Tahini and Roasted Garlic Hummus

My roommate recently hosted a Clothes Swap at our house, and asked me to prepare some finger foods that all the girls could enjoy between trying on shirts and tossing them all over our living room. Of course, I was happy to do so.

I don't know a single person who doesn't love hummus. It is my go-to snack. Sometimes, hummus is my entire lunch. The only downfall? If you eat a lot of it, it can get kind of expensive.  Making it from scratch is a great way to cut costs. It also gives you the freedom to flavor it however you would like without all the additives. 

The real money saver is making your own tahini, which is just a roasted sesame seed paste. The bulk section of your grocery store will have white sesame seeds for much less than buying them pre-packaged. If you follow this recipe, there will be leftover tahini. It can be refrigerated and reused for more hummus, or it is great for a tahini dipping sauce or dressing.  

For this gathering, I decided to prepare roasted garlic hummus with a variety of veggies for dipping. Roasting the garlic takes a little longer than some of the other varieties, but it is definitely worth the effort. The roasted garlic adds a sweet smokiness to the hummus, while zesting in a fresh garlic clove at the end gives it more garlic flavor and a bit of a bite. 

Tahini

1 cup White Sesame Seeds

5 tbsp Olive Oil

Place sesame seeds in saute pan over low heat. Stir frequently. Cook until seeds are toasted and fragrant, around 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool. 

Combine cooled toasted sesame seeds and olive oil in food processor. Blend. Add more oil if necessary to bring the mixture together. Tahini can be slightly chunky. Remove from food processor and reserve in bowl.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 large head of Garlic
Olive Oil for drizzling

2 cans Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp Tahini
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 cup warm Water
1 Clove Fresh Garlic, minced or zested
Juice of 1 large Lemon
Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 400F. 

Peel off and discard outer paper of the head of garlic. Cut off the tops of the cloves, approximately 1/4 inch. Place on a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil, allowing the oil to soak between the cloves. Wrap the garlic in the foil by bringing the corners of the foil together at the top and folding over, leaving some room inside. Place the pouch on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing other ingredients. 

In food processor, combine garbanzo beans, tahini, olive oil, water, lemon juice, zested fresh garlic clove and salt to taste. Once roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves into the food processor. Blend ingredients until smooth.

The hummus can be served immediately or made ahead and refrigerated. To plate, drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle some sumac or paprika. Serve with pita bread, crackers, or cut up veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red and yellow bell peppers, and radishes. 

Carrot Mini Loaves with Oat Topping

When I was growing up, anytime a friend or family member fell ill or had a life changing event, food was the answer. The fridge and counters would quickly fill up with casseroles, pies, soups, cookies, fried chicken, all other sorts of eats. The warmth and love that went into each dish, prepared just for your family, made you feel like everything was going to be alright.  

This week, my mom had a major surgery, and I thought there would be no better homecoming treat than a stock pile of  delicious carrot mini loaves. These are great for breakfast with coffee, as an afternoon snack, or even as dessert. 

She is very health conscious, and it can be difficult convincing her to eat any sweets besides a small piece of very dark chocolate. To make these more appealing, I replaced some of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour, added more coconut and pecans and used soy milk in place of buttermilk. 

My efforts where rewarded when she said thoughtfully, "I think these are the best carrot muffins I have ever had." I was all smiles. 

Carrot Loaves

1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
3/4 cups Vegetable Oil
3/4 cups Skim Milk or Soy Milk
2 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Shredded Carrots
1 cup Crushed Pineapple
1 cup Coconut Flakes
1 cup Chopped Pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray loaf pan with non stick spray, and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, backing soda, and salt, and spices. Set Aside. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add dry ingredients, folding them in gently. Add carrot, coconut, and pecans, again folding gently until just combined. 

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each 3/4 full. Bake for 25-27min. Check by sticking a toothpick in the center of one loaf at 25 mins. Let cool on wire racks. 

Vegan Oat Topping

This is my go-to muffin topping. It goes well on vegan or non vegan muffins, quick breads, and mini loaves. Just sprinkle a generous amount on top of batter right before baking. Other options for toppings include a sprinkle of turbinado sugar or a drizzle of cream cheese frosting. 

1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until combined. Topping will be in crumbles. 

Yummy (and Quick) Breakfast Sandwich

Busy day ahead?

Some mornings you need a quick breakfast that is sure to fill you up and hold you over until the next chance you get to eat (and who knows when that will be). With the combination of complex carbohydrates from the whole wheat bread and  protein from the egg and cheese, this sandwich definitely fits the bill. The addition of avocado provides nearly 20 vitamins and mineral such as Vitamin C and potassium, as well as mono- and polyunsaturated fats (good fats). These good fats provide a range of health benefits from energy to aid in absorption of vitamins and minerals.  (Source: Nutrition Data) Its a sandwich you can feel good about, and it takes less time than a drive thru. 

1 egg

Sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese

1/2  Small Avocado

2 Tbls Favorite salsa (I used black bean and corn)

2 Slices whole wheat bread toasted

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat saute pan over medium flame. Spray pan with olive oil to coat the pan. Whisk egg in bowl and pour into heated pan. Cook, letting them set up a bit before stirring. Scrape along the edges and bottom of the pan to loosen and stir the egg pulling to the center. Once the eggs have come together, turn heat off.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Place egg onto one side of the toast, add salt, pepper, avacado, and salsa. Top with other slice of toasted bread. Serve.