MY DAD’S HUMMUS RECIPE

Here’s what you’re going to need —

• 2 cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas

• 1/2 cup of water

• 1/2 cup of lemon juice (you can definitely do less if you don’t love a lemon-y hummus, but I’m all about lots of lemon and highly recommend using the full 1/2 cup)

• 1/2 cup of tahini 

• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

• 1/8 teaspoon of pepper (or to taste, I’m not the biggest pepper fan so I only add a little bit, but to each their own!)

• 1 teaspoon of salt 

The low down —

First things first, you’re going to need a food processor or a blender. I personally love making my hummus in my blender because I feel like it generates a creamier consistency than when I make it in a food processor. Either way, pick your poison and blend your tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, salt and pepper. You want to blend the “liquid” ingredients and spices first to ensure that any clumps in the tahini get broken up before you add the chickpeas so you get a smooth, evenly-textured hummus. So, once your tahini, lemon juice, water, and spices are blended together, add in your rinsed and drained chickpeas to the blender and blend away until you get the consistency you want. And, there you have it! Easy as that, and you’ve got fresh, homemade hummus  ready to dip carrots into, ready to make the best avocado toast of all time with, or ready to eat with a spoon (which I do all the time and might be my favorite way to eat it!). 

All thanks and major props to my dad for sharing this recipe with me. Every time I make this recipe it reminds me of him and my favorite childhood memories of being his designated “hummus taste-tester”. Making hummus brings me so much joy, nourishment, and comfort and I hope that if you decide to make it, it brings you al of those things too <3

MY GO-TO NOURISH BOWL

Here’s what you’re going to need —

• Protein source of your choosing

  • Grilled or roasted chicken, ground beef or turkey, tofu, beans whatever you’re in the mood for and have on hand

• All the veggies your little heart desires

  • Roast, sauté, grill, or just chop ‘em up and eat ‘em fresh do what sounds best to you in the moment

    • Here I sautéed swiss chard, green beans, and peas, and I roasted carrots and parsnips

• Your favorite carb source

  • Here I used roasted sweet potatoes, but I also love to make bone broth rice or quinoa

• Fresh herbs and all the sauces

  • I am my mother’s daughter and so, of course, I am a firm believer in the idea that no meal is complete without some sort of condiment/topping action going on. Whether that be fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, or basil, a drinkable sauce like the homemade tahini lemon dressing I used here (which by the way is the most simple, but mouth-wateringly delicious dressing on the planet, here’s how to make it: use a stick blender or regular blender to combine about a 1/4 cup of tahini, 1/8 cup of lemon juice, 1/8 cup of water, and garlic, salt, pepper to taste), or hemp seeds. Whatever sounds most nourishing to you in that moment, I vote you throw it on top of your nourish bowl!

The key to creating a great nourish bowl is to strike a balance between protein, veggies, and carbs. All of these components work individually and together to support whole-body health and wellbeing, and the best part is when you put them all together, they taste so damn good.

Making a nourish bowl like this one at the end of a long day when all my tasks and to-dos are done and out of the way is my favorite way to unwind and give my body the nourishment it needs and craves. I find the prep of chopping, sautéing, roasting, grilling etc. all those veggies and protein sources to be like a form of meditation. I love being able to use that prep time to put in my headphones and play my current favorite playlist or tune into an episode of the latest podcast I am obsessed with, and get out of my head and into my body as I start to cook for myself. Cooking is truly my favorite form of self-care and I hope that if you choose to make a nourish bowl like this one for yourself, you will embrace cooking as self-care too.