Creamy Rosemary, Lemon Bean Dip

I'm always looking for a healthy snack, and this one is as tasty as it is healthy. It's my take on Bean & Rosemary Dip from The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook, 2006.  It pairs well with crackers, pretzel thins, carrots or celery.

Recipe

Ingredients
2 cans cannellini beans
3 tbs olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup chicken stock (can substitute veggie stock)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
zest of one half lemon

Instructions
1. Rinse & drain the beans; set aside
2. Heal olive oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic & rosemary for a minute
3. Add cannellini beans and chicken stock to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down heat to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat & cool 15-20 minutes
4. Once cooled, blend in a blender until smooth. 
5. Mix in lemon juice, lemon zest, salt & pepper. 
6. Refigerate for 1 hour.  The mixture will seem too watery prior to refrigerating, but will substantially thicken.
7. Enjoy! 

Frozen Lemon Raspberry White Chocolate Poppers

Lemon & Raspberry are a classic duo, but become even more delectable with mini white chocolate chips. I saw blueberries dipped in vanilla yogurt and then frozen into a dessert on Pinterest- I was inspired, but since I'm not a huge lover of blueberries I decided to come up with a yogurt-fruit creation of my own.

Recipe
Ingredients
Nestle Tollhouse white chocolate chips
1 Pint of raspberries, washed
1 tsp lemon juice
2 6oz containers of Chobani lemon greek yogurt

Instructions
1. Place one mini white chocolate chip in each raspberry
2. Combine lemon juice and lemon greek yogurt, stir until well mixed
3. Dip each raspberry/chocolate piece in yogurt mixture. You may need a toothpick to manipulate the raspberry to cover in full.
4. Drop covered raspberries onto a baking sheet
5. Freeze lemon-raspberry poppers for 30 minutes
6. Enjoy!

Buttery Garlic Phyllo Dough Pizza

Craving savory, flaky, cheesy pizza? It's amazing what changing your crust to a flaky, buttery phyllo dough can do to your tastebuds.  I was inspired years ago by a recipe in Relish Magazine, and have been refining and experimenting ever since. The beauty is that you can add any topings, but I myself stick to a goat cheese, tomato, kalamata olive topping as it always satisfies.

Recipe
Preheat oven to 375 degrees & lightly spray a bakingsheet with PAM.

Ingredients:
10 sheets phyllo dough fuly defrosted
3 tbs melted butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tomatoes, sliced crosswise
10-12 kalamata olives


Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Mix melted butter & crushed garlic in a ramekin
3. Lay one sheet phyllo dough on prepared bakingsheet
4. Brush phyllo dough with butter/garlic mixture
5. Add another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first, slightly overlapping, to expand the size of the pizza
6. Continue brushing with butter/garlic mixture and layering all 10 sheets of phyllo dough
7. Sprinke 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese onto the dough, leaving a 1 inch perimeter
8. Place tomato slices on top of the mozzarella, evenly spacing on the pizza
9. Sprinke rosemary & thyme on the pizza
10. Sprinkle crumbeled goat cheese and remaining mozzarella evently on top of the pizza
11. Fold up the 1 inch perimeter of the pizza
12. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until crust is golden brown
13. Enjoy!