Maybe it’s the return of daily workouts at the gym.  Or maybe it’s the frigid temps outside that make me want to hide in my house all day.  But whatever it is – I’ve been really snacky lately.  Snack, snack, snack – all day long.

When I go through my snack phases, I try my best to make sure there are good healthy snack options available in the house.  Otherwise I find myself shaking the bag of chocolate chips into my palm. 

For today’s recipe, I was craving hummus but wanted to kick it up a notch.  Something kind of like…

Kalamata Olive Hummus Spread

Ingredients:

• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, rinsed and pitted
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or 2 cloves)
• salt, to taste

To Prepare:  Start by lugging out the food processor – this recipe is as simple as dumping things in and pushing GO!

Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are the base for all hummus recipes.  Their nuttiness and creaminess lend perfectly to the delicious spread – one of my favorite things to eat!

And speaking of favorite foods, and my go-to choices for every snack/meal/grocery trip – olives and avocados are always at the top of my list.  Must be a healthy fats thing.  If you put me on a desert island and told me I could only take one food, my head would explode before I could choose between the two.  (Okay that may be a tad dramatic.)

Add the olives to the food processor, making sure all pits have been removed.  You don’t want to take a hearty bite and chomp down on a rock hard pit – trust me, I’ve done it.

Add the garlic, lemon juice, water, and a pinch of salt.  Go ahead and give it a WHIR!

You’ll want to scrape down the sides a few times, and process for about a minute or so each time.  If you want your hummus a little creamier, add a little more water.  If you let it process long enough, you should have delicious creamy hummus after a few minutes!

Perfect for SNACKING!

Hummus by itself is already delicious, and the kalamata olive addition just makes it so much more tasty.

Pair with crackers or fresh veggie sticks for a delicious snack or appetizer.

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Or spread it onto some fluffy sandwich bread and top with avocado to make the greatest sandwich of all time.  (Again, dramatic.)

If I was asked to only take ONE food with me on a desert island, can my answer be…this sandwich?

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

What would YOU take?

Last night’s dinner featured a good mixture of a lot of my favorite ingredients.  Quinoa is is a vegetarian wonderfood – one of the only sources of complete protein other than soybeans and a few others.  Conveniently, it’s also really tasty, and can be adapted to work in all sorts of different recipes.  In the past I’ve shown you quinoa tabouli and my three-grain chewy energy bars, and today I bring you…

Black Bean Cocoa Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you can’t handle a kick!)
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 large onion
• 1 cup diced bell pepper
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 small avocado, diced (optional)
• 1 medium tomato, diced (optional)

To Prepare:  Start by rinsing the quinoa – this removes some of the bitterness and soapy residue that is sometimes on the outer shells.  I used red quinoa for this recipe, but it is fine to substitute traditional quinoa. 

The best way to get good flavor into your grains is to cook them WITH spices, rather than adding spices in at the end.  The heat of the cooking process intensifies the spice flavor!  For this recipe, I used chili powder, cinnamon sticks, cayenne pepper, and coriander (un-pictured because I used it all).

And the secret ingredient that makes this recipe so good is the COCOA powder.  Maybe it is my Cincinnati blood, and the fact that I was raised on Skyline Chili, but I think the combination of cocoa powder and chili powder can’t be beat. 

Back to the cooking process – first things first, you need to cook your quinoa.  Depending on your preferred method of cooking, there are two ways to do this.

1.  Rice Cooker – I’m sure it comes as no surprise that this is my preferred cooking method.  Combine quinoa, spices, and cocoa powder with 2 cups liquid and cook on “quick cooking” setting.  Wait for the signal that the quinoa is ready, and fluff!  Easy as that.

2. Stove top – Combine quinoa with 2 cups water, spices, and cocoa powder, and bring up to a simmer.  Once simmering, cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.  Be careful to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan!

While the quinoa cooks, you can begin to sauté the onions and peppers, and prep your tomato and avocado for topping.  I got all of these ingredients at last weekend’s farmer’s market – even the onion!

On medium high heat, add a little bit of olive oil to your pan, and then cook the diced onion until soft.  After ten minutes or so, add the pepper and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.  At this point the quinoa should (hopefully) be ready.  Go ahead and fluff your quinoa and add it to the pan with your veggies, along with a rinsed can of black beans. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir over medium heat for just a few minutes, to ensure that the mixture is heated throughout. 

Top with tomato and avocado (and a glob of Greek yogurt if you like dairy), and enjoy!

I stuffed some into a whole wheat pita and ate it like a sandwich, with an additional heaping pile on the side. 

This recipe is fun because, while there are hints of southwestern chili-like flavors, the cocoa powder is what really steals the show.    

Enjoy!