Avocado Hummus: A Perfect Spread for Sandwiches!

I made a big mistake. I went a few months without eating an avocado.

I know, I know. It's horrible.

But I must say that going so long without that plant-based, buttery goodness made it taste that much better when I did finally have it again. 

I'm not entirely sure why I went so long without buying them. It could have been my frugal nature or the fact that I'm usually traveling and rarely home. Thankfully my avocado-less streak ended when Brett and I were at my parents house during the first two weeks of May. We landed in Virginia around lunch time and were quite ready for a meal by the time we made it to my parents house. My Dad whipped out stuff for taco salads: lettuce, black beans, salsa, jalapeños and avocado. I quickly made Brett and myself some salads and as soon as I took a bite with a piece of avocado, it was like a choir started singing in my mouth. It was creamy and rich and so flavorful and I couldn't stop saying, "Mmmmmm!" Seriously, it was like buttah.

The rest of the week I put avocado on everything from salad to toast and ate it right of a spoon too. One of the best things I ate was a veggie sandwich where I included both hummus and avocado. It was such an amazing combination. I didn't want it to end. 

That combination got me to thinking, "Why don't I just combine the two myself?" So I did.

This hummus is great with veggies. It's a perfect spread for sandwiches. It also completes a "snack plate" for lunch if you eat it with some Power Seed Crackers or Whole Wheat Rosemary Wheat Thins!

Avocado Hummus

(Makes a big ol' bowl)

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 3/4 cup cooked chickpeas)
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 avocados
• 4 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Using a food processor process the tahini and lemon juice for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process for 30 seconds more. By whipping the tahini and lemon juice, you'll be able to get a really creamy hummus.
2. Add in the olive oil, garlic, cumin and salt and process for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and process 30 more seconds.
3. Add in half the chickpeas and process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add in the remaining chickpeas and process for another 1-2 minutes until as smooth as possible.
4. Add in the avocados. Turn the processor on and slowly add in the water until you get a smooth consistency.
5. Pour the hummus into a bowl and if desired, drizzle with some more olive oil before serving.

Notes: Process found and recipe adapted from here.

Start by whipping the tahini and lemon juice for 1 minute.

Whip everything some more after adding in the olive oil, garlic, cumin and salt.

Add in 1/2 the chickpeas and, you guessed it, whip some more!

Finish by whipping in the avocado and then slowly adding in the water while the processor runs

until you get a really smooth consistency.

Eat Consciously,

Faith

No-Cook Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Jam. Only 4 Ingredients!

My rhubarb obsession is still going strong, especially with summer right around the corner. One of my favorite desserts has always been strawberry rhubarb pie, but until a couple of weeks ago I had never seen rhubarb before or cooked/baked with it. Then when my sister and I were in Ireland, we stopped at the Milk Market in Limerick which is basically a farmers market where tons of vendors come to sell their produce, fresh bread and food. I saw these bright red stalks of something on one of the stands and asked Ruth, "What the heck is that vegetable?" Turns out it was rhubarb and of course my brain started wandering to all the different types of recipes I wanted to try as soon as I got home.

I decided to go with a Strawberry Rhubarb Tart for my first rhubarb recipe and it turned out great. After making the tart, I still had some extra rhubarb leftover and decided to go for some type of jam with chia seeds. This recipe is so simple and healthy and only calls for four ingredients. I put this jam on toast and even in my oatmeal. There is no refined sugar in this jam either. It's a perfect summer spread!

Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Jam

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped rhubarb
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 2 tablespoons agave (or other liquid sweetener)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions:

1. Place all four ingredients in a blender and blend until mostly smooth. You'll want to be able to see the chia seeds and specks of strawberry.
2. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week.
3. That's it! Enjoy on toast, in your oatmeal or straight from the jar.

Notes: Adapted from here.

Eat Consciously,

Faith

Baked Falafel and Vegan Tzatziki Sauce!

Brett and I love trying out foods from all different parts of the world. We'd so much rather eat at a new Indian restaurant or slurp up a big bowl of Pho than eat plain ol' meat at potatoes. It must be all the traveling we've done. Good thing is were walking distance from a bunch of restaurants serving food from all over the world. 

Sometimes though, my frugal nature wants to save money instead of eating out. Thankfully there are now tons of recipes available on the internet for almost any kind of cuisine. So the other day when I was craving some Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food I was able to find a falafel recipe and a vegan tzatziki sauce recipe online, both of which were winners. Now I want to share them with you!

The tzatziki recipe isn't my own and for the falafel I just made a few changes to this recipe that I found on the food network website. The last time I tried making baked falafel they didn't hold together well and never really cooked all the way through. The recipe I used this time had only five star reviews and called for an egg (I used a flax egg) and flour. I knew the flaxseed and flour would help bind all the ingredients together. This recipe is a keeper!

Baked Falafel

(Makes 15 patties)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped parsley
• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• salt to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

Directions:

1. Prepare your flax egg by whisking together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
2. In a food processor, pulse to combine the chickpeas, onion, garlic, spices, parsley, flax egg, lemon juice and salt to taste. Don't pulse too much that a puree forms, but you don't want there to be large chunks either (see picture below).
3. Sprinkle the baking powder and flour overtop of the chickpea mixture and pulse a few more times just until everything is combined. 
4. Pour the chickpea mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
6. Remove the chickpea mixture from the fridge and form 15 patties using about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each patty. I like to roll 2 tablespoons of the chickpea mixture into a firm ball and then slightly flatten it into a patty. 
7. Place the patties on your prepared baking dish. They don't expand while baking so don't worry if they are close together.
8. Bake the patties for 13 minutes, flip them over and then bake for 15 more minutes until both sides of the patties are browned.
9. Serve in pita with hummus and veggies or on top of a big bed of lettuce with my favorite Sweet Tahini Dressing!

In the next week I'll be posting my favorite flat bread recipe. The flat bread is what we ate our falafel and tzatziki on the first night. It was a delicious combination. Check back for the recipe soon!

Another great addition to baked falafel is this Vegan Tzatziki Sauce! I found the recipe on Food.com and was really happy with how it turned out. Instead of using yogurt as the main ingredient, it's made with silken tofu. It makes a ton so you can enjoy it all week long! I've even used it as a salad dressing.

What's your favorite kind of food? 

Do you like to try out new foods or stick with what's familiar?

Eat Consciously,

Faith

WAIW: Cookin' Up a Storm

I've loved being back home in Florida after our week long trip to Texas. I've been able to spend time with friends, see my co-workers, rest, and try out some new recipes. Unfortunately, jet lag hit Brett and I pretty hard yesterday night. He couldn't fall asleep and I couldn't STAY asleep. I woke up at 3:30 AM and was too awake to attempt sleeping any longer. So I just got up. I felt okay for most of the morning and was even able to get a quick 3.5 mile run in before work. But as the day continued, the tiredness started to kick in hard. Like, twitchy eyes, non-stop yawning hard. I even skipped my night class because I knew I would just be miserable and not retain anything our instructor said. Last night wasn't much better either. Hopefully as the week goes on I'll get back on track with sleeping through the night.

Even though sleep hasn't been great, it really has been so fun to be back in the kitchen. So far since Sunday I've made lentil and white bean "meatballs" (they weren't quite post worthy, but I did learn what not to do), chocolate mug cake, date paste for baking, gingerbread cookie oatmeal, acorn squash stuffed with apple-cranberry quinoa, black bean hummus and...wow. Have I really made that many different recipes since Sunday?! Guess so.

It's been a little crazy since I've gotten back home so I won't be sharing an entire day of eats. That will be next week for sure. For today though I'll just share some of my favorite recipe experiments since I've been home. Thanks Jenn for hosting "What I Ate Wednesday"!

Breakfast:

Gingerbread Cookie Oatmeal

Gingerbread Cookie Oatmeal

(Makes 1 serving)

 Ingredients:

· 1 cup water

· 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

· 1/2 banana, thinly sliced

· 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (optional)

· 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

· 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

· 2 teaspoons molasses

· Pinch of salt

· Splash of vanilla extract

· Optional: extra molasses and/or non-dairy milk

Directions:

1.  Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.

2. Add the oatmeal, banana and flaxseed and reduce the heat to medium. With a whisk, vigorously stir the mixture until the banana is whipped into the oats. Let cook for about 3 minutes.

3. Add in the cinnamon, ginger, molasses, salt and vanilla and whisk a little more.

4. Let cook a couple more minutes until it’s reached your desired consistency.

5. Top with a little more molasses and some milk and dig in!

Snacks and Sweets:

Spicy Black Bean Hummus
Black beans pureed with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cilantro and spices.
This stuff is awesome with veggies or spread on a wrap.

Chocolate Mug Cake
I had this as an afternoon snack the other day.
So delicious.

Date Paste
I made this as a natural sweetener for my morning oats and smoothies.
And today I used it to make...

Cookie Dough Hummus
I ate some with an apple today.
Still can't believe the main ingredient is beans!
I'll post my adaption to this recipe soon.

Looks like I've had a bit of a sweet tooth lately...

Happy Wednesday!

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Spicy Black Bean Hummus (Oil-Free)

I got home late last night after being in Texas for the past week. It was a great trip, but I'm so glad to be home. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do - which is good, because it's a major part of my job - but some things get old after a while.

For example: I love getting to sleep in huge, comfy hotel beds, but there's nothing that compares to sleeping in your own bed. I love getting to spend time in climates other than Florida's hot and humid air, but it's hard to pack well for colder temperatures. I love getting to try out different restaurants and eat a wide variety of ethnic foods, but after a while I just want to cook my own food. And that's all I've been doing my first day home it seems! I feel like a little girl who just opened an American Girl Doll for Christmas. I'm that excited to start whipping up some new concoctions. Just today I made some date paste for baking, spicy black bean hummus and an iron rich chocolate mug cake. I'll share all these recipes soon, but for now I'll start with Spicy Black Bean Hummus.

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

 Ingredients:

· 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

· 2 tablespoons tahini

· 2 tablespoons lemon juice

· 1 large garlic clove, minced

· 1 teaspoon cumin

· 1/2 teaspoon paprika

· 1/4 teaspoon (or less) red chili powder

· 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

· 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food process and process on high until smooth.

2. Serve with chopped veggies, tortilla chips or use as a spread in a veggie wrap!

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Edamame Pesto (Oil and Nut Free)

Wow.

Wow!

That's what I kept saying while I was sneaking taste tests of this pesto as I made it last night. I was so surprised at how closely it tasted like classic pesto, even without all the oil and nuts. Even better, this pesto is chalk-full of protein and is as easy to make as pushing a button - seriously that's really all it takes. 

As I continue to buy and experiment with new ingredients, I amazed at all the easy ways there are to get protein other than meat and dairy. While a bowl of pasta and pesto isn't everyone's first idea of a protein packed meal, if you eat 1/4 of this recipe you'll get more than 10 grams of protein. Not too shabby. 

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Edamame Pesto

(Makes 4 –6 servings)

 Ingredients:

· 1 cup packed basil

· 2 cloves garlic

· 1 14 oz. frozen bag of shelled edamame, thawed

· 1/2—3/4 cup vegetable broth

· 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

· 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

· 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Place the basil and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the basil is well chopped.

2. Add in the remaining ingredients and process until relatively smooth, occasionally stopping to push down the mixture from the sides of the processor with a spatula.

3. Serve with pasta or use as a spread for sandwiches!

Notes: Adapted from here.

Such a beautiful, bright green.

I ate my pesto with wheat linguine and sauteed mushrooms. Mmm.

You can use it as a spread on a veggie sandwich.

Or add it to some raw "pasta" using zucchini and carrots that have been peeled into long, thin strips!

Nutrition for 1/6: Cals: 91; Fat: 2g; Carbs: 9.5; Fiber: 4.1g; Sugars: 0g; Protein: 7g

Eat Consciously,

     Faith

Homemade Almond Butter

I've always known that peanut butter is made from peanuts and almond butter is made from almonds. Duh. But who knew that with a little patience it could be so easy to make on your own AND that by making your own nut butter at home you can control what goes into your nut butter. Beautiful revelation.

The other day I wanted to make Cranberry Orange Biscotti, but the recipe called for almond butter, which I didn't have. Then I realized that this would be the perfect time to try to make my own almond butter. Thankfully I had some roasted almonds in my cupboard and the time to make it. I don't know if I'll ever buy nut butter from the store again.

Homemade Almond Butter

1 1/2 - 2 cups almonds (roasted or plain)
Sea Salt (optional)

To make your own nut butter you'll need a good food processor...and some patience.
Place all the almonds in your food processor and process on high. (Make sure you process on high, or otherwise this process will take an hour instead of 15 minutes. I learned the hard way and my food processor even died for a couple of minutes because I had been working it so hard!)

After a couple of minutes, your almonds will turn into a course meal and will eventually get finer after a few more minutes.

 

As you continue processing the almonds, stop your processor every couple of minutes or so to push down the sides and make sure that all of the almonds are getting processed. Soon you'll be able to see a subtle paste begin to form on the bottom of your processor. But keep going!



After about 15 minutes or high processing and the occasional pushing down of the sides, you'll start to get almond butter! At this time you can add your seas salt if you desire, which is so delicious.



Ah, pure almond butter. Made a home. No added ingredients. Mmmmm.



I used a little less than 1 1/2 cups of almonds and it almost filled a small mason jar. I hope you try it out. It's so easy and pure, you won't regret it!

Eat Consciously,

     Faith