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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Veggie Wrap with Spicy Asian Hummus


Tired of salads and miss sandwiches? Try a wrap! It's an easy and tasty way to get your veggies in.


The combinations are virtually endless but we are finding that one ingredient makes a big difference- hummus. Lately we have been learning that hummus is a staple we need to have in the fridge at all times. It's a great way to eat raw vegetables as a dip. I can down a whole bag of baby carrots if I have hummus around. It's also a good substitute for mayo and cheese in wraps like above or pitas, bread sandwiches….  the list goes on. 


I have been making all kinds of hummus lately trying to find that favorite combo of flavors that will be the regular star of our fridge.

I have to tell you that I never really liked hummus before I tried some raw versions. And I actually hear this a lot. I also hear that people like hummus but hummus doesn't necessarily like them. I think it's the chickpeas. Some people have trouble digesting them. For me they are kind of gritty in texture and not as smooth as some others. I've been experimenting with tahini based as well as white bean hummus/dip lately. The culprit to avoid in store bought hummus and many recipes is OIL! Some can have 1/2 a cup or more!

That's pure fat and don't be fooled; it isn't a good fat either! Tahini on the other hand is just ground sesame seeds and in limited amounts is actually healthy. I've read reviews where people say this or that recipe is "so light and low fat" because it doesn't have 2 tablespoons of tahini but it has over 1/2 a cup of oil! 

That just won't fly. I try to keep my portion of seeds/ tahini to less than 1 ounce per day, which is doable with a good recipe. But I am way off track because this recipe has neither olive oil or tahini in it.

I adapted this recipe from the creative minds over at White on Rice Couple's blog. For their original recipe check here.  I've made some changes to lower the fat content but the main tasting ingredient here is the Spicy Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. I chose the cannellini white kidney beans due to the creaminess when blended.


Spicy Asian White Bean Hummus/ Dip


Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can of white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed but save the bean water from the can.
1/4 cup of the bean water or water as needed
1-2 tablespoons Sriracha Hot Sauce, per taste
2 teaspoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos or a low salt Tamari/ Soy Sauce
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and pressed, unless using a high speed blender then just peeled
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoons of lime juice



Drain the beans and then rinse well, saving the bean fluid.


Blend all the ingredients starting with 2 tablespoons of the bean water. If you need to thin it to get it going add a little more until desired consistency. Blend until creamy. Hummus is one of those things that gets better with a little time so let sit in the fridge for a bit before serving, if you can wait.

Enjoy this spicy dip with anything you can think of.  Or make…


 A Veggie Wrap

This combination idea came from Dr. Esselstyn and his wife, Ann from the their best selling book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.


Ingredients:


corn
tomatoes, chopped
spinach
green onions, chopped
cilantro, chopped
carrots, shredded
pea sprouts
wraps


I used a gluten free wrap by the Tortilla Factory that uses a whole grain, ivory teff (check it out here.) It was quite good but you do need to heat it a little first to make it pliable. A whole grain wrap such as the Ezekiel brand would be a good choice too if you don't have gluten sensitivities. 


Preheat oven to 450.
Spread the wrap, once pliable with the hummus. The more the better. (I was a little skimpy here.) Then pile up your veggies and roll as tightly as you can. Slice in half and then heat until crispy in the oven, about 10 minutes.


Delicious! 


But don't just take my word for it. Check out the happy face of my taste tester, Rich.
He was just reading over my shoulder as I was posting this and said those were really good! When can we make those again? I guess I know what to make for lunch tomorrow. ;-)

So, do you have a favorite hummus recipe or dip that's light on the oil and salt?
What are your favorite ways to eat hummus? or are you like I was and hummus squeamish still?
I'm telling you, step away from the store bought stuff and even the chickpeas if you don't like them and try something new. You may be surprised.

Until next time…










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5 comments:

  1. Yum. That wrap looks delicious. I like lots of lemon juice in my hummus and totally with you on reducing the oil. The only way I will eat raw hummus is if there are no beans, though. I have made a good with zucchini and cashews recently. :-)

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    1. Hi Janet. Thank you for stopping by. I agree- I like my raw hummus with zucchini although I haven't tried the cashew combo yet. I'll have to check that out. Thanks!

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  2. This sounds wonderful. I tend to just throw stuff together tasting as I go along until I feel I have hit the mark. I would make a terrible food recipe blogger because of this. But one of my favorites includes alot of cilantro (so cheap and how else can one finish the amount the stores sell before it goes bad), garlic, tahini, hot spices such as the one you have here, a some jarred jalopenos, roasted red peppers, cumin, lemon juice and beans (chickpeas or white)

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    1. Sounds really good Christine! I know exactly what you mean about the cilantro going in everything to use it up. ha ha.. :-)

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