, keeping it moist and meaty and infusing it with the spices or rubs that are added.  Here are two fusion style chicken yogurt recipes that are perfect for hot summer barbeques.

Basil Lime Grilled Chicken with Yogurt Curry Sauce

This is hands-down my favorite chicken recipe for the barbeque.

For the Chicken Marinade Recipe:

1 pound of  boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4)

2 tsp grated lime zest

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (use 2 tsp dried basil if you don’t have fresh)

4 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried)

freshly ground pepper

Yogurt Curry Sauce Recipe

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup low-fat plain organic yogurt or homemade yogurt

1 tsp grated lime zest

1 tbsp lime juice

1/ tsp curry powder

Method:

Use a flat glass rectangular dish (like a lasagna dish) and place chicken in a single layer. Combine  lime zest and juice, basil, mustard, thyme and pepper to taste. This is your marinade. Do try to use fresh basil if you can, it really makes the recipe stand out.  Pour marinade over the chicken, cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 5 to 12 hours.  Turn the chicken if you can so it is completely covered.  Remove from fridge and grill on the barbeque until it is no longer pink inside.  Discard any remaining chicken marinade.

For the yogurt curry sauce, simply combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and chill.  Serve either drizzled over the chicken pieces or as a dipping sauce.  This also makes a great dipping sauce for barbequed pork kebabs and grilled vegetables.  Serve this dish with naan (Indian flatbread) or rice, and a dark leafy-green salad.  This recipe makes four servings.

Yogurt Curry Chicken for the Grill or Barbeque

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup plain organic or homemade yogurt

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1 to 2 teaspoons of garlic in oil

1 tsp grated lime zest

2 broiler fryers OR 5 pounds of chicken pieces, bone-in

2 tsp dried ginger or ginger paste

2-3 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

Method:

Use a large shallow glass dish to mix all the ingredients together, except the chicken pieces.  This is your marinade.  Marinate chicken with yogurt, coating each piece well, and cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Remove chicken from marinade, and grill on the barbeque until thoroughly cooked.  Discard all remaining marinade.  Serve with a mixed green salad or a  cucumber-raita salad, basmati or brown rice, with fresh fruit and yogurt dip for dessert. This recipe makes 8 servings.

 

Yogurt Dips

Using yogurt in dips and sauces is a great way to reduce the fat in recipes that are traditionally made with sour cream.  Be sure to choose low-fat plain yogurt, or make your own at home.  Yogurt dips are also a great flavor addition to grilled chicken, fish, or pork – try one one of these recipes the next time you are planning a barbecue.  If your dinner menu includes a spicier main dish such as a curry or Mexican style entree, accompany it with the cool and creamy Greek Cucumber Yogurt Salad.

Greek Yogurt Dip (Tzatziki)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups low-fat plain yogurt

1/2 cup grated English cucumber

1/2 cup feta cheese

1 large clove garlic, minced, or 1 tbsp chopped garlic in oil

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill for 1 1/2 hours. Use  with grilled chicken or pork.

 

Greek Yogurt Sauce for Fish or Chicken

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1/4 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber

1 tbsp chopped chives or green onion

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Method:  Use a small bowl to combine all ingredients. Use a spoon to spread over fish fillets or chicken breasts prior to broiling, barbequing or microwaving.

 

Yogurt Cheese

Yogurt Cheese is easy to make from store-bought or homemade yogurt, and is a good low-fat alternative to the cream cheese called for in dips, salad dressings, or sandwich spreads.  To make yogurt cheese, use 2 cups of a low-fat plain yogurt that is NOT made with gelatin. Your best bet is to find an unstirred Balkan-style yogurt or to use homemade yogurt.  Use two layers of thick paper towel to line a sieve placed in a bowl, and  pour yogurt into sieve.  Cover the whole thing with saran wrap and chill for about two hours.  Pour out the liquid that has drained into the bowel, and keep the yogurt cheese left in the sieve in an airtight container for up to one week.

 

Honey Mustard Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt cheese

2 tbsp liquid organic honey

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 green onions or chives, chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method: Use a blender or food processor to combine all ingredients until there are no lumps.  Chill for an hour prior to serving.  This dip can be served with raw vegetables such as baby carrots, cucumber slices, broccoli spears, and red and green peppers.  It also makes a delicious yogurt salad dressing for dark leafy green salads, and as a good spread for whole wheat bread sandwiches with cold cuts.

Greek Cucumber Yogurt Salad

Ingredients:

1 large thinly sliced English cucumber, not peeled

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup yogurt cheese

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Method:

Fill a large colander with thin slices of cucumber and sprinkle with salt. Let the cucumber stand for 10 to 15 minutes to drain.  Rinse well with cold water, pat dry and place in bowl.  Use a second bowl to blend yogurt cheese, lemon juice, garlic and ginger.  Pour this mixture over the cucumber and toss carefully. Chill in the fridge for about an hour and a half before serving.