Dairy-Free — Page 12

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

Kale & Spinach Acai Blend with Hemp Seed Granola

January 8, 2013 by Nicole 15 Comments

Kale & Spinach Acai Bowl - This green acai bowl is topped with granola and makes for the perfect breakfast! #vegan #plantbased #acaibowl #smoothiebowl #acai

This kale & spinach acai bowl is inspired by one of my favorites at Juice Generation. Today there are tons of options for acai bowls in Boston, but back when I first created this recipe, there really weren’t. I had one on a trip to NYC to visit friends, and decided to try to make my own version at home. I’d say I came pretty damn close to replicating JG’s!

You have options with the below recipe, depending on how thick you want the spinach acai blend to be. If you use a frozen banana, it’ll be thicker. And if you use the whole banana in the base instead of saving half as a topping, it’ll also make it thicker. Just depends on if you want more of a smoothie or sorbet thickness with the base.

There’s a fine line between adding enough liquid that it’ll blend easily and adding too much. To make sure you don’t end up with a watery base, start with just 1/4 cup of almond milk and then add slowly as needed.

I like to keep it simple with granola and banana slices, but you can get creative with the toppings. Nature’s Path makes a delicious hemp hearts granola that I use, but any will do! You could also do a dollop of peanut butter, shredded coconut and/or berries. Customize it however you want!

I love starting the day with a refreshing acai bowl, but they can easily become more of a dessert than a breakfast. Yes, there is sugar in the banana and granola, but this recipe doesn’t overdo it. It’s also packed with leafy greens and isn’t overly sweet. Try this spinach acai bowl today and let me know what you think! It’s one of my current favorites. 🙂

OTHER ACAI BOWL RECIPES TO TRY:

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan

Peanut Butter Berry Smoothie

November 26, 2012 by Nicole 16 Comments

This simple peanut butter berry smoothie recipe will make breakfast for two. It’s refreshing and fruity with a satisfying hint of peanut butter. If you’re looking for something more filling though, you could always add a scoop of your favorite protein powder. And of course just halve the recipe if you’re making it for yourself.

Peanut Butter Berry Smoothie

This is an older recipe from the archives that was in dire need of new photography. Updating older posts is a great excuse for me to make older recipes. I forget how good some of them are! And it gives me the opportunity to tweak those that maybe aren’t up to par.

If you’re a fan of this peanut butter berry smoothie and are looking for some similar breakfast ideas, I’ve got you covered:

PB&J Smoothies for Two – very similar
Strawberry Date Smoothie – only a few ingredients and super yummy
Peanut Butter Protein Acai Bowl – filling and delicious

Can’t really go wrong with the fruit-peanut-butter combo if you ask me!

This smoothie is easily customizable. You can use any nut milk you’d like—or cow’s milk, you do you, boo. Almond butter can be used instead of peanut butter. Any berries can be used. And add any little “boosters” you’d like: chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp hearts, protein powder. Get creative!

You could also turn this into a smoothie bowl and top it with granola. If I want a heartier meal than a smoothie, I usually go this route. I’ll add in some protein powder as well to keep me satisfied until lunch. Some of my favorite smoothie bowl recipes from the archives:

Kale & Spinach Acai Bowl – one of my favorite acai bowls, I make this one all the time!
Matcha Green Smoothie Bowl – for the matcha lovers out there
Blueberry Acai Bowl – simple and delicious with a coconut crunch

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Smoothies, Vegan, Vegetarian