Recipes « (y)our food choices™

While shopping at Trader Joe’s, Jason tasted a new product that they were sampling, a Kale Tzatziki dip. We rarely pick up tubs of prepared anything, since we know we can make it better at a fraction of the cost. Tzatziki is one of our favorite dips; yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and lemon. It’s so versatile and easy to make, that altering the dip with the addition of dehydrated kale would be a snap. The tzatziki is not only great as a traditional dip with pita bread, or a topping for fallefal, but with some slices of avocado and whole wheat toast, the tzatziki makes a great breakfast spread too. We just finished the last of the batch and now we’re starting to have withdrawals. We can still taste the garlic on our breath from breakfast and we’re wishing we had more in the fridge for a snack after work.

: Dehydrating the kale and adding it to the thicken yogurt will keep the tzatziki even more thick.

: A pinch of salt to the diced cucumbers will draw out the water and keep the tzatziki thick and creamy.

: Adding fresh green garlic and cucumbers are perfect for a true tzatziki.

: Straining the yogurt using cheesecloth removes the water and thickens the yogurt.

: Forget adding berries to your morning yogurt. For a savory alternative try having a savory tzatziki with whole wheat toast instead.

: Whole wheat toast, kale tzatziki, and avocado slice, make a healthy breakfast, or snack.

Kale Tzatziki Dip

1 32 oz container whole milk yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced (peel can be left on if organic and unwaxed)
3-4 kale leaves, ribs removed and cut into small pieces
1 small garlic clove
lemon
salt & pepper

In a small holed colander line with cheesecloth, place over a bowl and pour the container of yogurt in the cheesecloth. Place in the fridge and allow to sit for several hours or overnight for a creamier, richer texture.

In a preheated 225 degree oven, place the kale pieces on a small baking sheet and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until crispy. Check every 15 minutes and toss to prevent from burning. Once dried, set aside.

In another colander lined with cheesecloth, place the diced cucumber and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over the cucumber pieces. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes and up to one hour. At that time, twist the top of the cheesecloth and extract as much water from the cucumbers as possible. Set aside until the yogurt is ready.

Once the yogurt is at the proper consistency, place in a medium bowl with the diced cucumber and dehydrated kale pieces. Using a microplane, grate the garlic clove over the yogurt, then grate the lemon, yellos zest only. Add a small pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper to the bowl. Whisk together until all ingredients are incorporated; taste and season accordingly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dessert doesn’t have to be laborious and time consuming to be delicious. While our typical dessert is just a handful of nuts and a little chocolate, there are times when our bounty of fruit is overflowing. Even though an apple or pear alone is a healthy alternative, we prefer to eat our fruit desserts with a little sugar and flour. Taking liberties with the Cook’s Illustrated Pear Crisp recipe, we’ve combined both of their alternatives to the standard recipe (Pear Crisp with Oat Topping and Triple Ginger Pear Crisp) and added a cup and a half of blueberries to the mix. The result is a simple, satisfying dessert with lots of fruit and lots of crumbly crisp topping.

: Blueberry, Pear Crisp

: https://yourfoodchoices.com/2012/03/09/pear-blueberry-and-ginger-crisp/

Pear, Blueberry, and Ginger Crisp

Topping:
1/2 cup almond, chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
½ cup flour
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
½ cup oats

Filling:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
pinch of salt
2 ½ pounds pears, peeled and diced (if organic you can leave the peel on)
1 ½ cups blueberries

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Topping: Process almonds, crystallized ginger, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground ginger, and salt in food processor until nuts are finely chopped, about 9 pulses. Drizzle butter over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles crumbly wet sand, about 5 pulses. Scraping down bowl halfway through. Add oats and process until evenly incorporated, about 3 more pulses. Set aside.

Filling: Whisk sugar, orange zest, orange juice, cornstarch, grated ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Gently toss pears and blueberries with sugar mixture and transfer to 8-inch square baking dish.

Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks. Transfer baking dish to prepared baking sheet. Bake until fruit is bubbling around edges and topping is deep golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking dish to wire rack and let cool until warm, about 15 minutes. Serve.