Black bean dip

Hi there:) I made a quick black bean dip this morning for a spread on our lunch wraps. It turned out pretty good, so I thought of sharing it with you.

What will you need: 
- approximately 1 cup of black beans
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 tbsp flax seed oil
- 4-5 dried tomatoes in olive oil
- approximately one heaping tbsp olives, coated with Provence herbs 

Method:

1. Soak the black beans in approximately 3 cups of water overnight (at least 12 hours).
2. In the morning rinse the beans with fresh water and cook them in a pressure cooker for around 15-18 minutes. If you don't have a pressure cooker, then cook the beans as it is shown on the package.
3. When beans are cooked, rinse them once again under fresh water and add them to a food processor with a S-blade. 
4. Add all other ingredients and process until smooth, but still a bit chunky. 
5. Use for dips with veggies, on a wrap or spread on a bread :)
6. Enjoy :) 
   
   

Chickpea-avocado curry spread

I make something out of chickpeas almost every week. I soak a whole pack in water for a night, cook them the next day and think about different ways to use them up :) This time I came up with a combination of chickpea and avocado spread, which was inspired from a spread I had in a restaurant before :) 
Here comes the result: 

What will you need:

- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 medium avocado
- 2 small or 1 medium tomato
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 heaping tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- a bit of cayenne pepper (according to taste)
- salt and pepper, according to taste 

Place all ingredients to food processor and process until a smooth paste is formed. Serve with bread,  sweet potato chips, on faltbread or next to a salad :)

Enjoyyy :) 

Spicy hummus

Hummus is a popular food dip in the Middle East and North Africa. The name "hummus" is Arabic and it means "chickpeas". Traditionally hummus is made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic.

We really like hummus for its creamy taste, nutrition and various ways of serving. It can be used as a dip for veggies, appetizer, scooped on flat-bread or  served with falafel and salads.

There are as well various health benefits of adding hummus to your diet. These are the few of them (source: http://www.whfoods.com): 

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): 

• high in protein: chickpeas contain 19grams of protein out of 100 grams, which makes them a perfect plant based source of protein
• high in iron: which is especially good for pregnant or lactating women
• high in dietary fiber (12.5grams in one cup) and have a low glycemic index (GI). The low GI value of 28 – 32 means that the carbohydrate is broken down and digested slowly, which keeps us feeling full longer. This makes chickpeas a perfect food for weight loss and help stabilize blood sugar levels 
• high in folate and magnesium, which may lower the risk of heart attack
• high in antioxidants, such as vitamin C, B6, vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganeze and phytonutrients. The antioxidants help reduce the risk of heart disease, especially coronary heart disease. 

 
Tahini (sesame seed paste):

• is an excellent source of copper, which reduces the pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis
• a very good source of manganese
• high in protein: 18grams of protein in 100grams
• and a good source of magnesium, which supports vascular and respiratory health
• one of the best sources of calcium (with hulls remaining), which help prevent colon cancer, osteoporosis, PMS and migraine
• phosphorus,vitamin B6, iron, zinc (for bone health) and selenium
• rich in phytosterols, which help to reduce the blood levels of cholesterol

These are some of the health benefits of eating hummus next to it's delicious taste.  A must try, I would say ;)
We took the original recipe and added some spices. The result was more than we expected: a creamy, nutty, delicious spicy dip...

What will you need:
- 500 grams of cooked chickpeas

- 5 tbsp olive oil

- 2 tbsp Tahini (sesame seed paste)

- 1 1/2 lemon juice

- 6 big cloves of garlic

- 1/2 tsp white pepper

- 1/2 tsp black pepper

- 1/2 tsp cumin powder

- 1 1/2 tsp chili sauce

- 1 tsp Provencal herbs

- 1 tbsp salt

Place all ingredients in the food processor and process till a creamy paste is formed. Adjust salt and spices according to taste. 

Enjoy :)

Raw horseradish spread

We have found this horseradish spread, which everyone loves in the family and it kinda became our obsession to buy it every time we get the chance. The spread is the one in the picture below. Do you know it? Have you tried it out? ;)

One day we didn't have the spread at home and the obsession kicked in... So I decided to make my own version using some of the ingredients listed in the back of the original spread. The result was pretty similar to the store bought one, not exactly the same... BUT everyone was happy from the lovely spread I mixed up :) 

This spread is super easy to make and all you will need is a food processor. This portion gives two glasses (size as in the picture below) full of spread. 

What will you need: 

- approximately 100 grams of sunflower seeds, soaked for a couple of hours in filtered water

- 3 tsp of horseradish- from a can, which is not as strong as using the fresh one

- 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar

- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice 

- 1/2 tsp coconut sugar (or raw brown sugar) 

- salt and pepper

- water as needed (approximately 3 tbsp)

I couldn't find fresh horseradish in the market, so I used a canned one. You can use a fresh horseradish as well. When doing so, make sure to use the amount accordingly, as it is much stronger than the canned version. Place all ingredients, excluding the water, in food processor and process until a creamy paste is formed. Add water gradually as needed. Pour into glasses with a sealed top and store in the fridge. 

Serve as a spread on bread, as a dip for veggies, or use it into a salad dressing. 

Enjoy :)

Daikon (White radish) spread

Spreads are very easy to make and cost much less than buying them in the shop. I love to dip carrots into spreads, but they can be as well a nice topping on a piece of bread.
The spread takes only a few minutes to prepare and can be enjoyed fresh or kept in the fridge for a couple of days. 
Hint: take some spread to work with some carrot and use it as a healthy snack when you get hungry between your meals ;)...I am doing that right now :D

What will you need: 

- 1 medium daikon (white radish), approximately  20 cm long

- 200 g of sunflower seeds

- A few sun-dried tomatoes

- Juice of half lime

- Juice of 1/4 lemon

- a bit of salt (according to taste)

- 3 Tbsp of Walnut oil

Place first the sunflower seeds to the food processor. Blend until sunflower seeds are broken into small pieces. Add the white radish and blend. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until getting a smooth paste. It takes up to about 10minutes to get a smooth dip depending on the food processor you are using.