Red Bean, Yogurt, and Avocado Dip

I came across a healthy, simple and delicious recipe for a red bean dip in Family Circle magazine. I made a few changes and loved the end result. The dip is low in fat and a good mix of fiber and protein. I used it to spread over my egg and veggie lunch but it would also be great as a dip for raw veggies, crackers or snack chips, or even as a sandwich spread. You know it’s a good one when you can’t get your little one to stop eating it straight from the bowl!

Red Bean, Yogurt, and Avocado Dip

Recipe by enspirebalance.com

Estimated Times:
Total Time – 15 minutes | Yields – About 2 cups

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 of a large ripe avocado, pitted and removed from skin
Fine sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions:
1. In a food processor (a mini one should work just fine), chop garlic and then add remaining ingredients, processing until smooth. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Chickpea and Avocado Salad

This simple recipe for Roasted Chickpeas and Avocado Salad is great to eat “as is” or use it as a dip, spread on crackers (as seen in picture below), spread on a sandwich/panini, or as a topping for sauteed veggies and grains.

This recipe was inspired by Panini Happpy’s Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Panini.

Roasted Chickpea and Avocado Salad

Roasted Chickpea and Avocado Salad

Recipe by enspirebalance.com

Estimated Times:
Preparation – 10 minutes | Cook Time – 15 minutes | Total Time – 25 minutes | Yields – About 2 cups

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. coconut oil, melted (if not a fan of coconut oil, try olive or canola), plus additional oil for greasing baking sheet
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 large ripe avocado, pitted and removed from skin
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Additional sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Preparation Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Toss drained and rinsed chickpeas with melted coconut oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and then spread on a baking sheet greased with coconut oil.
3. Roast for 15 minutes, stirring half way through.
4. Transfer chickpeas to a blender or chopper. Add avocado and lemon juice. Blend until you reach desired texture (I prefer a coarse texture). Add additional garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Cinnamon Applesauce

The kiddos spent the weekend visiting grandparents (hurray for some quiet time!!) and when Papa delivered the precious cargo home yesterday he also brought along a giant bag of apples from their apple tree. The apples aren’t the most attractive to look at and I have no idea what variety they are, but they sure make delicious applesauce! I roasted them with just a few extra ingredients and blended it all up (leaving behind a few chunks for texture) in my beloved Vitamix. I’m planning to use some in banana bread and the rest will probably be eaten by our two little monkeys.

Roasted Cinnamon Applesauce

Recipe by enspirebalance.com

Estimated Times:
Preparation – 15 minutes | Roasting Time – 30 minutes | Yields – About 10 – 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients:
10 – 12 medium apples (preferably a firm and flavorful apple variety)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tblsp. coconut oil, melted (if not a fan of coconut oil, try olive or canola)
1/4 cup agave (can substitute honey or pure maple syrup if desired)
1 Tblsp. ground cinnamon
A pinch of salt
Sugar or sweetener of choice as needed depending on your tastes (the apples I used are a nice combo of sweet and tart so I didn’t add any additional sweetener besides the agave)

Preparation Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and quarter apples (discarding the cores) and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle apples with lemon juice. Note: It’s not necessary to peel the apples.
3. Mix oil, agave, cinnamon, salt, and sugar (if using). Pour mixture over apples and stir to distribute.
4. Spread apples in a glass baking dish coated with cooking spray, oil, or butter.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and stir, then bake and additional 15 minutes or until tender.
5. Remove dish from oven and allow apples to cool slightly. Transfer apples to a blender or food processor and blend to desired consistency.

10 Healthy(er) Halloween Treats

The kiddos attended their first Halloween themed activity this week and I was quickly reminded of how much fun they have and the ridiculous amount of candy they bring home from such events! My 6 year old son seemed to understand that he couldn’t eat everything he got, but my 2 year old….that’s another story. She opened and ate nearly everything that touched her sweet little hands. Needless to say, she was a cranky mess by the time we got home. While participating in Halloween activities pretty much equals an overload of sweet treats (= over stimulated kids), there are certainly lots of healthier fun and festive options. And, please know, I talk about balance on this blog. I have a big sweet tooth myself so I do let my kids indulge (wouldn’t I be a hypocrite if I allowed myself to and not them??), but I try to teach them moderation to the best of my ability.

I spent some time perusing Pinterest for healthier Halloween treats and here are a few of my favorites. Not only are they better-for-you options, they are also adorable!

1. Pumpkin Cuties
2. Eyeball Crackers
3. Boonana Pops
4. Halloween Sweet Snake
5. Apple Teeth
6. Spiders on a Log
7. Salty Bones
8. Mandarin Orange Pumpkins
9. Cheese Witches Brooms
10. Pumpkin Oranges and Banana Ghosts

PB, Banana & Oat Energy Bites

I’m always looking for healthy, filling, and minimally processed snacks to eat before a workout or to serve the kids. These PB, Banana & Oat Energy Bites fit the bill. Best of all they aren’t messy and can be eaten on the run (literally if you want!).

PB, Banana & Oat Energy Bites

Recipe by enspirebalance.com

Estimated Times:
Preparation – 15 minutes | Cooking – 15 minutes | Yields – 10 to 12 “cookies”

Ingredients:
1 cup (dry) old-fashioned oats
1-2 medium ripe bananas
½ cup peanut butter (or experiment by replacing some pb with Nutella)
¼ cup agave nectar (or honey)
½ cup flaxseed, ground
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup raisins

Options to try:
– Use chocolate chips or other dried fruit in place of raisins
– Try different nut butters or use all Nutella
– Add in shredded coconut
– Try different grains (cooked) in place of oats (such as quinoa, barley, farro, or bulgar)

Preparation Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Thoroughly mix together all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.