Recipe: Simple Healthy Hummus

Happy New Year!

After all the holiday feasts, sometimes it's nice to have a simple New Year's meal without too much fuss. Or maybe you don't really feel like eating much at all - maybe just the perfect snack is all you're looking for. Something like hummus is just right in this case - tasty, filling but not heavy, and full of fresh flavors and healthy fiber. Try this easy home-made version for a snack or light lunch today - just pair it with raw vegetables, pita chips, or whole-grain bread, and take a break from all the holiday excess!

Simple Healthy Hummus
(Makes about 2 cups.)

Ingredients:

hummus-plate (Photo credit: serenejournal)

1 (15 oz size) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water (more or less depending on texture you want)
1 Tbsp olive oil (more or less depending on texture you want)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

• In your food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cayenne. Turn on and pulse until mixture is fairly smooth.
• Start processor running steady and slowly pour in the water, stopping motor to test the texture, then adding more water if you like.
• Again, with motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, adding more if you like.
• Stop processor, taste and adjust seasonings, pulse and repeat taste testing until you have it the way you like it.
• Add the parsley and pulse a few times.
• Spoon out into a bowl and serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate. (If you refrigerate, let the hummus sit out at room temperature a few minutes before serving - it tastes better when it's not too chilled.)
• Can be served as a dip, spread, or just eaten with a spoon!

Recipe - Simple Homemade Almond Butter

This very simple recipe is a great way to add some healthy fats and protein to your diet. Makes a tasty  nutritionally balanced snack on whole-grain bread, or as a dip for veggies or fruit such as bananas and apples. And you'll know it only has the good stuff, since you made it yourself!

Simple Almond Butter

Almonds (Photo credit: Shelby PDX)

Ingredients:
2 cups raw almonds
2 teaspoons of olive oil (more or less for texture)

Directions:

1. Place the almonds on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring them once or twice during that time.  Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
2. Put 1/2 cup of the almonds in your food processor and pulse to break them up. (You can save a bit of time by chopping the almonds up a little by hand before putting them in the food processor. You can do this on a cutting board with a large knife or by putting the nuts in a ziplock bag and hitting with a rolling pin or sturdy heavy-bottomed pan.)
3. Drizzle in a bit of the oil and turn processor on and let it run for a minute, stopping to scrape down the sides a few times. A ball will begin to form. Stop the processor and use a fork to break the ball apart.  Then, start the processor again.
4. Add more nuts, then more olive oil, and keep repeating the process.  Keep drizzling in oil until you get a consistency you like.  Also, the longer you process the nuts, the creamy the mixture will get.
5. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator - will keep for several weeks.
6. You can add salt or other flavorings if you like.

What You'll Need For This Recipe: