Split Pea Soup

When time is an issue, soups really are the way to go. It takes very little effort to make a large pot and then you have a bunch of meals taken care of! I know a lot of people who regularly prepare a huge batch of their favorite soup to enjoy for lunches or dinners throughout a busy working week.

Soup is also healthy and I swear it gets tastier as the week goes on. And if you don't want to eat the same soup over and over? No problem! Make a big batch anyway and freeze it in portions. You never know when it might come in handy as a quick meal.

Split pea is a soup that my mom used to make for us, but for some reason, I have never really made myself. I have no idea why. I absolutely love it. If it is the "soup of the day" at a restaurant, I will usually order it. I even found that you can buy pretty good tasting ones in tetra packs in the super market. That being said, it is so easy to make, there isn't any reason why I shouldn't just be making it. 

An Indian Feast: Paneer, Pea & Eggplant Curry

There is something so comforting about Indian food. Especially when it's cold and rainy outside. The warmth of the spices and the heat from the chili just seem to sooth the soul.

This curry is quickly made even though the depth of flavours make it seem that it has cooked for hours. The added bonus is that Indian curries seem to benefit from a little age, so making it in advance or making extra to get you through the rainy weeks is well worth it!

This particular curry is vegetarian, and you do not miss the meat at all when you bite into the creamy Indian cheese (paneer). Heavy on taste, this Indian curry is a must have for those cold winter nights. Eat it over rice, with warm naan bread (or both!). I also served this with some Indian lentils.

White Bean Dip

I have a habit of arriving home from work starving. Regardless of what I eat during the day, arriving at home somehow signals my body that it's time to relax and refuel. Generally, this ravenous state causes me to eat whatever happens to be most easily accessed and needs minimal preparation. Thankfully, I don't keep many munchies lying around the house, but what I usually end up reaching for is crackers and cheese, bread, or some leftovers. And really, that is just to tie me over until dinner.

So, what I've gotten into the habit of doing is cutting up veggies and making a dip. That way, I have a healthy snack ready when I arrive home afterwork. This can also double and a healthy, game day snack (go Canucks go!) or part of a to-go lunch.

By the way, if you aren't feeling the "healthy" vibe, pair this dip with tortilla chips!

Four Bean Salad with Tangy Dressing

My mom used to make bean salad everytime we had company over. It was my least favorite dish. It was weird to eat a bowl of sweet and tart beans. Just didn't work for me.

Then my sister made it one night not too long ago. And it was fantastic. Hearty and filling with the tartness complementing the heaviness of the beans. I just couldn't stop eating it.

It's funny how dishes we remember as a child resurface in our adult lives. And it's amazing how our tastebuds change!

Four Bean Salad with Tangy Dressing

Serves 4-6

1 can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Chick Peas, rinsed and drained

1 can Cut Wax Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Cut Green Beans, rinsed and drained

1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Red Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1 tbsp Sugar

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Celery Seed

1 tbsp Mustard Dijon

Salt and Pepper

In a large bowl mix together all the salad ingredients.

In a seperate bowl, disolve the sugar in the vinegar. Add the other dressing ingredients and mix well. Pour the dressing onto the bean salad. Stir, cover, and refrigerate until service (the longer you refrigerate, the better this salad tastes, so I suggest you make it the night before).

Split Pea Soup with Crispy Ham

Soup is a funny thing. It calms you when you are anxious, it soothes you when you are upset, and it makes you feel better when you are sick.

Yet so many of us do not really think of soup as a year round, go to meal. Yes, we eat it as a starter sometimes in a restaurant, or make it conveniently out of a can, but we don't make as much soup from scratch as we should.  And let me tell you, soup in it's purest form, with just a few basic ingredients, is the best remedy, healthiest meal and most heartwarming liquid in a bowl that there is.

So, when you are feeling up for it, make a huge pot. Portion it. Freeze it. Keep it around for rainy days or surprise visits by friends. It will be the best thing you ever did. You will see.

Split Pea Soup with Crispy Ham

Makes about 8 cups

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 1/2 Large Onion, peeled and chopped

3 Celery Stalks, chopped

2 Large Carrots, chopped

5 Cloves Garlic, peeled

2 cups Green Split Peas

2 Bay Leaves

1 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme

Water

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

Cooked Ham Slices or prosciutto, cut into strips

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic, and cook until they just start to soften (about 10-12 minutes). 

Stir in the split peas, bay leaves and dried thyme. Then fill the pot with water to cover the veggies and peas by a couple of inches. Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes until peas and all veggies are completely soft. Remove bay leaves and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add more water if the soup is too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small frying pan, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the ham strips and cook until crispy. Use as garnish on top of the soup.

Lentil & Chick Pea Salad with Dried Cherries and Creamy Lemon Yogurt Dressing

I pride myself in a well stocked pantry. I could say it's because I like to be prepared for a natural disaster, but in fact, it's because I like to be prepared for whatever culinary adventure strikes me at any given moment.

Of course, there's the dried stuff.... the pasta, rice noodles, egg noodles, rice, couscous, cornmeal, oatmeal, bulgar, lentils, chickpeas, and other beans and pulses. Oh, and don't forget the flours and sugars. Then there is the canned stuff... the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk.  Then, the essential sauces and oils. I mean, I like to make most things myself, so I am not referring to add and toss pasta sauce or meat sauces, I am talking about seasoning sauces like worchesterchire, tobasco, soy sauce, hoisin, oyster sauce, sesame oil, truffle oil, vinegars, etc.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the spices!  That would take hours.

But then there are times when it is necessary to do a "pantry clearout." Those are the times when I feel up for a challenge, or when my husband and I finalize a move to a different country and we realize we have far too much stuff in our pantry. So, for some number of weeks, or months (yes, it can take me THAT long to clear all the stuff in my pantry), we survive on what we have, plus the essential fresh stuff that we allow ourselves to buy.

And let me tell you... dishes can get mighty creative! So, here is one of them. A salad made from beans, dried fruit, and other stuff.

Oh, and as a note, I used dried lentils and chick peas rather than canned. I find that the texture of dried is far nuttier than canned and that each individual pulse stands up to being tossed in dressing and never gets that mushy texture. That is why I prefer to take the time and cook my own.

Lentil & Chick Pea Salad with Dried Cherries and Creamy Lemon Yogurt Dressing

Makes loads

2 cups Chick Peas, cooked

3 cups Lentils, cooked

3/4 cup Dried Cherries

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

For the Dressing

Zest and Juice of 2 Lemons

1/2 cup Yogurt

1/2 cup Olive Oil

2 tbsp Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper

In a jar or container with tight fitting lid, add add dressing ingredients. Place on lid and shake, shake, shake!!

Then, in a large bowl, toss together chick peas, lentils and dried cherries. (Everything can be done ahead up to this point).

When you are ready to serve, pour the dressing over the chick peas mixture and toss. Then stir in the cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chinese Beef & Green Bean Stir Fry

One of my favorite Chinese dishes is Beef & Brocolli Stirfry. And somehow, my mom's is always the best. Everytime I go home, I ask her to tutor me again on this dish. And everytime I go back to my house, I try it and it never tastes the same. I don't know why. Must be that thing about your Mom's cooking.

Anyway, for my birthday, I decided to try it again. However, since brocolli isn't very common over here, and my husband isn't really a fan, I made it with green beans. Served with steamed rice, it was delicious, but the reality is, it will never be as good as Mom's.

Chinese Beef & Green Bean Stir Fry

Serves 4-6 people

1 kg Beef, cut into thin slices across the grain

1 kg Green Beans, trimmed and cut into 2 1/2 inch pieces

Marinade Ingredients

2 tbsp Rice Vinegar

1 tbsp Sugar

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Water

2 tbsp Corn Starch

Other Ingredients

1/4 cup Oyster Sauce

1/4 cup Dark Soy Sauce

2 tbsp Cornstarch

1/3 cup Water

5 cloves Garlic

1 inch piece Ginger , cut into slices, then sticks

Vegetable Oil

Salt to taste

Place the beef in a bowl or ziplock bag. Add all the marinade ingredients except the cornstarch. Massage into the beef. The sprinkle in the cornstarch, ensuring the beef is coated with it. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

In the meantime, blanch the beans in boiling water until they turn bright green. Drain and rinse under cold water so they stop cooking.

In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry (Chinese method of thickening).

Heat a wok or large sautee pan on high heat. Add about 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Add the beef and cook for about 3-4 minutes until browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Add the blanched beans and fry for about 1 minute. Add the beef back into the pan. Stir in the oyster sauce and soy sauce. Then add the slurry. As soon as the mixture thickens up, it is ready to serve. Add salt to taste. Serve with steamed rice.

Black Bean & Corn Dip

I love to throw parties and make a huge spread! And to make these get togethers as stress free as possible, I always make a menu that has a mix of things that can be made in advance and those that need to be put together at the last minute. 

This black bean and corn dip is definitely one that can be made ahead. In fact, I think it gets better with age as the flavors meld together.  Also, it is a crowd pleaser! Easy to munch on, healthy, and packed with flavor, it is a winner everytime!

Black Bean & Corn Dip

Makes about 3 cups

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large Onion, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Small Red Chili, seeded and chopped

2 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Dried Crushed Red Chili

1 can Corn Kernels, drained and rinsed

1 can Chopped Tomatoes

1 can Black Beans, drained, rinsed, and slightly mashed

Juice of 1 Lime

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium pan. Sautee the onion, garlic, and chili for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the cumin and dried chili and cook for another minute. Stir in the corn, tomatoes, and beans and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve warm with tortilla chips

Veggie Chili

I never ate chili as a child. And to be honest, I bet my first encounter with the stuff was either on convenience store nachos or a fast food hot dog. Not exactly the most memorable experience, but I guess everyone has to start somewhere!

As you can see from my previous post, chili con carne is versatile and great served a multitude of different ways. Today, however, we are enjoying a different kind of chili. A vegetarian chili. Yup, that’s right. This one is not full of ground meat but rather with tons of veggies.

This spicy and hearty chili is great if you crave comfort food but you want to slim down. It has all the great flavors and textures of chili without the meat, which eliminates a lot of fat. Also, instead of using all the traditional garnishes like sour cream and cheese, garnish with spoon of yogurt and some scallions instead.

Veggie Chili

Makes 8 cups

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Onion, diced

1 Chili, red or green, very finely chopped (do not omit this chili. If you don’t want your chili too spicy, reduce the chili powder)

2 cups Zucchini, chunks

1 cup Carrots, chunks

1 tbsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 Bay Leaf

¼ cup Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

3 tbsp Tomato Paste

625 ml Stock (vegetable or chicken stock)

½ cup Split Red Lentils

1 can Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Corn Kernels

Salt

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add oil, garlic, onions, and chili and cook until they start to soften (about 2 minutes). Add the zucchini and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili, cumin, cinnamon, and bay leaf and let cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and tomato paste. Then add the stock and the lentils, bring up to a boil, and reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans and the corn. Season to taste. Great served over rice or pasta and garnished with a dollop of yogurt.

Dahl Makhani- Creamy Indian Lentils

This creamy Indian lentil dish is absolutely irresistible. In fact, in my opinion, this is the best variety of dahl EVER! It’s creamy, slightly spicy, and full of flavor, and the ingredients are simple and accessible.

Just one small problem… the restaurant version can be extremely rich, creamy and buttery. I guess it’s not really a problem, but you definitely couldn’t eat it everyday… and dahl is actually supposed to be an Indian staple food. Well, let me tell you, if I ate this dahl everyday, I would be happy, but probably not so healthy.

So, in my version, I lightened it up so you actually can eat it everyday and not feel guilty at all. All of the great flavors are retained while keeping this lentil dish easy on the waistline.

Dahl Makhani

Makes about 6 cups

1 cup Black Lentils-Dry (about 4 cups cooked)

1 tsp Canola Oil

1 tbsp Garlic, minced

1 tbsp Ginger, minced

2 Large Onions, small diced

2 Large Tomatoes, small diced

2 tbsp Chili powder (moderately spicy…adjust as desired)

2 tbsp Tomato Paste

1 can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups Chicken Stock

1/4 cup Full Cream Milk

2 tbsp Butter

6 Cloves Garlic, cut into quarters

Soak the lentils overnight, then cover with water and simmer for about 45 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

In a large pan, heat the oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and onions and cook until the onions are translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, chili, and tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the kidney beans, the cooked lentils, and the chicken stock. Bring up to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the milk. Season with salt to taste.

In a separate pan, melt the butter with the garlic cloves. Cook the butter and garlic on a low heat until the butter just starts to brown. Then pour the garlic and butter into the lentil mixture and stir to combine.

Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired. This lentil dish is great served with rice, flat bread or just eaten by itself! Enjoy!

Crunchy Baked Ravioli

A few posts ago, I made Fresh Ravioli with White Bean, Bacon & Leek Filling. I boiled some to eat that day, and I froze the rest to eat later.

Today, I wanted something crunchy and admittedly unhealthy. Usually, when I get this "munchy" feeling, it means I want something fried, although I try to stay away from frying because it's not that healthy.  To overcome this feeling, I generally reach into the freezer for my Baked Spring Rolls, which provide all the crunch without the fat. Unfortunetely for me, I had already polished those off during a previous freezer siege.  I did, however, have the ravioli, so I decided to try my luck with them.

So, I put them on a baking sheet, drizzled them with a little olive oil, and baked them at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes. They browned up beautifully and were crunchy and delicious! Just the cure for the munchies!

Now, you could jazz this up for entertaining by serving it along side some warm marinara sauce. Yum!

Crunchy Baked Ravioli

Frozen Ravioli (click link for recipe)

Olive Oil for Drizzling

Marinara Sauce for dipping

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Farenheit).

Place the ravioli on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Chicken and White Bean Chili

I wanted something spicy. Honestly, I was craving something Mexican. But Mexican food doesn’t come easy in these parts of the world, so I needed to improvise. So, I checked around my kitchen, and decided to make a white bean chili. Okay, I know it’s not traditional (for a more traditional Chili con Carne recipe, click here), but sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got.

The result? Delicious! And somehow, much lighter than a regular chili. Even though it had meat and beans, I guess the absence of red meat and the thick, tomato sauce made more delicate. I ate it over rice, and believe me, I probably could have eaten the whole pot, had my husband not come home!

Chicken and White Bean Chili

Serves 4

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 Chicken Breasts, cut into small chunks

4 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 Medium Onions, medium dice

1 Large Green Chili

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Cumin

3 tsp Chili Powder (for moderate spicy…adjust as desired)

1 cup Grated Carrots

Juice of 1 Lemon

4 cups Chicken Broth (Low Sodium)

4 cups Cooked White Beans

2 tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 1/4cup Cold Water

1 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

In a large pan over medium- high heat, heat the oil. Cook the chicken until just browned. Add the garlic, onions, green chili, and spices. Cook for a few minutes until the onions start to soften. Add the carrots and lemon juice and stir to combine.

Add the chicken broth and beans to the pan and bring up to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

Add the cornstarch and water mixture, and let it come up to a boil again. You should notice the chili getting a little thicker. Stir in the fresh cilantro.

This chili is great served over rice.

Fresh Ravioli with White Bean, Bacon & Leek Filling

Italian food has become part of every language. In particular, spaghetti, lasagna, penne and ravioli… these are all words which need no explanation. They are a staple on restaurant menus, and not just Italian restaurants. In the all-day, we-serve-everything restaurants, there is usually at least one pasta. But somehow, it ends there. We seem to forget that there are so many other Italian dishes, like Ossobuco, Veal Milanese, pork belly, fish stews… I mean, the list goes on and on.

Anyway, I am no Italian connoisseur, but I do love Italian food. And like most everyone, I love pasta. But instead of throwing on a pot of boiling water and dumping in a package of my favorite dried pasta, I decided to make some fresh.

Yes, I have tried it before, and to be honest, it never really turned out exactly as I would have liked. Usually, the dough is too sticky, and the strips of pasta just stick together in a clump when I drop them into the boiling water (or sometimes, even before they make it to the water). And then I end up eating them anyway because I can’t bear to waste food, and it ends up as a gummy, soggy, chewy mess, which I just admit is my sorry attempt at homemade pasta. The only real success I have had so far are the Ravioles du Royans that I made for my husband. Perhaps they were just too small to stick together…

But today, I rolled up my sleeves and decided to try again. And this time, with a new focus… to make fresh semolina pasta. Semolina is a courser grain flour that is ground from hard wheat. I heard that it was more difficult to work with, but that it would produce a drier dough. So, I decided to try it. I didn’t want to use 100% semolina because I was worried it would really be difficult, so I searched for a recipe that used equal amounts of semolina and white flour. I found a recipe, tried it, and, it worked. Very well, in fact. So well that it surprised me. My only tip here is that you need to work fast. Since I did everything by hand (manual pasta roller, and manual filling and cutting of ravioli), I could feel the dough getting a little dry as I was working. So work fast, and only roll a small piece of pasta dough, stuffing and cutting it before rolling the next piece.

For the filling, I decided to make a hearty white bean, bacon, and leek mixture. I wanted the ravioli to be wintery and filling, but without using too much meat. Also, I didn’t feel like doing the traditional spinach and ricotta. Sometimes, we crave a little change.

So, give it a shot. It does take some time, but it is well worth the effort!

Fresh Ravioli with White Bean, Bacon & Leek Filling

Makes about 70 ravioli (cut 2.5 inch round)

For the Filling:

8 ounces of bacon, cut into pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups Leeks

3/4 tsp Salt

3/4 tsp Black Pepper

4 cups Cooked White Beans, pureed

Salt and Pepper

1/3 cup Flat Leaf Parsley

For the Fresh Pasta:

(Recipe from: http://www.recipezaar.com/Fresh-Semolina-and-Egg-Pasta-35605)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semolina flour

1 pinch salt

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Making the Filling: In a large pan, cook bacon over medium high heat until just chewy. Drain most of the fat (keep about 2 tbsp in the pan). Add the garlic, leeks, salt and pepper, and cook until the leeks are wilted. Add the beans which have been cooked and pureed. Stir to incorporate. Stir in the cilantro. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

**For the white beans, you can used canned, drained and rinsed beans, however, I prefer to cook my own.

Making the Pasta: Sift together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt. On a clean surface, make a mountain out of flour mixture then make a deep well in center. Break the eggs into the well and add olive oil. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides of the well. When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands.

Knead dough for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth and supple. Dust dough and work surface with semolina as needed to keep dough from becoming sticky. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

**If you don’t have time to make fresh pasta, you can use won ton wrappers instead. They make a great alternative! However, I really suggest you try fresh pasta at least once!

Assembling the Ravioli: Roll out dough with a pasta machine to #2 thickness (not the thinnest, but the 2nd thinnest). Cut in half so that you have 2 equal sized rectangles. Place 1 of the halves on a lightly floured counter. Using your cookie cutter (I used a 2.5 inch round cutter), mark the dough (lightly press the cutter on the dough just so you can see the light outline of each circle. This is so that you know where to place your filling). Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the centre of each marked circle. Brush a little water around the mounds of filling and gently place the second half of the pasta dough on top. Press your fingers around the filling to seal the two pieces of pasta together, working from the filling outwards, trying to push out all the air. Then, using the round cutter, cut the ravioli. (Of course, you can use any shaped cutter you like, or even just use a knife and cut the ravioli into squares). Repeat with remaining pasta dough and filling.

Cooking the Ravioli: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add some salt (a couple of teaspoons). Reduce the heat to a light simmer. Add the ravioli, ensuring that you don’t overcrowd the pot. Cook pasta until they float. They should be tender, but not mushy, about 1-2 minutes (2-3 minutes if frozen). Drain immediately and serve with a drizzle of olive oil. These would also taste good with a simple tomato sauce.

Freezing the Ravioli: Place between layers of parchment paper and freeze for up to 2 months (if they last that long!!).

Chili con Carne: One Recipe, Endless Possibilities

I love chili. It’s hearty and comforting, and the spice provides that much needed warmth. Today we are making chili that you can use for many, many future meals. You can easily make a big batch and separate it into smaller portions for freezing. Because you can serve it so many ways, it never feels like the same boring meal over and over.



There are lots of ways to eat chili. Just by itself, with some condiments on top (crème fraiche or sour cream, chives, grated cheese), over rice, with crispy corn chips, layered in pasta (like lasagna)… the possibilities are endless!

Today, we are making chili and serving it up with nachos. If you want to make it healthier, you can use ground chicken instead, but I really prefer the taste and weight of beef.

Chili con Carne
Makes about 3 cups

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Onion, diced
1 Chili, red or green, very finely chopped (do not omit this chili. If you don’t want your chili too spicy, reduce the chili powder)
250 grams Lean Ground Beef
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Bay Leaf
¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp Tomato Paste
500 ml Stock (beef is best, but any will do)
1 can Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add oil, garlic, onions, and chili and cook until then start to soften (about 2 minutes). Add the ground beef, breaking it up with your hands or a spatula. Add the chili, cumin, cinnamon, and bay leaf and cook the mixture until the meat is brown (about 5 minutes). Stir in the cilantro and tomato paste. Then add the stock, bring up to a boil, and reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans. Season to taste.


For the Nachos

I made them healthy using Pita Chips but you could use any tortilla chips you like. I topped then with:
Pitted Black Olives
Diced Tomatoes
Sliced Green onions
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Finely minced Green Chilies

Even distribution of toppings is key. I prefer to lay my chips in basically one layer for this reason.

Serve with salsa, guacamole, sour cream and a side of chili.

You could put the chili on top after cooking the nachos, but I find it makes them a little too soggy for my liking. I prefer to serve it in a bowl on the side. Also, it ensures that each bite has its fair share of chili.

Parsley and White Bean Dip

I really like dips. Not only do they serve well as easy, pleasing party snacks, but they are also very comforting snacks for "me time." You know what I'm talking about. Those times when you want to sit on the couch and indulge in an episode (or a few) of your favorite TV show while munching on your favorite snacks. The good news though is that if you choose to munch on this dip with some crunchy veggies or pita chips, you won't feel guilty when it's finally time to get up off the couch and conquer the world!

Parsley and White Bean Dip
Makes about 2 cups

2 Cloves Garlic
1 bunch Fresh Parsley (about 1 cup packed)
1 can White Beans, with liquid
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Salt and Pepper

In a blender, combine all ingredients. Pulse until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. For a thicker consistency, refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving. The flavors get better with time, so don’t be afraid to make this dip in advance.

Serve with vegetable sticks, bread, pita chips.