All You Lemon-Garlic White-Bean Dip

With four people in our house we go through a large amount of snack foods. I try to make at least two home-made snacks a week, with at least one of them having an element of protein such as beans. I have made a number of hummus recipes, and while everyone in my family loves it, making the same snacks foods every week can get boring. The July issue of All You magazine had a recipe for Lemon-Garlic White-Bean Dip, which looked like a great way to get a new type of beans into my home-made snack foods.

Almost all the work for this recipe is done in the food processor. The total prep work takes less than 10 minutes and then 30 minutes of refrigeration. I made pita chips to go along with the dip. Pita chips are very easy, I just cut each pita into eight triangles, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt (and sometimes a bit of cumin), and bake for about 15-20 minutes at approximately 375 degrees.

This dip is a great way to get more beans into my family's diet. I did think that the dip is a tad bit too lemony for my tastes, I suggest decreasing the lemon juice to 1 1/2 tablespoons. Pita chips are always popular in my house and last less than a day, they make a great  addition to this recipe.

For the recipe go to All You Lemon-Garlic White-Bean Dip.

Better Homes and Gardens Hot and Chunky Guacamole

Our family of four snacks a great deal. I tend to eat six small meals a day instead of three large ones and my two sons are both in growth spurts. Within a day of making any snack it tends to be devoured and something else has to be made. This phenomenon has lead to me being constantly on the lookout for new snack recipes that are healthy and delicious for my family. Recently, Better Homes and Gardens magazine had a recipe for hot and chunky guacamole, which looked perfect for my family's snacking habits.

This recipe uses very basic ingredients that were easily found at my local grocery store. I used frozen peas as fresh peas, even when in season, are rarely available in my area. I modified the recipe slightly by mashing the peas before adding them to the rest of the ingredients. Doing this made the peas better incorporated into the avocados and left a very pleasant taste. I found this recipe to take far less time that the 25 minutes suggested, 15 minutes at most.

I like that this recipe incorporates peas, it gives the guacamole a slightly sweet flavor. This guacamole is in no way spicy as the recipe suggests; for more heat some of the jalapenos seeds could be left in, instead of completely seeding. I served this recipe with pita chips, which worked great and my whole family enjoyed it.

For the recipe go to Better Homes and Gardens Hot and Chunky Guacamole. (registration required).

All You Roasted Tomato Salsa

Snacks go quickly in our house, so I am always making more. Lately, my two sons have been obsessed with homemade tortilla chips and I have been looking for dips and salsas to accompany them. I have tried a number of guacamole and salsa recipes, but I am always looking for that can't miss recipe. The June issue of All You magazine had a recipe for roasted tomato salsa that looked different than previous recipes I have attempted and perfect for my snack-oriented family.

My ancient Caloric oven's broiler has been broken for about 4 years, so I roasted the tomatoes, pepper, and jalapenos in batches in my convection toaster oven. It worked great, so the results were the same. The roasting did take longer than the suggested 10 minutes to char the tomatoes, I would say close to 20 minutes, but that might be related to using the toaster oven instead of a standard oven. All the ingredients for this recipe are basic and the plum tomatoes at my local grocery store were cheaper than any other tomato variety available. This salsa recipe does take slightly longer than other salsas, but it makes a very large batch of eight servings and has lasted in our fridge for multiple days.

This recipe has been received well by every member of my house and my in-laws. I like that the flavor of the charred tomatoes make for a nice well rounded salsa. Even my father in-law who shies away from spicy foods enjoyed this salsa recipe. The only thing that received complaints was that my husband wasn't a fan of the cumin, next time I make this recipe I will probably leave this ingredient out.

For the recipe go to All You Roasted Tomato Salsa.

Taste of Home's Mediterranean Chips and Dip

With three males in my house, we go through a ton of snack foods every week. Always being mindful of my budget, I try to make inexpensive snacks from scratch as much as I can. Recently Taste of Home magazine had a Mediterranean Chips and Dips recipe fitting this description.

This recipe is beyond simple to make. The first seven ingredients are put into a food processor and the does all the work for you. The magazine states the prep time as 30 minutes, but it took me no where near that long. I was able to make this snack while waiting for the rest of my dinner meal to cook. The ingredients were all easily found at my local grocery store, with several types of pita available.

I love this recipe because it is a super simple way to make a snack that my whole family will enjoy. Both of my boys ate this snack, with no complaints and my husband loved that unlike, hummus made with chickpeas, this recipe had no husks. This is one recipe that is sure to make a repeat appearance in my household.

For the recipe go to Taste of Home Mediterranean Chips and Dip  (Registration Required).