Whenever there’s a sale on hummus, I always pick up the roasted red pepper flavor, because that’s the one I’ve never made myself.
Now I don’t have to think that way any more. After getting the tahini and red pepper, I was determined to figure out how they make the prepackaged hummus taste so good. It turns out it’s not that difficult! This hummus comes out nice and creamy. It’d be even better with peeled chickpeas but I wasn’t looking to impress anyone. You can even make it for date night to because there’s no garlic; hummus lovers rejoice!
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chickpeas
- 1 roasted red pepper with the skin peeled
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 Tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
For the roasted pepper, heat an oven to 425 degrees. Cut the pit out of the pepper and lay it on a baking tray. Brush the pepper with olive oil and roast it for 15-20 minutes until the skin starts to blister away. Let the pepper cool before trying to peel off the skin.
Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the hummus is completely smooth.
Move into a bowl to serve or store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week.
Serve with pita or crudités.
I’m really excited to be able to bring you this giveaway today. If I were Oprah, I’d be shouting “Favoorite Thiiiiiiings” in that vibrato voice she does so well(actually, I am doing that but no one needs to hear it).
I Love Perfect Foods Bars. 95% of marketed protein/energy bars are terrible, whether it’s too much refined sugar or just a lack of real food. These are part of the other 5%. I love them because they are:
- Sweetened with honey
- High protein
- High plant-based fat
- Rich in vitamins and minerals
- Organic ingredients you recognize
- Gluten-free
And, most importantly, they’re tasty, too! No chalky taste or texture here. They taste just like, well, peanut butter and honey.
They’re especially great for athletes on-the-go who need to get in extra wholesome calories. I know if I didn’t snack at times when I’m running a lot I’d need to cook and sit down to 5 or 6 full meals a day and who has the time for that?
The Giveaway
Perfect Foods is giving away a box of their famous bars to 3 US readers in the flavor of your choice. To enter, simply leave a comment for each method of entry below that you do(If you’re already a Facebook fan or twitter follower, that counts, too!).
- Tell me what flavor you’d choose if you won(my favorites are the original and carob chip)
- Like Perfect Foods Bar on Facebook
- Like The Wannabe Chef on Facebook
- Follow @PerfectFoodsBar on Twitter
- Follow @WannabeChefEvan on Twitter
I’ll choose the winners Tuesday night and alert them by email, so make sure to leave a valid email along with your name. Good luck!
I’ve had a lot of gluten-free baking disasters happen to me. Cookies are the worst; there’s no protein structure in most gluten-free flours to keep them from spreading. When I read this recipe I was intrigued but skeptical. There’s no way a cookie could work with just almond flour I thought. Despite having doubts the entire time, I gave this recipe a shot and I’m so glad I did. These are perfect chocolate chip cookies, with a slight buttery flavor and tons of melted chocolate chips. The texture is soft and pillowy with a little chew. I couldn’t believe these came out as good as they did! I’m definitely saving this recipe to cook again and again.
Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies(adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients(Makes about 12 cookies):
- 1 1/2 cups(6 ounces) almond flour
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Preheat your oven to 375.
To make the almond flour, ground 6 ounces of almonds in a food processor until it’s all been ground into a thin flour. degrees.
Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Mix in the egg. Next, add the almond flour, vanilla, salt, and baking soda and mix until it’s all incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop the batter into even portions onto the parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly before removing the cookies from the tray.
I had to try one straight out of the oven. And it did not disappoint. These would be great with a glass of chocolate almond milk for dipping. I would definitely double the recipe next time because 9 cookies just won’t be enough.
Added Note: The second time I made these(pictured) they spread out less so that the ones that went into the oven in a ball shape came out rounded like a doughball whereas the ones that I fashioned into a disk came out in the more traditional cookie shape. The only difference between the two was in appearance; cooking time, taste, and texture all remained relatively the same.
I have a new obsession. It’s tahini. I’ve heard a few other bloggers talk about how good this seed butter is but never picked it up at the store since the only brand I could find was majorly expensive. Luckily, they started carrying a new brand that’s much cheaper and I decided to give it a go.
I’m not looking back.
The flavor is very savory, almost bitter, just like you’d imagine sesame seeds to be in concentration. On its own it’s a bit much but paired with other flavors it’s excellent.
Lemon-Tahini Fish Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons tahini
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons neutral oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dill weed
Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth and silky. If the sauce is too thick, add an extra 1/2 a tablespoon of water to thin it out.
This sauce would be good with:
- Any white fish
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Veggie burgers
- Chickpeas
- Diced potatoes
And much more. This recipe was a huge success; I can’t wait to try more with tahini.
Most of the time I like no fuss desserts: A bar piece of chocolate, 5 a spoonful of peanut butter, leftover frosting eaten with a spoon—you know, something simple. But once and a while I like making something unique with complimenting flavors and textures, the sort of thing you’d buy at a bakery. These were surprisingly simple for how impressive they came out. The cookie crust could be eaten on its own and really brings the dessert to a new level. It’s more rich than it is sweet. And since it’s raw and mini, you can eat about 5 and feel good about it, or at least think that.
Mini Raw Cheesecake With Chocolate Shortbread Crust
Ingredients(Makes 7 mini cheesecakes)
For the crust:
-
3 Tablespoons almond butter
-
3 Tablespoons coconut butter, semi-softened
-
1 Tablespoon agave nectar
-
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
For the filling:
Line a cupcake tray with paper liners. Make the crust by mixing together all of the crust ingredients and separating it into 7 equal portions. Flatten each into a disk and place it into the bottom of the paper liners. Refrigerate the chocolate bases while making the filling.
To make the filling, drain the cashews from their water. Add all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Scoop the filling evenly into the paper liners and level each. Place them in the refrigerator to harden until ready to be served.
I think I’ll have another.
I signed up to get an account on Pinterest this week but I’m still on the waiting list. I’m pretty sure I could have made an appointment with and seen my old orthodontist by this point. I figured I’ll just share my obsessions here until I get an account.
Raw desserts. Even better if they contain cocoa powder. Ever since starting a plant-based diet I’ve convinced myself if it’s made of nuts and agave it’s practically health food. Please don’t argue with me; I have nothing to back that up with.
Chickpeas. It’s not just the curry. I don’t remember the last proper meal that I ate without them. Send help. Or an industrial sized can of chickpeas.
The Royal Wedding. I don’t care that it’s over; I still want to talk about it. I’ll watch any television program that talks about it. In fact, I bet 60 Minutes will do a report on it and can’t wait to hear what Andy Rooney has to say. Plus, we still have the Royal Honeymoon, Royal Baby-making, and Royal 401k to track. Oh wait, they’re rich. And British. Scratch that last one.
Chocolate. Always chocolate.
Doctor Who. Holy intensity, Batman. I’ve watched one episode so far and this already looks like the best season yet. Except I can only remember half of it—I wonder why? If you ever feel compelled to email me about fictional alien conspiracy theories, please do. That’s what the Contact page is for, after all. Just no spoilers.
Adele. She’s the best thing to come out of the UK since Doctor Who and the Royal Wedding. If you haven’t listened to her 21 album yet, don’t; you’ll never stop.
Kombucha. I know some people are freaked out by this drink but I just love it. It’s probably because I don’t drink alcohol so it’s the closest thing to a buzz I’m getting that’s not a haircut. The long, stringy bacteria thingy(a technical term) is my favorite part.
What do you love lately?
I get on food kicks on occasion. Most of the time it’s chocolate. This week it’s still chocolate, but it’s also Thai and coconut. Bear with me. It will be gone soon.
I love food you can slurp, especially food that has a sauce that makes you want to lick the bowl clean. That’s probably why I shouldn’t eat in public. Anyhoo, that’s part of why I love curries. The coconut milk is cool and refreshing but spicy at the same time; it makes me want to eat every last drop. This recipe uses chickpeas for the protein which is more an Indian flare, but you could add in browned beef, fried tofu, or baked chicken cutlets instead. Just make sure it’s cooked through before adding it to the broth.
Chickpeas In Green Curry
Ingredients(for 2 people)
-
1 onion, diced
-
1 red pepper, julienned
-
1 green pepper julienned
-
3 Tablespoons neutral oil
-
1/2 cup coconut milk
-
1 Tablespoon green curry paste
-
1 can of chickpeas, drained
-
salt to taste
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add in the cut vegetables and sauté for a few minutes until the oil gets absorbed and the onions turn translucent.
Pour in the coconut milk.
Add in the green curry paste(a blend of garlic, curry, salt, lemongrass and a few other ingredients) and mix it into the broth.
Let the broth boil for 2-3 minutes until it thickens up slightly. Add in your protein for the last minute to heat. Serve hot with rice or greens if desired.
I definitely licked the bowl clean.
The best recipes come to you in 5 minutes.
The best recipes are made with ingredients you already have on hand.
The best recipes are simple yet flavorful.
This recipe is all of that. It’s not fussy. An idiot could make it(not that anyone here’s an idiot). And it’s healthy, too. It may not be up to par with Royal Wedding standards(one more day! Eek!) but it’s a great choice for a week night in America when you get home late and just want something simple.
Simple Citrusy White Beans
Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoons orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Drain and rinse the beans if you haven’t already.
In a bowl, toss all of the ingredients together. Serve at room temperature.
I told you this recipe was idiot-proof. The black pepper is key to the flavor; I don’t even normally like black pepper but it balances out the fruit flavors really nicely.
What makes a recipe a winner in your book?
Some foods I could eat at every meal. Peanut butter is one of them. My favorite peanut dish has always been Pad Thai with that rich, silky sweet sauce. As a rule, the best Pad Thai usually comes from the sketchiest restaurants where you’re not really sure what they’re cooking with and you’re not sure you want to know.
But this recipe wasn’t inspired from a Thai restaurant; it comes from Ina Garten. One episode, Ina was making a lunch for some couple that paid a God awful amount of money at a charity auction to have lunch with her. The worst part was the pants the husband(not Jeffrey) was wearing; they were turquoise with some yellow nautical pattern—God, I wanted to turn off the TV right there.
But I’m glad I didn’t because Ina made an Asian noodle salad that sounded too good to pass up. This weekend I grabbed some foreign ingredients I don’t normally keep around(tahini, roasted red chili paste) and tried to imitate the recipe as best I could from memory. If you can’t find roasted red chili paste, it’s basically just red chilis, fish sauce, garlic, and a heck of a lot of sodium. The unique flavor really helps add a lot of depth without much effort.
Thai Sesame Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Combine all the ingredients together and whisk until emulsified. Add more salt to taste if necessary. If the sauce isn’t hot enough, continue adding chili powder until it reaches your desired spice level.
After that you can smother this on grilled chicken, or toss it with noodles and sprouts, or mix it into a salad like I did. In the mix were:
- Mixed greens
- Shredded carrots
- Mushrooms
- Firm tofu
I was really impressed with how quick and easy the sauce was to make. I will definitely be whipping it up again. You can make a big batch of this and refrigerate the extra sauce in a sealed container for up to a week. And if it’s good enough to serve in the Hamptons, it’s good enough to serve wherever you are.
Lord help me.
I’m posting a Sandra Lee-esque recipe.
It’s not that I don’t love baking from scratch; I do. But there are only so many hours in a weekend, especially Easter weekend. Somewhere between spending Saturday at the mall and egg-painting and Sunday at home with family sifting together flour, sugar, and baking soda didn’t seem so important. So I phoned it in. But I made the frosting from scratch, and everyone knows that’s the part that counts.
Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients(Makes around 16 cupcakes):
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 2 or 3 eggs*
- 1 cup coconut milk
*Use however many the instructions for the cake mix calls for.
Preheat an oven to 325 degrees.
Mix together the mix, eggs, and coconut milk in a large bowl until well-beaten.
Evenly scoop the batter into lined cupcake tins making sure each paper liner is about 2/3rds full. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. Let cool completely before frosting.
Lemon Buttercream
Ingredients:
- 4oz room-temperature butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Zest from one lemon
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Beat together the butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Slowly incorporate the rest of the sugar while beating until all of it is mixed in. Add in the lemon zest and juice and mix until the frosting reaches a uniform consistency.
Spread on cupcakes or over cake. Optional: Roll the tops of the cupcakes in a bowl of shredded coconut.
Like I said, it’s the frosting thought that counts.
