YliaMir Healty

If you crave the crispy saltiness of French fries, this easy vegan sweet potato fries recipe provides a lower-in-fat substitute that will satisfy your craving—without the mess of deep frying, Discerning foodies may even notice this kind of recipe popping up on dinner menus in trendy gastropubs, complete with fancy dipping sauces served on the side. This recipe is straightforward, but tastes restaurant-worthy.

For a twist on the ordinary—and when you don't feel like toting your family to an expensive restaurant— try this quick-to-prepare vegan and gluten-free recipe (and make sure to forego prepared seasoning salts). Or, work this dish into your next barbeque menu, whether you're pleasing guests with food restrictions or trying to expose your kids to different tastes. Either way, you won't have leftovers. Promise.

Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash cayenne pepper, optional
Coconut or vegetable oil cooking spray

Kids love pita bread pizza. Just set up pita loaves, sauce, and your toppings buffet style, and allow your kids' imagination to take over. All you have to do is bake the end product and you will have the perfect appetizer or snack!

We highly recommend using these pita pizzas for after-school snacks, sleepovers, Friday night movies or just whenever your kids need a quick pick-me-up in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients
4 to 6 white or whole wheat pita rounds
1 cup pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Veggies, cooked meats, and cheeses, for toppings

Chocolate-dipped pretzels are so easy to make, it's no wonder they're a classic! The combination of sweet chocolate and salty, crunchy pretzels is fantastic, and there is an infinite number of ways you can customize this recipe. You can use any pretzels you want, but we recommend large pretzel rods or twists since they are faster to make and look great when packaged as a gift.

Try topping your chocolate-covered pretzels with nuts, coconut, M&M's, a caramel drizzle, or anything else you can dream up!

Ingredients
12 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate, or chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening, optional
24 pretzel rods, or large pretzel twists
Assorted sprinkles, small candies, or crushed nuts, for decoration, optional

Hummus is probably one of the best known Middle Eastern foods due to its popularity worldwide. The chickpea-based dip can be found in most conventional grocery stores in North America and on many non-Middle Eastern restaurant menus.

The word hummus comes from the Egyptian word for chickpeas, the typical primary ingredient, although lots of other beans can be used instead. Variations of the modern-day hummus recipe can be found as early as the 13th century in Egyptian cookbooks.

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Hummus is typically served as part of an appetizer (or mezze) tray alongside falafel, eggplant, and tahini sauce. Fresh or toasted pita bread, as well as vegetables, can be dipped into it. It also makes a filling and nutritious snack.

It's often flavored with spices, such as cumin or sumac, and can be served garnished with olive oil, chopped tomatoes, cucumber slices, parsley or cilantro, chickpeas, and pine nuts.

The ready availability of the ingredients to make hummus is partly responsible for its popularity in countries like Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. And, its compatibility with both meat and dairy makes it suitable for Jewish dietary laws and, therefore, popular in Israel.

Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) can of chickpeas
1/4 cup liquid from the can of chickpeas
3 to 5 tablespoons lemon juice, depending on taste
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Handful of fresh parsley leaves, optional garnish

Ham roll-ups are an easy, three-ingredient pinwheel-shaped appetizer, or one-bite savory snack, that's made from sliced deli ham, your favorite spreadable cheese, and pickle spears. They're a party favorite especially in the Midwest.

These pinwheels can be prepared the night before an event and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Just make sure you don't skip the step of blotting dry the pickle spears with paper towels. This will help keep the pinwheels from getting soggy.

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Yes, you can make the roll-ups in advance. Preparing them the night before can save you time on the day of your event. No more panicking as your guests arrive! Just make sure not to cut the pinwheels into pieces until just before you're ready to serve them.

Ingredients
16 slices deli ham, about 1 pound
8 ounces whipped cream cheese
16 pickle spears