Greek style Pita Sandwiches.

These are super simple, super delish, and perfect for a quick lunch or even afternoon snack! Even better?! You won't hear up the kitchen in this heat! #score. 

          Greek style Pita Sandwiches. 

   Oh yeah...they're also kind of gorgeous, too...

   But I think that was pretty self-explanatory.

Greek style Pita Sanwiches. Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. Two whole grain/gluten free pita breads

2. 1/4 cup hummus of choice (Cava brand traditional is my fave!)

3. Two grape leaves

4. One small Roma tomato, sliced

5. Handful of sliced red onion 

6. 2 oz. firm tofu

7. 1-1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

8. 1/8 tsp each onion and garlic powders

9. Black pepper to taste

10. Flat leaf Italian parsley for garnish

Method

1. Lay your pita breads flat and spread each with 2 T of the hummus (divide evenly between the two). 

2. Lay one grape leaf on each hummus-slathered pita. 

3. Place Roma slices close to one side of each pita and top with red onion slices. Set aside. 

4. For the "tofu feta", place tofu in a small bowl and add vinegar, onion, garlic, and pepper and mash with the back of a fork. 

5. Sprinkle tofu feta to the inside of the tomato slices. 

6. Top with parley and fold in half before eating. 

Tuscan Veggie Pasta with Homemade Hummus.

What began as a "quick weekday lunch after class" quickly turned into another delicious recipe creation! No surprise there, right?! 

This yummy veggie-based meal is packed with protein and fiber to keep you going all day long! And as usual,100% oil free, sugar free, and added salt free. Oh, it tastes pretty good too! 😉 enjoy babes! 

Tuscan Veggie Pasta with Homemade        Hummus. 

Tuscan Veggie Pasta with Homemade Hummus; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. One large zucchini

2. One medium Roma tomato, chopped 

3. Handful of sliced black olives 

4. 1 cup no salt added canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

5. 2 oz. silken tofu 

6. Generous sprinkling of onion and garlic powders

7. About 1 T lemon juice

8. Tuscan style seasoning (Italian seasoning will also work)

9. Black pepper to taste

10. Small handful finely chopped kale greens

Method

1. Spiraling your zucchini Int'L noodles and place in a large bowl. 

2. Top noodles with chopped tomato, kale, and sliced olives. 

3. In a food processor, combine chickpeas, lemon juice, seasonings, and tofu. Blend till very smooth, scraping sides as needed. 

4. Top pasta with hummus (if you have some left over like I did, it's delish on toast! Mmmm!) and a sprinkling of black pepper. Serve with a side salad with balsamic. YUM! Perfect meal. 

World's Creamiest Hummus: Spicy Chipotle Plantain Hummus.

Before you go running away (yes, this is quite a strange combo...), hear me out. Hummus is good. Plantains are good. Spicy is good. Combine them all?! Yummmmmmoooooo. And yes-my secret ingredient for lusciously creamy hummus is none other than the glorious plantain.  I LOVE plantains. So incredibly versatile, nutritious, and yummy. When blended, plantains get ridiculously creamy and smooth. Give this hummus a go--you'll be glad you did!

      Spicy Chipotle Plantain Hummus. 

       Creamy. Delicious. NOMS. 

Spicy Chipotle Plantain Hummus; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 3/4 c canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2. 3 oz. peeled ripe plantain (about 1/4 of a medium; or approx. a 3" slice)

3. Onion and garlic powders, 1/8 tsp each

4. 1/8-1/4 tsp chipotle powder (to taste...depending on your heat preferences!)

5. Cilantro for garnish

Method

1. Combine all ingredients (EXCEPT cilantro) in your mini food processor and blend until super smooth. I added about 1 T water to get things moving. Serve into bowl and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy with raw veggies, pita chips, or tortillas. 

"Cheezy" Hummus.

You can probably guess the main ingredient (other than chickpeas, of course) used in this hummus recipe. Yes, you guessed correct: my beloved nutritional yeast...or "nooch" as I like to call it. If you have never tried nutritional yeast, don't let the daunting name scare you. It's not like brewers yeast or dry yeast used in bakjng. Nutritional yeast is simply yellow yeast flakes that can be used however you wish. A couple of my favorite uses for nooch? Salad topper, my "Basic Cheeze Sauce" (recipe in a previous post), mixed with lemon juice for a salad dressing, you name it. Nooch is a vegans best friend. Not only does it TASTE EXACTLY LIKE CHEESE, but it is a SIGNIFICANT source of vitamin B-12, which many vegans happen to be deficient in. 

So if you haven't tried these amazing little yellow superheroes, you're seriously missing out. Go ahead and try it in this hummus! I guarantee you'll love it. 

                "Cheezy" Hummus. 

         Cheezy hummus-y goodness. 

"Cheezy" Hummus; Vegan, Gluten-free. Serves one. 

Ingredients

1. 3/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2. 2 T nutritional yeast

3. 1/4 tsp each onion powder and garlic powder

4. Dash of bragg's liquid aminos

5. Pinch of turmeric (for color)

6. 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Method

1. Just like all hummus recipes, this one is pretty foolproof. Just add all ingredients to your mini food processor and blend until smooth, adding splashes of water and scraping sides as needed. Serve with toast, veggies, or refrigerate to use for later...if you can refrain from eating all of it straight out of the food processor...!

Tropical Hummus.

Ok. I love hummus. Like looooooooooove it. It's a definite "go-to" protein option for me, especially when I'm in a rush. 

This is probably my all-time fave hummus recipe I've created. Like all hummus recipes, it's super quick and easy, packe with protein, and goes great with almost anything. But this hummus is special. It combines so many of my favorite things it's not even funny! Curious?! You should be. Try this one out--and prepare your taste buds. Flavor bomb alert!

                  Tropical Hummus. 

                      And another. 

                  Last one. Promise. 

Tropical Hummus; Vegan, Gluten-free. Makes one meal-sized serving (about 1 scant cup hummus). 

Ingredients 

1. 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

2. 1/2 cup frozen thawed pineapple

3. 1/2 cup frozen thawed mango 

4. 2 T canned lite coconut milk

5. Juice of 1/2 small lime 

6. Dash of bragg's liquid aminos

7. Onion and garlic powders to taste

8. VERY SMALL dash cumin

Method

1. So easy. Combine all ingredients in your mini food processor and blend util smooth. Serve garnished with a pineapple chunk. It's all in the presentation, people! Enjoy!

Raw Hummus

Raw vegans rejoice! I have created a fully raw hummus dip. The secret ingredient? Zucchini squash in place of chickpeas...really! You will be shocked at how much this resembles "real" hummus. Yum!

                       Raw Hummus. 

Raw Hummus; Vegan, Gluten-free. Makes about 3/4 cup hummus. 

Ingredients

1. One small zucchini squash, chopped (mine weighed 6 oz.)

2. 1 tsp tahini 

3. 2 tsp minced garlic

4. 2 to 3 T fresh lemon juice

5. Splash water to blend

6. Black pepper for garnish

Method 

1. Add all ingredients to your mini food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Serve as desired! 

Sundried Tomato and Paprika Hummus

Hummus. The word itself just makes me so happy. Add "Sundried Tomato and Paprika" before that little word? I think I just won the flavor lottery. Nommmmm. This hummus is full of that creamy chickpea-tahini goodness, with the bonus of tangy sundried tomatoes and spicy paprika. Mmmm. Served with a big plate of raw veggies and toasted pita bread, I think I could eat this at every meal and be perfectly content.

Sundried Tomato and Paprika Hummus.

Sundried Tomato and Paprika Hummus; Vegan. Gluten-Free. Makes 1 cup.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2. 1 tsp minced garlic
3. danes of garlic powder and paprika
4. 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
5. 4 sundried tomatoes, chopped finely (make sure they are not oil-packed)
6. 1 tsp tahini
7. water, to blend

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor and blend until smooth (tomatoes will remain a bit chunky--this is perfectly fine). 
2. Scoop into bowl and sprinkle with paprika.
3. Serve with veggies or spread on toast. Enjoy!