Spinach Artichoke Dip

I have a love hate relationship with spinach artichoke dip. While it is delicious, I can't get past the heavy creams, cream cheeses, and other heavy bases. This recipe is by no means "healthy" or "guilt-free," but it is a little lighter then the traditional dip with a base of Greek yogurt and it is packed with great flavor. This is a real winner on an appetizer line up. 

Sweet Potato Hummus

I have found when is comes to hummus people fall into two categories: they love it or hate it. I personally love this delicious dip in all flavors, but my husband is more of a hummus hater. Then entered in  the Sweet Potato Hummus. I adapted a recipe from my sister-in-law Jana and created a flavorful combo of garbanzo beans and sweet potato flavored with lime and a few spices. It has a lot of flavor and more kick then the classic hummus. All the hummus haters I have introduced this have liked this veggie-packed version. If you're a hummus hater, just give this sweet potato hummus a try. I think you'll like it. Happy dipping!

Prep and bake red sweet potato: give it a few pokes with a fork and toss it in the oven at 400 degrees for about an hour. (Remember, it will mostly likely be called a "yam" or "jewel yam" at the grocery store.)

Cook until fork tender, about 1 hour, and set aside until cooled. (You can easily cook the sweet potato a day or two in advance.)

Start the hummus by putting two minced garlic cloves and 1 can of rinsed and drained garbanzo beans into a food processor.

 

Pulse for 10 seconds or just enough to chop up the garbanzo beans but still leaves some texture.

 

Add 1/4 cup tahini, which is sesame seed paste and can be found by the other nut butters in your grocery store. If you're lucky you'll have a toddler-aged sous chef that can pour it right on the center of the blade for you. :)

Add 1/4 cup lime juice, either fresh or bottled. I used a mix of both because I didn't have enough fresh limes on hand. Add the salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Don't be scared off by the cayenne - it just adds a nice undertone of flavor but it does not pack any heat in the hummus. Pulse 3-4 times, or until just combined

 

Now for the sweet potato. You can either peel the sweet potato and mash in a bowl, or if it is soft enough I just cut it open and scoop it out into the food processor. Use one whole sweet potato, or around 2 cups. Add the sweet potato to the food processor and process until combined. Make sure you don't over process it; you still want the hummus to have texture.

Tip: if you don't like garbanzo beans, or need to avoid them for some reason feel free to leave them out. Just replace them with 2 additional cups of sweet potato. It has much more pureed and smooth texture, while I prefer the classic hummus texture - but it is still delicious and a great dip or condiment.

Serve at room temperature or chilled. We love this with fresh veggies, pita bread, or our favorite crackers. This is also divine spread on whole wheat tortilla or pita and filled with your favorite protein and veggies. My 2-year-old prefers it on a spoon straight from the bowl!

Sweet Potato Hummus
Serves 8-10

2 cups mashed sweet potato
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
  
Cook the sweet potato for 1 hour at 400 degrees. When fork tender, set aside until cook. Combine the minced garlic and garbanzo beans to a food processor. Pulse for 10 seconds or just enough for the garbanzo beans to be chopped but still has some texture. Add the tahini, lime juice, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Pulse just until combined. Add the mashed sweet potato and process until combined. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Spinach Pesto Pull-Apart Bread

In July I gave birth to the most adorable little boy that has ever existed (not that I am biased or anything), which meant the 9 months prior to that I was pregnant, and all that comes with it: food aversions, cravings, sicknesses and a lot of other pregnancy symptoms that people don't tell you about. Long story short, pesto was once one of my favorite condiments, and then it went bad in our fridge and made me sick and I didn't look at it again until I was at Costco last month and saw a big jar of their Basil Pesto. I bought it and I have an excuse to put it in everything! Thus, this pull apart bread was born.