5 Healthy Yogurt Dips

Summer vacation iw over and we are coming back with a lot of excitement and some delicious recipes of very healthy dips, to enjoy with your friends! We never miss the opportunity for an evening at home with friends. There is nothing better than sitting with dear friends in your porch, chatting and enjoying good food. Of course because of the heat, most of us want light meals. What I propose today is 5 healthy dips, which, although they can be a bit troublesome, be certain that the taste will reward you.

All 5 dips are based on Greek yoghurt, which replaces equally mayonnaise, cream cheese, ricotta, or whatever you use as a base in dips, having far fewer calories and more calcium. Yogurt is also an excellent source of animal protein of high biological value, which is more digestible than milk, which is attributed to changes caused mainly by fermentation. The bacteria in the yogurt have been shown to contribute to good bowel function and protect against various pathogenic bacteria that can cause enteritis. Particularly, it is beneficial when a person uses antibiotics. The yogurt is better tolerated by people who are allergic to milk or those who cannot tolerate lactose. The consumption of yogurt reduces blood cholesterol.

The base, therefore, for 4 out of 5 very tasty dips, is yogurt cheese , which is very easy to prepare. All you need is a strainer, a bowl and a few pieces of gauze or tulle. Attach the strainer over the bowl, then lay the gauze and add the amount of yogurt required in your recipe. Tighten the gauze and tie it with a ribbon and let the yogurt sit in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight. The more you leave it to drain the thicker it will become. Once drained, discard the liquid from the bowl and continue to prepare your recipe. The yogurt cheese can be kept in the refrigerator for about a week. (see photo above)

Let us see, then, the recipes one by one:

Curried Pea Dip

Servings: makes 1 ¼ cups

Preparation & Refrigeration time: 8 hours and 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups Greek strained yogurt, 2% fat
• 300 gr. (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• ½ tsp. garlic, finely chopped
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Instructions:

1. Drain yogurt in refrigerator for 8 hours.
2. In a food processor, puree peas. Transfer to medium-mesh strainer set over a bowl and using a rubber spatula, force puree through sieve, discarding skins.
3. Add parsley, curry powder, coriander, garlic, salt, pepper and yogurt cheese and whisk together thoroughly.
4. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Nutritional info/tablespoon: about 22 cal, 2g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 1 g fiber.

 

Red pepper dip

Servings: makes 2 cups

Preparation & Refrigeration time: 8 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 red bell peppers (approx. 8 ounces)
• 1 ½ tsp. salt, plus more to taste
• 2 cups Greek strained yogurt, 2% fat
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove core, seeds and membrane. Cut them into 1cm. strips. Arrange the strips in a dish, skin-side down and sprinkle them with the salt. Make a second layer if necessary but do not forget to divide the salt accordingly. Cover with lid, or, plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain yogurt in refrigerator for 8 hours.
3. Drain peppers in strainer and discard the liquid.
4. In a large skillet heat oil, over medium heat. Add peppers and garlic and stir well. Cover the pan and set heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes, until peppers are very soft.
5. Transfer pepper mixture to a medium-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Using a rubber spatula, force puree through sieve, discarding skins that remain behind.
6. Whisk in the yogurt cheese and season with salt to taste.
7. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Nutritional info/tablespoon: about 12 cal, 1 g protein, 2 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 0 g fiber.

 

Roasted zucchini dip

Servings: makes 1 ½ cups

Preparation & Refrigeration time: 8 hours and 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup Greek strained yogurt, 2% fat
• 3 medium zucchini
• 12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Instructions:

1. Drain yogurt in refrigerator for 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 260^o C (500^o F). Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Place them in a baking sheet, along with garlic cloves. Roast them for 15’turn them over and bake them for another 15’, or until browned and tender. Let cool.
3. When vegetables have cooled, squeeze soft garlic cloves from skins into a bowl of food processor. Add zucchini and puree until smooth.
4. Add yogurt cheese, salt and pepper and pulse to combine.
5. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Nutritional info/tablespoon: about 18 cal, 1 g protein, 2 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 0 g fiber.

Sun-dried tomato and garlic dip

Servings: makes 2 cups

Preparation & Refrigeration time: 8 hours and 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Greek strained yogurt, 2% fat
• 1 large head garlic
• 3 tbsp. grated parmesan
• 1 ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, patted dry
• 1 tsp. olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar
• 3 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Drain yogurt in refrigerator for 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 200^o C (400^o F). Cut ½ cm off top of garlic, exposing cloves. Wrap well in aluminum foil. Bake it for 1 hour. Remove garlic from foil and let it cool. Squeeze roasted garlic pulp off skins into a bowl.
3. Add yogurt cheese, parmesan, lemon juice, chili powder and tahini.
4. In a food processor, combine sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil with 1 tablespoon of cold water and puree until mixture forms a paste.
5. Stir tomato paste into yogurt mixture and season with salt and pepper.
6. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
7. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Nutritional info/tablespoon: about 21 cal, 2 g protein, 2 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 0 g fiber.

 

Roasted eggplant dip

Servings: makes 1 ½  cups

Preparation & Refrigeration time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant (1 pound) peeled and cut into 2 cm. cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ cup Greek strained yogurt, 2% fat
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. tahini
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 200^oC (400^oF).
2. In a bowl toss together eggplant, garlic and oil. Spread mixture in a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until eggplant is very soft. Let cool.
3. Transfer eggplant to a food processor bowl and add yogurt, parsley, lemon juice and tahini and pulse to combine.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.

Nutritional info/tablespoon: about 9 cal, 1 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 0 g fiber.

Accompany these 5 healthy and skinny dips with sticks of various vegetables (celery, carrots, cucumber, peppers of different colors), breadsticks of your choice, or you can grill Arabic bread (plain or wholemeal), cut into triangles and sprinkled with some sumac, poppy seeds and chili powder.

I hope you enjoy them!