It's 60 degrees outside and a cloudless perfect fall day. The sky is so azure blue it almost hurts to look at it against the orange and red maple leaves. Oh, autumn. S'magical!
This is the time of year when I start browsing Epicurious.com for apple and pumpkin recipes so I was overjoyed on Saturday morning when my friend and neighbor Chef Joy (Whole Foods Salud Chef) swung by to have me taste test her new pumpkin hummus recipe that she was whipping up for a healthy eating class for moms. She arrived with a blender of hummus, lemons and a can of pumpkin. Chef Joy wondered "Does this need more lemon?" I dipped a spoon in the smooth hummus and lifted it to my lips. I smelled pumpkin and warmth. I tasted it and oh, it was divine. It was autumn in a spoon. Pumpkin and cinnamon, seriously divine.
I started thinking about food that can make you happy and while Cool Ranch Doritos and tuna casserole previously lifted me into nirvana, now that I've lost 58 pounds I'm making better choices like this one. It made me happy and there was no "Dear God, what have I done?" hangover. Try this one evening when it's cool outside. Toast some pita chips (cut pitas in 4 triangles, brush with sunflower oil and bake for 5-7 minutes in a 350 degree oven) and mix up this quick hummus recipe. Add a pear, walnut and gorgonzola salad and it's a wonderful light, healthy autumn dinner. Pumpkin is a great source of Vitamin A, fiber and is low on the glycemic index!
Chef Joy's Pumpkin Hummus Recipe
1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans
1/2 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling which is sweetened)
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of tahini
1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt, pepper to taste
Add ingredients to blender/Cuisinart and blend until smooth. To serve, top with a couple tablespoons of roasted pumpkin seeds (Whole Foods carries these in their bulk foods section.) Enjoy!
p.s. Before this autumnal dinner, go for a walk around the block and see what fall is like around your neighborhood!
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