Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus is a food that I typically buy pre-made. In my mind it's a lot cheaper, and quicker to just buy it already made. But recently, I've tried to steer away from pre-made/convenience foods and put more effort and love into the food that I am eating. By doing this, I came up with this yummy hummus recipe that is actually much cheaper than pre-made and takes less than 20 minutes to whip up. Also, by making your own you can control what you put in your hummus. Most store bought hummus has preservatives and is high in oil.

The red peppers can definitely be left out, and the flavor can be changed to whatever you'd like. Add more garlic if you would like a more garlic heavy hummus, add cilantro and lime for a Mexican inspired hummus, or different spices to create whatever kind of hummus your hummus loving heart desires! 

Most hummus recipes call for tahini which is similar to peanut butter but made with sesame seeds. This ingredient is pretty expensive, so I have found that just using raw sunflower seeds tends to take on the tahini flavor.

All you need for this recipe is the list of ingredients below and a blender or food processor. This makes about 2 cups of hummus, so it'll last for up to a week and is perfect for dipping any type of vegetables or chips in, spreading on toast, or putting in a wrap, the possibilities are endless!

Ingredients: 
1 can garbanzo beans (rinsed)

1 (12 or16 oz) jar roasted red peppers (rinsed)

1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 lemon (juiced)

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar

2 cloves garlic (mashed)

1 tsp. salt 

2 tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. cumin

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Store in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.

 

The Right Way to Make Popcorn

A lot of people don't realize that popcorn is actually a whole grain, meaning it is unrefined and has all of the grain components, providing the most nutrients. If you make popcorn the "right way" then it is a great snack to have that's packed with whole grains.

Most people buy bagged popcorn that is full of butter and chemical additives. Instead, pop your own with plain old popping corn kernels, and a brown paper bag! It is so quick, easy, and way less expensive than the pre-bagged microwave popcorn, and it so much better for you. By popping your own, you can control how much butter, how much salt, and how many additives you put in it.






See all the added ingredients in this bag of microwave popcorn? If you pop your own the only ingredient is popping corn!

So here is how you pop your own popcorn...


Step 1: 

For about one serving, use 1-2 Tbsp. of popping corn kernels, and dump it in a brown paper bag.

Step 2:

Roll up the bag, make sure you leave room for the corn to pop!

Step 3:

Put the bag into the microwave, and microwave it for about 1 minute and 45 seconds, or until you hear it stop popping.

Step 4:

Take the bag out of the microwave, and pour it in a bowl.

Step 5:

Flavor your popcorn! I love spraying mine with a little cooking spray (olive oil, or coconut oil) and sprinkling on some cinnamon. Other topping suggestions are sea salt, chili powder, parmesan cheese, cocoa powder, honey, garlic and basil. Get creative, and see what kind of toppings you can think of!

Step 6: 

Enjoy your deliciously natural, one-ingredient popcorn! (I chose to enjoy mine by the fire, yummmmm!)

Quick and Easy Pumpkin Dip

Do you love apples, but are wanting to change up the taste? Well I've got a quick, simple, healthy dip for you to try! I absolutely l o v e pumpkin, and almost always have a container of pumpkin puree in my refrigerator. Last night I needed to use it up, and so I created this delicious pumpkin butter and dipped some apple slices into it. y u m m m m . . . .

             

Pumpkins contain lots of fiber, as well as beta-carotene (which gives it that beautiful orange color) which is a very important vitamin for your eyesight! And of course apples are just plain perfect (go look at my top five favorite fruits to find out why http://cookinglittle.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-favorite-fruits.html ) Some people don't know how to use pumpkin, so this is a great way to use any leftover cans of pumpkin that you may still have from Thanksgiving.

Ingredients: (for one serving)

apples (however many you want to eat)
2-3 Tbsp. pumpkin puree (make sure it is NOT pumpkin pie filling)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 Tbsp. Stevia (honey, or maple syrup would work great as well)


And it's just as simple as putting the canned pumpkin in a bowl, along with the cinnamon, ginger, and stevia, and then mixing it up! Quick snack in less than five minutes! This would also be a great party dip, if you're wanting to serve/bring something a little sweet.