Green Goddess Hummus

A few weeks ago I made and shared Green Goddess Dressing with you. This dressing is so different and very delicious. I could not help but think it would make a great Hummus flavor too. So I tried it right away. I used the microwave hummus method and substituted a little mayonnaise and sour cream for the tahini. I used the fresh herbs like in the dressing, chives and parsley are perfect in the hummus too. I tried it with garlic and it was too strong. I did experimented with the anchovies a bit. The first time I made it I just used maybe three and thought it needed more. I added all the anchovies from the dressing recipe and it was delicious and savory. However, I did notice the last serving of hummus was stronger in that anchovy flavor than the first. So if you are new to anchovies you may want to start with half of the amount and add to taste. I served it with all green veggies but it is delicious with any vegetables. I recommend giving it a try if you are looking for a new and savory way to eat more hummus.

Green Goddess Hummus
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

15 oz. can chickpeas, undrained
2 oz. can anchovy fillets, or to taste
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 Tbsp chopped chives
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sour cream
1-1/2 Tbsp tarragon vinegar
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

Microwave undrained chickpeas in a mixing bowl for 4-5 minutes, set aside.

Put all other ingredients in a blender; blend until herbs are very fine, smooth and green in color. Add chick peas only, process until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Add chickpea liquid one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency (3 Tbsp.), it will thicken once refrigerated. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Cover and refrigerate until needed. Best if allowed to blend for some time. It tastes even better after refrigerated and flavors have had time to develop.

To serve, garnish with a little olive oil and chives. Serve with veggies, crackers and/or pita. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Recycle Tip: Fruit Cups + Mason Jars

Look at this! Did you know that those little individual fruit cups fit perfectly in the top of a wide mouth mason jar. Well at least the Dole brand does. I suspect others do too. How brilliant is that?! Now you can keep all kinds of things neatly separated from others when you pack your lunch or snack. That little cup that would normally be thrown away can be recycled. Use it to keep dry ingredients separate from wet ingredients or visa versa. I did a lot of food prep using this idea this week. I made snacks and lunches. 

Perhaps my favorite snack was the Cheese, Fruit and Nut Jars I made. I got the idea after purchasing Sargentos Balanced Breaks. They are a great afternoon snack and so easy to make your self. You can use your favorite cheese, dried fruit and nuts. The fruit cup and a wide mouth half pint jar makes it easy to make many ahead of time. I made several with two different types of cheese. Everything including the nuts kept their original texture even after spending days in the refrigerator. Here is what I put in each jar:

1 oz. of cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp. dried fruit
2 Tbsp. mixed nuts 

Everyone has heard of Mason Jar Salads by now. But with the fruit cup and a wide mouth quart size jar you can pack your salad with dressing or crunchy toppings separate until lunch. I made a few with artichokes, tomatoes, poached chicken, salad greens, Parmesan cheese and Italian dressing in the cup. 
It made a great light easy to carry lunch.

Another of my favorites was a Hummus and Veggies Snack Jar. I used a fruit cup and a wide mouth pint size jar. I cut up carrot, celery and red bell pepper into sticks. Then I put plain hummus in each fruit cup. Here is where I added variety to my snacks. I topped some with minced pickled jalapeno and some with minced sundried tomato then a drizzle of olive oil. You can use any selection of veggies and hummus. If prepping for a family everyone can have their favorite. You can buy store bought hummus or make your own.

Check out this link for more Hummus recipes.

Last but certainly not least I packed my Chicken Tortilla Soup with the cheese and tortilla chips. I used one fruit cup and two wide mouth pint size jars. I put the soup in one jar and the chips in another. I put the cheese in the fruit cup and placed it on top of the chip jar. Then I put both in the refrigerator. Again the chips kept their crunchy texture even after being in the frig for days. This meal prep idea is going to make life very easy.

Want the soup recipe follow the link below:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The possibilities for meal prep with these little fruit cups are endless! 
So get out there and eat more fruit.

Some other ideas not pictured here:

Make your own Fruit, Yogurt and Toppings

Keep spreads like Nutella, Peanut Butter or Almond Butter 

separate from your fruit, Crackers or Pretzel Rods

Keep Protein, Rice or Grains separate from your Salad 

so you can warm them before adding to your salad

Keep your Dips separate from your Chips

Or keep cold things like sour cream separate so you can warm your chili

Linking to:

I Thee Cook: Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop
Tornadough Alli: Throwback Thursday Link Party
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Reasons To Skip The Housework: STH Link Party
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Cheese

Hummus Power Bowls

I can't believe how excited I have become over this "no recipe" recipe. I mean it is just a salad really? It was funny how I came to learn about the Hummus Power Bowls, one day a co-worker ordered it at Panera for lunch. Then the very next day someone posted pics and a list of ingredients for a homemade version on My Fitness Pal. Immediately I was making my own at home. Now I am addicted. I have made them for lunch and dinner. They are so quick and easy. I have used deli turkey, can tuna and chicken; all delicious! I think what I love is that the hummus and lemon juice creates a creamy dressing for all the fresh ingredients. I even bought the ingredients and delivered them to my Mom. I also made my dear sister try one with tuna, she doesn't even like canned tuna. See I told you I was a little too excited. There are just so many flavor combinations you could make. Just change the hummus flavor, protein or veggies and you have a completely different bowl. Just you wait and see what I come up with next. Lots of ideas rolling around up there. In the mean time give this basic bowl a try and please comment leaving any combinations you try.

Hummus Power Bowls
Serves 1

Ingredients

Baby spinach
Sliced red onion
Halved grape tomatoes or diced tomato
Sliced cucumber
2 Tbsp. cilantro jalapeno hummus or any flavor you like
Sliced chicken, turkey, ham or flaked tuna
Fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

To build a bowl start with baby spinach, top with red onion, tomato, cucumber, hummus and chicken. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

Here are some Hummus recipes for inspiration.

Best Ever 5 Minute Microwave Hummus

Honey Roasted Garlic Hummus

Smoky Three Pepper Hummus

Spicy Tomato and Olive Oil Hummus

Spinach and Artichoke Hummus

Traditional Hummus

Wasabi Hummus

Linking to:

Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

My Pinterventures: Summer Salads Party

Hummus Experiment #3 and Recipe Reviews

Remember the smooth hummus experiment? Well I have been a little lax in experimenting. But when I came across Minimalist Baker's Best Ever 5 Minute Microwave Hummus recipe, I knew it was time for experiment number three. Dana went on and on about how close it was to restaurant hummus. Verdict ... She is SO RIGHT! Oh man this hummus is the right color, the right texture and taste amazing. It is so easy too. You just cook the garbanzo beans and garlic in the microwave and blend the hummus hot. Now you may be shocked at the amount of tahini and olive oil. But I think this is the secret to the recipe. I think many of us try to eliminate too much fat from our hummus recipes by cutting back on the tahini and olive oil. I am guilty of this myself. But it made a huge difference in the end results. So creamy and fluffy! I used four cloves of garlic because I knew cooking the garlic would mellow it out some. I didn't even add any salt because the can of beans I used were not low sodium. It taste perfect! I may have to revisit some of my own hummus recipes and "fatten" them up a bit.

So what did I do with this hummus? Well I admit, I ate some with a spoon. Don't judge! But the real reason I wanted to make hummus was to make a wonderful sandwich I just recently discovered. It is a Hummus Vegetable Sandwich from Martha Stewart. The first time I made this sandwich I made it with store bought hummus and finely diced olives. It was so amazing I decided to make homemade hummus and tapenade so I could make many more sandwiches. I have made sandwiches for my sister, I made a sandwich and took it to work for lunch. The hummus and the sandwich are so delicious. Turns out, this sandwich travels well too. It did not get soggy, it was perfect lunch time fare. I think this will become a regular around here. I hope you will try it for yourself.

Hummus Vegetable Sandwich
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 slices light honey wheat bread
1/4 cup hummus
1 tablespoon olive tapenade
1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 coarsely grated carrot

Directions

Spread 1 slice bread with hummus; spread remaining slice of bread with tapenade. Top hummus with cucumber slices and carrot. Place bread with tapenade on top to form a sandwich.

Want to know more about the Tapenade click here 

for two recipes. One spicy and one rich.

Linking to:

My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

Reasons To Skip The Housework: Skip The Housework Link Party

Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo

Dizzy, Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday

Honey Roasted Garlic Hummus

Remember the great smooth hummus experiment I have embarked on? In the first experiment I peeled the garbanzo beans before making my Traditional Hummus recipe. It really did make a difference in the texture, much more smooth. This weekend in experiment number two, I cooked the canned garbanzo beans. Now, I read that some people cook the beans for 1 to 2 hours. I thought that was a little excessive, besides believe it or not I don't think I have the patience for that. Ask anyone, I have a lot of patience. Maybe just not the patience for hummus? I decided to cook them for the amount of time it would take to roast garlic to add to the hummus. Cooking the beans did soften them quite a bit. I still saw a skin or two floating around looking to make trouble. But the end result is that the hummus is quite smooth. It looks grainy but the texture is really smooth. I would use this method again for hummus flavors that required roasting the other ingredients. For example, this would be great for my Spicy Tomato and Olive Oil Hummus.

Now let's talk about flavor. This hummus recipe is for all of you who love garlic's sweet side. You know how when garlic is perfectly caramelized it is sweet and no longer pungent. You might think that a whole head of garlic is too much. Not when it is roasted. It is just wonderful. In this case, the honey helps to caramelize the garlic. This flavor combo is really well balanced. It does not taste like just honey or just garlic. This hummus has a smooth sweet hint of garlic. I garnished with a drizzle of honey and a roasted garlic clove or two. I loved the carrots with this hummus. For some reason the carrots brought out the sweet garlic flavor the most. I like it when experiments are delicious.

Honey Roasted Garlic Hummus
Makes about 2 cups, Serves 16 (2 Tbsp. serving)

Ingredients

1 head garlic
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. olive oil
1 can garbanzo beans (drained, reserving liquid) 
3 Tbsp. tahini
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Drain the garbanzo beans reserving the liquid. Place beans in a pot and cover with water, about an inch more than the surface of the beans. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once beans begin to boil lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cut the top 1/2 inch off the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Set the garlic in the center of a square of heavy aluminum foil. Pour 1 teaspoon of the honey and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over the garlic, season with salt, replace the top, and fold up the sides of the foil to make a package, crimping the top tight. Bake until very tender and golden, 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When garlic is cool enough to handle, carefully pop out the garlic cloves by pushing up from the bottom. Reserve one clove for a garnish (optional).

Remove beans from the heat and drain. In the bowl of a food processor, add garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, roasted garlic, salt, remaining honey and olive oil. Blend until smooth, drizzling in a 1/3 cup of the liquid from the can. Add more liquid depending on how thick you like it. 

To serve: Place 2 Tbsp. on a plate or in a ramekin. Drizzle with honey or olive oil. Garnish with the reserved roasted garlic clove (optional). Serve with veggies or pita for dipping.

Linking to:

Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday

Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday

Easy Life Meal and Party Planning: Four Seasons Blog Hop

Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

Horrific Knits: Inspired Weekends

My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

Tales of a Pee Dee Mama: Food on Friday

Adventures with Jude: Sunday Sharing Pinterest Party

Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo

Traditional Hummus

Recently I learned that there are techniques for making really smooth hummus. I stumbled upon a My Fitness Pal message board where people were almost raging against grainy hummus. I thought really? Isn't this being a little picky? I mean a little grainy textured hummus is better than no hummus at all? Then people started offering suggestions. This is where it got interesting. Some swear you had to start with dry garbanzo beans and cook them until very soft. Others said you have to peel the canned garbanzo beans. Then one or two others said you had to cook canned garbanzo beans in water until very soft. Well I have to admit I really was not interested in all that work. I like my hummus now? But then my dear sister commented on the last batch of hummus I made. She said you got it smooth like I like it. What? I did not know that is what she was looking for in hummus. I guess everyone but me cares about the smoothness of hummus. So let the experimenting begin.

I decided to try to peel the garbanzo beans and share my basic hummus recipe with you. The recipe is one I copied from the WW recipe review board. The poster said it was the traditional way to make hummus. It is the recipe I use as a base for all my flavored hummus recipes. I think adding the reserved liquid from the can helps make the hummus smooth too. I always garnish the way one of the Greek restaurants here presents it. Drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with spices. So pretty! As far as the experiment goes, it actually works. Now this is the first of the methods I tried. I really don't know if I am qualified to say it is perfectly smooth hummus, since I did not have a problem with my hummus recipe before. But I can tell you it is really smooth, there is a definite difference. Dear sister thought it was great, so consider it one smooth hummus fan approved. I will try cooking the canned beans next. So stay tuned for more experiments and another hummus recipe.

Traditional Hummus
Makes about 1-3/4 cups

Ingredients

1 can garbanzo beans (drained, reserving liquid)(peeled optional)
3 Tbsp tahini
juice of 1 lemon (3 Tbsp)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 to 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste*

Directions

Add can of garbanzo beans, 1/3 cup of the liquid from the can, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt to the food processor. Blend until smooth. Add more liquid depending on how thick you like it. 

To serve: I spread 2 Tbsp on a plate. Make a moat in the hummus with the back of a spoon. Drizzle moat with olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika and chili powder. In the very center place a black olive (kalamata is best) and finely chopped pickled jalapeno. It looks like something from my favorite Greek restaurant. Serve with pita or veggies for dipping.

*Note: About salt, I usually eat hummus with vegetables and I find that you have to season the hummus with a little more salt. If you use it as a sandwich spread you should reduce the salt because deli meat is well seasoned. Be sure to adjust the salt to your taste or for your purpose.

Linking to:

Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Food of the World Greece

Wasabi Hummus

This hummus transports you to the sushi bar. When I first read about the idea of adding wasabi to hummus I thought well that could go either way. I was sure it would be too spicy or a little odd. I never thought it would be this great. I LOVE the soy and wasabi combination. The tahini, ginger and garlic are delicious too. I should have known the sesame flavor of the tahini would be great with these flavors. I have to admit, this is the first time I wanted to add food coloring to a recipe. If it taste like wasabi, I wanted it to look green like wasabi. I fought that urge and went for a full on sushi garnish assault. I used wasabi peas so you know there is wasabi in the hummus. I also used black sesame seeds, pickled ginger and toasted nori snacks. You can garnish with one or all of the garnishes. Or play a trick on your family and friends, and just put it out as plain hummus. SURPRISE! But don't be afraid of the amount of wasabi it is not too spicy. If you love the sinus clearing heat of wasabi you may want to add even more. I served this hummus with cucumbers, carrots and sugar snap peas. I think I liked the cucumbers the most. My next experiment will be using it in a veggie wrap. I also want to bake some wonton wrappers too. But I have to go back to the store first. I think sesame wonton chips would make great dippers. I hope you will give it a try. It is really a great low cal snack.

Wasabi Hummus

Makes 2 cups, Serves 16 (2 Tbsp. serving)

Ingredients

15 oz. can garbanzo beans (drained, reserving liquid)

3 Tbsp. tahini

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. light soy sauce

3 tsp. wasabi, or to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

1 inch fresh ginger, minced

Directions

Add can of garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, soy sauce, wasabi, garlic and ginger to the food processor. Blend until smooth, adding reserved liquid a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency (about 4 Tbsp.) Serve with veggies, oven baked wontons, or on sandwiches and wraps.

Garnish with wasabi peas, black sesame seeds, pickled ginger or toasted nori snacks.

Nutritional Information per serving*: Calories 54, Total Fat 2 g, Total Carbohydrate 7 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Protein 2 g, Calcium 1 g.

WW P+ 1

*Information from the Myfitnesspal calculator. NI may vary depending on the brand or size of the ingredients used to prepare it.

Linking to:
My Plate of Crumbs: Random Recipe Roundup
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen: Show Me Your Plaid Mondays
Anyonita Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Dizzy, Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Turnips 2 Tangerines: Four Seasons Blog Hop
It's Your Life: Tuesdays with a Twist

Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

Smoky Three Pepper Hummus

After preparing the Grilled Shrimp Nachos, I had leftover grilled peppers in the refrigerator. I decided to experiment with a new hummus recipe. To my usual hummus recipe, I added one half of a grilled poblano and one half of a grilled green bell pepper. For some spice, I added some pickled jalapenos. Hence the name three pepper hummus. The grilled peppers give it a great smoky flavor too. I used lime juice instead of lemon because I think it really complements both peppers and grilled food. It turned out great. It was perfect with veggies and pita. I tried it with tortilla chips and it was delicious. I would suggest cutting back on the salt if you plan to serve it with tortilla chips. This hummus recipe is definitely a keeper.

Smoky Three Pepper Hummus

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1/2 grilled bell pepper

1/2 grilled poblano pepper
(click here to see how to grill peppers)

1 Tbsp. pickled jalapeno slices

1 can garbanzo beans (drained, reserving liquid)

3 Tbsp tahini

Juice of 1 lime (3 Tbsp)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp salt, to taste

Minced cilantro (to garnish)

Directions

Add bell pepper, poblano pepper, jalapeno, garbanzo beans, tahini, lime juice, garlic and salt to the food processor. Blend until smooth drizzling in about 1/3 cup of the liquid from the can. Add more or less liquid depending on how thick you like it.

To serve: I spread 2 or 3 spoonfuls on a plate. Make a moat in the hummus with the back of a spoon. Drizzle moat with olive oil. Sprinkle with minced cilantro. In the very center place a slice of pickled jalapeno. Serve with pita, tortilla chips or veggies for dipping.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Plaid & Paisley Kitchen: Tasty Tuesdays
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Leftovers

Spicy Tomato and Olive Oil Hummus

I like experimenting with Hummus. It is so easy to make yourself. This recipe came about because I did not like the quality of the sun-dried tomatoes I had bought. They were dry and hard as a rock. I soaked them in warm water and followed a recipe for sun-dried tomato hummus. It was lacking in tomato flavor. I tried again with  oil packed sun-dried tomatoes and it made a huge difference in flavor. One day I found myself with extra tomatoes that needed to be used. I searched on line for how to oven dry tomatoes. I found a recipe from Martha Stewart. It took over 6 hours to dry the tomatoes in the oven. The next time I put them in the oven on convection. That only took 2 hours. I love tomatoes this way. They are more like roasted tomatoes than dried tomatoes. They are moist and filled with concentrated tomato flavor. They work great in this hummus recipe. The herbs are also a nice addition. You can't buy these tomatoes in a jar at the store. They really make this Hummus special.

Spicy Tomato and Olive Oil Hummus

Serves 4 (serving a generous 1/3 cup)

Ingredients

5 oven dried tomatoes halves in olive oil (recipe follows)

1 (15-1/2 oz) can chickpeas, drained liquid reserved

2 Tbsp olive oil from tomatoes

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

Directions

Combine the 4 tomatoes wedges and the remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth, adding some of the reserved liquid until the hummus is desired consistency. Add remaining tomato, pulse until they are just flakes of red not large pieces.

To serve: Spread 2-3 Tbsp on a plate. Make a moat in the hummus with the back of a spoon. Drizzle moat with some of the olive oil from the tomatoes. In the very center place a few slices of oven dried tomato. Serve with pita or veggies for dipping. Also makes a great spread or substitute for mayonnaise and tomato on your sandwich or wrap.

Oven Dried Tomatoes

Adapted from: Martha Stewart

Ingredients

6 roma or plum tomatoes, each cut in half

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 tsp each basil, oregano, and rosemary

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, on pan, spaced 1/2 to 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with sugar and herbs; season with salt and pepper.

Transfer pan to oven; dry until juices have stopped running, edges are shriveled, and pieces have shrunken slightly; timing will vary depending on the variety, ripeness, and desired degree of dryness, 1 1/2 to 6 hours. Cool completely. Store in the refrigerator or cover with olive oil.

Notes: It took 2 hours in a convection oven. When I tried in a regular oven it took longer than 6 hours.

Linking to:
Buns in My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Taste and Tell Thursdays
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays Link Party