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Paleo Dip

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Paleo-ish Beet Dip Recipe

August 2, 2016

Let's start with what you came for…The Paleo-ish Beet Dip Recipe 🙂

Paleo Beet Dip with a lemon wedge

I created this beautiful Paleo-ish beet dip just for you, my friends. Inspired by a recipe from a fellow Chicago blogger, Emily Paster of West of the Loop, it was originally created to be made in big batches for swapping and sharing at Food Swaps. I made a few tweaks – a smaller serving size for my own personal pleasure, a few more nutty additions, and a couple ingredient replacements to make it more paleo-friendly. And tada! This gem was born. Dip veggies in it, scoop it over salads or just eat it by the spoonful. It's ALL good. Read the post to find out why.

Ingredients:

  • 5 small to medium sized beets
  • 1 cup Siggi’s Strained Whole Milk Yogurt, Plain
  • 1/4 cup almond butter
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon za'atar
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Roast beets per the following steps OR just buy them from the store – this brand is great and is available at Whole Foods and Mariano's.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  3. Chop leaves off of beets, but leave the bottoms and the stems as this will preserve some of the juicy juice.
  4. Wash beets thoroughly and DON’T DRY – you’ll want some moisture on them for roasting.
  5. Wrap beets in aluminum foil (I wrapped them individually this time, but I’ve also done them all at once).
  6. Put them on a baking sheet in their aluminum foil for 60 minutes-ish. Check on them about 30 minutes in to turn them over. You may want to splash a bit more water on them if they’re looking dry.
  7. They are done when a fork goes through the middle of them easily and smoothly. If it doesn’t, roast another 10 minutes and check again.
  8. Once complete, let them cool off. Then, cut off their ends. Take a paper towel to them, and gently rub over the skin. It should come off easily. But no matter what, it will be messy. Wear an apron or bathe in beautiful purpley colors. Whatever floats your boat.
  9. Plop your beets into your food processor along with the rest of the ingredients.
  10. Pulverize in your food processor until smooth.
  11. Taste test! Taste test! Taste test! Everybody has different likes and dislikes and I tried my darndest to give you the exact measurements I used, but so much of my process is a little bit more of this and that until it tastes perfect TO ME. I loved the nutty flavor so I added a bit more almond butter and rounded it off with walnuts to really bring it home. But you may prefer it more tart, in which case you might want to up the yogurt and the lemon juice.

Roasting beets for paleo beet dip

I made a new friend last week. It’s name? Beet Dip. And I can’t get enough.

The match maker was Emily Paster of West of the Loop. I got the pleasure of attending an intimate book launching party for her book, Food Swap: Specialty Recipes for Bartering, Sharing & Giving. Not only did she encourage everybody there to try their own Food Swap,  but she demonstrated a few recipes ideal for the homemade community trade.

Enter, the beet dip.

All the ingredients for a Paleo beet dip

This creamy, dreamy, bright Nickelodeon-purple concoction – made with one of the most nutrient-rich vegetables out there. I HAD to have it, tweak it, and make it my own…

Beets? Good. Za'atar? Good. Tahini? Goooood. But what if I added some hemp seeds for an Omega-3 boost? And maybe a dash of almond butter to make it even more decadent. Yes. Uh huh. A little of this. A little of that.

BAM. I had it. Paleo-ish Beet Dip was born.

Paleo Beet Dip in Food Processor

I now call this gem "dish lipstick” because it has been dressing all of my meals up and making them a little more….well, sexy. Yeah, I said it. It's sexy beet dip. Making salads more sensual, crackers more seductive, and chicken breasts more suggestive – one spoonful at a time.

Ahem. Anyways.

As always, when I make a recipe here, it's not just how to make it, but WHY to make it.

Paleo salad with paleo beet dip on top

BEETS:

  • Let's jump right into the fun stuff – beets have been shown to be an aphrodisiac or a sexual booster. This is thanks to the mineral Boron, which has been shown to increase the production of sexual hormones.
  • Because of their high folate content, they are ideal for pregnant women.
  • Eating beet root has been shown to decrease cardiovascular diseases in multiple ways.
  • Betains contained in beet juice stimulate the function of the liver.
  • Researchers have also noticed that oxygen uptake is greatly increased by people who drink beet juice. One study showed that the uptake increased by up to 16% which is extremely impressive – more than a person can achieve by exercise training.
  • Nerve and muscle function, immune-boosting, bone, liver, kidney and pancrease health – the list goes on, but let's leave some room for the other guys, shall we?

Beets wrapped up in aluminum foil

WHOLE MILK YOGURT:

  • Comes from cows who have grazed in pasture year-round vs. eating a processed diet.
  • Grass feeding improves the quality of yogurt and makes it richer in omega-3 fats and CLA, a beneficial fatty acid (you cannot get the same levels from nonfat or lowfat yogurt).
  • Remember, fat is good. When you choose lowfat or nonfat products, they are no longer whole foods. They are half-foods, replaced with sugars or fake sugars to make up for the lack of flavor. And no, whole milk will not make you fat. In fact, it may help you lose weight because whole fat foods digest slowly into the bloodstream, keeping you satisfied longer and feeding your body properly so that it can digest its food.

HEMP SEEDS:

  • In the standard American diet, it can be difficult to get the right amount of Omega-3 in our diets.
  • Omega-6 is easier to come by, and is found in most processed foods.
  • We want to shoot for a ratio of 3:1 of Omega-6 to Omega-3, but the current US diet ranges from 10:1 all the way to 20:1 (!)
  • Guess what? Hemp has the perfect 3:1 ratio! Which contributes to its abiltiy to…
  • Improve digestion
  • Balance hormones
  • and Improve metabolism

WALNUTS:

  • Yet another Omega-3 powerhouse
  • Also very rich in antioxidants including manganese and copper
  • Have been shown to improve reproductive health in males (read: fertility food!)
  • May support brain health because of its neuroprotective compounds including vitamin E, folate, melatonin, Omega-3 and antioxidants.

Paleo Beet Dip with a lemon wedge

Alright kids. That's all she wrote. Question for you…

What is your favorite dip/marinade/butter/sauce to put on EVERYTHING?

Much Love,

HealthyStaceySignature

p.s. Like the Beet Dip? Pin me!

Paleo Beet Dip

 

 

SOURCES:

  1. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/25/beets-health-benefits.aspx
  2. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=124
  3. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/19/7-walnuts-benefits.aspx
Paleo beet dip with sumac and seseame seeds topping
Paleo-ish Beet Dip
Print Recipe
I created this beautiful Paleo-ish beet dip just for you, my friends. Inspired by a recipe from a fellow Chicago blogger, Emily Paster of West of the Loop, it was originally created to be made in big batches for swapping and sharing at Food Swaps. I made a few tweaks – a smaller serving size for my own personal pleasure, a few more nutty additions, and a couple ingredient replacements to make it more paleo-friendly. And tada! This gem was born. Dip veggies in it, scoop it over salads or just eat it by the spoonful. It's ALL good.
Servings Prep Time
4 cups 5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
4 cups 5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Paleo beet dip with sumac and seseame seeds topping
Paleo-ish Beet Dip
Print Recipe
I created this beautiful Paleo-ish beet dip just for you, my friends. Inspired by a recipe from a fellow Chicago blogger, Emily Paster of West of the Loop, it was originally created to be made in big batches for swapping and sharing at Food Swaps. I made a few tweaks – a smaller serving size for my own personal pleasure, a few more nutty additions, and a couple ingredient replacements to make it more paleo-friendly. And tada! This gem was born. Dip veggies in it, scoop it over salads or just eat it by the spoonful. It's ALL good.
Servings Prep Time
4 cups 5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
4 cups 5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Ingredients
Servings: cups
Instructions
  1. Roast beets per the following steps OR just buy them from the store – The Love Beets Brand is great and is available at Whole Foods and Mariano's.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  3. Chop leaves off of beets (and save for later - they are VERY GOOD for you), but leave the bottoms and the stems as this will preserve some of the juicy juice.
  4. Wash beets thoroughly and DON’T DRY – you’ll want some moisture on them for roasting.
  5. Wrap beets in aluminum foil (I wrapped them individually this time, but I’ve also done them all at once).
  6. Put them on a baking sheet in their aluminum foil for 60 minutes-ish. Check on them about 30 minutes in to turn them over. You may want to splash a bit more water on them if they’re looking dry.
  7. They are done when a fork goes through the middle of them easily and smoothly. If it doesn’t, roast another 10 minutes and check again.
  8. Once complete, let them cool off. Then, cut off their ends. Take a paper towel to them, and gently rub over the skin. It should come off easily. But no matter what, it will be messy. Wear an apron or bathe in beautiful purpley colors. Whatever floats your boat.
  9. Plop your beets into your food processor along with the rest of the ingredients.
  10. Pulverize in your food processor until smooth. Taste test! Taste test! Taste test! Everybody has different likes and dislikes and I tried my darndest to give you the exact measurements I used, but so much of my process is a little bit more of this and that until it tastes perfect TO ME. I loved the nutty flavor so I added a bit more almond butter and rounded it off with walnuts to really bring it home. But you may prefer it more tart, in which case you might want to up the yogurt and the lemon juice.
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Rutabagas & Turnips are my Favorite + Turnabaga Dip & Rutabaga Roast Recipe

January 17, 2016

Rutabaga_HealthyStacey

You go to the grocery store, and no matter your intentions, you find yourself in the same aisles, picking up the same products, and then, cooking the same dinner that night. Life is busy enough without changing what already works, right?

But then, there is this tiny voice that whispers, “Stacey (or Katie or Michelle or Doug), why don’t you try something new? You cooked chicken and Brussels sprouts three days ago, and three days before that.”

And that voice is almost always coming from the odd, scary looking vegetables in the produce section. You know the ones. They’re round and bumpy, with weird roots growing out of them. They come in all different colors – red, pink, white and ugly. You think to yourself, I wonder if anybody actually buys those things?

Well guess what? Last week, I was that girl. The ones who buys the weird ugly vegetables. And I am SO glad I did.

Turnip_HealthyStacey

This past weekend, I became good friends with the Rutabaga and the Turnip. We chopped, we roasted, we seasoned; and then, we made a dip. It was fantastic.

So why should you listen to me (or your voice) and try these awesome veggies? Well, besides the fact that I can help you make them taste delicious, they are – SURPRISE – really good for you! You ready for the breakdown?

Why Rutabagas and Turnips Are Awesome.  

RutabagaTurnip_HealthyStacey

IN A NUTSHELL: A rutabaga is a cross between a turnip and a cabbage, while a turnip is just a turnip (it came first). Both are cruciferous vegetables with high nutrient content. Rutabagas are larger with creamy orange flesh, and a sweet flavor when roasted. Turnips are white with a purple-red top, and a peppery taste.

They have lots of:

Vitamin C (53-54% of your daily recommended value!), zinc, fiber, thiamin, potassium, manganese, vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous.

Which help you:

With your immunity (Vitamin C baby!)

Form collagen and thyroid hormone (which in turn protects cell damage, heals wounds, fights infections, promotes healthy bones, teeth, gums, and blood vessels)

Get ENERGY (potassium and manganese)

Absorb calcium (magnesium)

Combat stress (magnesium again)

Metabolize proteins and sugars (phosphorous)

Fight cancer (American Cancer Society recommends that Americans increase their intake of cruciferous veggies because they’re so awesome)

With digestion/weight loss (all that fiber)

Okay, okay. I’ll eat them. How do I do that?

Roast them, fry them, sauté them, boil them, add them to soups and stews, mash them into a delicious dip, or just eat them raw (yeah, that’s allowed).

IMPORTANT NOTE: You should always peel the rutabaga first, as they have a wax coating.

You guys in? Great! Because I’ve got an awesome recipe for you to kick off your new cruciferous habit.

Rutabaga Roast – Paleo and Vegan

RutabagaRoast_HealthyStacey

These have been a great get-home-from-work snack. If I can grab these over a chip or a cracker, I'm a happy camper. They're also a new and different addition to salads. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 Rutabagas
  • 4 Turnips
  • 1-2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil
  • Fresh chopped herbs (I used fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage, but I also think simple parsley would be lovely)
  • S&P

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 and prep your baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil
  2. Wash and peel rutabagas and turnips
  3. Cut them into 1 to 2 inch cubes
  4. Put them in bowl with melted coconut oil, herbs and S&P
  5. Toss on baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes
  6. Flip over with a spatula and roast for 10-15 more (or until your desired texture – I like when they still have a little crunch)

Turnabaga Dip – Paleo and Vegan

TurnabagaDip_HealthyStacey

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I have fallen in love with this dip. It’s slightly sweet, slightly peppery, creamy, and seems to be the perfect compliment to everything I’ve eaten this week. I highly recommend it over a slice of beef or duck. SO freaking delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 Rutabagas and 2 Turnips, roasted (see above – I used half of my batch)
  • ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (eyeball it as you go)
  • 2 Teaspoons of Tahini
  • 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • 2 Sprigs of Rosemary
  • 2 Sprigs of Thyme
  • S&P

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Toss roasted rutabagas and turnips in to the food processor
  2. Add in tahini, lemon juice, herbs and S&P – I have provided you with lesser measurements because I want you to add to taste. This is how I always make my dip because the best way to get it just right is to start small, and add as you go. Experimenting is part of the fun.
  3. Pulverize in your food processor, pouring in Extra Virgin Olive Oil as it processes

The more you can keep this kind of food around in your kitchen, the less you’ll eat processed, packaged snacky food. I don’t know about you, but I HAVE to snack when I walk in the door. Especially when I’m cooking. I’ve been eating this dip by the spoonful, and with all that nutritional content, it not only hits the spot, it’s really good for me.

Sources:

 

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Much Love,

HealthyStaceySignature