Hummus

Hi everyone! Are you looking for a quick, easy and healthy snack? May I suggest some hummus? You won't believe how easy hummus is to make, and the variations are endless.

What is hummus? Plain and simple, it's a bean dip. It can be eaten with veggies, bagel chips, whole grain crackers, pita bread, etc.

For those of you who have tried store bought hummus and found it not to your liking, I would encourage you to try these recipes. I know they will change your mind about hummus!

Here are my 3 favorites to get you started...

Traditional Hummus:

2 cloves garlic

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans

4 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp tahini

1 tsp salt

black pepper to taste

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Put all the ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth. Add additional EVOO to get the desired consistency. (I always add more to make it smoother).

Black Bean Hummus:

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp Thousand Island dressing

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Place all ingredients into a food processor and puree until smooth.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Italian Red Feta Hummus: (my favorite)

1/2 cup roasted red pepper (from jar)

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 4-oz container tomato basil feta cheese

1 Tbsp EVOO

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. There will be bits of feta in the hummus. Chill for several hours or overnight to let the flavors blend. Also good served hot.

Makes 2 cups.

* I have found that with any of the hummus recipes, it always taste best if it has time to chill so that the flavors have time to blend.

Snack away!

Black Bean Taco Bake

This recipe was given to me by a coworker a couple of years ago and has become a family favorite. I have made some changes to the original recipe... The original recipe is made with meat, but was a piece of cake to make into a meatless main dish. I hope you and your family enjoy this as much as our family does.

Black Bean Taco Bake:

1 can (15 oz) black beans, undrained

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, undrained - or kidney beans

1 package (1.25 ounces) taco seasoning

1/2 cup chunky salsa

1 cup Monterrey Jack or Cheddar Cheese (I've used mozzarella too)

1 cup broken up tortilla chips

diced onion, tomato, avocado

sour cream (optional)

jalapeno peppers (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, combine beans, taco seasoning, and salsa and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a 9"x13" baking dish, sprinkle on cheese and tortilla chips and place in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven.

Once out of the oven, top with diced onion, tomato and avocado on top.

You may also add sour cream, jalapeno peppers and a touch of additional salsa as you like.

Makes about 4 - 6 servings.

Add a simple lettuce salad on the side, and you're set to go.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal

This is one of my favorite breakfasts. Before I met my husband, you couldn't get me to eat oatmeal. Not anymore....

It's simple:

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 - 1 cup blueberries (or other fruit)

milk

walnuts, slivered almonds, or pumpkin seeds

cinnamon

Put oatmeal in cereal bowl and just cover with water. Microwave for 3 minutes. Take out of the microwave and add blueberries and milk (enough milk to get desired consistency for you). If you are using frozen blueberries, put back in the microwave for about 45 seconds.

Next, stir in cinnamon and some nuts. Enjoy!

If you really don't like oatmeal - you can make a quick, easy, and healthy breakfast by adding some berries and nuts to a high fiber cereal such as All Bran. Read the labels and watch for all that added sugar. If corn syrup is listed as an ingredient - put it back!

Watercress and Avocado Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

This recipe was a hit last night. The bell peppers on the grill were fabulous as well. The bean burger wasn't such a hit though. :( The search for a good non-meat "burger"continues.....

Here is the recipe for the salad. I hope you enjoy.

2 bunches fresh watercress, hand shredded

1/2 medium red onion, cut into very thin half-moon slices

1/3 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, blanched for 30 seconds

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Basil Vinaigrette:

4 Tbsp EVOO

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp brown rice syrup (you could use a different sweetener if you want)

1/2 tsp sea salt

Generous pinch cracked black pepper

1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil leaves

2 oranges, peeled and segmented

Combine watercress, red onion and corn in a bowl. Lay avocado slices on a plate and drizzle with lemon juice to preserve color. (I skipped this part).

Make vinaigrette: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until emulsified. (Could it be any simpler?)

To serve: Add vinaigrette to salad and toss to coat. Add avocados and orange segments on top of individual salads and serve. (Serves 4)

Enjoy!

**So perhaps you are wondering what Brown Rice Syrup is and where you find it and why use would want to use it. Well, here's the scoop. First, it can easily be found in the health food department of your local grocery store.

Brown Rice Syrup is a alternative to other sweeteners, and can be used in place of sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses, corn syrup or any of those artificial sweeteners on the market.

Why would you want to use brown rice syrup instead of those mentioned above? First of all, it is natural and second of all, it is a complex carbohydrate rather than a simple sugar. Why does it matter if it's complex carbohydrate? It's all about the Glycemic Index (GI), which is all about what affect a food has on your blood sugars. Simple sugars have a higher GI and cause blood sugars to spike and then crash - not a good thing. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates are released slowly into the blood stream, so you don't have the "spike and crash" affect.

For more information about this check out this website: http://www.fitsugar.com/Glycemic-Index-Where-Do-Sweeteners-Fall-3031565

Until next time....Eat well, Live well, Be kind.