Two Different Kinds of Dip

Veggies are the best if you have a good dip to spice them up a little. These two are some very classic ones which you can buy in almost every store, but why not make them homemade when it only takes 5-10 minutes, and is so much more healthy and you have control over whats in them. I definitely love that.

Tatziki Dip:

1 cup greek yogurt

1 clove garlic

handful fresh dill

1 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Directions:

Minch garlic and dill, and combine with all other ingredients in a small bowl. In a real tatziki you add cucumbers too, but I used it as a dip for my cucumber and squash instead.

Hummus:

1 can chickpeas

1/2 cup greek yogurt 

1 tbsp feta cheese

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1 tsp cumin

1  handful fresh cilantro

salt and pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Cauliflower Salad

This salad is super quick and easy to make, plus it taste devine! I personally love the crispy cauliflower, and then with some odor from the beans and carrots makes it even more delicious. The dressing is just a simple vinegar with a little twist from the syrup which makes it super sweet and yummy. 

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower florets
2 inches cucumber
2 carrots
1/2 cup edamame beans

Dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamico vinegar
1 tsp fruit syrup

Directions:

Cut the cauliflower into little bits and put in a bowl. Cut cucumber and carrots and add to the bowl with the beans as well. 
Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients and stirring until combined. Pout over salad and enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Salad

In my foods class we had to make these 5 different salads, and because I missed that day of class I had to make it up at home. I personally love this kind of salad with the beans and corn and chicken on a base of lettuce. I would just prefer it with a more Mexican inspired dressing instead of the very American BBQ and ranch. Check this recipe out if you want to try my cilantro lime dressing with the same kind of salad.

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
2 chicken breasts
2 heads of lettuce
2 roma tomatoes (about 1 cup chopped)
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup black beans
1/4 red onion
Ranch dressing
BBQ sauce

Optional ingredients:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla strips

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook in heated oil, flipping once, until cooked through.
3. Dice chicken into bite sizes.
4. Cut the onion in small dice, tomatoes into medium or small dice. Drain and rinse corn and beans.
5. Assemble the salad by placing shredded lettuce in a large bowl. Top with chicken, onion, tomatoes, corn, and beans.
6. Pour ranch and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and toss gently to combine.
7. Add optional cheese and crushed tortilla strips.

Falafel with Tahini sauce

I have to admit... I love authentic food from all over the world, and middle east is no exception.Therefore i kind of took a risk when I made my American host family (where the children usually looove the plain tasting very, well, American food if you will) this meal which is very popular in Israel especially. Falafel is basically just chickpeas mixed with onion, garlic, parsley and other spices, so it's super simple to make, and is super delicious. Luckily when I served it, first for my host sister, she just looked at me with these huge eyes and said: "I love this"! So I guess it was a success!

For the falafel:
1 cups roughly chopped white onion

6 garlic cloves
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 cup lightly packed parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
Oil, for sauteing 
Pita bread, for serving
Tomatoes and cucumber

For Tahini Sauce:
1¼ cups greek yogurt 
¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Add the onion and garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor and pulse just until they are finely minced. Remove the mixture and set it aside.
2. Add the chickpeas, parsley, salt, chili powder, and cumin to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until they are roughly blended but not pureed.
3. Return the onion mixture to the food processor, along with the baking powder and just enough flour so that when you pulse the processor, the mixture begins to form a small ball and is not sticky. (Note: Start by adding ¼ cup of flour, and then the remaining ¼ cup. You can add more if the mixture is still too wet.)
4. Transfer the falafel mixture to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
5. While the falafel mixture is chilling, prepare the tahini sauce by whisking together the yogurt, tahini and lemon juice. Season it with salt and pepper, cover it and place it in the fridge.
6. Once the falafel mixture has chilled, use a small ice cream scoop or spoons to form the mixture into balls.
7. Set a large sauté pan over medium heat and add oil to coat the pan. Let the pan pre-heat for 3 minutes then add the falafel one by one, browning them on the first side for 3 minutes, then flipping them once and browning the second side until the mixture is cooked throughout.
8. Place three or four falafel inside a halved, warmed pita and drizzle with the prepared tahini sauce, tomatoes, and cucumber.

Mexican Chicken Rice Casserole

Casseroles are so nice and easy to make. It's really one of the things here from america that I'm gonna take home and use a lot when I go back home to Denmark. You have a bunch of ingredients, or leftovers, or whatever, and you just throw them together and bake them in the oven. It almost can't turn out bad. 

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can filled with water

1 tbsp taco seasoning (cumin, chili, pepper etc.)

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups precooked chicken

Cheese for topping (optional)

Topping:

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Avocado

Corn kernels

Directions:

Mix the soups, water, and seasoning in a bowl, and pour the mixture into the bottom of a casserole. Drain the beans, and pour rice, beans, and tomatoes into the casserole. Stir with a spoon, and top with chicken. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Add cheese in the last 5 minutes if you would like that.

Serve with the salad, and enjoy!

Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Last night I really felt like a good taco salad, if you know what I'm talking about. The really good ones, you get at places like Chipotle or Cafe Rio or something like that. Problem is just that I didn't really feel like going out and spending money on something that simple, so I just created my own version, and it turned out simply amazing.

Ingredients:

Salad
3-4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 medium tomatoes
1 avocado
1/2 can corn kernels
1/2 can black beans
Fresh Cilantro

Dressing
1 lime
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt

Directions:
Chop lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado and assemble in a bowl. Top with drained corn and black beans and fresh cilantro.
To make the dressing, chop the cilantro very finely. Squeeze the lime, and chop the garlic. Mix with all the other ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad individually.

Enjoy!