I Put My Hand Upon Your Hip, When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip

Recipes by our in-house ‘Mother Earth,’ Hope Parks.

What do 11am and 3pm have in common (aside from not being in barre class, obvi)? MUNCHIES!  They hit hard, especially late in the afternoon!  Snacks are easily a downfall in the healthiest diet – either to find healthful ones we actually like, or to not eat them entirely.  Skipping them, causes the metabolism to crash, aka, turning the fat burning furnace off = not cool!  Veggies are an obvious healthful option, but dips and dressings are often loaded with nasty fats and preservatives.  Here are two yummy, protein packed options to try.  Best part?  They are easy to tweak til your taste buds smile.
Hummus
2 cups chickpeas* (Soak them overnight.  Pour off the soaking water and add 6 cups fresh water.  Boil til tender, apx. 1 – 1 1/2 hrs uncovered.  Add more water if needed.)
1/3 cup tahini paste
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
Juice of 2 small lemons
Salt to taste
Finish with olive oil, lemon & fresh parsley.
Spicy Chipotle Hummus (thanks to Jill at Lululemon Athletica Knoxville) Cut the lemon juice to 1 lemon and add 2-3 chipotle peppers and 1-2Tbs of the adobo sauce in which they are packed.
*You can use canned chickpeas if you’re in a crunch, but soaking dry ones makes it taste so much better. It sounds fussy, but put them on to soak either at night or in the morning, then put them on to boil while your cooking dinner.  You can drain them and store in the fridge until you are ready to make the hummus.  They also freeze well if you make a big batch.
 Not So Hidden Valley Ranch Dip
1 container greek yogurt
1 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp each your favorite fresh herbs. I used dill, parsley and chives this time.
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp agave
2 Tbsp finely crumbled feta
Taste as you go and add garlic, agave nectar, salt, pepper etc, to your preference.
What to do with your leftover herbs?  Toss with olive oil and red potatoes to roast, try a new salad dressing recipe? Let us know!