Crudites with Three Dips
Few foods are healthier than raw vegetables, so serve these crudites with tempting low-fat dips for a starter. Or, for a light lunch, this recipe serves four. You can also offer fruit and whole-wheat pita bread for dipping.
450 g mixed vegetable crudités: baby carrots, zucchini sticks, baby corn (blanched in boiling water for 1 min), green beans (blanched 1 min), red and yellow pepper strips and broccoli florets
Pesto-Yogurt Dip
1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon pine nuts
250 g plain low-fat yogurt
pepper to taste
Fresh Herb Dip
170 g reduced-fat ricotta or cream cheese
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely snipped chives
1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar
Italian-Style Tomato Dip
50 g sundried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
80 g reduced-fat cottage cheese
80 g plain low-fat yogurt
1⁄2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
pepper to taste
- To make the pesto-yogurt dip, use a blender or food processor to purée the basil, garlic and pine nuts to a paste. Work in the yogurt a spoonful at a time, until thoroughly combined. Add pepper to season. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until required.
- To make the fresh herb dip, stir all the ingredients together in a bowl until well blended. Cover tightly and chill until required.
- For the Italian-style tomato dip, place the sundried tomatoes in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover them. Leave to soak for about 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are plump and tender. Drain the tomatoes well, then pat them dry and finely chop them.
- Purée the cottage cheese with the yogurt in a food processor or blender. Alternatively, press the cheese through a sieve and stir in the yogurt. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the tomatoes. Cover and chill until required.
- Just before serving the Italian-style tomato dip, finely shred the basil and stir in with pepper.
- Serve the bowls of dip on a large platter with the vegetable crudités arranged around them.
PER SERVING
110 calories
8 g protein
4 g total fat
1 g saturated fat
12 mg cholesterol
9 g total carbohydrate
6 g sugars
2 g fibre
93 mg sodium
Dairy products such as yogurt and cottage cheese are valuable sources of calcium.
