Makes: 2 cups approx
Preparation: 10mns
Total: 60mns

Benefits:
This beetroot hummus is officially the best hummus we've ever tasted!  Not only is it a striking colour, but it’s so flavourful and is a nice change from the usual chickpea hummus. Beets are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and unique plant derived antioxidants.  These powerful nutrients help fight heart disease and certain cancers, especially colon cancer.  Beets also act as detoxifiers on the liver, and have anti-inflammatory qualities.


Ingredients:

1. 2 medium beets
2. 1 can (400g can/240g drained weight) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (its always better to cook your own. If you are short on time, opt for chickpeas stored in glass containers when possible)
3. 1 garlic clove, peeled
4. 1/4 cup tahini
5. 1/2 tsp salt
6. 1/2 tsp ground coriander
7. 1/2 tsp cumin
8. zest of one lemon
9. juice of half a lemon
10. garnish with: freshly ground pepper, to taste; toasted sesame seeds; chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle beets with oil. Individually wrap tightly in foil and roast until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, remove foil and let cool. Peel skin off beets with fingers (or a peeler), coarsely chop and add to food processor.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth. 
3. Garnish with pepper, sesame seeds and parsley, if desired.

Makes: 2 cups of dressing    
Preparation: 10mns
Total time: 10mns

Benefits:
The avocado in this dressing makes it so silky and creamy that you’ll have a hard time believing there isn’t dairy in it. Use good olive oil and fresh, bright lemon juice and you’ll discover a new favorite dressing! This recipe makes a good amount of dressing and you can store it in a bottle in your fridge. 
On the nutritional front, it’s hard to think of a better salad dressing for you. Avocados are packed with healthy fats, fiber, and vitamin K. Avocado flesh also helps the body to absorb two key antioxidants—lycopene and beta-carotene. Want to make sure your body gets all the antioxidants it can from your garden salad? Just add some avocado or this dressing and your body will soak it right up.
The healthy fats in both the avocados and the olive oil helps the digestive tract to absorb nutrients, helps keep inflammation down and helps to lower the risk of heart disease. 

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar (you can substitute for white wine vinegar)
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine avocado, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Run processor until very smooth and creamy.
2. With processor running on low, stream in olive oil through the shoot until just combined.

Tip: If you are a big fan of Tangy dressings, you can increase the vinegar to 1/2 a cup and the juice to one whole lemon.

Makes: 1 Serving
Preparation: 5mns
Total Time: 10mns

Benefits:
Sweet potatoes contain almost twice as much fiber as other types of potatoes. The high fiber content makes them a low GI food, which means they keep your blood sugar stable for longer
They contain a large amount of vitamin B6, Potassium and Beta-carotene or vitamin A which is an important antioxidant. This is a delicious dip to serve at your next party!

Ingredients:
1/2 whole wheat pita, split and cut into 8 pieces
1/3 cup roasted mashed sweet potato
1 tablespoons plain Greek-style low-fat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon honey
Pinch Chile powder
Pinch Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange pita pieces on a baking sheet; bake at 350º for 10 minutes until crisp.
2. While pita bakes, combine sweet potato, yogurt, honey, chile powder, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a fork until smooth. Serve with warm pita chips.
   
   

Source: Recipe and picture health.com

Makes: 280g serving approx
Preparation: 15mns
Total: 20mns

Benefits:
Edamame, or soybeans, have been popular in China and Japan for thousands of years and are now readily available in most grocery stores. They’re low in fat and calories and high in protein, fiber and almost every other essential vitamin and mineral. Soybeans have great health benefits,however one must remember that they also contain active ingredients similar to estrogen - the recommendation is to eat them in moderation in order to reap the health benefits without causing imbalances in the body. This is a great alternative dip to serve at dinner parties, it is sure to have all your guests talking!

Ingredients:
225g frozen shelled edamame (green soy beans)
60g tahini paste
60ml water
½ tsp freshly grated lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp)
1 clove garlic, crushed
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander seeds
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped


Directions:

1. Boil the beans in salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, or microwave, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. In a food processor, puree the edamame, tahini paste, water, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, cumin, and coriander seeds, until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and mix until absorbed.
3. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in the parsley and drizzle with the remaining oil.
4. Serve with the assorted crudites, or refrigerate, covered, for up to 24 hours.
   
   

Source: Food Network Kitchens

Makes: approx 1 cup
preparation: 5mns
Total Time: 5mns

Benefits:
This is a great dip full of amazing health benefits: The sesame paste (tahini) is loaded with calcium. Did you know that half a cup of sesame seeds contains three times more calcium than half a cup of whole milk?It also contains a whole host of nutrients including Magnesium, copper and iron. Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting rice, barley, and/or soybeans with salt and the fungus kōjikin. The result is a thick paste used in many asian recipes. Like many fermented foods, it is said to be great for digestion and contains many nutrients. 

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons White or Mellow Barley Miso
3 Tablespoons Sesame tahini
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix well.

Tip: Serve with crudites platter. This dip is also excellent as a salad dressing, especially on a spinach salad, just add more water for the desired consistency.

Source: The Ashram Recipe Book

Makes: About 1 cup
preparation: 10mns
Total Time: 10mns

Benefits:
This is a great dressing using heart healthy olive oil, garlic (a natural 'antibiotic' and immunity booster), and white balsamic vinegar which is healing and soothing for your digestive system and contains a number of nutrients and antioxidants, such as polyphenols that lower LDL cholesterol. 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 pinch salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Fresh Herbs of choice (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and mustard. 
   
2. Crush the Garlic clove with the back of a knife and drop into the mix.
   
3. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in minced fresh herbs if desired. (think basil, thyme or tarragon!)
   

Tip: I sometimes add 1tsp of honey as a variation. It tastes delicious!

Makes: A medium sized bowl
Preparation: 10mns
Total: 15mns

Benefits:
Who doesn't love guacamole! It’s packed full of healthy fats from the avocado (Omega 3's) and is just delicious! The lower fat option with the peas (see tip below) is equally delicious.

Ingredients:
1 large avocado
1 yellow bell pepper
1 tomato
1 bunch of cilantro
1/4 small white onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 jalepeño (optional, for spice)

Directions:

1. Wash and cut veggies & garlic. 
   
2. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and mix well. You can add the Avocado at the end for a short whizz only if you prefer to keep some 'chunks' in there. Alternatively, you can mash the avocado with a fork to the consistency you like and mix the ingredients with it in a bowl (after they've been whizzed in the processor). 

Tip: For a lower calorie version, cut avocado in half and add 1/4 cup peas.

Source: Andrea Biethman

Makes: 4 cups
Preparation: 15mns
Total time: 15mns

Benefits: 
This is a fabulously delicious take on your traditional Salsa with added mango! Mango is called the king of fruits not just for its taste, but also for the array of health benefits it offers: It is a rich source of antioxidants, is high in vitamin C, pectin and fibers that help to lower cholesterol levels and it helps to Alkalize the body. 

Ingredients:
2 mangos, finely diced
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 juice of a lime
1/2 cup coriander, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients and serve.

Source: Jesse Schelew

Makes: 4 Cups
Preparation: 20mns
Total time: 30mns

Benefits:
This version of pesto is full of added goodness with the spinach packing in loads of anti-oxidants and extra Iron and folate! Pesto freezes well and will keep for up to three months in the freezer. 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts

4 cups baby spinach leaves

2 cups fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grated rennet-free Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for about 12 minutes, giving them a shake after 6 minutes. Continue roasting until golden brown and toasted. Set aside and allow to cool thoroughly.
2. Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with ice and water and set close to the sink.
3. Dump the spinach and basil into the boiling water and stir. After 1 minute, strain the greens, and plunge them into the bowl with ice water. Drain the greens again and squeeze them tightly to get as much water out as possible. Chop the greens roughly.
4. Combine the greens and walnuts with the salt, olive oil and Parmesan in a food processor and process until a smooth consistency is reached. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired.
   

Source: BBC Food Guide

Benefits: 
Tomatoes are the best source of the magical anti-aging component Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that protects and rejuvenates our skin. 
Lycopene is released in much higher doses in cooked/processed tomatoes then in fresh tomatoes, and one of the best sources is tomato paste.
Basically tomato paste is tomato that has been reduced, reduced again, and then reduced some more! 
Tomato paste is the basis of many stews and soups, and can also be eaten as a spread, for example on bruschetta bread with crumbled Feta cheese and a splash of Olive oil.

Ingredients:
24 Ripe large tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
olive oil

Directions:

1. First score a cross on the bottom of each tomato using a sharp knife. 
   
2. Put the tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes, then drop into ice cold water. After this process, the tomato peel should almost fall off. Pull the remaining peel off the tomatoes. Cut the core out and remove all the seeds.  
   
3. Chop the flesh and measure what you're left with which would normally be around 4 liters. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to each liter.  
4. Place the tomato and salt in a large pot and simmer over a low heat for around 1 hour, stirring often to prevent any catching and burning. 
5. Remove from the heat and press through a fine sieve or process through a food mill. Return the tomatoes to the pot and continue to cook very slowly until the paste holds its shape on a spoon, approximately 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking.
   
6. Finally, spoon into hot sterilized jars, leaving 3cm (1 in) at the top. Slop on a little olive oil to cover and seal. Ensure the lids are vacuum sealed, or the paste will spoil. Alternatively you can fill and freeze ice cube trays and free flow cubes of paste in freezer bags for use later.