Salsa and guacamole a classic snack available at almost any restaurant …but even better when made at home!
This healthy snack is perfect for a night on the couch or to set out when friends drop by. By excluding the cheese and preservatives we only have healthy fats and fresh nutrient dense, enzyme rich veggies for dipping! I sliced up some whole grain tortilla shells and popped them into the toaster oven for a few minutes – these are so thin it doesn’t take long for them to crisp up.
TIP: When buying food in a package from the store like tortilla shells, read the ingredients to choose the ones that have the shortest list and the most words that look familiar to you.
THE GUAC: Guacamole is very often a personal preference, maybe you like it with tomatoes or onions, chunky or smooth. But no matter how you like it, it is a really great source of healthy fat. People often shy away from foods they know contain high amounts of fat but there is good fat and bad fat and avocados are one of the best! Fats not only help you stay warmer in cooler weather, giving your body sustained levels of energy, they slow the uptake of sugar into your bloodstream, reducing fatigue and stabilizing your mood. Most importantly fats are needed to maintain the connections in your brain, helping you to remember your old memories and develop new ones.
Here is how my family likes guac…
- 3 avocados
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 small green onions or 1 large
- a splash of pickle juice from your favourite pickles
- 1 tsp vegan mayo
- pepper
- a hand full of fresh dill
blend it all in the food processor …smooth, creamy guacamole in under 5 mins!
THE SALSA: Unfortunately tomatoes aren’t in season where I’m living right now so I tend to add a little extra spices to the salsa than I would in the summer…those summer sweet tomatoes can’t be beat! But the health benefits of eating out of season tomatoes are worth the sacrifice in flavour. Tomatoes are a great source of potassium which lowers your blood pressure reducing your risk of heart disease. Tomatoes contain vitamin C and are a powerful antioxidant – these two properties contribute to its role in cancer prevention triggering apoptosis (cell death) in diseased cells. Along side tomatoes you have other nutrients like onions and garlic (anti-inflammatory), dill and cilantro (these herbs detoxify heavy metals from your body) and lemon the powerful liver cleansing fruit.
- tomatoes
- garlic
- onions (I used green but you can use any kind you like depending on your love for onions)
- herbs (cilantro – if you can find it and dill)
- juice from half a lemon
wiz it a couple times in the food processor so you keep it chunky and don’t end up with tomato sauce!
Making your own dips with fresh food ensures that it is full of all of it’s natural and powerful digestive enzymes, essential to good digestion and the growth of healthy gut bacteria.
Plant Based Jenny 