Squash and Red Lentil Dal Hummus

I have been in love with a red lentil dish that I make as of lately.  It is dal with roasted squash, and the flavors are so warming and perfect for a cool evening with rice!  I decided to make some hummus today and was thinking that my squash dal's flavors and ingredients would be perfect in the spread!  So I cooked off some lentils, combined them with some squash puree I had on hand, and some ginger, garlic, tumeric, and cumin, as well as a little chipotle for heat!  The hummus was delicious!  Such a warming and exotic flavor compared to the usual hummus I have made in the past!  It is wonderful with veggies, but even better with toasted pita chips!  I spread some on a veggie wrap I was having for dinner nd it was wonderful!  If you are a hummus lover, but don't like how long beans take to cook for it you should try this! 

Squash and Red Lentil Dal Hummus

Makes 6 cups

1 cup red lentils
2 1/2 cups water

4 cups buttercup squash puree

1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
1 tsp dried ginger
2 tsp ground tumeric
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried chipotle pepper or cayenne (depending on how spicy you like it)
3 garlic cloves, minced

Combine lentils and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cook until lentils are soft and almost mushy.  Remove from heat and cool slightly, then pour into a food processor, along with all other ingredients and process until smooth. Serve with chips or veggies for dipping!

Sweets N Beets...

Today I was going to make hummus...and I had been at work.  Kind of silly how I day dream about recipes instead of other things I could be doing, but I suppose, since I work in a health food store, I am looking at food a lot!  I was feeling rather uninspired in the realm of hummus.  I didn't want the usual flavors such as plain garlic, or roasted red pepper.  Now, don't get me wrong, those flavors are delicious, but I was in an exotic sort of mood.  I randomly walked by the Terra chips, which are delicious with hummus by the way, and the "Sweets & Beets" variety caught my eye.  Suddenly it dawned on me...sweets and beet hummus!  I had used beets in hummus before, and they gave it a lovely pink hue, but didn't add much flavor.  Sweet potatoes however, would add a sweet flavor, and their colors together would be beautiful!  So when I got home, I whipped up this concoction, using white beans as the base, and the usuals for hummus, olive oil, lemon and cumin, with a bit of chipotle for kick, and of couse lots of garlic!  I changed it up by using some almond butter instead of the traditional tahini, because I love the sweet flavor it gives the hummus.  It was beautiful once it was all blended together...like a sunset, a vibrant coral pinkish color. But even more exciting was the flavor!  It was sweet, and garlicy, with a zip from the lemon and heat from the chipotle!  Scrumtious, especially with the Terra chips I had bought that inspired it!  I also enjoyed some as a dip for raw green beans and it was fabulous!  Try out this lovely hummus with some chips, or whatever you like to munch on! 

Sweets N Beets Hummus

Makes 3 cups

1 1/2 cups cooked navy beans (canned is fine)

2 cups cooked yam or sweet puree

1 cup cooked beets, diced

3 garlic cloves

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp sea salt or to taste

1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp chipotle powder (depending on how spicy you want it)

freshly ground pepper to taste

water as needed

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and process until smooth, adding water if necessary to thin out. Serve with chips or veggies for dipping, or as a spread on a sandwich!

Squash and Basil Hummus with Balsamic

Summer is coming to a close, and fall is coming to a start. It is one of my favorite times year for produce since we have the last of the summer herbs and veggies, and yet the winter squash are just coming into season! I recently made a hummus that combined the goodness of both summer and fall, using some leftover cooked buttercup squash to give it a lovely sweet flavor, and basil to give some complexity. A little different for me, since I almost always pair squash with rosemary and thyme, but it worked, and it was a wonderful combo! I used white beans as my base bean this time, and added a bit of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice to brighten up the flavor. This is one of the best uses for using up cooked squash I have ever thought of! It makes a really good flavorful spread for a sandwich with veggies (which is my favorite way to use it), as a dip with crunchy vegetables of any sort, or on some nice crusty bread. It is so easy to whip up fast if you have cooked beans and squash...try it out now that squash are abundant!

Squash and Basil Hummus with Balsamic

Makes 3 cups

1 1/2 cups cooked navy beans (canned is fine)
2 cups cooked squash puree (preferably kabocha or buttercup)
3 small garlic cloves
juice of one lemon juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp sea salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup fresh basil, packed
water as needed

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and process until smooth, adding water if necessary to thin out. Serve with chips or veggies for dipping, or as a spread on a sandwich!

Herbed Pea Hummus

When I decided to make hummus yesterday, I wanted to make it something a little out of the ordinary.  I use beets in hummus a lot, because I love the shocking pink flavor they give it, as well as the subtle sweet flavor, but this time I was thinking something green would be nice...what to use though?  Spinach?  No, not enough flavor...but I did have some fresh shelled english peas!  Yes, peas would be perfect, they would give the hummus a different sweet flavor, and tint it a lovely pale green!  I decided that some herbs in my hummus would be great as well...so I added fresh cilantro and basil to give it some interesting fresh flavor.  I used almond butter insted of the traditional tahini, because I thought that the sweetness of the almond butter would compliment the sweetness in the peas.  I used white beans as my base bean of choice this time, because I didn't have any chickpeas on hand.  The hummus turned out wonderful!  Not like any bean spread I had ever tasted before...and the peas gave it a wonderful lightly sweet flavor!  It would be good just as is with some cucumbers or corn chips for dipping, but I thought it would make a wonderful crostini, so I spread some on toasted baguette slices and topped it with roasted cherry tomatoes that I had just picked from my Dad's garden.  To make it a full meal, I made a simple side salad with more fresh peas romaine, and toasted almonds in a basil lemon vinaigrette.  It all turned out to be a wonderful fresh summer dinner!  I have included the recipe for the crostini and salad as well as the hummus recipe, in case you are interested in either of them.  The pea hummus could also be made with frozen peas if you do not have access to fresh.  This recipe is definately a must try if you love hummus, and are looking for something a little different than the classic with chickpeas and tahini.

Roasted Cherry Tomato and Herbed Pea Hummus Crostini with Pea and Toasted Almond Romaine Salad

Serves 3

Crostini:

9 slices of baguette

olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

9 fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup herbed pea hummus*

Dressing:

1 Tbsp basil oil, or olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

zest of one lemon

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

1 head romaine lettuce

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

1 cup freshly shelled english peas

2 Tbsp fresh basil cut chiffonade

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Line  a baking sheet with foil.  Toss cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil, and spread out on sheet.  Roast for about 20-25 minutes until they are burst, and starting to char a little bit.  Meanwhile, brush baguette slices with olive oil, and toast in the oven on another lined baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and crisp.  Let both tomatoes and bread cool to room temperature.  Spread a bit of the pea hummus on each baguette slice, and top with a couple cherry tomatoes and a basil leaf.  Whisk dressing ingredients together and toss with romaine, almonds, peas, and basil to coat.  Divide salad between 3 plates, and place 3 crostini on each plate as well. 

*Herbed Pea Hummus

Makes 3 cups

1 1/2 cups cooked navy beans (canned is fine)

1 cup freshly shelled english peas (or frozen, thawed)

2 small garlic cloves

juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup almond oil

1 Tbsp sea salt

1/8 tsp ground chipotle
1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, packed

1/2 cup basil, packed

water as needed

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and process until smooth, adding water if necessary to thin out. Serve with chips or veggies for dipping, or as a spread on a sandwich!

Thai Peanut and Cilantro Yam Hummus

This week I decided to make my hummus with an Asian flavor.  Although navy beans are not Asian, that is the type of bean I had cooked off this time, so they were my bean of choice.  I had some leftover yams, so they needed to be incorporated as well I decided, if nothing else, to make the hummus a pretty color.  For some reason I can't resist incorporating vegetable purees into my hummus anymore, the vegetable lover that I am!  To give this hummus an Asian inspired flavor, the normal garlic was included...but I also added limes and rice vinegar instead of the usual lemon juice, and peanut butter in place of tahini...which made this really tasty, like the background flavor in peanut sauce you would serve on noodles!  I added some tamari as well, and some sesame oil in place of the usual olive.  Cilantro had to be included as well, since fresh herbs are a must in the summer months!  A thai chili found its way into this hummus also, because I felt it needed a little kick!  I buzzed it all together in the food processor, and by the time I had finished tasting the final product I think I had gone back for at least ten "tastes" not because it needed anything but because it was so increadibly good!  I would encourage you to try this recipe...but I will warn you, it is very addictive!  This recipe makes a rather large batch, at least 6 cups, but you can cut it in half easily. 

Thai Peanut and Cilantro Yam Hummus

Makes 6 cups

3 cups cooked navy beans (canned is fine)

2 cups cooked yam puree (or sweet potato)

6 small garlic cloves

juice of 6 limes

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp sea salt

3 Tbsp tamari

1 thai chili, seeded
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, packed
water as needed

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and process until smooth, adding water if necessary to thin out. Serve with chips or veggies for dipping, or as a spread on a sandwich!

Chili Lime Yam and Black Bean Hummus

I am in a southwestern food kind of a mood right now, so when deciding what type of flavor to give my hummus today I went for the black beans, limes, and chili powder.  I happened to have some leftover yam puree, so I decided to throw that in as well, since I love to add extra veggies to my hummus.  I didn't really feel like using tahini, so I grabbed the almond butter instead...as well as the almond oil instead of regular old olive.  Some cilantro and garlic joined the party in the food processor as well as some cumin...this was turning out to be anything but the usual hummus...but when it was all blended together the taste test would be the final say in whether or not this was a recipe worth sharing.  I scooped up a huge dallop with a tortilla chip, and it was wonderful!  It was unlike any boring black bean dip I have had...tons of flavor!  This hummus would be wonderful on a southwestern wrap...and I have to warn you it is very addictive with chips!

Chili Lime Yam and Black Bean Hummus

3 cups cooked black beans (canned is fine)

1 cups yam or sweet potato puree

1/2 cup fresh cilantro
juice of 3 limes
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup almond oil
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried chipotle pepper or cayenne (depending on how spicy you like it)
3 garlic cloves

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and process until smooth. Serve with chips or veggies for dipping!