Pumpkin Hummus

Evan and I moved into our apartment over the Thanksgiving weekend last year and left our place in a little bit of disarray (to put it mildly) before heading out of town for our annual winter vacation. We hardly had any furniture when we first moved in; a small sofa my aunt had given me was sitting in our living room and Evan’s TV was propped up on cardboard boxes. Needless to say, when we got home from our vacation in the middle of December, our apartment needed some TLC.

Evan pulled out his Charlie Brown Christmas tree and the decorations he had saved from childhood and together we sat in our nearly empty apartment, decorating the tree and celebrating the holidays. It’s one of my favorite memories from the last December and I’m so looking forward to celebrating the holidays (in our now furnished apartment) this year.

I’m already dreaming up ideas for our Thanksgiving menu. This pumpkin hummus recipe –  which took me quite a few attempts to perfect – will be served as an appetizer with my favorite seasonal product, Way Better Snacks Oh, My Sweet Punkin Cranberry Corn Tortilla Chips. Way Better Snacks are made with sprouted ingredients, which means better nutrient absorption of some vitamins and minerals, and better digestibly. Plus, you really can't beat their flavor!

Pumpkin Hummus

This flavorful spin on your typical hummus recipe makes it the perfect appetizer or side dish for your Thanksgiving gathering. Loaded with vitamin A and fiber, pumpkin hummus is not only a treat for your tastebuds, it’s a dish you and your family can feel good about eating.

Ingredients:

1 15 ounce can pumpkin

1 15 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons tahini paste

juice of ½ a lemon

3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

1.     Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

2.     Pour into a serving dish and garnish with pumpkin seeds.

3.     Serve with Way Better Snacks Oh, My Sweet Punkin Cranberry Tortilla Chips.

Enjoy, preferably with those you love.

Disclosure: I am a Nutrition Ambassador of Way Better Snacks. My thoughts and opinions are my own – and I truly love Way Better Snacks for their quality of ingredients and nutritional profile. 

Almond Apricot Quinoa, Meal Makovers App Review + a GIVEAWAY

If you were to take a peek at our iPhones, you would find that we have a mild obsession for recipe apps. This is why when we heard that Liz and Janice, the dietitian duo that makes up Meal Makeover Moms created a recipe app, Meal Makeovers, we were thrilled.

We were even more thrilled after purchasing the app, and seeing what a gorgeous and nutritious recipe selection we now had available at our fingertips. Meal Makeovers is stocked with simple, approachable, and healthy recipes we’ve learned to expect from Liz and Janice. (If you haven't already seen the recipes on their website, we highly recommend you check them out! You can do so here.)

The recipes are sorted by category, such as “Pasta & Pizza,” “Side Dishes,” “Vegetarian,” “Holiday Classics,” and more.

Upon selecting the recipes you’d like to make for the week, the app creates an easy-to-follow shopping list divided by sections such as produce, herbs & spices, grocery, etc. Recipes can also be edited according to your tastes and preferences. If you’d rather pass on the onions, for example, it’s no problem. Simply unclick “onions” in the ingredients list of the recipe and it won’t be added to your shopping list.

The hardest part is selecting the recipes you’d like to make each week as each recipe is accompanied with a completely enticing photo. Last week I made the Avocado Salsa, Monster Cookies, and Almond Apricot Quinoa – all of which not only tasted ah-mazing, their recipes are nutrient-dense and tend to be lower in sodium and saturated fat than other recipes you might find online or in magazines. 

On my list for this week? Asian Salmon Sticks, Cauliflower Casserole, and Shepard’s Pie.

An added bonus: you can email recipes to friends and family and post them to social media, too!

Here’s a sneak peak at the Almond Apricot Quinoa, a recipe I made yesterday.

Almond Apricot Quinoa

Quinoa is a tiny seed that packs a big nutritional punch. It’s often referred to as an ancient grain, though technically it’s a seed. No matter what you call it, however, quinoa is considered a complete protein food, so it’s ideal for vegetarians, and it’s gluten free. Serve as a side dish or a main meal.

Makes 5 servings

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

1 small red bell pepper

1/3 cup dried apricots

2 scallions (green onions)

1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds (*Note: my apricots are darker in color as I used a variety without sulfites)

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 lemon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

black pepper

Instructions

1. Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse very well several times under cold running water. Drain well. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place quinoa in skillet and “toast,” stirring frequently, until quinoa is dry and gives off a nutty aroma, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place 1 ½ cups water in a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the “toasted” quinoa and stir well. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Transfer to a large bowl and fluff gently with a fork every few minutes until grains cool.

4. Cut half the bell pepper into ¼-inch dice to yield ½ cup. Coarsely chop apricots. Thinly slice white and light green part of scallions.

5. Gently stir bell pepper, apricots, scallions, almonds, cumin, and salt into quinoa until well combined.

6. Juice lemon to yield 2 tablespoons. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and honey in a small bowl until well blended. Stir into quinoa mixture until well coated with dressing. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Information per Serving (total yield 3 ¼ cups): 240 calories, 8g fat (0.5g saturated), 250mg sodium, 36g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 7g protein

Liz and Janice are also giving away a FREE Meal Makeover app download to 5 lucky readers. Simply enter the giveaway below for your chance to win!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Irish Lamb Stew

{Disclaimer: We received free samples of lamb mentioned in this post from Mountain States Rosen and were compensated for our time. Opinions expressed are our own.}

This past August, Lisa married the man of her dreams, Elie, and their wedding guests experienced a meal that, until then, we had only dreamed about. The menu — with lamb porchetta in the starring role — was nothing short of spectacular — even Seattle Magazine here, considered it feature worthy.

lamb porchetta took the starring role in Lisa's wedding menu

Ever since that lamb-sharing moment on August 24th, lamb will forever be symbolic of celebration and joy in the world of Nourish RDs.  It confirmed that lamb is incomparable and appreciated by food-lovers everywhere.  When we learned of the pure, delicious virtues of Shepherd’s Pride American Lamb, we were inspired to create our own “every day is a celebration” lamb dish.

As with most things, Lisa and I are proponents of quality over quantity. We often tell our clients, friends, and family that when it comes to choosing animal protein, quality is so important. That’s why we love working with brands and farmers that support sustainable agriculture, such as Mountain States Rosen.

MSR is the only lamb company in the U.S. to receive the top-rated food safety and quality certification administered by international 3rd-party auditors, the Safe Quality Food Institute. Their ranchers are committed to delivering a supply of the highest quality breeds that adhere to exceptional standards. Shepherd’s Pride Lamb never has any antibiotics, added hormones or artificial additives in this product. Mountain States Rosen is also committed to having a genuine focus on animal care – something that is particularly important to us. It is the only “Where Food Comes From” source-verified lamb in the U.S.   “Where Food Comes From” is a trusted, third-party that verifies the source of origin of all Shepherd’s Pride lambs, bringing traceability and transparency to the consumer.

Nutritionally speaking, lamb is a smart choice as it is naturally lean. Compared to other meats, it has very little fat marbling throughout the meat, so any excess fat can be easily trimmed without sacrificing the juicy, one-of-a-kind delicious taste. A 3-ounce serving of lamb, on average, has 175 calories and six grams of fat, and has more than five times the amount of omega 3s than the same portion of beef.

The recipe for this lamb stew is the right combination of celebration and comfort. Lamb is the perfect candidate for slow cooking as it helps to remove any trepidation that may come from lack of experience with cooking lamb. It makes a hearty portion so be sure to freeze the leftovers. That way, you can have a special, nourishing meal at your fingertips….even on nights when you’re not in the mood to cook! 

Click here to find out where you can get Mountain States Rosen lamb near you.

Irish Lamb Stew

This recipe imparts an irresistible warming aroma and melt-in-your-mouth product. It’s not just any stew. Its stew made with Shepherd’s Pride Lamb – and American lamb is very special.

Makes 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 ½ pounds Shepherd’s Pride boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, coarsely diced

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups carrots, thickly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 - 15 ounce can of stout beer

1 cup dried cherries

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Water

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place flour, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes in a large bowl.  Add the lamb pieces and toss in the flour, lightly coating all of the pieces. 
3. Heat a large Dutch oven (or oven-proof pot) over medium heat.  Add the olive oil.  When the olive oil is hot, add as much lamb as will fit along the bottom of the pot in a single layer.  Brown the lamb pieces on all sides. Repeat with remaining lamb. Once all of the lamb is cooked, remove from the pot and place in bowl. Set aside.
4. If the bottom of the pot is dry, add a little more olive oil.  Then add the onion and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
5. Add carrots and garlic, cooking for another few minutes.
6. Add the tomato paste to the pot, letting it brown and stick to the bottom of the pot a bit. 
7. Pour the beer into the pot, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
8. Add the dried cherries, bay leaf, thyme and reserved lamb (and any juices from the lamb) to the pot. Pour water into pot until the lamb and vegetables are just barely covered. 
9. Place the pot in the oven, covered, for one hour. 
10. After one hour, add the sweet potatoes to the pot, stirring to cover the sweet potatoes.  Continue to cook the stew for another 2 hours, uncovered, or until the lamb is very tender and the broth has thickened into a deep, rich color.

Enjoy, preferably with those you love!

Enter to win your own Dutch oven for fall-off-the bone tenderness from Mountain States Rosen by clicking the image below.