Green Herbed Hummus

Dave and I are huge hummus fans.  We eat a quart of hummus just about every week.  Our top favorites are this recipe for Green Herbed Hummus, Roasted Garlic Hummus, and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (the classics, right?).  We also rotate in Beet Hummus, Zucchini Hummus, and Broccoli Hummus when we need a break from the chickpeas.

Hummus is a great snack or component to a fabulous lunch!  Full of protein, good fats, antioxidants, it provides you with fuel! :)  We'll eat with zucchini and celery sticks or served over a bed of spinach.  Mmm mmm good!

Green Herbed Hummus
Makes About 2 cups

2 cups of organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp raw almond butter
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
6 fresh basil leaves
1 organic scallion, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh dill
1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil

In a food processor or blender, add all ingredients except olive oil.  Pulse until slightly combined.  Run on High speed and stream in olive oil until combined.  Refrigerate 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to mix.

Chickpea Stuffed Cucumber Cups

At a party a while back (it was a cocktail party, I had to wear a dress, which I don't necessarily enjoy so to distract my mind from the uncomfortableness, I focused in on the food tables looking for ideas!), they had these little things I thought were hummus stuffed sushi.  I took a bite, but to my surprise they were hummus stuffed cucumbers!  What a delight!  So...here's my take on this cute little appetizer.  I've adapted this recipe from one in my not always so healthy for you Better Homes & Gardens cookbook for Asian inspired deviled eggs.  These make great snacks or appetizers for your own party!

Chickpea Stuffed Cucumber Cups
Makes 12

2 organic cucumbers
1 cup organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 inch of fresh ginger root, finely grated
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
a dash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper (optional)
1 Tbsp white miso paste OR Healing Cuisine Mayonnaise
Fresh black pepper to taste

1.)  Start by cleaning and slicing the cucumbers into 1 1/2 inch thick coins.  Hallow out the centers using a melon baller or small spoon, leaving a little at the bottom of the cucumber so the filling doesn't leak thru.

2.) Throw all the remaining ingredients into the food processor or blender and puree (including the scooped out cucumber seeds!).  When it’s mostly smooth, spoon (or use a piping bag) filling into the cucumber cups.  Refrigerate two hours before serving.  If you have leftovers, try it spooned over a salad or as a spread for a sandwich or wrap!

Experiment with flavors!!  ... curry?  mint?  roasted garlic?  You can also stuff with various salads (egg salad, salmon salad, chicken salad, black eyed pea salad...etc).  Another idea is using raw zucchini cups instead of cucumber.   So many possibilities!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Makes About 6 Servings (multiplied by 5 for the party)

12 oz organic sodium free garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 organic red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 Tbsp chopped red onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tahini

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  You may have to stop to scrape down the ingredients a few times.  Serve immediately with fresh veggies or on a salad.  Store the rest covered, in the refrigerator for a few days.

Beet Hummus (GUEST POST!)

This recipe comes from my lovely friend Lyra, who is a fellow Maximized Living wife.  Lyra always has awesome recipes, check out her Shamrock Shake HERE.  She must know I'm a hummus junky as she sent along this recipe.  Give it a try!  I eat it spread over sprouted bread or with zucchini sticks!  I'm thinking this will be a great recipe to share at Valentine's Day or Mother's Day parties/appreciation days -- pink dip!  :)

Beet Hummus
Makes about 2 cups

4 beets, rinsed, cooked, peeled, and cubed
3 Tbsp raw tahini
5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin
Sea salt to taste
Fresh black pepper to taste

1.)  How To Steam Beets:  Wash and scrub each beet and trim stalks and roots to 1 inch, leaving skins intact.  Place steamer above salted water (add about a tsp sea salt to the water).  Bring to a boil in a saucepan or pot.  Arrange cleaned whole beets in the steamer, cover, and cook for about 45 minutes or until tender.
 Remove from heat, plunge beets quickly into ice water.  The skins can then be removed easily with a damp cloth and your fingers.

2.)  Once your beets are ready, give them a rough chop and add them to your food processor. Add all other ingredients to food processor and pulse until smooth.  Taste and adjust texture and seasoning as needed.  Eat right away or store in fridge for up to 4 days.

Zucchini Hummus

So I recently went in to have my allergies, among other things, tested naturally by my naturopath, and my results showed I cannot do garbanzo beans anymore.  I'm SO SAD!  (But at the same time excited to know what my issues are to help some hormonal issues heal up..)  Since I am absolutely addicted to hummus, I needed another option for making it.  I've had zucchini hummus before at a raw restaurant here, called Ecopolitan, and really liked it, so I decided to blend some up at home.  Using zucchini as the base for hummus will make it much easier to digest rather than using the traditional garbanzo beans.  Even if you don't have a food allergy to chick peas, give it a try -- you will be pleasantly surprised.  :)

Zucchini Hummus
Makes About 3 Cups

2 raw organic zucchinis, chopped
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt (more/less to taste)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 cup raw tahini
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup raw sesame seeds

First, soak the sesame seeds for about 4 hours in a bowl of water to soften them.  Drain seeds in a mesh strainer (discarding the water) and dump all ingredients into food processor or blender.  Blend on High speed stopping frequently to scrape down sides.

Homemade Guacamole

Did you know that making your own, fresh guacamole could be so easy and so worth it?  Homemade guac has a much more intense flavor than the store bought variety -- and it's cheaper if you make it yourself, too!  Guacamole is a great condiment in place of ranch dressing, chip dips, or sometimes even ketchup or mustard!  Sometimes we even like to mix it with hummus while we enjoy our fresh veggies.  :) 

Homemade Guacamole

2 avocados
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 organic tomato, diced
Sea salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
Cumin to taste

Optional ingredients to taste:
1/3 cup green or red onion, diced
2-3 radishes, diced
4 stems of cilantro, chopped
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Cut avocados in half (long way), take out pits.  Spoon out avocados into a large bowl and mash with a fork to desired consistency.  Add lime juice, finely minced garlic and all other diced vegetables.  Add seasonings to taste.  Mix together and put the seeds in the bowl to prevent the avocados from turning brown.  Refrigerate and serve with a favorite vegetable (bell peppers, cucumbers, celery).

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Hummus is a great snack and can be used in quite a few ways.  The most popular is with pita chips or vegetables as a dip.  One of our favorite ways is on top of crisp, organic spring greens for simple yet filling lunch.  We've also been known to slather the middle of a whole grain pita with leftover hummus then stuff full of organic sprouts, avocado and tomatoes -- yum!

However you enjoy it, hummus is a healthy alternative to mayo, ranch, or other condiments or dips.  It is high in protein, moderate in calories, includes Omega-3s from the olive oil, and is rich in B vitamins and many vital minerals.
This is by far our favorite way to prepare hummus.  Roasting the garlic brings out its nutty and sweet flavor and cuts down on the sharpness.  It's well worth the time!  Try it, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Roasted Garlic Hummus
Makes 8 Servings

2 cups organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp organic tahini (a paste made from ground sesame seeds, found in the ethnic food section of your grocery store)
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup warm filtered water
1 entire head of garlic (more/less to taste)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1.)  Preheat oven to 375°F.  Cut off the very top of the garlic head (about 1/4") so that the tops of most of the cloves are exposed slightly.  Coat with a little olive oil and wrap securely in aluminum foil.  Roast garlic in oven for 1 hour.  Remove and allow to cool.

2.)  Using your fingers, squeeze the soft, roasted garlic out of each clove into food processor or blender.  Rinse and drain cooked or canned chickpeas.  Add them, and all other ingredients, to the food processor and blend until completely smooth.

3.)  Scrape ingredients off sides of food processor to make sure it blends evenly.  If you find that the hummus is too thick, you can add additional olive oil.  Add it slowly, allowing the mixture to combine fully before adding more liquid.  Hummus can get watered down quickly and then it's too late, so be patient with this step.

4.)  Serve at room temperature with a drizzle of olive oil over top.  Fresh organic veggies are the perfect pair!