Mesquite-Lime Hummus

Honestly, I don’t know anybody who doesn’t l like  hummus.  I’m sure they exist but I’ve never met them.  Such a simple thing – chickpeas and a handful of ingredients, whirled through a blender.  And so many ways to eat it: with raw veggies, crackers, chips, on a sandwich or wrap, thinned out as gravy to top greens or grains…so many possibilities.  There are also many flavors of hummus, and this one is really delicious.  I love anything with a smoky flavor and the smoked paprika does a great job here, but the lime really makes this hummus come to life.  I used about 2.5 TBS of lime juice and it’s pretty limey….use more or less depending on your tastes.  Same with the cayenne.  1/8 tsp is quite mild.  Now go make some hummus.  🙂

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas (vegan, gluten-free*,soy-free, low-fat)

Doesn’t get much easier than this.

When I bake sweet potatoes, I usually do 1 or 2 extra for leftovers.  They are a quick, easy snack and great for dishes like this.

You can use whatever type of tortillas you like, but I really enjoy the brown rice tortillas.  I don’t need to eat a gluten-free diet but for the sake of variety and not wanting to overdo it on wheat, whenever I can I opt for the alternative, as long as it’s a healthy one.  Many gluten-free alternatives are filled with fat and have little to no fiber.  These brown rice tortillas I get from Trader Joe’s are really nice.

I made this for lunch one day and it took all of 10 minutes.  I couldn’t believe how good it was.  My girlfriend Lori, who likes to be difficult :), says I shouldn’t call these quesadillas because there is no cheese.  I wholeheartedly disagree.  We can eat pizza without cheese and it’s still called pizza, omelets without cheese and it’s still an omelet (though I don’t eat those anymore), cheese-less burritos….you get my point.  So, sorry Lori but these are being called Quesadillas and that’s that!

*gluten-free if you use gluten-free tortillas (i.e. brown rice).

Maple Mustard Taters (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, oil-free)

Who doesn’t love potatoes?  Poor little guys sure get a bad rap.  If any of you have read Dr. John McDougall’s The Starch Solution, you know they don’t deserve such abuse.  Potatoes are a satiating, healthy food, chock full of fiber and nutrients.  As Dr. McDougall says, it’s the company they often keep that turns them into a bad food (butter, cheese, oil, etc).  Potatoes, without all the bad stuff, should be part of the regular diet, and they definitely are in our house.  Yukon, red, gold, butter, russet, fingerling, sweet….if it’s a potato we eat it.  My sister Julie loves potatoes so much her nickname(s) lovingly given to her by my husband is “tot” or “tater”.  Since she is the one who came up with this recipe, I’m referring to them as taters, in her honor.

These are delicious and super easy to make.  This makes a sizable batch since we had them as our entree, along with steamed broccoli – perfect meal!  The amounts listed are estimates so be sure to taste test and adjust before cooking, if necessary.  It’s hard to mess this one up so not to worry!