Salsa & Pinto Bean Spread

“Salsa & Pinto Bean Spread”, (page 16), is a quick and easy spread, or dip, that requires no adjustments to keep it “McDougall Friendly”. A few simple ingredients (beans, salsa, cilantro, lime juice, and spices) are combined in a food processor, and ready to eat in 10 minutes or less if you have cooked beans on hand. Depending on the salsa you use, this will be thicker (a spread), thinner (a dip), and either mild or spicy. You could also do this with another variety of bean, if you wanted, and use parsley instead of cilantro. Many possibilities!

I used my air fryer (see one here) to make oil-free tortilla chips from corn tortillas, a perfect accompaniment.

  

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• No changes necessary! J 

White Bean & Artichoke Spread

Another selection from the Appetizers and Snacks chapter, “White Bean & Artichoke Spread” (page 18) is very easy to make oil free and healthy without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. This is a simple yet satisfying blend of artichoke hearts, white beans, parsley, and lemon juice with just a pinch of cayenne to liven things up. The recipe is not written to be oil free. It calls for marinated artichoke hearts, and a tablespoon of olive oil. I opted for canned artichoke hearts packed in water because I couldn’t find them frozen in my local market (I think frozen artichoke hearts are superior to canned), and I simply omitted the olive oil altogether. The blended spread is topped with a small sprinkle of chopped kalamata olives (which I forgot to do before taking this picture), and is wonderful on crackers, toast, sourdough bread, or as a dip for raw veggies.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Omit the olive oil all together.
• Use frozen artichoke hearts, or canned, packed in water instead of marinated. 

Black & Green Olive Tapenade

“Black & Green Olive Tapenade” (page 9) is an easy appetizer that can be whipped up in just a few minutes, and is especially good if you have access to a fresh olive bar in your local grocery or natural foods stores. I learned that the word “tapenade” actually means capers, one of the ingredients in this spread, and if you leave them out, you’ll still have a delicious olive spread, it just won’t be authentically tapenade.

It can’t get much easier than this – combine the capers, olives, lemon juice, thyme, and black pepper in a food processor and process until finely chopped. At this point the recipe calls for the addition of olive oil, ¼ cup to be exact, to be added to the chopped olives and blended until the mixture is a smooth paste. But I wasn’t at all worried about omitting the oil altogether, after all olives are the source of olive oil, and chopping them up in a food processor will release a measure of oil into the mix. (A quarter cup of olive oil contains 477 calories and 54 grams of fat, so it’s no small thing deciding to leave this out.) By contrast, 1 cup of black olives only contains about 15 grams of fat, and ½ cup green olives about 8 (these are the amounts called for in the recipe). This of course, if you purchase olives not cured in oil. If you do, be sure to rinse them thoroughly first. You may want to add a bit of water to the food processor while it’s running, in place of the oil, a tablespoon at a time, to reach the desired consistency.

This spread is very rich, and a little definitely goes a long way. It is excellent on fat-free crackers, toasted bread, or stuffed into mushroom caps.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Omit the olive oil all together. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, to the food processor while it’s running if necessary to reach desired consistency.
• If your olives are cured in oil, be sure to rinse them thoroughly before using. 

Flower Power Granola Squares

Being a child of the sixties, just the name of this recipe was calling my name! The “Flower Power Granola Squares” (page 8) may not be brownies, but they will satisfy your munchies all the same, and it doesn’t take long to put a batch together when the urge hits. :-) Basic ingredients of sunflower seeds, oats, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and flaked coconut are mixed with soy milk and a small amount of sweetener (just two tablespoons of maple syrup), popped into the oven, and baked until done. The recipe does call for two tablespoons of melted margarine as part of the wet ingredients, but I used peanut butter instead – more flavor, and no hydrogenated fat – in fact, less fat all the way around. I put the milk, maple syrup, and peanut butter in the blender for a fast whirl to make it smooth before adding to the dry ingredients. Despite not being overly sweet, these little nuggets are very rich, and it only takes a couple of bites to satisfy an urge. Here’s a couple of hints: 

1) Don’t cut into squares for at least 30 minutes, as they will keep their shape better the cooler they are. 

2) Store in the refrigerator for even better sticking-togetherness.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist: 

• Substitute peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter for the margarine.

• Use a non-stick baking dish or line with parchment paper instead of oiling the baking dish.  

Satay Sauce

The Tempeh Satay below would not be complete without the “Satay Sauce” (page 41). A simple blended mixture of onion, garlic, chili paste, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and coconut milk, it whips up in a flash and is an absolutely essential sauce for the satay. Rich, spicy, bursting with flavor, this would be good on a  multitude of foods. As I mentioned below, I avoid coconut milk because of the very high fat (and very high saturated fat) content, so instead of that, I use a mixture of almond milk and coconut extract (1 cup almond milk + ¼ teaspoon coconut extract = 1 cup coconut milk.). I find this gives me all the flavor of coconut milk without the fat. If you do this, be sure to make an entire cup – the Satay uses ¼ cup, and the Satay Sauce uses the other ¾ cup.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Instead of coconut milk, use almond milk flavored with coconut extract (1 cup almond milk + ¼ teaspoon coconut extract = 1 cup coconut milk). 

Tempeh Satay

“Tempeh Satay” (page 40) is a delicious vegan adaptation of the popular Indonesian dish of seasoned, skewered, and grilled meat served with a sauce. Tempeh also happens to come from Indonesia, so there is actually an authenticity to this dish it might not otherwise have. In this recipe, tempeh strips are marinated in a sauce of coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice and spices (sugar, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper), threaded onto skewers, and grilled or broiled. I avoid coconut milk because of the very high fat (and very high saturated fat) content, so instead of that, I use a mixture of almond milk and coconut extract (1 cup almond milk + ¼ teaspoon coconut extract = 1 cup coconut milk). I find this gives me all the flavor of coconut milk without the fat. If you do this, be sure to make an entire cup – the Satay only uses ¼ cup, but the Satay Sauce uses the other ¾ cup. And, the crowning glory is the Satay Sauce – food doesn’t get more fun or delicious than this!

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Instead of coconut milk, use almond milk flavored with coconut extract (1 cup almond milk + ¼ teaspoon coconut extract = 1 cup coconut milk).
• Omit the oil when grilling or broiling the tempeh strips. Instead, use oil free Italian style salad dressing or broth (if grilling), or broil on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat. 

Potato Samosas

You will find the “Potato Samosas” (page 44) in the Appetizers and Snacks section, but I found these hearty enough to serve as an entrée. I could probably live indefinitely on samosa-like food – hot pockets of dough stuffed with a savory filling. The possibilities are endless, and the comfort food rating is high. I did have to make a few adjustments to omit the oil, as samosas are traditionally fried in a skillet, or even deep fried. The recipe also calls for a significant amount of oil in the dough, and for sautéing the vegetables that go into the filling. The filling consists of potatoes and onion, with the optional addition of green peas, spinach, or cauliflower. (I like adding peas for a burst of color.) The dough is basically a mixture of flour, salt, water, and oil, plus a splash of soymilk, but I replaced the water, oil, and soymilk with 1 cup of plain, unsweetened soy yogurt, which keeps the oil-free dough tender. This recipe does take some time – it is a process – but the results are well worth the effort. If you have a Pocket Pie Crimper for forming the samosas, you will end up with a perfectly formed and pretty pocket, but you can also make these by hand following the recipe instructions. Instead of frying this in a skillet of hot oil, I baked them in the oven for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Eat these plain, or with one of the dipping sauces suggested in the recipe notes.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Substitute the water, oil, and soymilk in the dough mixture with 1 cup of plain, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt.
• When sautéing the veggies for the filling, use a nonstick skillet and/or a little water, broth, or sherry instead of the oil.
• Instead of frying the samosas in oil in a skillet, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake them in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Curried Cashews

Eating nuts for a snack is something I have to be really careful about. I could effortlessly put away ¼ cup, ½ cup, or even more in the blink of an eye, and although nuts have many healthy qualities, as most everyone knows, it's almost impossible to eat "just one". It takes no time at all to go beyond a reasonable amount, with fat, saturated fat, and calories adding up way too fast. However, in the future, when I do allow myself an occasional nutty treat, the "Curried Cashews" (page 7) will be high on my list. A simple combination of cashews, curry powder, and salt, I found the savory flavor more than addictive! Right away, though, I knew I would have to get creative to work around the oil and margarine the recipe called for. The directions are to heat the oils in a skillet, add the curry powder and salt, add the cashews, and cook on the stovetop. My workaround consisted of soaking the cashews in water for 5-minutes, draining, and blotting dry, thus allowing the nuts to remain moist enough for the spices to stick. Then, I tossed the nuts with the spices in a big bowl, spread them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and roasted them in a 400° oven for 15-20 minutes (until they started to just slightly brown). Much too delicious!

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Omit the margarine and oil. Instead: Soak the cashews in water for 5 minutes; drain well and blot dry.
• Toss the nuts in a bowl with the spices, and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet in a 400° oven for 15-20 minutes (until they start to just slightly brown).

Five-Spiced Walnuts

I first tasted five-spice powder when my husband used it to make Chinese vegan sausages. Depending on what brand you buy, there will be a slightly different blend of spices. The one I use from Penzeys Spices consists of cinnamon, star anise, anise seed, ginger and cloves. Some varieties have fennel, some have pepper corns, but no matter, five-spice powder is quite distinctive, and made a very tasty coating for the "Five-Spiced Walnuts" (page 7). The recipe calls for glazing the walnut halves in a mixture of oil, margarine, and soy sauce before adding the five-spice powder, but I used soy sauce only, and that gave the walnuts just enough of a moist coating to allow the spices to stick to them. Once the walnuts are prepared, they are baked in a moderate oven (I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking). I had to bake these about 30 minutes as opposed to the 15 minutes called for in the recipe, and although the recommendation is eat them within 2-3 days, mine kept well for two weeks. I found many delicious ways to use these flavorful treats including adding to green salads, topping stir-fries, and just snacking on them.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Omit the oil and the margarine (and save yourself 31 grams of fat!); the soy sauce will provide enough moisture to allow the spices to stick.
• Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking, or use a nonstick baking surface such as a Silpat baking mat.

Sesame Pita Chips

Finding healthy snack chips can be a challenge, but you have a much better chance of this if you make them at home! The "Sesame Pita Chips" (page 4) start with fresh pita bread circles that you split into two, season, cut into triangles, and bake in the oven. Really, nothing could be quicker or easier, fresher, or tastier. The recipe calls for spreading the pita circles with oil before sprinkling on sesame seeds, and you do need something moist on the bread so the seeds will stick, but I opted to use oil-free salad dressing in place of the oil. Not only did this work extremely well, it added a nice flavor dimension to the chips as well. Using this approach also opens the door to creating many different varieties of chips, depending on what dressing you choose. I used the vegan "Cheesy Caesar Dressing" from the Forks over Knives collection of recipes, and it was delicious. Other good choices include oil free Italian and oil free ranch, or whatever sounds good to you.  

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Use oil free whole grain pita bread.
• Instead of brushing the pitas with oil, use an oil free vegan salad dressing.

Edamame With Course Salt

"Edamame With Course Salt" (page 7) is so easy to make at home, especially since edamame (fresh soybeans) now seems to be readily available in a wide variety of grocery stores. This is more of a procedure than a recipe. Simply cook whole edamame (meaning the entire pod with the peas still intact), pour on a plate, and sprinkle with course salt. Pop the beans out of the pod directly into your mouth, or into a mixture of soy sauce and wasabi, for a real flavor burst. The bag I purchased from the frozen foods section had instructions for steaming the edamame in the microwave, in the bag they came in. Nothing simpler than that! These tasty little beans are a great start to a Japanese meal, or a quick snack any time. And happily, there were no changes necessary to this recipe.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• No changes necessary!

Fiery Pumpkin Seeds

The recipe for "Fiery Pumpkin Seeds" (page 6) was very easy to modify to omit the oil. All nuts and seeds have a considerable amount of natural oil in them that can be utilized without having to add any more. This particular recipe calls for a lot of oil - ¼ cup, which I think would have resulted in overly oiled seeds. I thought using a small amount of pure maple syrup would be a good substitute for the oil, coating the seeds with something sticky for the spices to adhere to, plus the combination of slightly sweet, slightly salty, and a bit spicy really appealed to me. This approach worked like a charm, and the end result was fantastic! The "fiery" part of this recipe comes from Tabasco sauce, and the seeds are further seasoned with paprika, cumin, and salt. These are a great snack to set out at a gathering - otherwise, you might find yourself eating them all too quickly by yourself!

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Line your baking pan with parchment paper instead of oiling it.
• Do not use the oil called for in the recipe for coating the seeds. Instead, stir 1 Tablespoon of pure maple syrup or agave nectar into the seeds, then add the spices to coat.

Roasted Chickpeas

The recipe for "Roasted Chickpeas" (page 5) conjured up gustatory visions of those crunchy wasabi peas found in bulk sections of some grocery stores or in cans in the Asian food section.  Crunchy and salty, even spicy if so desired, definitely one of those addictive foods. But leaving out the oil in this recipe transforms the texture considerably, so I realized that I was not going to end up with this kind of snack after all. No matter, these are still fun munchies, either eating warm out of the oven, cooled to room temperature, or tossing into a salad. If you have cooked chickpeas on hand, these are super easy to make - drain and rinse, spread in a pan, top with seasoning, and bake until browned (in this case, they won't be "crisped"). The small amount of moisture left on the beans after rinsing them will help the seasonings adhere to them. Start with salt as a seasoning, but add whatever else sounds good to you, the possibilities are endless!

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Do not toss the chickpeas in oil. Instead, do not pat dry after rinsing and draining to allow the spices to stick.
• Line your baking pan with parchment paper instead of oiling it.

Agave-Glazed Pecans

The "Agave-Glazed Pecans" (page 6) are a sweet treat that can be enjoyed in multiple ways. I placed them on top of individual servings of pudding; I added them to simple salads of leafy green lettuce and red onion; I munched on them all by themselves. However you decide to try these, you likely won't be disappointed, unless you simply don't like pecans. A tasty combination of nuts, sweetener, cinnamon, and vanilla extract (I left the margarine out altogether), these make a great contribution to a holiday party spread. They are quite sticky, so I stored them in single layers separated by pieces of parchment paper so they wouldn't meld into one another. They should probably be eaten fairly soon after preparation. I cut the recipe in half since it was only two of us eating them.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Omit the margarine altogether.  

Personalized Trail Mix

"Personalized Trail Mix" (page 6) isn't so much a recipe as it is a suggestion, a list of possible ingredients, completely customizable, for creating the trail mix that most suits your tastes (or what's currently in your pantry!). I decided to make this one day when I was cleaning out my dry goods drawer, and discovered I had several dibs and dabs of various nuts and dried fruit. I ended up combining slivered almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, dried cherries, and golden raisins. You really can't go wrong with this "recipe", quite reminiscent of GORP (Good Old Raisins & Peanuts). For added flavor, toast the seeds and nuts first, but this is completely optional.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

No changes needed!

Black Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

Bean dips invite endless combinations of beans, vegetables, and seasonings, and each variation has something special to offer. The "Black Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Dip" (page 13) is a simple mixture of sun-dried tomatoes, black beans, balsamic vinegar, parsley, and basil. Everything is whipped up in a food processor just to the point of leaving a bit of texture. This makes a wonderful topping for toast or bagels, a filling for tortillas, or a dip for crackers or veggies. You don't have to use the oil-packed sundried tomatoes as the recipe calls for. Look for the a brand like California Sun Dry for dried tomatoes packaged without any added oils.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Use oil free sundried tomatoes.

Asian Fusion Party Mix

I always get a little stressed when I see a recipe that calls for margarine, and especially when it calls for ¼ cup or more, because there often isn't a good way to leave it out, or make an adequate substitution. When reviewing the recipe for "Asian Fusion Party Mix" (page 4), I mulled over my options for replacing and/or omitting the margarine before finally settling on just leaving it out altogether. In this recipe, the margarine is melted to blend and fuse the seasonings, and coat the Party Mix (popcorn, breakfast cereal squares, cashews, pretzels, and wasabi peas) before baking the entire concoction in the oven. Because I opted not to use the margarine at all, the baking step became unnecessary, and much simplified the overall preparation. Granted, this alteration decidedly changed the intent of the recipe, but if you can get past the concept of a baked and oiled snack mix, this was quite enjoyable in its own right. The spices (garlic powder and seasoned salt) won't stick to the uncoated ingredients as well, but if you give the mix a little shake or stir before each serving, it helps to keep the flavors distributed. You can also spray Bragg's Aminos or soy sauce on the mixture before adding the spices to add a little extra flavor, and help the spices stick.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Select whole-grain, oil-free pretzels and breakfast cereal squares.
• Select or prepare air-popped popcorn.
• Use raw (or roasted without oil) cashews.
• If possible, use oil free wasabi peas (may be hard to find!). Or, omit them altogether. 
• Omit the margarine altogether. Use a little spray of Bragg's Aminos or soy sauce on the mixture before adding the spices to help them stick.

White Bean & Dill Hummus

There are four hummus recipes in this book, two using traditional garbanzo beans, one using pinto beans, and one using white beans in the "White Bean & Dill Hummus" (page 11).  What keeps this rendition in keeping with traditional hummus is the inclusion of lemon juice and tahini. What makes it a little different is the addition of dill weed. Call it bean dip, call it hummus, but call it good! This ends up being a tasty blend of beans, tahini, fresh garlic, fresh lemon juice, dillweed, and a pinch of cayenne for a little zip. This is wonderful spread on toasted bagels, or used as a dip for crackers or raw veggies. Since tahini contains a fair amount of natural oil, you won't miss the olive oil by leaving it out altogether.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Omit the olive oil altogether. If you find the hummus is a little too thick, add a couple tablespoons of water or broth to reach the desired consistency as you are blending in the food processor.

Ragin' Cajun Popcorn

What's more fun than popcorn? "Ragin' Cajun Popcorn" (page 4) just might be! The very first recipe of this book (but the 396th recipe I've tried), this offering really starts the book off with a bang!! Popped corn is tossed with a highly flavorful and HOT blend of spices, including oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic, onion powder, celery salt, and cayenne pepper. These are flavorful spices known to Cajun cuisine, and they do pack a flavor punch. The biggest challenge here is getting the spices to adhere to the popcorn if you use the air popped method, thereby omitting the oil. One solution is to lightly spray the popcorn with water or Braggs Aminos prior to adding the spices, being careful to add just a spritz or two so the popcorn doesn't get soggy. If you choose to use oil, however, you certainly don't need ¼ cup of oil for 1/3 cup popcorn kernels. You will find that just 2 teaspoons is enough to pop the corn, cutting the fat content from the oil down from 54 grams of fat and 477 calories to just 9 grams of fat and 79 calories (for the entire batch). And you know how popcorn is, once you start eating it, it's hard to stop! Those calories and fat grams could add up very quickly!

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

                                                                                                                            

• Use air popped popcorn so you won't have to use oil in the popping process. Spritz the popped corn with water or Braggs Aminos before adding the spices so they will stick.