Dessert Hummus

This is one of those odd recipes... you don't think it should work but it does.  The original blogger doesn't call it dessert hummus, she calls it cookie dough dip, but I think my husband called it dessert hummus and I thought it was kind of funny.  To start... I'm generally a pretty adventurous eater, I'll try anything once.  I am not opposed to using regular ingredients in different ways so when I saw dessert that used chickpeas instead of flour, I was pretty excited. My husband... was not.  He made me try it first then give it to my daughter (who really liked it) before he would try it.  The idea of a bean being used to make dessert didn't sit that well with him. I recently tried making cookies with black beans as a base and they turned out pretty well, so I was interested to see how this would work.

Here is the original Pin:

Healthy Raw Cookie Dough

It kind of looks gross in this pic.  It's not.

This is one of those throw everything into a food processor kind of recipes. I used brown sugar (because artificial sweeteners are the devil), vanilla soy milk and regular chocolate chips.

After it is mixed smooth, fold in the chips.  You could definitely vary up this recipe with other sweeteners, nut butters, milks and chips.  I find my original recipe pretty effective.  I actually made up a second batch a few days later without measuring (because I'm lazy like that) and it turned out great.  I started my second batch with honey rather that sugar and didn't like it as much.  I think the brown sugar gives it a more of a dessert mouth feel... a little bit of sugar crunch.

Nugget liked it quite a bit and I feel ok giving it to her since even though there's sugar in it, there's some nice bean protein in there too.  BTW, the blog that this recipe comes from is worth exploring a bit.  It's full of intriguing vegan dessert recipes.  I'm certain I'll try more of them.

Cost: I already had all the ingredients I needed and since it is so modifiable, it shouldn't ever cost too much to make.

Time: Mix, mix, done.  Make a bigger batch and put them into little containers.  I used them as a snack when I came home from work late.

Difficulty: Probably the hardest part is getting over the name "dessert hummus."

Aesthetic Appeal: It's not that pretty, but it's not as ugly as the chia seed chocolate pudding.  I wouldn't serve it to guests unless it was on a really pretty dish.

Life Enhancement: Actually, a great deal.  It made me think about desserts in a different way.  I've always felt that dessert is very much a sometimes thing since it's not good for you, but this recipe and others like it, make it possible to eat dessert and not just consume empty sugar calories.

No Flour Banana Muffins

I have been flirting with gluten free for a few months now, and while I have decided that it's not for me (I'm certainly not celiac, but I had other issues that I thought might be influenced by diet) I do think it's probably a good idea to try and limit flour from my diet. While I was on the bandwagon I tried many recipes and some turned out pretty good.  I'm constantly looking for less "carby" breakfasts that I can prepare ahead of time and have available quickly in the morning. And sometimes... you just don't feel like eggs again. This Pin hits the mark and I think they're pretty tasty.

Here is the original Pin:

Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins

Their Muffins                                                   My Muffins

I followed this recipe closely, using regular sugar as I believe that artificial sweeteners are the devil. Basically you mix the bananas with the eggs, then add the yogurt, oatmeal, sugar and baking soda. From my dabbling with gluten free, I learned that oats are naturally gluten free but are often prepared and packaged with gluten products, so if you are celieac (you probably alreay know this) or are very sensitive, you have to purchase oats that specify that they're packaged in a gluten free facility.

Ok, so I'm not exactly the neatest baker.  Maybe I'll get better?

I like this recipe.  The muffins were tasty and I think they're ripe for variations.  Certainly seasonings like vanilla or cinnamon would be welcome.  I'm not sure if adding fresh or frozen fruit would change the chemistry enough to ruin the texture.  As is, the texture is a little on the chewy side, not light and fluffy like an ordinary flour muffin, so don't expect it to be airy. You definitely need paper muffin liners and you'd be wise to let them cool for awhile otherwise they can get pretty sticky.  They were delicious with peanut butter and Nugget definitely approved.

Cost: They're great for using up ripe bananas, so score! The only thing I bought especially for this recipe was the yoghurt. My husband bought fat free instead of low fat, but that didn't seem to be any trouble.  They would also be fine with the nice thick 10% we buy for the little one.

Time: They're muffins, nothing fancy.

Difficulty: My only difficulty was pouring them into the tin without making a mess. Maybe you have steadier hands?

Aesthetic Appeal: They're not light and fluffy with a round crunchy shell like you'd find at a coffee shop, but they certainly don't look bad.

Life Enhancement: If you're celiac or just trying to cut down on refined carbs, this recipe is great.  It should fulfill any craving you might have for breakfast baked goods.

Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

I know, I know, the photo looks truly revolting but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't terrible! Chia seeds are the hot trendy food item that so many people are talking about. They're high in fiber and good fats and nutrients... blah, blah. When I saw this Pin I was intrigued.

Here is the original Pin:

Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

All you do is mix up the chia seeds with some kind of milk (I used vanilla soy), chocolate, vanilla and sweetener (I used agave). Getting it to come together really does take awhile and you do have to let it sit before you eat it so the chia seeds can absorb the liquid. When it was ready, I brought it to my husband and daughter to try. They really liked it. It's certainly no replacement for a Snickers bar but its a nice little chocolate doodad that you don't have to save as a sometimes food.

Unappetizing to say the least

It was very simple to make and the variations are almost limitless.  You could use soy milk like I did or rice, almond, coconut, goat, cow... whatever suits your dietary restrictions, tastebuds and contents of your fridge. Also, any sweetener works, honey, maple syrup, stevia I guess.  I try and stay away from any non-nutritive sweeteners... I don't trust them.

Put it all together and mix, mix, mix... mix, mix some more, mix again... then wait 20 minutes or put it in the fridge over night.

Still looks completely awful

Surprisingly to me, Nugget (my daughter) and even more surprisingly my husband, seemed to like it.  The hubs in particular thought it was pretty novel as well as tasty.

Nugget enjoys her chia seeds.  Who'da thunk?

This recipe was oddly successful; terrible to look at, decently tasty to eat.  That said, the texture is very weird.  When you eat it, it's hard to forget that you're eating seeds.  They sort of pop in your mouth as you chew your "pudding."  Also, it is incredibly not sweet.  You could certainly add more sweetener, but that would sort of defeat the point of it being a healthy recipe.

Cost: Chia seeds aren't cheap.  The bag I got from Whole Foods was $20. Of course at 2 tbsp of seeds per serving, it would last you a long time.

Prep & Execution.  It takes next to no time to make.  Dump ingredients in a bowl and mix.  The time comes in the waiting for it to settle up.

Difficulty: Very easy.

Aesthetic Appeal: Possibly the most disgusting looking thing I've ever consumed.

Life Enhancement: More than you would expect.  It's a sweet(ish) treat (kind of) that is not only not terrible for you, but actually very good for you.  It's also good for those on dairy or gluten free diets or are vegetarian or vegan.

Grilled Goat Cheese & Avocado Sandwich

I'm fairly well known, in my house anyway, to not thoroughly read a recipe, which could prove to be my undoing with this project. I saw the picture of this Pin and it looked delicious. I scanned the list of ingredients and bought everything at the grocery store I needed. Breakfast is our main meal of the day as I work later in the day. Usually my husband prepares it. He has quite a way with an egg and a spatula! The night before I told him it was my turn. He made some homemade bread for me that evening. Obviously this step is not truly necessary, there is plenty of fine bread available commercially, but call us pretentious, fresh home baked bread is mighty good. Anyway, morning broke (well, Nugget woke up) and I went to start our delicious sandwich.

Here is the original Pin:

Green Goddess Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I looked at the recipe again, and noticed that I hadn't seen the entire second half.  There was an elaborate recipe for herb pesto that was supposed to go on the sandwich.  Well... that wasn't going to happen, so I figured out what we had in the house.  I thought that we might have a jar of prepared pesto, but I was wrong.  I did find mustard that had basil in it. Done!

So I found my ingredients and put the sandwich together... bread, basil mustard, spinach, avocado and goat cheese.

I decided not to fry it.  I find that crumbly cheese always falls out of sandwiches. We have a super awesome George Foreman grill and used that instead.  Turned out great! Nicely brown minus the grease. Super simple and very delicious.  I suppose sometime I might try it with the herb pesto mentioned, but I kind of doubt it... maybe jarred pesto.

Even without the special pesto sauce I thought this turned out really nice.  It's an easy way to get veggies into breakfast or lunch without it feeling forced.  Nugget tried it and at first she wasn't really having it.  I think she probably thought the cheese was a bit sour, which it is, but she kept coming back for more and ended up eating quite a bit of it.

Cost: About the same of any ordinary sandwich. I used one avocado for 2 sandwiches and the small container of goat cheese I got was enough for 4 sandwiches.

Prep & Execution time: 10 minutes tops, from beginning to end.

Difficulty: Easy... although one day I'd like to learn how to make those pretty avocado slices instead of scooping it out with a spoon.

Aesthetic Appeal: Pretty, green sandwich with a nice golden crust.

Life Enhancement.  It enhances a life as much as you can expect from a sandwich.