Juices and Smoothies on a Busy Schedule – The Balanced Platter
I am sharing how to incorporate fresh juices and smoothies into your daily routine, even on a busy schedule, over at The Balanced Platter today! Head on over and check it out!
Category Archives: Budget-Friendly
Habanero-Pear Jam, and Confessions of a Recovering Chile-Head
You may not realize by the array of recipes I share on this blog (Okay, maybe you can. I wrote about Roasted Chile Salsa Verde just last week, I use chipotle in everything from dips to candied nuts, and I even throw Hatch chiles in peach cobbler), but I’m a bit of a recovering chile-head. Chile-a-holic. Hot pepper extraordinaire. Frequent user of Tabasco, and one who can put away a seemingly endless amount of the red chile salsa on my salads when I order at Chipotle.
What can I say? I love heat.
Fellow lovers of chiles can appreciate the lure of the chile. A taste of that fire, and your senses jump to action. Your eyes light up, and an adrenaline-fueled surge of energy rushes through your body. Sure, that heat causes pain, but it’s a good hurt. One that keeps you coming back for more.
I’ve read that there’s a science behind it – that the pain caused by those spicy chiles causes a rush of endorphins. It’s no wonder those of us that love spicy foods find them so alluring. Maybe it’s an addiction of sorts. I could attest to that.
Earlier in our relationship, my husband and I would often order a mess of hot wings from a nearby restaurant. The hotter the sauce, the better (of course, he’s a bigger chile-head than I am, tolerating even more of that delicious pain than I could ever hope to), and we’d put away enough wings for a small army. Of course, we’d be miserable afterwards, but the sweet siren call of those wings would return soon enough, and we were back chowing down on wings again. When Chipotle first came to town, we met for lunch on a weekly basis. We couldn’t get enough of that salsa. I know firsthand how addictive heat can be.
But as we grew older, we tempered our love for spice. Part of it out of necessity (one’s body simply can’t handle that much heat all the time indefinitely!), but also, I started to truly fall in love with cooking. In that process, I learned to appreciate the subtleties of real, fresh whole foods. How a simple grind of black pepper and a sprinkle of salt is all you need on a perfectly grilled grass-fed steak. Raw red bell peppers at the peak of freshness are sweet like candy. Fresh basil just sings of summer. A perfectly ripe cantaloupe drips with a sensuous, musky aroma. Roasted free-range, organic chickens from a nearby farm taste, as Julia Child would put it, “so good and chickeny!” In short, I was discovering that there was a whole world of flavor out there, and I didn’t need to dive into the endorphin-saturated world of chiles to enjoy it.
This doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good dose of spice every now and then though, as evidenced by the chile-laced recipes throughout this blog. Those chiles still hold a special place in this Texas girl’s heart. And when nature gives you peppers, why not embrace it? This time around, however, I had already put away quite a few jars of salsa in the freezer, yet too many chiles remained. Especially these habaneros. With these babies, a little goes a long way. I had at least a dozen, so I needed to come up with a way to “get rid of” quite a few. With some pears from my CSA share also lying around, suddenly I knew. Jam. I could make jam.
This jam is a perfect balance of sweet and heat, and it’s a touch healthier than traditional jams and jellies, since I used local honey instead of sugar. The pears provide enough natural pectin to thicken naturally (and add some additional sweetening). Make no mistake though – this jam packs a serious punch. At first, the flavor is a lovely sweet-hot, but after a moment on the tongue, the habaneros start to do their work. Warning: a few spoonfuls of this stuff may cause your nose to run just a bit, in one of those “Hurts So Good” kinda ways. Enjoy it on gluten-free toast, your favorite corn muffin, a biscuit, or as I did last week, brushed on some delicious chicken. I imagine it’d also be perfect as a glaze for pork.
Chile-heads, your new favorite jam has arrived.
Habanero-Pear Jam
About 3 lbs of pears, peeled and roughly chopped (leave the peel on one or two pears – this will add some pectin to make the jam thicken)
5 habanero chiles, seeded and roughly chopped (do this with gloves on)
2 c honey (use agave, coconut nectar, or coconut sugar for vegan)
1/4 c lemon juice
Pinch salt
Wash 8 4-oz canning jars, rings, and new lids with soapy water and rinse. Fill a large pot or canner with water and place canning jars, rings, and lids into the water. Bring to simmer and leave until ready to use.
Meanwhile, place the pears and habanero chiles in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until no large chunks of pear remain (I like small bits of fruit, so I don’t completely puree mine). Scrape into a medium saucepan and add honey, lemon juice, and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring. Keep at a simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened to your liking, about 45 minutes.
When jam is ready, remove jars from water with tongs. (I use tongs from this canning kit, which also has a funnel and a magnetic tool to easily remove the lids from the water) Spoon jam into each jar, leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace. (A canning funnel makes this easier) Wipe any jam that might have gotten on the rims of the jars. Then place the lid on top of each jar, and screw the rings on, only turning once. (You can tighten them completely later)
Place each filled jar back into the simmering water in the pot or canner using tongs (place on a canning rack, if you have one), making sure there is at least 2 inches of water to cover. Bring water to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Using tongs, carefully remove each jar and place on a kitchen towel, undisturbed, to cool for several hours to room temperature.
Hang around and listen for a while. You should hear each of the lids “pop”, indicating that they have sealed properly. If the lids don’t properly seal, refrigerate or freeze. Those that do seal can be stored in a pantry for up to 6 months.
Print RecipeWondering what you can do with an overabundance of peppers (or tomatoes, or zucchini, etc)? Check out our conversation over at Udi’s Gluten-Free Living Community for ideas!
Roasted Chile Salsa Verde
For weeks, I’ve been receiving more chiles and tomatillos than I can manage in my CSA share. Serranos, cherry peppers, jalapenos, banana peppers, and Big Jim (a.k.a. Hatch or Anaheim) chiles all make their way into my kitchen. In addition, I planted Big Jim and sweet bell peppers in the garden, so I’m collecting even more when I venture outside each day. And what does a person do when confronted with too many chiles and tomatillos?
Make salsa, of course.
I’ve made three batches of this stuff so far this summer, plus a batch of tomato salsa. If more tomatillos make their way into my share, I’m sure more salsa will come. I love it – we often enjoy tacos for dinner, and I spoon copious amounts of it on top. I stir it into zucchini dishes, throw it in my eggs, and I even use it as salad dressing. The surplus is frozen (I don’t always feel up to canning), so I can enjoy the fresh taste of summer in January when I’m tired of winter squash and potatoes.
In case you’re wondering, yes, I’ve shared a salsa verde recipe before. This one, however, is a touch different, because of the variety of chiles used. This time around, I threw a ton of chiles in the salsa – banana peppers, Big Jims, and a few serranos just for heat. But I also roasted those chiles (and the tomatillos) for a subtle, smoky sweetness. (Have you ever eaten a freshly roasted tomatillo? It’s amazingly sweet.) A quick blitz in the food processor, a pinch of salt and a taste or two, and this salsa was born.
I still am finding ways to use up more chiles. I roasted two baking pans full of Big Jims this weekend and put them up in the freezer. They’ll come in handy for any number of recipes (like Peach Hatch Chile Cobbler). I also threw a bunch of cherry peppers and jalapenos into a brine to pickle them – we’ll see how that turns out. I also put up some habanero-pear jam yesterday afternoon (yes, I’ll share the recipe soon, I promise!). And there are still peppers hanging about in the kitchen. It’s a nice problem to have, if you ask me!
Roasted Chile Salsa Verde
2-3 lbs tomatillos, husks removed
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced in half
6 large cloves garlic, peeled
5-6 banana peppers
4-5 Big Jim peppers
2-3 serrano peppers
Juice of 1/2 lime
large handful of cilantro, chopped (about 1/4-1/3 cup)
Pinch or two of ground cumin
Salt to taste
Line a baking sheet with foil, and turn on the broiler. Place the tomatillos, onion (cut-side down), garlic cloves, and peppers on the baking sheet and place under the broiler. Broil until the skins of the peppers and tomatillos blacken (about 5 minutes, depending on your broiler – don’t wander too far off!), and turn over with tongs. Broil the other side until blackened. Remove baking sheet and place chiles into a large bowl. Cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and set aside for 5-10 minutes to cool. This will allow the residual heat to “steam” off the skins of the chiles, making for easy peeling.
Place the tomatillos, garlic cloves, and onion in the bowl of a food processor. Once chiles have cooled, remove the stems, skins, and seeds from the chiles (plastic gloves might come in handy here, especially if you don’t wish to feel the heat of those chiles later when you decide to scratch your eye!), and place the chiles into the food processor. (You may not be able to get the skins off on the smaller chiles, such as the serranos – this is fine, just throw them in.) Pulse the processor as many times as necessary to break down the vegetable pieces into small bits. Add the lime juice, cilantro, cumin, and salt and pulse again. Taste and adjust seasoning – does it need more lime juice? More salt? Add a bit more as needed and pulse again to blend.
Store in glass jars in the refrigerator for about a week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Print RecipeThis post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.
Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Today we are continuing with the leave-the-oven-off theme at the Tasty Eats At Home household. While I did have the oven on for a while this past weekend (in order to bake some rhubarb-walnut muffins – and yes, I’ll share the recipe with you soon!), it was quickly becoming clear that the air conditioning wouldn’t be able to keep up with the increased heat. So when dinnertime came around, I opted to use the grill. Sure, I’d break a sweat outside while cooking, but I could come back inside to a cool house. That makes it totally worth it. Besides, grilling means less cleanup afterwards. It’s a win-win.
Contrary to popular belief, grilling doesn’t always have to involve a big hunk of meat. I often love to grill vegetables (squash and eggplant are delicious on the grill!) and even fruit. Portobello mushrooms, however, really shine when grilled. They take on that smoky, deep, flavor and a deliciously chewy, almost meaty texture. I could eat my weight in portobello mushrooms, I love them so much. Grilling them is my favorite way to prepare them.
I opted this time to do more than just simply season and grill them (which is wonderful, of course). This time, they needed a bit more flair, and they needed to be elevated to “main course” status. I started by cooking down a bit of chile, garlic, and tomatoes for a big punch of flavor. I tossed in some fresh spinach to wilt, and crumbled tofu. Tossing a bit of fresh tarragon leaves into the stuffing at the last minute would provide that lovely, light, fresh flavor that would compliment the earthiness of the mushrooms. All of this took mere minutes to prepare, and then the mushrooms were ready for the grill.
A definite bonus when grilling veggies instead of a burger or steak? No flare-ups. These mushrooms grilled away happily at a consistent temperature. I felt comfortable walking away for a few minutes, knowing they would be fine while I cleaned up in the kitchen.
The verdict? These are so delicious, I imagine they’d even convert meat-eaters. The tofu makes a delicious stand-in for a creamy cheese, but I really loved the combination of the spicy chile and the fresh tarragon. Normally, stuffed mushrooms are a heavy, decadent dish – this is a light, summery interpretation that’s entirely free of gluten and dairy. I’m thinking these will be a repeat dish at my house throughout the season.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Tofu, Chiles, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Tarragon
1 Anaheim chile, seeded and diced (you can substitute other fresh chiles, just be mindful of the heat)
1 large clove garlic, minced
7-8 cherry tomatoes, quartered (or one large tomato, diced)
2 c fresh spinach leaves
1/2 of a 15.5 oz package extra-firm tofu (I like to use organic sprouted tofu)
1/2 – 1 T chopped fresh tarragon leaves
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and chopped
Add diced chiles, chopped mushroom stems, garlic, and tomatoes to a skillet along with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Bring to medium heat and “saute”, stirring occasionally, until tender. (add additional water if it becomes too dry) Add the spinach, stir, and cover for 30 seconds to a minute to allow the spinach leaves to wilt. Crumble the tofu and add to the skillet, and then sprinkle the tarragon over. Stir and warm through, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon filling into portobello mushrooms.
(If you are having guests, these mushrooms could be prepared up to this point and refrigerated until ready to grill.)
Heat grill to medium heat. Grill mushrooms for about 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Remove and serve. (Don’t have a grill? You can bake them at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes and achieve similar results. I haven’t tried it with this recipe in particular, but I imagine it would work well.)
Serves 4.
Creamy Peach Popsicles, and a Live Chat about Independence Day!
Well, folks, summer is in full swing around here. For the past 4-5 days, the mercury just keeps on rising. The forecast for today: 104. Tomorrow? 105. Not a cloud in sight. Of course, 100-degree days aren’t abnormal around here. We usually get several each summer. Last year, however, we reached a new record of 71 100+ degree days. That’s seventy-one. With a seven. Seeing as how this time last year, we already saw 100 degrees quite a few times, I’m thankful that we just saw it for the first time this year yesterday. But regardless, it’s hot.
Too hot to bake.
So instead, popsicles are in order. Homemade popsicles are pretty easy to make. Simply puree something tasty, pour it into the popsicle mold, and throw in the freezer. The waiting is the hardest part. (Yes, typing that immediately stuck the Tom Petty song into my head. Where it will likely remain for a few hours. In case you live under a very large rock and have no idea what I’m talking about, or else would like to take a moment to jam out, here ya go. You’re welcome.)
In my opinion, these are welcomed by kids and adults alike. Unlike store-bought popsicles, these aren’t overly sweet, making them much more palatable. Also, without gobs of added sugar and artificial dyes, the kids are much less likely to be bouncing off the walls – something we’re all thankful for when they’re home for the summer! Besides, if you use fresh, in-season fruit, you won’t need all of those added ingredients, because the flavors will be full without help.
Of course, in this recipe, I used peaches (I had a few that were nearly overripe, so they were perfect for this use), but you could use just about any fruit you desire. Also, feel free to adjust the sweetener (or omit it entirely) as you see fit. For my peaches, just a touch made all the difference. If you have a crowd of kiddos over for Independence Day celebrations, these would be a wonderful treat to keep them cool and happy. Just put them up in the freezer in advance, and dessert is ready!
Speaking of Independence Day, tomorrow night at 7PM CDT I am co-hosting a Live Chat over at Udi’s Gluten-Free Living Community. We’ll be talking about all things Independence Day. So bring your party ideas, or come to get some new ones! Hope to see you there.
Okay, okay, you want the recipe for the popsicles. Here ya go.
Creamy Peach Popsicles (gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free)
5 medium peaches, pitted and roughly chopped (I left the skins on – the “peachy” flavor seems to be stronger when I do)
1/4 c coconut milk
1 T agave nectar
1/4 t vanilla extract
Place all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. Pour into six popsicle molds. Freeze for at least 4-6 hours.
Serves 6.
Need more popsicle recipe ideas? Check out this selection at The Balanced Platter!
This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free and GFE Virtual Gluten-Free Support Group August 2012 over at Gluten-Free Easily.
Raw Summer Beet Slaw
I mentioned before that we’ve gotten quite a few beets in our CSA share – we get a bunch each week. I love beets, but I’ve been running out of ways to prepare them. I’ve made lacto-fermented beets, I’ve roasted them, I’ve thrown them in salads, I’ve made truffles with them, and I’m even trying to figure out how to bake with them. But still, there are more beets.
Did you know that beets are a wonderful powerhouse of nutrition? According to The World’s Healthiest Foods, beets are a great source of betalains, which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. They also are a great source of folate, manganese, and fiber, as well as other vitamins. I personally love them for this, but more importantly, for their flavor.
I didn’t always enjoy beets though, and I know there are many out there in the “eww, beets” camp. My experiences with beets as a child were rare, but when I did encounter them, they were canned. Blah. When I became an adult, however, I tried them again, and found that fresh beets are sweet and bursting with flavor. They also taste much different when roasted vs. steamed, and again are entirely different raw. If you’ve been a beet-hater most of your life, I encourage you to try them again – you might find there is a way you can really enjoy these beautiful veggies.
This simple slaw is one unique way to try them again. I’m not sure if you can call this a “slaw” – the ingredient list is much shorter than traditional slaws, and the only resemblance to a slaw ultimately is the fact that the beets are shredded. But I’m calling it a slaw, so it’s a slaw.
Even though the ingredient list is short, the flavors are full, fresh, and bright. The lovely part about this slaw is that those other ingredients transform the beet flavor into something less “earthy” – an attribute some beet-aphobes dislike about beets. The beets are a bit sweet, the lime a bit tart, and the pepper brings a bit of heat. I personally love the cilantro, which really bumps that “ooh, it’s summer!” freshness factor. If you’re anti-cilantro, you could opt to replace it with parsley or maybe even some mint. Basil might even play nicely.
This little slaw is delicious on its own, but I personally enjoyed it on top of my salads throughout the week. It was easy to throw together and lasted for several days, making it a convenient way to get more nutritious raw veggies into my diet. I might just make it again, seeing as how there are still beets to be had in my refrigerator, and it’s getting too hot to turn the oven on!
Raw Summer Beet Slaw (gluten-free, vegan)
2-3 large beets, peeled and shredded
1/4 c thinly sliced red onion
2 Anaheim chiles, seeded and diced (can substitute other chiles, just be mindful of the heat if you use jalapenos or serranos)
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Toss together all ingredients and season to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.
Have other ideas on how to keep the kitchen cool while making a healthy meal? Share at Udi’s Gluten-Free Living Community!
Portobello Mushroom Egg Pizza
Sometimes, dinner (or breakfast, or lunch) just has to be fast. Easy. A no-brainer. And sometimes, you just didn’t adequately plan ahead of time so that you could make this happen. Then what do you do?
This was my story, the evening after I ran Warrior Dash. I came home and scarfed a bit of leftover salad from the fridge, showered to get rid of the 1,000 pounds of mud from my body, and made myself presentable enough to take the kids out for a promised pizza dinner. (Yes, sometimes the kids get junk food.) By the time we got back home, I was suddenly famished (obviously, my salad “snack” wasn’t enough) and craving pizza. I hadn’t made plans for a meal beforehand, since we were taking the kids out. I figured I would rummage something up for myself. Only for some reason, I’d underestimated a) how hungry and b) how tired I would be.
So my “rummaging” turned up some portobello mushrooms that needed to be used up, some eggs, and a few pantry ingredients – tomato paste, olives, and a bit of Daiya cheese I’d stashed in the freezer. I was going to make some sort of pizza, I’d decided. It might not be traditional, but it would be nutritious, easy, and hopefully tasty.
Indeed it was. I had the “pizzas” ready to go into the oven in about 5 minutes (although it took longer than that to allow the oven to heat up) and could relax for a few minutes while they baked in the oven. In less than 30 minutes, and with the few dishes I used already washed (a bonus!), I had dinner – two gigantic portobello pizzas, enough to serve 2 people (with a side salad, perhaps). I paused just long enough to get this somewhat decent photo taken for you before both were gone. And I’m not apologizing for that.
These indeed hit the spot. They were delicious. The portobello provided a lovely, meaty base for the “pizza”, and the olives and seasoned tomato paste gave it the “pizza” flavor I was after. The egg just gave it a delicious, rich sauce, as I only baked it long enough to set the whites, leaving the yolk all warm and runny. So. So. Good.
All of a sudden as I’m writing this, I’m hungry for another one of these. I might have to accidentally-on-purpose make some more this weekend.
Portobello Mushroom Egg Pizza
2 large portobello mushroom caps, stems hollowed out
Olive oil or baking spray
salt and pepper
1/3 c tomato paste
1 t Italian seasoning or pizza seasoning
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
8-10 black olives, sliced (I used Kalamata)
1/4 c dairy-free cheese (such as Daiya)
2 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray or brush mushrooms with oil and season the insides with salt and pepper and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder. Spread the sauce over the inside of the mushrooms. Sprinkle olives and dairy-free cheese over. Carefully crack one egg on top of each.
Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until eggs are set to your liking. Remove and serve.
Serves 2, or one very hungry person.
Note: You can use any toppings you like on these pizzas. Roasted red peppers, pepperoni, cooked crumbled Italian sausage, ham, jalapenos, artichokes – anything goes!
This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.
Expanding My Grilling Horizons (Kale Waldorf Salad with Grilled Apples)
I love to grill. It’s a great thing that I live in Texas, where I can practically break out the grill year-round. But when the days get longer and we all long to be outdoors, that’s when our grill really pays for its place on our back patio. Any night of the week, I can throw a few steaks, some chicken breasts, or even a burger or two on the grill, and with a quick salad, we have a delicious meal. Less fuss and fewer dishes. It’s my kind of cooking!
But this year, I’m going to expand my grilling horizons. Far too often I reserve the grill for cooking meat. Sometimes, I’ll throw a portobello mushroom or two on there, but generally, all of the side dishes are prepared indoors. Well, friends, no more! I’ve decided that nothing is off-limits when it comes to the grill. Vegetables, desserts, salads – they’re all fair game. Okay, beverages might be difficult…but never say never, right?
(Okay, I don’t think my glass of ice water will be used for anything except possibly putting OUT fires on the grill…)
To get this project off on the right foot today, I decided to start with a salad. Since our kale is still growing in full force in the garden, I opted to use it. (A side note: I do love grilling because it reminds me to water the garden in the evenings – the garden is lucky I opted to grill today!) Since I had some apples and grapes that were longing to be used, I thought a waldorf-inspired salad was in order. I made up a quick dressing (using my homemade mayonnaise I made following this recipe) and tossed together the kale, some walnuts, grapes, and celery. And grilled apples.
Yes. I grilled the apples. Ever had a grilled apple? It’s essentially all of the deliciousness of a baked apple, only in a fraction of the time and with the added fun of being outdoors. And it’s a perfect addition to a salad.
That’s it! A super-easy salad that involves no grilling of any meat whatsoever. I’m feeling like my horizons are expanded already, and it’s not even summer!
Kale Waldorf Salad with Grilled Apples
1 large apple, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick
juice of 1 lemon, divided
1 T honey
1 T mayonnaise
1 t Dijon mustard
Pinch salt and pepper
1 large bunch kale, leaves torn
1/3 c sliced celery
¼ c toasted, chopped walnuts
¼ c grapes, sliced in half
Heat the grill to high heat. Meanwhile, brush the apple slices with half of the lemon juice and lightly brush with honey. When the grill is hot, oil the grates and grill the apple slices just until they have grill marks but retain some firmness, about a minute on each side. Remove and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together any remaining honey, the other half of the lemon juice, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Toss the kale leaves with the dressing and coat well – massage with your fingers to really soften up the kale leaves. Add the celery, walnuts, grapes, and apple slices (cut into smaller pieces if you desire) and toss again.
Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Salad will last a day or two in the fridge.
Want to win a $25 Sears gift card? For your chance to win, tell me why, aside from the food (which is my favorite part, but not killing the garden comes in pretty close), you love to grill?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
Green Pea Hummus
A few weeks ago, I saw a recipe for Black-Eyed Pea Hummus over at The Balanced Platter, shared by Valerie of City|Life|Eats. I loved the idea of this alternative to the traditional chickpea hummus. I can’t tolerate many legumes, and chickpeas are on the very top of the “just can’t do” list. However, I can tolerate fresh peas in small amounts, black-eyed peas being one example. But the light bulb really came on when Valerie replied to a comment I left on her post – she suggested a green pea-based dip.
OMG, I thought. Green peas? In a dip? Suddenly, I was hungry.
It’s funny how the littlest things can excite me. It was like the clouds parted and the sun was sending down warm, bright, clear rays down on me. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but you get my point.
I decided to make myself a little snack. Green pea hummus was the goal. I had to see if this green pea-based dip thing lived up to my expectations.
It did. Oh boy, it did.
Think of the creamy, addictive deliciousness that is hummus, and pair that with the spring-time freshness of green peas and parsley. That’s what this is. The best part? It’s terribly easy to whip up, and makes an excellent little snack to pack in your lunch, or for a savory afternoon pick-me-up.
I served mine with jicama sticks, baby carrots, celery sticks, and red bell pepper sticks. You could also use some of it to dress up some vegan “cheesy” crackers. You could even thin it out a bit and use it as a salad dressing. Or spread it out on some gluten-free bread as a condiment for a sandwich. Oh, the possibilities! But whatever you do, I highly recommend you make some. You’ll be glad you did.
Green Pea Hummus (gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, grain-free)
2 c frozen peas
1/2 c flat-leaf parsley, packed
4 T tahini
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 t ground cumin
2 confit garlic cloves plus about a teaspoon of the oil (alternatively, 1 fresh garlic clove and a teaspoon of olive oil)
1/4-1/2 t salt
1/2 t smoked paprika
In a small saucepan, bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. Add peas and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Place peas, parsley, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, garlic and oil, salt, and about 3/4 of the smoked paprika in the bowl of a food processor or a blender. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Scrape into a serving bowl and sprinkle remaining paprika. Chill and serve.
This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays over at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.
