Sunday 17 June 2018

35 Delicious Coconut Flour Recipes to Try ASAP

Ambitious Kitchen
35 Delicious Coconut Flour Recipes to Try ASAP

Delicious coconut flour recipes that make the best, healthy treats. Many of these coconut flour recipes are gluten free and paleo, so they’re perfect for sharing with loved ones who have dietary restrictions. From cookies and bars to muffins and even healthy burgers, everyone loves these recipes! Hellooo and welcome to the world of coconut [...]

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Cookie and Kate
17 Easy & Healthy Side Dishes

17 easy and healthy side dish recipes

Barbecue season is upon us and it’s blazing hot outside, so I’ve rounded up a selection of my favorite simple side dish recipes. The best part? You won’t need to turn on the recipe for a single one. Hooray!

You’ll find fun, crisp, cooling side dishes below. All of the recipes are vegetarian (many are vegan and/or gluten free as well), so they’re particularly potluck-friendly. Regardless of your own dietary preferences, these recipes will balance out heavier fare and freshen up your plate.

This simple quinoa salad is perfect for packed lunches! cookieandkate.com

1) Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Quinoa Salad

Gluten free and vegan

“This is a great recipe! I’ve made it twice for two different groups, and everyone likes it. It’s easy, and alternative ingredients can be used, so there can be variety each time it’s made.” – Karen

Continue to the recipe...

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A Sweet Pea Chef
How to Make Hummus + 4 Easy Hummus Recipes
How to Make Hummus + 4 Easy Hummus Recipes

Learn how to make your favorite dip at home with my tips for How To Make Hummus and enjoy 4 Easy Hummus Recipes!

How To Make Hummus + 4 Easy Hummus Recipes | Learn how to make your favorite dip at home with my tips for How To Make Hummus and enjoy 4 Easy Hummus Recipes! | A Sweet Pea Chef

Hi, I’m Lacey and I used to not like hummus. Yes, I was probably one of the very few people who didn’t fancy scooping up this hearty, savory dip with a piece of pita bread or dipping veggies into it. Boy, how the times have changed!

I feel like I lost out on so much hummus in my life.  Don’t make the same mistake I did!

Think hummus is tricky or difficult to make?  Well, let me show you how making hummus is actually super easy plus I’ll also 4 of my favorite easy hummus recipes. Grab your food processors, let’s do this!

An overhead image of two large servings of Homemade Hummus including a bowl of Avocado Hummus garnished with chickpeas and red pepper flakes and a bowl of Sweet Potato Hummus garnished with fresh parsley, and an array of dipping options laid out on the table including carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, sliced bell peppers, green beans, edamame, black bean chips, simple naked pita chips and tortilla chips.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HUMMUS

Making hummus at home is far easier than one might think. Although there are some many varieties you can buy in your local store these days, I still prefer to make it at home because it’s simple, packed with all the ingredients that are good for you, and no additives.

Chickpeas

To start off, you will need a food processor of some sort in order to process and blend all the ingredients into a smooth, delicious dip. Hummus is traditionally made with chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans), and although it’s great if you can cook them yourself, store-bought canned chickpeas are a far easier and equally good option.

Tahini

To give your hummus that earthy, slightly bitter flavor, you will also need tahini, the paste made of ground sesame seeds.  Think of it like a peanut butter but with sesame seeds — which is why it’s typically right by the nut butters in the grocery store.

The beauty of hummus is that it’s so versatile so you can add all the spices and other flavors you like. In this post, I’ve shared 4 easy hummus recipes so you can give them a try.

An overhead image of a food processor with all the ingredients for Avocado Hummus including drained canned chickpeas, avocado slices, a clove of garlic, tahini, cumin, olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt and ground black pepper.

HOW TO MAKE HUMMUS WITHOUT TAHINI

Although tahini can be easily found in just about any grocery store, if you find yourself without any, there’s no need to panic. Hummus can easily be made without tahini and it will still be the beautiful creamy dip we all love so much.

If you’d still like your hummus to have that recognizable sesame taste to it, you can add toasted sesame oil or ground up some sesame seeds to the mix.

You can also substitute tahini with all natural peanut butter as well. The final product won’t taste exactly the same, but will serve as a great dip, nonetheless.

An overhead image of a food processor with the ingredients for the Sweet Potato Hummus including a large sweet potato, peeled and cut into large pieces, 2 cloves of garlic, pure tahini, sea salt and lemon juice. HOW TO MAKE HUMMUS WITHOUT A FOOD PROCESSOR

This classic chickpea dip was here long before the food processor. Although kitchen gadgets help a lot, you can still make homemade hummus even if you don’t own a food processor or a blender. It will take some more time, but as soon as you get that first bite, you’ll know it was all worth it!

To make hummus without a food processor, you will need to use either a simple potato masher, a mortar or pestle or even a plain old fork. Whatever you choose to go with, microwaving your chickpeas will make them easier to mash. Just put your chickpeas in a microwave-safe bowl and place in a microwave for about 30 seconds. Drain them afterward, but keep the excess liquid as you may need it.

IS HUMMUS HEALTHY?

Nothing feels better than dipping a piece of freshly baked pita bread into a bowl of hummus. Not only is dipping good for your soul, it’s also good for your body, especially if you’re making this chickpea-based dip at home and have the control over its ingredients.

Chickpeas are high in iron and vitamin B, and are also a great source of protein and fiber. Hummus is a nutrient-dense food and is pretty low in calories, in comparison to other dips. Just like everything else, it’s all about balance. You can easily incorporate hummus into your clean eating plan, especially when making hummus at home from scratch.

So — yea — homemade hummus, prepared from real, clean ingredients is healthy and definitely good for you!

An overhead image of a food processor with all the ingredients for Beet Hummus including cooked, cubed beets, drained canned chickpeas, one garlic clove, tahini, ground cumin, lemon zest and sea salt.

HOW LONG DOES HUMMUS LAST?

Well, in our household, it’s for about an hour, two tops! But, feel free to make a big batch of this savory dip because hummus, if stored properly, will easily last up to a week in the fridge. Served with crunchy, fresh veggies like bell peppers, carrots or celery sticks, hummus serves as a great snack that you can meal prep for the busy week ahead.

HOW TO STORE HUMMUS

Before storing your hummus in the fridge, make sure you always place it in an air-tight container. I also like to drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top. Not only will olive oil keep your hummus moist, but it will also help protect it from any air it would otherwise have to contend with. You don’t need a lot of olive oil to protect your hummus from drying out in the fridge, just enough to make a thin layer on top.

An overhead image of a food processor with all the ingredients for Black Bean Hummus including drained and rinsed black beans, diced jalapeno pepper, two garlic cloves, cilantro, cumin, paprika, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice and sea salt.

CAN YOU FREEZE FRESHLY MADE HUMMUS?

I have some good news for you! Go ahead and make as much as you can because freshly made homemade hummus freezes well. To make sure your all-time favorite dip lasts up to 6 months in the freezer and tastes wonderfully creamy and rich when you decide to serve it, just follow my tips for freezing homemade hummus.

If you have a lot of hummus you’d like to freeze and enjoy on a later date, I suggest you always divide it in smaller airtight freezer containers rather than freezing it in just one. Hummus takes up more volume when frozen so always take that into consideration and don’t fill up your container all the way to the top.

Before placing the containers of homemade hummus in the freezer, drizzle the top with a little bit of olive oil to create a thin layer that will help keep all the moisture in.

Defrost your hummus in the fridge for 24 hours. Hummus tastes best at room temperature when all the rich flavors come through best. Taking your hummus out of the fridge half an hour before serving will result is a creamy, scrumptious dip we all love so much!

An overhead image of four glass bowls, each containing a different kind of Homemade Hummus including a bowl of Avocado Hummus, garnished with chickpeas and red pepper flakes, a bowl of Beet Hummus garnished with crumbled feta cheese and fresh parsley, a bowl of Sweet Potato Hummus garnished with fresh parsley and a bowl of Black Bean Hummus garnished with cilantro, jalapenos and cayenne.

4 Easy Hummus Recipes

There are numerous variations (just keep reading!), but your basic hummus recipe typically calls for nothing more than chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, ground cumin, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice.  For a great original hummus recipe, check out my Homemade Hummus post.  Below are four of my absolute favorite hummus recipes.  I hope you enjoy them!

AVOCADO HUMMUS

Get the best of both worlds and instead of choosing between guacamole and hummus, make Avocado Hummus. This dip is packed with all the healthy fats and deliciousness!

An overhead image of a bowl of Homemade Avocado Hummus made from avocado, canned chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic, fresh lime juice, cumin, salt and ground black pepper, garnished with red pepper flakes and chickpeas.

Avocado Hummus

Get the best of both worlds and instead of choosing between guacamole and hummus, make Avocado Hummus. This dip is packed with all the healthy fats and deliciousness!

1 15 oz can chickpeas 2 medium ripe avocados 3 tbsp olive oil, (plus more for serving) 1 tbsp tahini 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice 1 clove garlic 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 tsp ground cumin crushed red pepper flakes, (optional garnish)

Add all ingredients (minus garnish) to food processor.

Blend for one minute or so until it’s smooth.

Garnish this avocado hummus with crushed red pepper flakes and chickpeas and a drizzle of olive oil.

BEET HUMMUS

The super creamy and colorful Beet Hummus couldn’t be easier to make. Cooked beets accentuate that earthy flavor even more making this dip seriously addictive!

An overhead image of a bowl of Homemade Beet Hummus made from cooked chickpeas, beets, tahini, lemon juice, ground cumin, garlic, lemon zest and sea salt, garnished with crumbled feta, fresh parsley and a slice of lemon.

Beet Hummus

The super creamy and colorful Beet Hummus couldn’t be easier to make. Cooked beets accentuate that earthy flavor even more making this dip seriously addictive!

1 cup chickpeas, (cooked) 1 1/2 cups beets, (cooked* and cubed (approx. 4 medium beets)) 2 tsp lemon zest 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tbsp tahini 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 clove garlic 1/4 tsp sea salt crumbled feta and fresh parsley, (for garnish)

Add all ingredients into a food processor

Process until very smooth.

Top with crumbled feta and fresh parsley

* To cook the beets, place the beets in a small saucepan, and cover with water. Cover and bring water to boil over high heat. Simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes, until the beets are tender. Drain and let cool.  Then peel using a vegetable peeler or a paring knife.

SWEET POTATO HUMMUS

No chickpeas? No problem! Switch it up and use cooked sweet potato as a base for your hummus. I promise you’ll keep coming back for more!

An overhead image of a bowl of Homemade Sweet Potato Hummus made from sweet potato, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and sea salt, garnished with fresh parsley and drizzled with olive oil.

Sweet Potato Hummus

No chickpeas? No problem! Switch it up and use cooked sweet potato as a base for this Sweet Potato Hummus dip. I promise you’ll keep coming back for more!

1 large sweet potato, (cooked and peeled (approx. 3 cups)) 2 cloves garlic 3 tbsp tahini 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice chopped parsley, paprika, and olive oil, (for garnish)

Add all the ingredients (minus the garnish) to a food processor.

Blend until smooth.

To serve, top it with some fresh parsley, paprika, and a little sea salt. I love a little drizzle of olive oil over my hummus as well – it adds to the flavor and texture.

BLACK BEAN HUMMUS

Spice things up with Black Bean Hummus made with jalapeños and cilantro. This hummus dip is bursting with flavor with just the right amount of heat.

An overhead image of a bowl of Homemade Black Bean Hummus made from black beans, jalapeno pepper, garlic, cilantro, cumin, paprika, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice and sea salt garnished with slices of jalapeno pepper, cilantro and cayenne.

Black Bean Hummus

Spice things up with Black Bean Hummus made with jalapenos and cilantro. This dip is bursting with flavor with just the right amount of heat.

15 oz. can black beans, (drained and rinsed) 1 jalapeño, (diced and seeds removed) 1/4 cup cilantro 1/2 tsp sea salt 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp paprika 1 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice cilantro, cayenne pepper, and jalapeño, (for garnish)

Add all ingredients except for garnish to a food processor.

Blend this all together for a minute or so until it’s smooth.

Garnish this spicy black bean hummus with a little more cilantro, jalapeno, and cayenne.

This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.

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