Step by Step Easy Hummus Dip

Easy Hummus Dip with drained chickpeas, lemon juice, lemon zest,
fresh garlic, tahini, olive oil, salt & pepper.

Now that the summer season has finally arrived here in Alberta, like many of you, I've found myself attending various work functions, BBQs and visits with friends. One of my favourite things to bring is a flavourful, yet easy to made hummus dip. I've found that this hummus dip works great when you're trying to come up with meal ideas for a potluck or work function. 

Creamy hummus dip

Hummus Ingredients

• 1 can of chick peas drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup of tahini (tahini paste)
• Juice of 1 lemon & zest
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste

kitchen equipment needed: food processor or blender, strainer

Directions

1. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas and then place into the food processor.
2. Zest the lemon, then set aside.
3. Juice the lemon.
4. Add the tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt & pepper (to taste) to the chickpeas in the food processor.
5. Puree until it is smooth. It should look creamy.
6. Add more olive oil, salt & pepper as needed.

This hummus dip makes about 2 cups. Typically, I bring one cup to the function I'm attending and save the other cup at home in the fridge.

This hummus dip is super creamy and has a decent garlic flavour balanced with the lemon along with a hint of tahini. Tastes great along side home made pita chips (brushing olive oil on pita bread cut into wedges & baked) or if in a rush grab a bag of sea salt chips from the local store. Feel free to adjust the lemon, tahini or garlic amounts to your tastes.

Lastly, if you end up with leftover hummus dip use it to make baked hummus chicken! I will certainly blog about this the next time I make it, as it was a last minute inspiration (see below). Not only does baked hummus chicken tastes similar to baked chicken made with panko or bread crumbs, but it's gluten free! Pat dry the chicken, then slather on the hummus. Bake the hummus encrusted chicken at 375F for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Gluten free oven roasted hummus crusted chicken

An amazing crepe recipe

Now that summer is finally here alternative dinner options are welcomed! Crepes are nice light fare and are perfect for summer! What I love about crepes is that they can actually be eaten savoury or, what we often see, sweet.  The crepe recipe that we have gotten lots of mileage from in our household is the one from Jacques Pepin.

Ingredients

• 2 large egg
• 3/4 cup All purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter + more for pan (we actually do not put butter in our batter but use it for cooking on the pan instead)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, flour, milk, salt and sugar until smooth. The batter will be thick.
2. Whisk in the water, oil and melted butter (the butter can be skipped if you want)
3. Heat a 6-inch pan (or any flat pan- we use a stainless steel one) or a non stick skillet and rub with a bit of butter. Tilt the skillet to distribute the butter evenly.
4. Add about 2 tbsp of batter (we use a ladle to put in how much we need; as long as it thinly covers the entire pan). Tilt the skillet to distribute the batter evenly. Pour away any excess batter back into the bowl.
5. Cook over moderately high heat until the edges of the crepe curl up and start to brown. approx. 45 sec.
6. Flip the crepe and cook for another 10 seconds, until a few brown spots appear on the bottom.
7. Tap the crepe out onto a baking sheet (or parchment paper)
8. Repeat with remaining batter to make up to 12 crepes. You may need to butter the skillet a few times as time progresses.

*note* heat low to medium heat first since you don't want to burn the crepe too fast.  Once you see the edges turn then it is ready to be flipped. You can make a whole stack of crepes by stacking one on the other. Cover with a towel/plate to keep them warm. 

This recipe can be used to make savoury crepes by skipping the sugar and filling the crepes with slices of cheese, sandwich meat, spinach leaves, tomatoes, mushrooms and more!

For dessert crepes you can put chocolate, strawberry/better compote (made with frozen fruit, butter & sugar in pot on stove top), or any types of fruit. Enjoy!!

Quinoa Chickpea Salad

Finally, it feels like spring is here to stay (in Edmonton)! Spring to me means the beginning of more colours showing up and pushing away the drabness of winter.  Here's an easy and healthy recipe to try that will hopefully lift your spirits as we move into Spring. 

Quinoa and Chickpeas! Who knew they could be such good friends and make your lunch or dinner so incredibly healthy! For this recipe you will need the following:

Ingredients (6-8 servings):

• 1-2 roasted red or yellow pepper (can use the canned ones) - sliced
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 onion (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 can of chickpeas (rinsed & drained)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dried cherries

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water (this helps prevent the quinoa from slipping away as you wash & makes it easier to drain the water out). 
2. After rinsing, drain water from pot.
3. Add 2 cups of water to the quinoa.
4. Bring the water to a boil (stir occasionally), then decrease to low heat and cover.
5. Allow the quinoa to simmer while covered for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.
6. Fluff quinoa with a fork, turn off heat and cool quinoa to room temperature.
7. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions once hot and cook onions until they are soft & appear translucent.
8. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two.
9. Remove garlic & onion pan from stove and allow to cool to room temperature.
10. Lastly, assemble the salad. Combine the quinoa, roasted red pepers, chickpeas, dried cherries, salt, pepper,  and lemon juice together. You can also add some more olive oil to mix everything together. 
11. This Quinoa & Chickpea Salad can be eaten straight out of the fridge, room temperature or even warm.   Enjoy!

I found a lot of inspiration for quinoa recipes from this book: Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood