Avocado, Cilantro and Jalapeño Hummus

I haven't always been a big fan of hummus. It took me years to find one that I could actually tolerate and it happened to be at Trader Joe's. Their Cilantro and Jalapeño Hummus is to die for but now that we have moved, there isn't a Trader Joe's near us. I have always wanted to try to make my own but the process always seemed so complicated and I had no idea what Tahini was or where to find it. I finally got a food processor and decided that now was the perfect time to try to make some of my own!  The process was anything but complicated and the end product was delicious. Enjoy!

Avocado, Cilantro and Jalapeño Hummus

Ingredients 

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

1 whole avocado, skin and pit removed 

1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 jalapeño

2 tsp tahini

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp garlic

1 tsp garlic powder 

Squirt of fresh lime juice

Sea salt to taste 

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until mixture reaches a smooth consistency. 

Homemade Tomato Sauce

I've never made my own tomato sauce.  I usually buy the organic sauce in the jar from the grocery store to cut back on the time it would take to complete a recipe with homemade sauce.  Although I do buy the sauce in the jar, I haven't found one that I really love.

I decided last night I would try to make my own sauce and it was surprisingly easy.  Hope you enjoy!

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Ingredients


1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
8 medium Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and onions, sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add seasonings, cooking an additional minute to incorporate flavors.  Add quartered tomatoes and vegetable broth.  Simmer,  covered on low heat for an hour.  Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool.  Place sauce in blender and blend until it has reached desired consistency.  Use immediately or store up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a glass jar.  Delicious as a pasta sauce or pizza sauce!

Fresh Pickled Beets!

One thing about beets, you either love them, or you hate them.  Me, I love them, and have since I was little.  I try to stay away from canned foods as much as possible, so when I saw some lovely beets at our local farmers market, I jumped on the chance to pickle some myself.  They are so easy to do and so good as well.

Pickled Beets

Ingredients

3-4 medium sized beets

1-1 1/2 cups white vinegar

1 Tbsp white sugar (can also use stevia)

Clean beats and place them in a medium pot, fill with enough water to cover beets.  Bring to boil and cook for about 45 minutes or until beets become tender.  Be sure to keep checking the water level on the beets throughout the duration of the cooking time because a lot of the water will cook off.  Make sure the water level is always enough to cover beets.  

Once beets are tender, drain water and allow them to cool to the touch.  Once they are cool, the skin will easily peel off.  Once peeled, give each beet a quick rinse.  Slice the beets to a thickness of your liking.  Place the sliced beets in a large mason jar.  Cover the beets with vinegar and add sugar.  Place lid on mason jar (make sure it is tight) and give it a tip upside down a couple times to mix sugar.  Refrigerate overnight to allow beets to incorporate flavors.  

Try topping pickled beets with my homemade ranch dressing recipe for an extra yummy snack!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake...YES PLEASE!!

So along with my obsession with ranch dressing, I love me some pumpkin!  When fall arrives, so does all the pumpkin, and I am in heaven.  This morning was feeling rather fally (not sure if that word even exists, but it does for me), so I decided a nice pumpkin pie protein shake sounded good.  To all you fellow pumpkin lovers, enjoy!

PUMPKIN PIE PROTEIN SHAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Almond Milk
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1-2 scoops Vanille Protein Powder
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Ice Cubes (don't use too many or it will water down your shake)

Combine all ingredients into blender.  Blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Say NO to Store Bought Ranch Dressing!! Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe.

Hi, my name is Lacey and I am obsessed with ranch dressing!!  All shapes and sizes of ranch dressing, even those that are not the healthiest.  Although ranch dressing is a favorite of mine, I can't help but knowing that some of the store bought ranch dressings are packed full of crap that I can't even pronounce.

This brings me to my lovely recipe for homemade ranch dressing :)  Enjoy!

RANCH DRESSING

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Veganaise (you can also use regular/light mayo or homemade mayo)

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt

1/4 Cup Almond Milk

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Dill Weed

1 Tbsp Parsley

Mix all ingredients together in a dressing shaker, or bowl.  Refrigerate, giving mixture time to incorporate flavors. Serve with your favorite salad or veggies.