If you like hummus, this is a great way to serve it as a casual meal! This Hummus Pizza uses your favorite store-bought or homemade hummus as the base, instead of tomato sauce, and is topped with lots of healthy goodies like cucumber slices, marinated artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, cherry or grape tomatoes, green onions, and feta cheese. These flavors are all great together and it’s kinda nice eating a pizza that’s good for you!
Continue reading
Potato chips remind me of summertime–I guess it’s because they always seem to be at picnics and cookouts! I’m not a heavy potato chip eater, and maybe because of that, the last bag of chips I bought at the grocery store about a month ago seemed super salty and greasy to me. Then I heard about Tyrrell’s Hand Cooked English Chips–and agreed to try the seven flavors they have launched in the U.S., compliments of Tyrrell’s. I had read that Tyrrell’s Chips are handcooked in small batches on the company’s farm in the English countryside and made from just two kinds of potatoes local to the farm–the Lady Claire and Lady Rosetta.
These chips are made with all natural ingredients, too. So I thought they would have to taste better than the last bag I bought from the grocery store! I was right–these chips have a great potato taste and are available in unique flavors like Lightly Sea Salted, Mature Cheddar and Chives, Sea Salt and Black Cracked Pepper, Sweet Chili & Red Pepper, 
Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar, Worcestershire and Sun Dried Tomato, and Veg Chips (Beetroot, Parsnip, & Carrot Chips with a pinch of sea salt). I had the chance to sample every flavor and I liked them all! I guess my very favorites were the zingy Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar, the slightly spicy Worcestershire and Sun Dried Tomato, and the savory Veg Chips–those were awesome!
I loved these chips so much I decided to make a recipe with one of the flavors. I had seen some salads that were served over corn chips, so I thought I’d try a salad that was served over Tyrrell’s Veg Chips. The savory flavors of the salad and the crunchiness of the chips make a great combination!
VEGGIE CHIP SALAD WITH AVOCADO by NancyC
Makes 4 to 6 servings
- 1 (5.3 ounce) bag Tyrrells™Veg Chips
- 6 cups well-packed pre-washed lettuce mix
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 (15-ounce) can yellow sweet corn, drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can pitted black olives, drained
- 1/2 medium size red onion, diced
- 1 medium size red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup light Italian salad dressing (or more or less, to taste)
Just serve the salad over the chips!
Divide the Veg Chips among 4 to 6 plates and spread chips in a layer over each plate; set plates aside.
In medium to large bowl, toss the lettuce, tomatoes, corn, olives, red onion, avocados, red bell pepper, and shredded Cheddar cheese. Add the Italian dressing and toss until everything is coated. Serve salad over Veg Chips.
Tyrrell’s Chips are available at Shop Rite, Fairways, Food Emporium, Whole Foods, Piggly Wiggly, Fresh Market, and Vitamins Plus, and you can also purchase them online at www.tyrrellschips.com. They also have a handy store locator on their site.
Sea Salt flavored potato chips have been a favorite of mine for quite a while, but now that I’ve tried the Veg Chips, that may change! 🙂 What’s your favorite potato chip flavor?
I can’t believe May is here already! I’m so ready for the warm, sunny weather this month brings. And since Cinco De Mayo is almost here, I’ve been seeing lots of fiesta-ish recipes all over the place! I thought I’d do a little round-up of my own for you, so if you’re in a fiesta mood, any of these would be great!
From top to bottom and right to left (just click on the names to get to each recipe):
Fiesta Chili Mac, Easy Cheesy Salsa Potatoes, Creamy Salsa Yogurt Dip, 5-Layer Mexican Dip, Mango-Jalapeno Salsa, Burrito in a Cup, Salsa Roll-Ups, Southwestern Black Bean Soup, Savory Strawberry Salsa, and Blueberry Salsa.
Hope you enjoy trying some of these out! What’s your favorite Cinco De Mayo dish?
I’m linking this to Fiesta Friday, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, and Inspire Me Monday.
Cooking with a slow cooker is so convenient, and it’s even better when you can make healthy meals in it! I recently received a review copy of The Healthy Slow Cooker, Second Edition, and found that it not only includes lots of healthy gluten-free recipes, but also has additional information about the health benefits of many of the ingredients. The book starts off with helpful tips on using your slow cooker, and then you’ll find recipes for Breakfast, Starters and Snacks, Soups, Poultry, Fish and Seafood, Beef and Veal, Pork and Lamb, Vegetarian Mains, Sides and Sauces, and Desserts.
Some of the recipes include Warm Black Bean Salsa, Gingery Carrot Soup with Orange and Parsley, French Basil Chicken, Texas-Style Chili con Carne, Mixed Vegetables in Spicy Peanut Sauce, Creamy Polenta with Corn and Chiles, and Poached Pears in Chocolate Sauce. All recipes include information on Calories and Nutrients per serving, too.
I decided to try the Down-Home Tomatoes with Okra because I’ve never made an okra dish, and thought it was about time! I don’t eat okra that often, but learned from this book that it’s very good for you. Okra “…provides glutathione, an antioxidant that supports the immune system and assists your body with eliminating toxins (pg. 291)….”
Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it out! I was a little surprised to see that it had bacon in it, but the book points out which type of bacon is healthiest to use (see recipe below). I used turkey bacon because I already had some on hand.
DOWN-HOME TOMATOES WITH OKRA from The Healthy Slow Cooker, Second Edition
Makes 6 servings
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (15 mL)
- 4 ounces chunk bacon, diced (125 g) I used turkey bacon–the book recommends using bacon without additives and synthetic nitrates and made from pigs that have been pastured, which is higher in omega-3 fatty acids
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (2 mL)
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns (2 mL)
- 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added tomatoes including juice (796 mL)
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 cups sliced (1/2 inch or 1 cm) okra, about 12 ounces (375 g)-I used a 12-ounce bag of sliced frozen okra, thawed
In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring, until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and peppercorns and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until hot and bubbly. Add bell pepper and okra. Cover and cook on High for about 30 minutes, until okra is tender.
Nutrients Per Serving: Calories 101; Protein 4.4 g; Carbohydrates 12.2 g; Fat (Total) 4.5 g (Saturated Fat 1.1 g; Monounsaturated Fat 2.7 g; Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g); Dietary Fiber 3.0 g; Sodium 339 mg; Cholesterol 6 mg. Excellent source of vitamins C and K; Good source of potassium; Source of Vitamins A and B-6, folate, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and zinc; Contains a moderate amount of dietary fiber.
Courtesy The Healthy Slow Cooker, Second Edition by Judith Finlayson © 2014 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.
You may want to add some additional seasoning to taste before serving. Do you have a favorite way you like to prepare okra?
When I buy salad greens, I like buying organic. Last week, I had the chance to try some complimentary greens from OrganicGirl. This company specializes in making a variety of salad 
blends and greens that are all organic, triple washed, and packaged in 100% recycled plastic packaging, which I think is great! I tried out a package of their Super Greens (a blend of baby red chard, baby tat soi, baby spinach, baby green swiss chard, and baby arugula), and a package of their Baby Spinach. I really liked these OrganicGirl greens–they were very fresh and tender, and worked great in the recipes I used them in. And I’ll be sharing these recipes with you!
And more good news–OrganicGirl will provide 5 giveaways of the same two packages of greens I tried out–so 5 of you can win these two healthy, tasty organic greens to try out for yourself! Organic Girl will send the greens directly to you, or you can receive coupons to get them from your local health food store if you prefer. See the end of the post for details on how to win!
Today I’ll share the Fiesta Salad recipe I made with the Super Greens. The giveaway will end on Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. (CST), and on Wednesday or Thursday evening, when I announce the 5 winners, I’ll share a recipe I made with the Baby Spinach.
I really like the variety of ingredients this Super Greens Fiesta Salad has! I found a recipe at Taste of Home and modified it a little, taking out some ingredients and adding in some other ones. I also used larger amounts, so this will make a big bowl of salad that serves about 8 people. If you need to make the salad a little ahead of time, don’t toss the dressing in until right before serving.
SUPER GREENS FIESTA SALAD by NancyCreative, adapted from Taste of Home
Makes 8 servings
- 1 (5-ounce) container OrganicGirl Super Greens mix (about 4 well-packed cups; or substitute your favorite lettuce greens)
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced olives
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 2/3 cup salsa
- 1/4 cup light sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup light Ranch salad dressing
In a large salad bowl, combine the salad greens, corn, black beans, tomatoes, green onions, sliced olives, and celery.
In a small bowl, combine the salsa, sour cream or plain yogurt, and ranch dressing; mix until well blended. Drizzle this salsa dressing over salad mixture and toss to coat. Makes about 8 servings.
Note: This dressing gives the salad a generous coating. If you or your family prefer a lighter amount of dressing, just use about 3/4 cup of the dressing mixture. Or, just toss all your salad ingredients together without the dressing and serve the dressing on the side. You can also serve this salad with a vinaigrette if you prefer.
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED–winning comments were: #7, #10, #20, #24, and #33
Now for the Giveaway…if you’d like to enter to win two packages of organic greens–Super Greens and Baby Spinach–from OrganicGirl, leave a comment on this blog post between now and Wednesday evening, March 12, at 8 p.m. (CST)–the random drawings will be made from the comments on this post only (there will be 5 winners)! The winners will be chosen randomly via Random.org and announced on Wednesday or Thursday evening, March 12 or 13. Winners will be notified via email. Giveaway is limited to readers in the Continental U.S. and Canada.
NOTE: If you are a winner, your email will be given to OrganicGirl and they will contact you via email about getting your greens delivered to you. You have the option to have coupons for the product sent instead if you prefer. Winners who reside in Canada will only be able to receive the coupons.
First entry: Leave a comment on this post–it would be great to hear what your favorite greens are, or what your favorite salad is!
Bonus entry: If you are a new or existing follower or subscriber, you can leave one extra comment telling me the way (or ways) you are following.
I hope you all have the time to leave a comment or two for the chance to try out these OrganicGirl greens! And if you’re not sure where OrganicGirl products are available near you, there’s a store locator here to help you find one!
NancyC 