Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Avocado Hummus Cucumber Bites
PIN IT!Happy [Meatless] Monday friends! I’m very happy to report that I’m still alive and well after that tropical storm mishap this weekend. Although it was not nearly as bad as Mr. Weatherman predicted, I’ll be perfectly happy if we never have to deal with a similar storm again. (You hear that, weather gods?) Being the novice hurricane person that I am, I (rather frantically) started baking and cooking Friday night to ensure we had plenty to eat before the storm. I found this to be the perfect time to whip up a batch of avocado hummus. Because I was determined the power would go off and stay off for days (I’m sort of dramatic) I decided to serve the hummus on slivers of cucumbers with a dash of roasted red pepper (best to kill the produce, just in case!)
Y’all probably think I’m nuts. Which, to be honest, I do feel a little nuts sometimes. But trust me, I wasn’t the only nutter in the grocery store buying 3 bottles of wine and 10 jugs of water. Thankfully, the DC metropolitan area is full of crazies who fear storms, snow and any sort of precipitation at all so I’m not alone in my hysteria. However, I will say, I am a much better driver. (We won’t get into the s*&*show that is dc driving in the rain right now). Alas, I digress. Let’s talk about the delicious little hors d’oeuvres I’m planting in front of your pretty little faces instead, mmk? A little less of a heated discussion.
Now, I didn’t just wake up with the brilliant idea to throw some avocado into some chick peas, I’m not that much of a recipe genius. While at the Frito Lay Demonstration, the head chef prepared a batch of avocado hummus, sans the chick peas.
It tasted like Middle Eastern guacamole, it was really good. However, I missed the consistency and flavor of the chick peas, so I kept those in my recipe. The texture was definitely chunkier and heartier, but the zest of the avocado, lime and cilantro gave it that distinct guacamole flavor. It was the best of both worlds, guac & traditional hummus! Plus, the sweet, crunch of the fresh cucumber and the flavorful roasted red pepper garnish made each bite truly remarkable.
If you are someone who has moderation issues (hi, nice to meet you, I do too!) don’t fret if you’ve popped about 5 in your mouth. Each little cucumber & hummus concoction only has about 35 calories and 2 grams of fat so you won’t derail your diet. Talk about a perfect party snack! (And pre-hurricane snack, obvli.) If you aren’t a cucumber person, this dip is just as good with pita or tortilla chips!
Prep time: about 8 minutes.
Assembly time: about 2 minutes.
Yields: about 8 1/2 cups of hummus and about 8 cucumber bites.
NOTE: This recipe will make extra hummus so you’ll have some left over.
Avocado Hummus Cucumber Bites
What You’ll Need:
- 2-3 cucumbers, sliced (depends how many apps you plan on making)
- 2 cans (15 ounces) of chick peas, drained and rinsed
- 2 avocados
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons of tahini
- Liberal dashes of salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 cup of low fat yogurt (plain) – you can use sour cream as a substitute
- 1 sprig of cilanto, finely chopped
- 1 roasted red pepper (from jar), finely chopped
How to Make Them:
- Place chick peas and garlic in a food processor and puree until semi-smooth. (I like mine a bit chunky).
- Add remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. (Note: I hand mashed the avocado and spices so I could make it a bit chunkier). Add more salt, pepper and lime juice if preferred.
- Set up cucumbers on a plate or wooden plank. Add a dollop of hummus and chopped red pepper to garnish. Enjoy!
- Cover remaining hummus with foil or wrap and chill until you are read to eat it. As I mentioned before, it’s great with chips, pita or even veggies!
Seriously, once you pop, you just can’t stop. These salty, savory, sweet and crunchy hors d’oeuvres make the perfect date night or party app! Plus, your friends will think you spent hours on them because of how beautiful and flavorful they turn out!
Nutritional information per cucumber bite: 35 calories, 2 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbohydrates and 1.25 grams of protein.
Claire
Tags:avocado hummus, diet friendly snacks, easy hummus, easy party app, easy party appetizers, Eat Skinny Be Skinny, Eat Skinny Be Skinny Recipes, how to make hummus, low fat appetizer ideas, low fat hors d'evoures, low fat party snacks
Five Things Friday
It’s been a few weeks since my last Five Things Friday, and to be honest, I’ve missed it! This post is a fun way for me to talk, in real time, about my life 🙂 Plus, it gives you guys an idea of what goes on in this absurd brain of mine.
1. I am NOT on team Irene. This stupid little hurricane is really starting to piss me off. For one, we were supposed to go to NYC this weekend for a wedding. I was excited about the wedding (my first Orthodox one!) but I was super pumped to see my friend Raleigh-Elizabeth.
[via Richard Israel]
As you can tell, Ms. Raleigh-Elizabeth is very fun, full of sweet Southern charm and personality and really, just rocks. We met at my wedding (if you classify that as meeting) and have become quick friends. I’m pretty sure the day we meet again in real life will be VERY bad for E & B (her fiancé) because we’ll be gabbing, gushing and chugging mimosas. This girl is SO funny and crazy smart, so for daily musings, sarcastic jokes and tons of gorgeous inspiration, check out her blog. You will not be disappointed.
2. I’m kind of obsessed with tofu (can you believe it Katie?!) Not too long ago, I wouln’t be caught dead with the non-meat jelly stuff anywhere near me. Now? I can’t get enough of it! A few weeks ago when I was visiting Granger, IN (wedding + family) I had it in a salad (it was fried, bad me) but marinated in this AMAZING Greek seasoning.
I would have eaten 14,000 little nuggets of that fried perfect tofu, luckily, the restaurant only put about a cup on the salad. Thanks Uptown Kitchen for ensuring my pants still fit.
3. ModCloth is the place my dreams are made of.
If you’ve never been to the site, it’s like a retro/vintage inspired Forever 21. The styles are AMAZING and the prices are even better. It’s so Mad Men-esque. (Plus expentionally cheaper than BR‘s line!) I’m treating myself to three new dresses (back to “school” shopping, duh) and it’s SO HARD trying to pick just three. If I could, I would buy them all. Oh, dreams dreams, dreams, dreammmmms.
4. I miss HLS, especially my fabulous roomies, my bloggy bff and my new blog friends. I don’t know if I can wait another year to see them all again!
Myself and the fANNEtastic Anne! (Picture stolen from Anne, haha)
The gawgeous DC bloggers, Gretchen, Beth, myself and Katie! (picture from Beth)
Another pic of my favorite DC ladies! (picture from Gretchen)
2 of my ADORABLE roomies, Caitlin and Ashley.
Plus, we ate some MEAN guacamole in Philly at this place called El Vez. I honestly haven’t found a place around me that has guac THAT good.
The drinks weren’t too bad either 🙂
5. I’ve listened to ya’lls suggetsions and I’m HAPPY to say I’ll now be doing outfit recaps! (Okay so 2 people responded, but hey, that’s an overwhelming majority in my book!) Fashion is SUCH a big part of my life (if you follow me on twitter ya’ll know this) so not including it in my daily blogging is kind of hard.
I think about fashion (from clothes to shoes to handbags) about as much as I think about food. Like I tweeted yesterday, envisioning outfits and putting together the perfect ensemble gives me heart flutters. It’s a rush, really. I love that I can express myself through my clothing choices, I love how a gorgeous dress makes me feel, I love how a new pair of shoes can INSTANTLY brighten my mood. I love that when I’m down, a shopping trip will always pick me up. I love mixing and matching what I already own to create something entirely new. Fashion wasn’t something I always loved, though. Growing up, clothes were just that, clothes. Things I had to put over my body because it’s illegal to walk around nude. Then in college I really started to find myself and find my style. Now, every single outfit takes careful consideration. SO. There’s my love of all things fashion. I just hope ya’ll aren’t too bored with it. Now, here’s my outfit for today!
This is one of those outfits where the shirt makes it. I got this blouse at forever 21 TWO years ago and I still wear it ALL THE TIME. It has such a flattering fit and pairs well with jeans!
Top: Forever 21, $17.90
Jeans: Banana Republic outlet, $42
Caridgan: The Limited, $49.50
Necklace: Loft, $45
Shoes: Target, $12.99
HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL WEEKEND Y’ALL!!
Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Chunky & Spicy Marinara Over Spaghetti
I’m a pasta junkie, and I have been ever since I can remember. Growing up, spaghetti and meatballs was my FAVORITE dish. Except when I was a wee little tot, I called it “psgetti” and it was one of my first words! I guess that was sign number one I was meant to be a foodie, right? Even at my ripe age of 25, spaghetti is still one of my favorite foods. There is something so comforting about this traditional dish. However, the key to an incredible spaghetti recipe is the sauce. I’ve had one too many pasta dishes ruined by a weak sauce. But have no fear friends, this sauce I’m about to share with you IS THE BOSS. For reals.
Sorry about the iPhone photo, my poor camera needed some serious charging time after HLS! Regardless, this sauce is SO good. I used a recipe I found by Giada as my base, then spruced it up with red pepper flakes, a dash of chili powder, some chopped mushrooms and fresh chives. I love traditional homemade marinara, but the added spice really took this sauce to the next flavor. My taste buds were dancing, literally dancing, with the succulent flavors and zesty spice. Instead of meatballs (I was starving and didn’t have the time/patience), I decided to throw in some 98% fat free turkey sausage for added protein. I kept with the tradition and served over al-dente spaghetti noodles.
Each bite had the perfect blend of spice plus the hearty texture with the chunks of satueed mushrooms and sweet turkey sausage made for an incredibly filling meal!
NOTE: If you are a meatball person, try this recipe for great turkey meatballs! You can swap the sausage for any variety you’d like. Plus, you can serve this sauce with anything! In lasagna, on pizza or over any kind of noodle!
Spicy, Chunky Homemade Marinara over Spaghetti
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About an hour and 15 minutes
Yield: 2 quarts of sauce and 5 one cup servings of spaghetti
What You’ll Need:
- 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 1/2 cup of mushrooms, stemed and chopped
- 48 ounces of crushed tomatoes
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes (more or less depending on desired flavor)
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder (again, more or less depending on desired flavor)
- 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning (or a mix of oregano and basil)
- 7 ounces turkey sausage (OPTIONAL)*
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 4 fresh chives, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make It:
- In a medium sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onions, cook for a few minutes, then add garlic. Cook until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and carrots and cook until veggies are brown and carmelized.
- Take pan off heat. In a larger pot, add vegetables and tomatoes and set on medium heat. Add in spices, bay leaves and salt and pepper and heat for about an hour.
- While sauce is heating, cook turkey sausage by boiling it for 5-7 minutes. When done, chop into bite size pieces.
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Once sausage is chopped, set aside. In another pot, heat 6 – 8 cups of water to a boil, add spaghetti and cook until just soft. Set aside. Taste test sauce (once it’s perfectly seasoned to your palette), take off heat and add in sausage. Serve over noodles with a dash of parmesean cheese and chopped chive.
Nutritional information per 1 cup of sauce with 3/4 cup of pasta: 370 calories, 12 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbohydrates and 22 grams of protein.
#WIAW + EARTHQUAKE!
It was my first earthquake and I survived! I can confidently stand here today and say I survived the great #DCquake AND #snowmaggedan. Now that is something I’ll tell the grand kids. (One of the only things I’ll tell them of my youth, har har har!) There was some SERIOUS devastation though, I mean, look at this yard? Mangled and torn up!
[via John McKinley]
But in all seriousness folks, it was REALLY scary for those few seconds and some legit damage occurred, like pieces of the spine of the National Cathedral fell down. Plus, in our own house, my favorite mirror from Ikea fell from the fireplace mantle and completely shattered all over the floor. I’m really bummed because I LOVED this mirror!
I can only imagine how FREAKED OUT the dogs were when it fell! Luckily, it was very replaceable and I ordered a new one to take it’s place from Overstock. (Plus a new painting and a floor vase, don’t judge me).
The brown matches the room better, anyway 😀
Breakfast:
My day began with the ususal suspect, coffee. LOTS and LOTS of coffee. For some reason, Tuesday felt like Monday for me so I had a whopping 3 cups throughout the morning.
But don’t worry, I also ate breakfast. I had a delicious Odwalla bar that was found in my HLS swag bag. Normally breakfast and protein bars taste like gooey bark, but this one was REALLY good. It had a vanilla, cakey flavor so it was very easy to eat.
These bars are fairly low in calories and protein so they aren’t super filling. But with my three cups of coffee, I was definitely full until lunch time. However, I recommend pairing it with a tablespoon of peanut/almond butter or at least a piece of fruit.
Lunch:
Since my breakfast was lighter, I was pretty hungry when noon rolled around. Luckily, I brought a very hearty lunch that I was pretty excited to eat. Spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce (recipe up tonight!) & 98% fat free turkey sausage.
The sauce definitely MADE the meal. It has an amazing kick to it, plus the juicy pieces of turkey sausage gave me a much needed fill of protein. I just, can’t wait, to share the recipe with ya’ll.
Snack
Right before the earthquake, I gobbled two pieces of Adora chocolate squares to get some calcium (and try to satsify my insane sweet tooth.)
Dinner:
So um, dinner was a little different. By the time I got home (it took me 2 1/2 hours versus the normal 45 minutes) I was so stressed that food was the last thing on my mind. However, I went STRAIGHT to the fridge to pop open a bottle of Chardonnay.
I’m ashamed to admit this, but I basically CHUGGED this glass of wine before I even took my shoes off. The metro can be SO stressful! However, chugging a glass of wine without dinner isn’t the smartest plan, but honestly, I wasn’t really that hungry. I was still pretty full from the spaghetti! However, I knew if I didn’t eat, I would end up gorging on random food items later on. After a few minutes of scouring the fridge and freezer, I decided to make a bag of steam fresh brussel sprouts and 2 pieces of turkey bacon. Doesn’t sound like they work together, but just you wait 🙂
This combo is one of my FAVORITES! All you do is heat the sprouts then cut in half, crumble the bacon over it and add a drizzle of extra virgin oil and a sprinke of parmesean cheese! Since brussel sprouts are a good source of dietary fiber, they were perfectly filling! Plus the bacon gave me some protein.
After dinner, I drank one more glass of wine then put myself to bed. It was sort of an eventful day 😀
What are ya’ll eating this Wednesday?
HLS Day 2: Holy Quinoa, Batman! Plus the 4 Things I Learned That Changed Me
So, before we begin round two of the conference recaps, I have to admit a shameful confession. Until Friday, I’d never had quinoa. I’d heard about, read about it and thought about it but never actually tasted it. However, after my first forkful of red pepper roasted quinoa, I was hooked. No looking back now, I just need to learn how to properly pronounce it. I’ll admit, I thought it was key-no-wah. Nope, it’s keen-wah. No wonder people kept looking at me like I was crazy.
2. Katy Widrick is the bomb.com. Her session on monitozing your blog changed my life. I had no idea the extent to which you could make it rain, if you will, on your blog. Now all I need to do is find someone to sponsor me and really work on getting more freelance work. (You can still check me out every week on She Knows!) Plus, Katy is so sweet and so down to earth. I sort of want to be her new BFF.
I loved getting to know my roomie in real life!
3. Bloggers are real people, too. I should copyright that and make it a bumpersticker. No, but really, it’s amazing how down to earth everyone is and how, well, real they are. Even people like Tina, who is a superstar, is the nicest person in the world. I didn’t really know what to expect but I definitely didn’t think they would all be THIS nice, this helpful, this funny and relatable. It’s so amazing to meet bloggers in real life because, just like me, they have amazing stories to share, conpleteley unrelated to their blogs.
4. A positive mantra, like only social sweets, can help change how you eat and understand the emotions you tie with food. Plus, a positive mantra gives you something that your readers can take with them long after they’ve read the last world. Dawn Jackson Blatner, the keynote speaker and person who coined positive mantras, was SO informative and really interesting to listen to. I can’t say I agreed with everything she said (no free food? not realistic) but this positive mantra business is something I can get on board with. I just need to figure out why mine is! Any suggestions? I was thinking Live Real, Eat Real, Be Real. Too long?
I loved the sessions, but I really learned the most when I was talking, laughing and mingling with my fellow bloggers. I’m even more in awe by how amazing our community is.
[Photo courtesy of Meghann from Meals and Miles]
Oh and the quinoa at lunch? Blew my freakin mind friends. Maybe after I learn how to say it without sounding moronic I’ll tackle making it.
