So Yum Hum-mus

I used to be one of those people that was afraid of hummus.  It looked gross, and as horrible as this sounds all I associated it with was vegetarians.  Since then I have learned to embrace all diets.  I was at a get-together and hummus was one of the only things on the spread.  So I went for it...and I LOVED IT!  It is very healthy and is chock full of fiber so you can't beat that.  I made up this hummus recipe and have had friends try it and everybody has liked it so far (fingers crossed that continues.)  So if you've always been wary of hummus, give it a try it's super easy! So here goes...

I usually use 1-2 roasted bell peppers, but little did I know that this jar had gone bad :( Luckily I had a bell pepper on hand, an honestly I liked this version better!

Throw everything except the olive oil into a food processor and blend.

Stream in just enough olive oil while it's blending to make a smooth dip, almost like refried beans.  The reason I use the sour cream is to cut the fat and give it more of a creamy texture, then top it off with the olive oil.  Technically not true hummus but who cares! Voila!

Hummus
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1/2 any color bell pepper (I used orange I think, but if you don't have one it will certainly still be tasty)
2 cloves garlic (mine were small, if huge use one)
2 T. light sour cream
EVOO
salt and pepper to taste

Throw everything but the olive oil into a food processor.  Blend until smooth, stream in olive oil until consistency you desire.  Serve with vegetables or pita chips.

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

In an effort to be healthier around here (man it's hard!) I am going to start trying to post a few more healthy recipes.  Growing up I was a salad bar kind of girl.  But I have to admit, I really enjoy the not so healthy options on the salad bar.  Bacon, cheese, croutons, ranch...just seeing these words typed together makes me kind of cringe, but come on people, it's good!  I'm a creature of habit, a salad covered in ranch dressing was what I grew up on, and my taste buds were satisfied with staying on that bandwagon.  Only within the past few years have I learned to love other dressings.  Vinaigrettes are my new love, and while I still occasionally order ranch, I know that a vinaigrette is the healthier option most times.  So I'm really really trying to expand my palette and sample new things.  This salad isn't too crazy (I can't branch out too far yet :) and I didn't make my own dressing, but it's still pretty yummy!  On today's menu...Apple Pecan Chicken Salad.

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad
2 cups 50/50 salad blend (spinach and spring mix)
1 small boneless skinless chicken breast (approx. 3 oz) grilled and chopped
1 T. pecan pieces
1 granny smith apple, cubed
1 T. dried cranberries
1 T. crumbled feta cheese
1 T. red onion chopped
2 T. light raspberry vinaigrette

The deets: Cal: 339, Fat: 13, Carbs: 39, Protein: 23, Fiber: 8, WWPoints: 7

Cucumber Garlic Dip

Wow let me first say that it's been a LONG time.  I am so sorry! I have a lot to post so hopefully I can get that done within the next month or so before I go back to work.  Since I last saw you guys, I was able to visit Lori in Oklahoma! Yay!! We did some food related stuff, so hopefully we can get that stuff posted on here too.  Onto the cucumber dip!

Lori posted a version of this dip that is super yummy, so if you haven't had a chance to see that one, check it out.  But I'm a sucker for garlic, even with the dragon breath that comes with it.  I had a version of this dip out at the lake that we frequent every Sunday :) Side note: LOVE SUMMERTIME! I didn't ask for the recipe (although I should have) and decided on a whim yesterday to make my own version, because I had everything on hand. 

The basics: Cucumber, garlic, cream cheese, S&P

(I threw a little parsley and dill (pinch) into the food processor, but if you don't have those it's still lovely!)

Garnished with some chopped parsley & chives (only because I had them people, it's still delish without!)

I ate this with potato chips, only because that's what I had (recurring theme?) but I think pita chips would be awesome too!

Cucumber Garlic Dip
1/2 package of cream cheese
1 clove garlic, minced or in my case, grated
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

Throw first three ingredients into the food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add salt and pepper to taste.