As you already know, lemons are one of my favorite flavors, so why not spruce up a common recipe with lemons?!
Although athletes may find their common favorite snacks, let's face it, sometimes, it can get a little boring and I'm hoping recipes I share will give you ideas to add some variety and balance to your fuel sources!
What is this new snack recipe with lemons?
Over the past 5-10 years, Hummus has become a wonderful plant-based protein and snack item that can provide lots of nutrition including complex carbohdyrates that contain fiber (because most of us probably don't get enough fiber), less saturated fat and cholesterol (it's a plant!), and protein. The complexity of this food is very welcome in our diets, and agreat way to have balance.
Hummus is used in Mediterranean and Eastern Asian cuisines, typically used as a dip, a spread, or a base of a dish. Plain or garlic are common flavors, but here's where I love making variations, and this recipe is one of my absolute favorites, and takes only 20 minutes to make (if that!).
What equipment will I need for the recipe?
Since hummus is a smooth spread, you'll need a food processor or blender. I have a Ninja Foodie and love it! There's one base, and then a single serve attachment (for smoothies), a large blender top, and two sizes of food processors. I use my large food processor because I like to make my hummus in bulk so it lasts the entire week. So for athletes, this is a great snack item to have on hand for the week, and it doesn't take long to prepare at all.
Tips and tricks for the recipe:
I enjoy adding some of the lemon zest into my hummus, to really enhance the lemon flavor and lightness of this hummus. However, you can just add the juice, maybe add some extra if you like that lemon flavor, but don't have a microplane to zest with. As I mentioned above, I like to make this in bulk, so I use 2 cans of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, but you can cut the recipe in half if you just want to try it out or don't want to have a lot around (it makes about 3.5 cups!). I blend my chickpeas with the oil first, but you can literally add everything at one time and blend, scraping the sides once or twice between blends to make sure everything is blended equally. I LOVE roasting my garlic as you'll notice I put in this recipe. Roasting it just until it starts to turn a golden brown really enhances the flavor by warming up the oils and bringing them to fruition in the dish. However, you do not have to roast them (it is one more step and one more pan to clean), so feel free to not roast or even us a garlic powder.
What do I use with Hummus?
Hummus tends to be used as a dip, but in European and Eastern Asian countries, they tend to use it as part of a meal. If you are using as a dip for your fueling snack, useany vegetable to dip into the hummus; my favorites are carrots, celery, and snap peas. For athletes, you may want to use additional carbohydrates, such as tortilla chips or salted crackers. Why salted? Because you'll need to replenish the salt you're losing in your sweat, and especially if you get cramps more often, salt is your friend and you've been missing out! If you'd like to use the hummus as part of a meal, add it as a spread on your bread, or place a good 1/4 cup spread out portion on the bottom of a bowl or dish, adding other whole grains atop, and then adding additional toppings such as vegetables and proteins for a "bowl" style dish. I love having these types of meals because they are nutrient-dense, meaning, you're getting a LOT of nutrients at one time! This is how we balance ourselves out, and how we can have a healthy relationship with food. Not every meal has to be balanced and nutrient-dense, but when we include these types of dishes, we know we're fueling our bodies.
Enjoy this recipe and comment below if you made any flavor changes or omitted anything!
Drain and rinse the chickpeas: if you're vegan, did you know you can keep the juice of the chickepas (or any ban) and make a meringue with it? The liquid is called aquafaba!
Roast your garlic in a pan with a little olive oil; you don't need to finely mince as the blender/food processor should help! Get it to a nice golden brown
Get everything in the blender/food processor and blend away! Stop and scrape down the sides a few times. The timeI made this recipe I added everything all at once. And you can see, my garlic is a nice golden color (left side near black center blade).
Use any crackers, tortilla chips, vegetables for dipping!
Bon Appetite!
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