Zucchini Cilantro Hummus

Easy Cheap Hummus Recipe


If you've ever bought hummus from the store you know it is pretty expensive for just a little tub of hummus, a lot of which is holed out at the bottom. Basic hummus recipes consist of blended chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and tahini - a sesame seed butter that is high in fat/calories, tasty, and also very pricey. Because of the tahini and olive oil the fat content and calorie count can be very high. 

Chickpeas are a great source of vegan protein, and since hummus is so tasty and easy to take on-the-go, I ventured to recreate the recipe with 2 main goals: lower the fat content, and boost the nutritional value with veggies + herbs. I believe I accomplished both!

Ingredients:

• 1 can organic chickpeas 
• 1 cup organic zucchini (or raw veggie of choice)
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro (or fresh herb of choice)
• 2 tbs. Braggs Liquid Aminos
• 2 tbsp. filtered water
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• Juice of 1 or 1/2 a lemon
• Everyday seasoning to taste (Trader Joe's brand)

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth. You may have to pulse it and stir a few times, and with patience it will all blend up. 

Garnish with herbs and a dusting of paprika or seasoning. 

Serve with veggies and store in the fridge. 

I brought this to a party and it received RAVING reviews! Everyone was asking for the recipe, which I thought was hilarious. I just whipped the chickpeas up with some veggies, herbs, and whaala! a beautiful flavor combination came out!

This recipe is very simple and versatile, and you could come up with TONS of veggie/herb combos to suit your and your family's taste. 

*Photo courtesy of GoToRawFood.com (http://gotrawfood.com/zucchini-hummus)

Herbed Chickpea Veggies

Chickpea Vegan Dinner

Chickpeas are so yummy, and when seasoned beautifully in this recipe they almost have a cheese-like texture with the warm veggies. 

Garlic + Lemon + Basil = Trinity of Herbs

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 chopped red onion
• 1 diced red pepper
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1-3 tbsp. crushed garlic
• squeeze of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• sea salt or Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning to taste
• Braggs Liquid Aminos (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute broccoli and garlic over medium/high heat with a bit of coconut oil or water (to keep fat-free, coconut oil is a healthy fat though that does not change with heat). After about 4 minutes once the broccoli are more tender, add in the chickpeas, red pepper, red onion, lemon, and optional seasoning. You can smash some of the chickpeas while stirring to give it a bit of a sauce and different texture. Once the veggies are tender and cooked through take off the heat. Stir in the chopped basil (or fresh herb). 

I don't add the fresh herbs earlier since you don't want them to wilt too much in the heat and you want to preserve as much of the antioxidant/healing properties as possible!

To make this taste EXTRA Amazing, you can serve it topped with warm Tomato Basil Marinara sauce (no salt/sugar kind from TJ's). The marinara makes it taste like a decadent Italian pasta dishes with bits of cheesy chickpeas, bringing the garlic, lemon, basil combo together beautifully!

1 cup of cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans contains 12 grams of protein, so again this is a tasty way to get your protein and veggies in.

Enjoy :)

Black Bean Artichokes

Bean Protein Vegan Dinner

This is a quick recipe that basically involves veggies and a vegan protein source - today featuring black beans!

Ingredients: 

• 2 cans artichokes (drained, no salt), or 3 cups fresh artichokes 
• 1diced red onion
• 1-3 tbsp. crushed garlic
• 2 cans organic black beans
• squeeze of half a lemon
• sea salt or Trader Joe's everyday seasoning to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

In a large saucepan, saute the artichokes with garlic over medium/high heat. You can use a bit of water or coconut oil to saute the artichokes, and the artichokes will take a little while to brown since they are wet to start out. Once the artichokes are slightly browned, add in the red onion and black beans with remaining herbs/seasonings. ... then done!

Black beans contain 15 grams of protein per 1 cup, making this a protein and flavor-packed vegan meal for the whole family! 

One-pan wonder :)

Red Lentil Veggies

Protein-Packed Vegan Dinner

This is a nutritious, simple dinner great for any night of the week, especially when you need something fast and want fresh clean food!

Use whatever organic vegetables you have on hand. The beauty of this recipe is you just saute up your veggies with the lentils for protein, and you have a beautiful fresh meal!


Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup red lentils
• 1 1/2 cups filtered water (or veggie broth)
• 1 chopped zucchini (or more)
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 chopped red onion
• shredded carrots or anymore veggies you'd like
• 1-3 tbsp. crushed garlic
• squeeze of a 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil/cilantro/herbs
• Braggs Liquid Aminos (optional, like soy sauce)
• sea salt or Trader Joe's everyday seasoning to taste

Heat lentils, garlic and water over medium/high heat in a (large) saucepan. After about 5 minutes stir in broccoli. The broccoli takes the longest to cook through, so after about 4 minutes stir in the zucchini, red onion, squeeze of lemon and any other veggies. When the veggies are tender and lentils are cooked through and absorb the liquid, the dish should be just about finished. Stir in the fresh herbs, more lemon if desired, or any other seasonings ... then done!

1 cup of cooked lentils contains 18 grams of protein, one of the highest concentrations of plant protein without fat. 

One pan - with plenty for the whole family or leftovers

The hardest part about this is chopping veggies (;