Hummus

Today, I decided that I would blog about my favorite snack in the whole wide world….. Hummus. I fell in love with hummus when I first tasted the roasted red pepper hummus from Jason’s Deli.  Ever since then, I could put hummus on everything. Lol. I also use hummus as a post workout snack! 

Incase what you are wondering what hummus is:

Hummus is a Levantine Arab dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. It is a popular food throughout the Middle East and elsewhere.

Hummus wikipedia

Hummus is a great source of fiber, iron, protein, vitamin c, vitamin B6 and many other minerals. If you are Vegan or Vegetarian, this would be a great addition to your diet.

 Hummus makes a great replacement for dip and great as a condiment. I personally love to spread on my gluten free turkey sandwiches at Jason’s Deli.  It comes it a lot of different flavors like artichoke spinach, roasted red bell pepper, tomato basil, garlic hummus, roasted eggplant, black bean hummus, and many many other flavors.  

Here is a few recipes for hummus:

Spiced Sweet Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (4 ounce) jar roasted red peppers
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. In an electric blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas, red peppers, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Process, using long pulses, until the mixture is fairly smooth, and slightly fluffy. Make sure to scrape the mixture off the sides of the food processor or blender in between pulses. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The hummus can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before serving.)
2. Sprinkle the hummus with the chopped parsley before serving.

Jalapeno Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 cup garbanzo beans
• 1/3 cup canned jalapeno pepper slices, juice reserved
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• crushed red pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, mix the garbanzo beans, jalapeno peppers and reserved juice, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. Season with cumin, curry powder, and crushed red pepper. Blend until smooth.

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons tahini paste
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika (optional)

Directions

1. Place garlic, salt, tahini, and lemon juice into a food processor; process until smooth. Pour in the garbanzo beans and 1/2 cup olive oil; process until smooth again, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Once smooth, add the sun-dried tomatoes, and pulse until they have been chopped to very small pieces and are incorporated into the hummus. Finally, add the basil, and pulse a few times until mixed in.
2. Spread the hummus into a shallow serving dish, and make a few decorative grooves on top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with paprika before serving.

Word of Advice:

• Hummus would be a great addition to your bento box or lunch box.  Just pack  hummus instead of other fatty dips.
• skip the mayo in your sandwich, use  your favorite flavor of hummus.
• try different flavors.
• skip the tortilla chips, use veggies or hell even some fruits to dip.

Bento boxing it up….

Photo courtesy of Hailey Dallaire

“Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Although bento are readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops, train stations, and department stores, it is still common for Japanese homemakers to spend time and energy for their spouse, child, or themselves producing a carefully prepared lunch box.”

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento

Photo courtesy of Hailey Dallaire

We know that it can be hard to follow the demands of a healthy lifestyle when you are busy with working. Bento is the perfect way for you to keep your is a perfect way to stay healthy. Forget the fast food and forget packing your lunch in a brown sack, the bento is a fun way to get creative with your food. The possibilities are endless with what you can pack.  

Photo courtesy of Hailey Dallaire

I swear by the bento. I used to work in the food industry. I know how tempting it can be to just cook up a fast meal while you have a quick break from a lunch rush.  It’s not the healthiest thing to do, but at the moment it’s the easiest thing to do. After awhile I just got tired of eating fries and cheese steaks. I randomly stumbled across a page dedicated to people professing their love for the Bento box. Even though I didn’t have a credit card to buy a cute nifty box online, I bought a little Tupperware container to keep my food in. the next day I came to work with a little box filled with strawberries, celery, carrots, rice, and grilled chicken. I felt so much better and had a lot more energy to work.  This was back in 2007. I didn’t care about losing weight, but I did care about the food I ate. Going Bento for work helped me not gain weight. 

If you are thinking about going Bento, here are a few things to follow:
 

Photo courtesy of Hailey Dallaire

• Food has to be edible at room temperature.
•  Stay away from the junk food. Packing cookies and Debbie cakes might be tempting, just pack fruit instead.
• Change things up each day. You don’t want to get bored eating the same stuff each day.
• Get creative; Bento boxes are a day brightener!
• Leftovers are a great addition to your bento! 
• You can pack your bento the night before if you want to.
• Bacteria thrive on moisture and protein at room temperature. Use an ice pack and an insulated lunch bag when packing perishable foods that will be unrefrigerated for more than two hours. 

Here are a few websites if you want more information:
http://lunchinabox.net/
http://www.laptoplunches.com/


where to buy bento boxes:
Amazon
http://www.jbox.com/