Collard Wraps with Carrot Hummus and Quinoa

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Collard Wraps with Carrot Hummus and Quinoa

I was overwhelmingly swooned by the carrot-tahini combination in last week’s soup (kind of like when I stumble across cute, solo boys picking up veg at the farmer’s market). Ever since, I’ve been dreaming up ways to give the duo another go. It seemed almost obvious that I turn to hummus.

Tahini’s never been shy of chickpeas, but the flavors that resulted from this weren’t forecasted to me at all. It’s incredible what a little roasting can do to draw out taste, and what a simple addition to a classic recipe can do to entirely reinvent it.

Hence, I bring you Carrot Hummus.

Roasted carrots

I should’ve known from the soup, but if you haven’t caught my gist yet, this creation surpassed my expectations. Even more so after I wrapped it up in an almighty collard leaf and threw in a lemony quinoa tabbouleh. If I were to ever open a cafe, this is the kind of lunch I would offer.

Healthy, complex and portable.

Collard Wraps with Carrot Hummus and Quinoa

The lemon quinoa bestows a pleasant dichotomy between the sweet roasted garlic and carrots of the hummus. It adds a little crunch, too, but don’t worry, some toasted walnuts carry that idea out to its completion.

Wrap in aluminum foil if taking these on the go, or if you’re like me (a spill-food-all-over-my-white [insert article of clothing] kind of person) and simply want a less messy lunch to handle.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE…

Winter Squash & Quinoa with Curry Lime Vinaigrette

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Winter Squash & Quinoa with Curry Lime Vinaigrette

Sorry, no Super Bowl recipes here. Although, depending on your crowd, I bet you could show up with this and it’d get eaten. Or maybe not. But then lucky for you, you’d have a hell of a Monday lunch already made. Touchdown.

Winter Squash & Quinoa with Curry Lime Vinaigrette

Put anything with a label next to it that says Ginger Curry Lime Vinaigrette, and I’d jump on that faster than any football player moves on the field.

Speaking of fast, did you know the actual time the ball is in play, on average, during a game is 11 minutes? This leaves 174 minutes for everything else. Like walking away from the TV and eating quinoa, yeah?

Winter Squash & Quinoa with Curry Lime Vinaigrette

I’m not football-obsessed. And when the Eagles aren’t in the running, this becomes even more blatant. It reaches the point where I don’t even realize the Super Bowl is  airing until the Tuesday beforehand. So forget planning any game day snacks on Food-Fitness-FreshAir and pretending I’m a fan. In actuality, I’m not really a fan of most Super Bowl snacks, anyway. I’d much rather have a huge bowl of this winter squash and quinoa in front of me. Although, these Cauliflower “Wings” do have me eyeing (and Pinning!) them.

I would love to hear what you’re cooking up this weekend, Super Bowl related or not. Hit me with a curveball so I can get behind all the party food, please.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE…

Chocolate Chip Date Banana Bread Muffin Tops

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Chocolate Chip Date Banana Bread Muffin Tops

I’m generally not much a fan of muffins. In fact, one of the spots I work has free muffins of all different varieties. And they sit, and they sparkle, amidst open-air with glistening tops that scream, “Choose me, choose me!”

I have to admit, I’m often tempted.

Chocolate Chip Date Banana Bread Muffin Tops

Occasionally, as the workday nears its end, and I still see a plethora left, I’ll grab one. My impulse always ends after one bite. The muffin gets tossed, free throw style, into the trashcan without looking back. (That is, unless I miss the can.)

Wasteful, I know. But those muffins are just too friggin’ sweet. They look so good but feel so…eek.

I like dessert, I do, I do. But not pasty pastries that taste of straight-up sugar. And to me, that encompasses the majority of most store-bought/store-sold muffins.

Chocolate Chip Date Banana Bread Muffin Tops

So I was thrilled when I came across this recipe from Oh She Glows. There’s not one ounce of extra sugar in here that doesn’t come from the natural fruit that builds these tops. No honey. No maple. No brown suga’ suga’.

After tasting a small spoonful of batter, and then going in for a second, I knew there needn’t be, either.

I guess you could (and probably should) exclude the chocolate chips when you say no added sugar. But in my book, there’s generally always room to break the rules in the name of dark chocolate.

Chocolate Chip Date Banana Bread Muffin Tops

Aside from that, these are an excellent choice when craving something sweet. And  by far beat the poor, sorry sights of most of the muffin/muffin tops on the market these days.

Although, forgive me as I talk these babies up as muffins. Likely, you could swap that muffin top label out for “cake-like cookie”, but there’s always room for less sugary versions of those too, right? Plus, when I can have a “cookie” for breakfast, and feel alright about it too, that recipe’s certainly going to make the repeat list.

Chewy, perfectly sweetened and filled with heart healthy oats, this my friends, is a muffin/cookie/whatever-you-want-to-call-it recipe I stand behind. Throw in a few walnuts and some extra chocolate chips, and it’s golden.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE…

Carrot Soup with Tahini and Roasted Chickpeas

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Carrot Soup with Tahini and Roasted Chickpeas

After dodging glaciers all week and layering up till I could’ve been mistaken for the Pillsbury doughboy, today I’m hitting you with another soup recipe. There were one too many icy bike rides taken to work this past week. All called for soup immediately upon return home. Here it is.

Carrot Soup with Tahini and Roasted Chickpeas

‘Tis the season for complaints about the weather, long movies, hibernation and honey. Maybe you should call me Pooh Bear rather than the Pillsbury Doughboy. I hear he likes raw honey in his Earl Grey tea, too.

‘Tis also, of course, the season for soup, and always the season for tahini. Naturally, the two form a partnership in this warming bowl, inspired by a glimpse at Smitten Kitchen. Cue the wedding bells and tears of joy, please.

Carrot Soup with Tahini and Roasted Chickpeas

This is hands-down one of my favorite soups I’ve had yet this season. It’s creamy and sweet from the carrots, and hit with a contrasting tang from a little Greek yogurt and squeeze of lemon. Then it’s topped with a satisfying drizzle of tahini and roasted chickpeas to add in some texture. Seriously ? it has everything going for it.

By the end of his bowl, I caught my friend clanging around his soup spoon as if it were a percussion instrument. Picture a more obnoxious version of a triangle. This soup is that good. It brings music to the ears – good or bad. And is worth every last minute of poorly played instrumentation you might have to endure.

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE…

Sesame Persimmon Parfait

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Sesame Persimmon Parfait

If you’re going to talk about it, do it. If you’re going to do it, do it right.

That’s my resolution for the year. No half-assing things. Less talk, more do.

Within this, one of my missions is to start taking advantage of more things I enjoy. That means making post-work yoga class a bi-weekly routine, not a bi-monthly rarity. (Trust me, a yoga class full of warm people after a wintery, long workday – it feels like a godsend. It’s worth every cent and evening minute.)

This time of year, that also means persimmons. Persimmons, persimmons, persimmons.

Persimmons are worth splurging on at the grocery store, if only to make this recipe alone.

Sesame Persimmon Parfait

Steeped among all the winter citrus, these gems are one of the sweetest fruits of the season, and I mean that in both a literal and non-literal sense. Their  apricot-meets-mango taste is intense, and their short-lived, once-a-year novelty feels even sweeter. Again, they’re a worthy addition to your grocery cart. Especially when they’re foreseeable future includes tahini and maple.

There are two types of persimmons - Fuyu and Hachiya. Both are best when super ripe, but the Hachiya’s in particular need to be matured to the point of softness where they’re shriveled and almost mushy. Otherwise, you’ll be left with this weird, puckery sensation in your mouth. Fuyu’s can be eaten when still slightly firm, but don’t let your impatience get the best of you. These slightly stouter, disk-like versions are best after their color turns from citrusy orange to an almost tomato-like appearance. The body should have a slight give to it, too.

Let’s not just talk about them, let’s do them. And let’s do persimmons right. Pick a few up, let them ripen, and then whip up this divine breakfast. Throw in a few cashews or nuts for some crunch if you’re feeling extra heavenly. Enjoy.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE…