Start Out with Hummus & Broccomole Spa Recipes from Pritikin

Go Ahead, Double Dip.

Appetizers, dips and other starters can start to really add up calories before you even take a whiff of your main course.  But Robert Pritikin of the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Miami, has developed a solution for calorie counters everywhere, and it consists of delicious recipes that include classics that have been updated for a low-fat, health conscious alternative.  The Pritikin Principle doesn’t ask us to try to defeat our hunger drive, but to satisfy it with nutritious foods that keep us satisfied while still allowing for weight loss.

Pritikin’s getting you started with these healthy starters.

Broccomole:
makes 16  ¼ cup servings

½ cup canned, diced Ortega green chili peppers

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 cup chopped onions

4 cups overcooked broccoli florets (about 5 cups fresh)

2 tsp. lite soy sauce

pinch of grated nutmeg

1 ½ cups nonfat sour cream

Put peppers, garlic and onions into a food processor fitted with steel chopping blade and pulse until finely chopped.  Add the broccoli and pulse until it is also chopped finely.  Add the soy sauce, nutmeg, and sour cream and process until the mixture is creamy.

Chill until ready to serve.  Serve as dip with a variety of sliced vegetables.

Nutritional Information:

Each serving contains approximately:

40 calories

2 g protein

7g carbohydrate

0g total fat

0mg cholesterol

62mg sodium

1.4g dietary fiber

4% calories from fat

Hummus:
Makes 6   ¼ cup servings

3 medium cloves garlic

1 15-oz can salt-free garbanzo beans, drained

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tbs white wine Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp natural rice vinegar

¼ sesame oil

chopped parsley or cilantro

In an empty food processor, fitted with the steel chopping blade, feel the garlic through the feed tube while the processor is running to chop the garlic.  Remove the lib and add the rest of the ingredients.  Process until smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill until ready to serve.  Garnished with chopped parsley or cilantro.

Serve as spread or dip with raw vegetables, or use as a sandwich spread on whole-wheat bread or pits with sliced tomato, red onion, cucumber and lettuce.

Nutritional Information:

Each serving contains approximately:

67 calories

3g protein

11g carbohydrates

1.2g total fat

0mg cholesterol

35mg sodium

2.7g dietary fiber

16% calories from fat

Learn more about weight-loss programs at The Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Miami, Florida.