Baby Carrots with Walnut Feta Dip | Cheese | Recipes | Health Benefits

By | June 16, 2010

Baby Carrots with Walnut Feta Dip

No. of Servings: makes 1 to 2 servings
Preparation time: 2 to 3 hours
Cooking time: nil

Ingredients:
2 cups non fat yogurt
3 ounces or ¾ cup of feta cheese
3 to 4 baby carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, chopped roughly
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon hot sauce

Method for preparing the Baby Carrots with Walnut Feta Dip:

  • Take 2 cups of plain nonfat yogurt in a meshed sieve that has been lined with a coffee filter.
  • Let this yogurt stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
  • Then discard the liquid that is collected and proceed to spoon the thickened yogurt that is left in the sieve, into a small bowl.
  • Add ¾ cup or the 3 ounces of crumbled and minced Feta cheese, the 2 cloves of garlic that are diced, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped roasted walnuts, ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, and approximately ¼ teaspoon of hot sauce.
  • Mix the ingredients well in a bowl. Then cover with a plastic wrap or a foil and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours to allow the flavors to blend well.
  • This quantity makes about 1½ cups. This dip can be served with the baby carrots additionally; you can use cherry tomatoes, or whole wheat pita bread for variety.

Health tips:

  • This is an easy way to obtain protein, calcium and mono saturated fat. A serving of 150 grams of feta cheese contains about 396 calories.
  • Feta cheese is a good source of riboflavin, protein, calcium, phosphorus and Vitamin B12. However it is also very high in cholesterol, saturated fat and very high in sodium.
  • Feta cheese is a great option to be used over cheddar cheese as it contains one third of the calories that cheddar cheese has while still containing the perfect cheesy taste.
  • Feta cheese as compared to cheddar cheese contains a third less of the fats that cheddar contains. The great bit about feta cheese is that it takes only a small quantity of it to impart that lovely cheese taste.
  • Studies have shown that eating 5 portions of dairy products daily result in greater loss of abdominal fat and also that eating high quantities of calcium in ones diet can actually lead to fat breakdown and decrease the quantity of fat being stored by the body.
  • Carrots are a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, potassium, folic acid, thiamine, magnesium and copper. It helps the skin, nails, hair and in lowering cholesterol and one’s blood pressure.