Looking for a tasty take on ranch dressing?


Try out this avocado based salad dressing that has that same creamy texture of ranch dressing, but full of healthy fats and vitamins.


Avocado Salad Dressing
1 large avocado
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt


You can use an immersion blender or regular blender. Make sure it is well mixed. It will have a slightly green colour when finished and a thicker consistency than ranch dressing from the store. If you want a more liquid dressing you can always add a little more olive oil or use less avocado.

Add to your favourite salad or may be try it out as a raw veggie dip. Either way, have some fun and experiment with it.


Enjoy!


References:
http://www.facebook.com/bemorefitness

Craving something chocolate and sweet but still has a twist of healthy to it this holiday season?


Why not try out this Avocado Chocolate Pudding recipe. Great as a quick whip treat for yourself or double up the recipe to have enough for a party. Also works great with the kids with very picky taste buds.



Recipe for Avocado Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
2 avocados
1/4 cup agave syrup, maple syrup, or honey (or any combination thereof)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Feel free to play around with the recipe. For example, if you like a little extra spice then add a small amount of cayenne pepper.


Found a unique combination you really like? Leave your recipe alteration successes in the comments.

I recently stumbled upon this great recipe posted by a future colleague of mine, Talia Marcheggiani. It works great for any meal or a healthy snack on the go. You get your protein and green leafy vegetable in a compact, easy to transport format. I haven’t tried freezing them yet (they’ve disappeared before I could even try), but I imagine a big batch would freeze well for leftovers. I've also tried experimenting with the spices, so if you're the more adventurous type, try throwing in some paprika or pepper and garlic powder to change up the taste a little.

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1/2 roll goat cheese

1/2 bushel of kale

1/4 cup non-dairy milk of your choice (unflavoured and unsweetened)

3 tbs arrowroot powder or cornstarch

1 pinch baking soda

1 pinch nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit. In a pan, saute small pieces of kale with olive oil on low. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cheese, arrowroot, milk and spices until smooth. Don’t worry about chunks of goat cheese.

When kale is soft, spoon even amounts into a greased muffin tin. Spoon even amounts of egg mixture on top of kale. Season with salt and pepper. You may find you need muffin paper cups if your pans aren't as non-stick as they should be.

Cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Check to make sure the egg has cooked all the way through by inserting a clean knife into the middle of one of the frittatas. Does it come out clean? Then these guys can be taken out of the oven to cool.

When cool, use a spatula to remove mini frittatas from the muffin tin. Serve for breakfast or pack into glass portable containers to bring for lunch or a snack.



Talia also maintains her own blog called Art & Practice: A naturopathic medical student's perspective. You can check out this and other recipes at: http://taliamarcheggiani.com/resources/.