Black Bean Hummus

Makes about 2.5 cups

Ingredients

1 can black beans, rinsed, drained

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained, skins removed

¼ tsp reduced sodium salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp oregano

small bunch of parsley (about ¼ cup coarsely chopped)

½ tsp onion powder

3 tsp minced garlic

pinch of smoked paprika

pinch of chili powder

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup + 1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Puree all ingredients in a food processor, about 5 min or until desired consistency.

Sweet Potato Hummus

Sweet Potato Hummus

This. Is. So. Yummy. I could just eat this all by itself. I previously made a post about the hummus at Wegmans, and how delicious it was. Well, I found the perfect recipe for the sweet potato variation!

Adapted from wholeliving.com recipe.

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. (about 2 1/4 cups mashed) sweet potatoes, baked, without skin
• (Place 3 medium sized sweet potatoes on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60min or until a knife inserts easily when pierced. Let cool. Remove skins.)
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (add 1 tbsp if you like it be more tangy)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp reduced sodium salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 3/4 cups canned low-sodium chickpeas
• 1 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)

Directions:

Easy as pie!

Add all ingredients to food processor...Process until super-smooth (about 5 min), periodically scraping the mixture down the sides if needed.

Chocolate Banana SunNut Protein Bars with Coconut

I had Phood Nutritional Shake powder to use up, so I conducted this culinary experiment! Although it didn't turn out as I wanted, I like them because they are soft, have only a hint of sweetness, are a little nutty, and I found them to be incredibly filling (and since they are pretty low-cal, this is good if you're trying to stick to a calorie budget while still feeling satisfied). So, considering they aren't so sweet, I think they are perfect as a snack or breakfast bar, because it doesn't make me want to devour them in mass quantity. Still, I would like to tweak the recipe for next time, because I think it could use maybe a little salt, or replace some of the flour with cocoa powder. 

Makes 12 squares/ bars

Ingredients

1 banana, mashed

3 cups oats (quick oats are fine, but if you want more texture, use rolled oats)

1/2 cup Sunbutter creamy sunflower seed butter

6 scoops Phood Chocolate Caramel Nutritional Shake powder

1 avocado, mashed (skin and pit removed)

3 large egg whites (Vegan substitute: 3 tbsp flax meal plus 1/2 cup+1 tbsp hot water)

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1 cup applesauce, unsweetened

3/4 cup finely grated carrot

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

3 tbsp sunflower seeds raw, hulled (optional topping)

vegetable or coconut oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 F. 

Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan with oil.

Blend banana, avocado, applesauce, egg whites, and sunflower seed butter together in a large bowl. 

Add in the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Spread mixture evenly into baking pan (it may help to wet a spatula to spread it more easily). Sprinkle sunflower seeds on top, if using. 

Bake for 30 min, or until knife inserted into center comes out clean with just a few crumbs (it will still be moist). Place the pan on a cooling rack until cool. Cut into 12 squares. 

Nutritional Info (via MyFitnessPal) per serving:

286 kcal, Tot. Fat 13 g (3 g sat. fat, 4 g MUFA, 3 g PUFA), Chol. 0 mg, Sodium 143 mg, Potassium 296 mg, Carbs 32 g (Fiber 7 g, Sugars 4 g), Protein 13 g

New PRINT button added!

This is kind of a big deal to me. Haha. I finally figured out how to add a code/widget thingy to my posts that allow you to view and print recipes more easily (Thanks to PrintFriendly.com)! I know from experience in reading recipe blogs that once you figure out you want to save and print a recipe, you just want the main info, not all the extra pictures and recipe/food babble. So, I hope my readers will appreciate this too!

This fantastic little gadget can now be found at the end of each post (little green PRINT button), where the other 'sharing' buttons are located!

Quinoa, sweet potato, & black bean salad

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed, drained

1 3/4 cup vegetable stock

1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into small cubes

1 cup sweet corn

1 (15oz) can black beans, drained, rinsed

1 avocado, cut into small cubes/chunks

Adjust these seasonings to your tastes, but you can start here (I was just sprinkling & throwing stuff in, so I'm just estimating here):

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder 

2-3 tbsp Lemon juice 

A 'Good drizzle' around the bowl of Chipotle-infused olive oil (3-4 tbsp?)

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1. Bring stock to a boil in a pot. Add quinoa and lower heat to simmer; cover & cook for 20 min, when water should be absorbed. Fluff with fork when finished. 

2. While quinoa cooks, put sweet potato into microwaveable bowl, and fill halfway with water. Cover with wax paper. Microwave on high for about 4 min(?--maybe less--however long it takes to cook til tender but not mushy)

3. Drain potatoes. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. 

4. Add quinoa, sweet potato, corn, beans, avocado, seasonings, olive oil, and lemon juice. Toss gently to mix. 

5. Serve warm or chilled. 

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

4 to 6 servings 

Salad:

4 zucchini (no bigger than 8"), cut into ribbons

1/3 cup Toasted pine nuts

Shaved asiago, Parmesan, or Pecorino  cheese 

4 cups Arugula

Dressing:

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp honey mustard 

1 tsp minced garlic 

1 tsp oregano

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add zucchini ribbons, cover pot, and set heat to very low/warm. Cook zucchini for 3 min, until tender but still has some crisp to it. Drain and rinse with cold water. Spread onto baking sheet and pat dry with clean paper towels. Toss gently with dressing. Let marinate for 30 min. 

To serve, 

Arrange arugula on plate. Top with zucchini. Sprinkle pine nuts and shaved cheese on top. 

Quinoa with Pine Nuts and Green Onions

Recipe found at  http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2011/03/recipe-for-quinoa-side-dish-with-pine.html?m=1

4 servings 

Ingredients

1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup quinoa, rinsed, well-drained (unless the package says it does not need to be rinsed)
1 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (toast in a dry pan, until golden)
1/2 cup sliced green onion (about 3 scallions) (green and white parts)
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley)

Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add quinoa and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until the quinoa is toasted. Microwave stock about 3 min. Add the hot stock and salt. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and let the quinoa cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes (until the liquid is absorbed). If the quinoa is cooked, but still somewhat 'wet', turn up the heat to medium to dry it out more.

While quinoa cooks, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat, until golden, about 2-3 min (shake pan a few times to toast evenly and avoid burning). Prepare onions and cilantro. 

When quinoa is done, let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork and Stir in pine nuts, green onions, and  cilantro.  Serve hot or warm.