So, I’m back. I had a little sabbatical there for the month of December and most of January.  I’m sure you all can relate; sometimes the things you love the most are the things you have to give up first. Eeek! My Holidays were wonderful, action packed even! Hope yours were as well.

I do love a snack every now and again.  Who doesn’t?  I mean the SUPERBOWL is headed here in a week.  Who won’t be snacking that day?  Sometimes it gets me in trouble, but most of the time I snack to have smaller meals throughout the day.  This works particularly well on days where I work out and need to keep the metabolism going all day long.  I typically go for something savory in the afternoon—anything from veggies with hummus, a piece of protein, some dip or a little bit of cheese.

A few years back, my husband and I started making our own hummus.  It’s 100% better than anything you can buy in the grocery store.  Not to mention, our in home version didn’t have all the extra ingredients that store bought processed hummus had.  Why not make it at home?  It’s simple.  Dump in blender, blend and serve!  Done.

Last year, I discovered that beans no longer agreed with me.  Every time I ate any type of bean, even the smallest amount, I immediately became bloated and filled up with gas (I know, the thing we don’t like to talk about) with sharp pinches of pain in my abdomen.  It became so uncomfortable that I decided to take them out of my diet completely.  (Enter sad face here.)  I’m a bean LOVER.  I used to put beans in almost everything.  From soups and stews to sandwiches and salads.  Chickpeas were my favorite.  I’d eat them daily.  No joke… right out of the can.  I even stewed them at home.  I would give up meat for beans, that’s just how much I enjoyed them.  So what’s a girl to do?  Almost all kinds of hummus are made from some type of bean, mostly chickpeas.  What could possibly take the place of the beloved hummus?

I tried to make hummus out of a few other veggies like cauliflower and eggplant, but it wasn’t quite right.  And then…ARTICHOKE! Yep, artichokes.  They have a similar texture to chickpeas when blended and are full of flavor.  And even better… they are considered a SUPERFOOD packed with antioxidants and have been known to have properties to help lower cholesterol and detox the liver.  I don’t know about you, but this is a win-win for me!!!

ARTICHOKE HUMMUS
Makes six ½-cup servings

Ingredients:
1 can artichoke hearts (whole or quartered, NOT MARINATED)
2-3 cloves of garlic, cut in half  (can use roasted garlic for milder flavor)
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup olive or avocado oil
2 tbs lemon juice (more if you like the tang)
½ tsp salt
⅛-¼ tsp cayenne (optional heat)
Dash of paprika

Directions:
Place all ingredients in blender or food processor.
Blend until desired texture is reached.
If too thick, add additional lemon juice or oil.

Place in bowl and drizzle with a tsp of olive oil and dash of paprika.

That’s it. It doesn’t get any easier. You can use this hummus to snack with veggies, smear on top of fish or chicken or even put in a lettuce wrap.

And don’t forget about your Super Bowl party that’s coming up!  This would make a perfect addition to your spread!!!

Snack Happy!