Family Friendly Dips for Hunter’s 2nd Annual Health Fair

I’ve been working on some healthy dip recipes that highlight the different parts of a plant for a school health fair. Beans are the obvious choice for the base but incorporating leaves can be difficult. The most obvious leaf is spinach but most kids don’t like it and it can changes the color of the dip quite a bit. So I decided to mix it in at the end to eliminate the color change problem.

I know this isn’t terribly exciting stuff, but it’s a health fair and we’re talking about changing the habits of elementary school kids and their parents who are crunched for time and money. Moving them from a chemical-laden ranch dressing mix that is loaded with mayo fat and only takes 5 minutes to prepare to something that’s got fewer additives like Simply Organic Peppercorn Ranch) mixed with low-fat organic sour cream and organic Greek yogurt is a start.

For the second dip I used a recipe from Inter-Faith Food Shuttle which has a base of garbanzo beans, tahini (sesame paste). It’s a great base recipe and I simply mixed in a bit of fresh chopped parsley. With everything on hand, this recipe takes less than 10 minutes to throw together and it keeps for a couple of days so you can send it for lunch with pita bread or veggies.

The third dip is an adaptation of one I found on-line this week. I really thought the initial recipe would be great for adults, but the strong flavors from the spinach and the deep beautiful green color might put off some of the kids. So I significantly changed the ratio of beans to spinach and changed the way you put it together so the color less drastic for the kids.

Parsley Hummus

• 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 teaspoons minced roasted garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 – 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Put all of the ingredients except the parsley into a small food processor and blend until it’s smooth. Hand mix the chopped parsley into the base dip.

You can also add roasted red peppers to the base recipe.

Cannellini Bean Dip with Steamed Spinach

• 1 (15 oz) can of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons minced roasted garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (aged is sweeter)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped steamed spinach

Put all of the ingredients except the spinach into a small food processor and blend until it’s smooth. Hand mix the spinach into the base dip.

If you don’t mind the green color you can mix the spinach into the base and you can add more than just a couple of tablespoons. It’s also good with a tablespoon of finely grated parmesan or asiago cheese.