Easy recipes for snacks - low carb, low calorie, high protein, low fat

1. Toasted Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are rich in essential fats (omega 6), minerals, vitamin E, protein and fibre.

Ingredients:

1 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup soy sauce

Method:

Toast the sunflower seeds over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring.
Add the soy sauce and stir until sauce is absorbed and seeds are crispy.
This takes 3-5 minutes. Cool, and keep in an airtight container.

2. Savoury Baked Chickpeas (Garbanzos)

All beans are packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and are low in fat.

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika or cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

Toss the chickpeas in the oil and bake at 150°C  (300 °F) for an hour until crisp,
shaking them around in the tin from time to time.
Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle the seasonings on top.
Shake the chickpeas in the tin to coat thoroughly and then leave to cool.
Store in an airtight container.

3. Red Kidney Bean Dip

Apart from soya beans, red kidney beans contain more protein than any other bean.

Ingredients:

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
5 spring onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon dried basil
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water (if necessary)
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Adjust seasoning.
Can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Try them served on savoury biscuits, topped with sprouts. (see below)

4. Hummus

Famous throughout the Middle East, hummus served with crispy bread and salad makes a delicious light meal. As a snack it can simply be eaten as a dip or spread on savoury biscuits and topped with sprouts. (see below)

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons Tahini (crushed sesame seeds with sesame oil)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Method:

Place all ingredients into a food processor.
Blend until smooth and adjust seasoning.
Decorate with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.
Can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

5. Alfalfa (lucern) seed sprouts

Alfalfa seeds are so small, they sprout very quickly. All you need to sprout seeds, beans or lentils, is a large glass jar, a piece of muslin (cheesecloth) and an elastic band. They are rich in protein, vitamins B, C and E, calcium and iron.

Method:

Wash 3 tablespoons of the Alfalfa seeds and place in the jar. Fill the jar with luke-warm water, place the muslin over it and fasten with the elastic band. Leave to stand overnight in a draught-free place. The next morning, pour off the water through the muslin and fill the jar again. Shake gently and drain thoroughly. Leave the jar on its side in a warm place but not in direct sunlight. The ideal temperature is 17-24°C. Rinse and drain the seeds 3x a day for 2-4 days. Remove the sprouts from the jar, rinse thoroughly and remove any ungerminated seeds. Place in a covered container and store in the fridge for 2-6 days.

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Posted in: Recipes by dim sum on May 13, 2012 @ 9:25 pm

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