Roasted Garlic, Red & Yellow Pepper Hummus

I know I all ready wished you all a Happy New Year but I still can hardly believe it’s 2016! Wow, 10 years ago I ran my first Boston Marathon. What an awesome experience it was but I have to admit, each time I qualified there after was just as rewarding! Although I never made the trip back to Boston for various reasons, I am now married and have an incredibly supportive husband who would love to take me so now all I need to do is re-qualify. And I will, some time soon I hope. In the mean time, I am so lucky and blessed I can still run marathons as I approach my mid fifties.

“Hummus is a all time favorite healthy snack loaded with nutrients and most importantly, healthy fats. The addition of roasted garlic, red & yellow peppers takes it up a notch. Get ready for a tasty treat!”

Again I hope everyone had a relaxing Holiday but I must ask, how you doing with those New Year’s Resolutions? With the new year, comes resolutions. So many people vow to lose weight, run more, get more organized, etc. I’ve never been big into New Years Resolutions, but I do like goals. This year I made some pretty hefty goals both professionally and personally, but one thing that always remains constant from year to year is my focus on being healthy. I love healthy foods, to exercise, and one thing I am working hard on is taking more time for myself. “What does that mean to you?”. This one is hard one for me! Who has time to take 30 minutes to read a book, or go for a walk, meditate, or even take a bubble bath? I do! And so do You?.

What are some of the things you do to stay healthy? I love creating different smoothies in the morning for breakfast. It’s a great way to get extra fruits and greens into your diet! A couple other things to try is cutting back on sugar and sweets. You’ve probably noticed I am not much of a baker…..sweets are not something my body craves, but my husband on the other hand, loves his dessert. It’s best not to have them in the house so I do my best to keep healthier snacks on hand.

Another tip, keep a jug of water near by…..drink up every day and most importantly, get enough sleep each night.

Don't forget the Roasted Garlic — **Don’t forget the Roasted Garlic**

Some of my tips on eating healthy are keeping healthy snacks on hand. I love to cut up veggies like cucumbers, carrots, sweet peppers and celery and have them front and center in the fridge for both my husband and I to grab when we are looking for a snack. One of our favorite snacks is hummus and or guacamole. I love to dip pita chips and veggies in either for a healthy and satisfying treat.

We often times we’ll pick up these convenient guacamole and hummus cups from Costco, but as you know my now, I love making my own Guacamole. And of course, there is all kinds of hummus recipes out there, but I recently made this Roasted Garlic, Red & Yellow Pepper Hummus and it’s AWESOME! I received this cute little Garlic Baker for Christmas from my sister-in-law and I just love it. Roasted Garlic is yummy spread on crusty bread, added to roasted veggies, pasta sauce, soups, and of course, hummus.

This Roasted Garlic, Red and Yellow Pepper Hummus is super quick and easy to make. I just popped all of the ingredients into my Vita-mix and blended it up until smooth. If you don’t have a Vita-mix, no worries! You can also make this in a food processor or blender. To be honest, next time I think I’d use my food processor since it’s much easier to get every last drop of this delicious hummus.

Blend up all the Ingredients.....as simple as that! — **Blend up all the Ingredients…..as simple as that!**

Make a batch of hummus on the weekend like I just did and use it in pita sandwiches or as a snack throughout the week. Guess what my hubby is getting in his lunch box tomorrow and Sunday? (sigh….his weekend to work).

What’s your favorite healthy snack? I’d love to hear from you. Please Comment below.

Roasted Garlic, Red & Yellow Pepper Hummus

Makes about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained (reserve 4 tablespoons of the liquid)
12 oz. jar roasted red peppers or mixed red and yellow, drained (I used this brand)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tablespoons tahini paste (or a couple handfuls of sesame seeds if you don’t happen to have it on hand)
1 head of roasted garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used pink Himalayan but kosher is fine)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, for garnish,
1 Tablespoon olive oil, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

If using a Vita-mix, place all of the ingredients into the Vita-mix container in the order listed above and place the lid on tightly. Blend at low speed and gradually increase to high. Blend for 1 minute or until the hummus is smooth. Use the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades if needed. If the hummus is too thick, add the reserved garbanzo bean liquid one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
(If using a food processor or blender, place all of the ingredients into the bowl in the order listed and process until smooth. If needed, add the reserved garbanzo bean liquid one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.)
Place the hummus in a bowl and top with a tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of pine nuts. Serve with blue corn chips, pita chips, pita bread, or cut up vegetables, my favorite of course!
ENJOY!

[reminder]What’s your favorite kind of hummus?[/reminder][reminder]Do you prefer guac over hummus?[/reminder]