Appetizers & Sides

Pineapple Avocado Salsa (Perfect Fish Topping!)

April 7, 2015 by Nicole 5 Comments

This tropical salsa is a super easy way to take a boring fish dinner to the next level, and it’s totally customizable. One week try it with the pineapple and kiwi combo I’m using today—next week switch it up with mango and some jalapeño. It’s one of those recipes where measurements and following the ingredient list don’t really matter. In other words, this is basically not even a recipe. Enjoy!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:56] It’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe so I went totally overboard with the pictures. Humor me… 🙂

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Vegan

Zesty Lemon Artichoke Hummus

April 22, 2013 by Nicole 17 Comments

I’ve always enjoyed hummus, but since switching to a low-dairy diet (you can read more about that here), I’ve really come to love it. I use hummus on sandwiches instead of cheese, and when it comes to dips and cracker toppers, I don’t even miss dairy as long as I have a bowl of hummus. This lemon artichoke hummus is a current favorite!

For search engine optimization, I’m supposed to talk for 300 words about this hummus but … how?! I truly don’t know how food bloggers do it. I guess I’m just not a foodie? Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy cooking and coming up with these recipes, but I just can’t talk about food for more than a couple sentences. This hummus is yummy. If you like lemons and you like artichokes, you’ll enjoy it. Here’s the recipe lol.

This zesty lemon artichoke hummus recipe packs a big punch with the flavor profile—we’re talking garlic, lemon and cayenne pepper. It’s amazing. But if you prefer a milder taste, just use 1 garlic clove instead of 2 and 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper (or none at all). You could also use 4 tbsp lemon juice instead of 6, but may need to add more olive oil to counter the texture. After doing some Internet recipe research, I adapted mine from this one and this one.

If you’re looking for more hummus recipes, I’ve got a plethora! Here are some of my favorites from the archives:

Sweet Potato Hummus – Also love it on my favorite sandwich recipe.
Roasted Carrot Hummus
Roasted Beet Hummus

I like making a batch of hummus at the beginning of the week to have on hand as a quick snack. Baby carrots are my go-to hummus vehicle. But this lemon artichoke hummus would be great with pita chips, crackers or other veggie sticks.

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan

The Bean Dip

March 22, 2012 by Nicole 9 Comments

Emphasis on “the.” My college roommate introduced me to this amazing bean dip and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since—partly because it reminds me of my best friends, but mostly because it’s effing delicious. A bean dip to end all bean dips, I give you the bean dip.

The serving size of this recipe is a shit load (that’s a technical term). You will literally be eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a solid week. And you’ll love every second of it. I made it this year for the Super Bowl, and thank the lo’ because it was the only good thing to come out of that disappointment (I’m a Pats fan).

INGREDIENTS

2 cans black beans, rinsed
2 cans black eyed peas, rinsed
2 cans mexicorn, drained
1 can of rotell
4 roma tomatos
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 red onion
1 bunch of cilantro
1 lime, juiced
¼ cup pickled jalapenos, diced
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup red wine
½ tspn garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

Chop everything up and mix it together in a bowl. It’s not rocket science.
Stir olive oil, sugar, red wine and garlic powder in a separate bowl. Mix into the rest of the ingredients. Optional: Chug the remaining wine left in the bottle.
Serve with chips or eat it with your hands (it’s that good).