What the bulk? Red Lentils

Full disclosure, I haven't yet tried this red lentil hummus recipe from the amazing blog "Oh She Glows." However, I am going to make it soon! Beat me to it and tell me how it turns out, okay?

Sneaky Red Lentil “Hummus”

Make this spread as a fun alternative to chickpeas! It’s not only similar in appearance, but taste too. Red lentils also tend to be easier to digest, so if you have problems with chickpeas I encourage you to give this a try.


Yield: 1 heaping cup
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked red lentils + 1 & 1/4 cup water
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste
• water to thin out, if needed
• Herbs & seasonings of choice, if desired

1. Pick through the lentils to make sure there are no pebbles and rinse in a small colander. In a medium-sized pot, add the lentils and 1 & 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover, simmering until the water is absorbed or about 10-13 minutes. Stir the lentils frequently to prevent them from sticking to the pot.
2. With the food processor running, drop in the clove of garlic to mince. Add the cooked lentils, along with the lemon juice, tahini, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add a touch of water if necessary to thin out.
3. Add salt to taste and other herbs and seasonings if desired.
Nutritional info: (per 2 tbsp) 45 cals, 1 gram fat, 7 grams carbs, 60 mg sodium, 1 gram fibre, 3 grams protein.

Look how amazing her meals always look! Here is the hummus spread on a wrap.

Definitely check out Oh She Glows. It's where half my recipes come from!

What I Ate Wednesday

Good Morning and welcome back to "What I Ate Wednesday!" For those who have reached out to me to tell me they enjoy this series of posts, THANK YOU! I appreciate feedback and love knowing it's helping you get ideas!

Breakfast was fruity and delicious. I started with a peach smoothie (frozen peaches blended with some ice and almond milk...that's it!) and a bowl of the usual (Rip's Big Bowl, Engine 2) topped with fruit. I always keep it simple and never skip breakfast.


This lunch was gooood. Looks like a pile of randomness, but it's actually a recipe I followed from the Engine 2 Diet book. click Here is the recipe. What you can't see buried underneath all the vegetables is the Engine 2 hummus spread all over the bread. It's an oil-free hummus, so you can really pile it on. Plus, my kids love it! That recipe is right here:

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos (whole foods) or low-sodium tamari
• 3 tablespoons water or vegetable broth

Basically blend it all together in a food processor until it's the consistency you favor. If you want it thinner, just add some water. When I first made it I really missed the taste of tahini, but I've grown to really like it. If you're a heart patient, this is a perfect spread or dip :)

You didn't really think I'd go a day without a green smoothie, did you? Nope! They really are a daily addiction!

Dinner was a"date" to the big Legacy Place Whole Foods with my husband and two kids. I am friends with Whole Foods on Facebook (I'm sure you're shocked!) and ended up winning a $25 gift card that week (thank you, thank you!). Dinner was on veganmama! This was actually the "Engine 2" burrito bowl from their Mexican station. That grain on the right is red quinoa :) The tofu was marinated in some sort of awesomeness. Looks like a small dinner, but it was actually quite large! I think it's amazing that the Engine 2 stuff is catching on in such a huge way! But you know, the more people like us ask for what we want in stores and restaurants, the more we'll see changes in our markets, restaurants and cafeterias.

Dessert :)

Have a great day, my friends!

What in the world is...Tahini

Oh tahini how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

But what IS tahini, anyway?

Tahini is a paste of ground sesame seeds. That explains why it has such a lovely nutty taste!

By now you probably know I'm half Lebanese. I know it's something I talk about a lot, but what can I say! I'm proud! We Middle Eastern people sort of rule in the food department. And one of our tastiest culinary masterpieces is hummus (on a side note, it's not pronounced "ha mus" it's "hoom mus").

Oddly enough (and don't tell my grandmother...) my favorite hummus recipe hails from Barefoot Contessa. Although my go-to recipes are almost all entirely vegan, I still dip into her cookbooks for inspiration. Here is Ina's fantastic hummus recipe, altered by yours truly:

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves (I USE TWO!)
• 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)(FRESH LEMONS ONLY!)
  
• 2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
• 8 dashes hot sauce (SO COOL! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?)
  

Directions

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Veganmama note: If it's too thick, go ahead and thin it out by using liquid from the chickpea can, one tablespoon at a time.