Roll Up Revision

My husband, daughter and I are making big changes to our eating habits.  Eating more fruits and veggies, whole grains and natural, organic, less processed foods and less meat seems like a healthy idea.  It makes sense to know what's going in our bodies. Unknown ingredients...like pesticides and those long and weird words that we have no idea what they are...can be scary! Processed ingredients are showing up on more and more studies to be unhealthy. Seeing how some things are made is really gross. And, the biggest reason...we just plain feel better when we eat better.  However, trying to eat more healthy isn't always easy.   But, the more we do it, the more we like it.  And, the more we do it, the easier it gets. 

Trying to eat less meat and more veggies is causing us to find and try new foods to bring protein into our diets that we'd normally get from meat.  One of the things we've found that works and is really tasty is hummus. We tried it for the first time about a year ago and loved it. It's super simple to make, very tasty and very healthy. We like to dip chips (pita or tortilla) into it and fresh cut veggies like carrots and zucchini. We also found that it's great on a sandwich. A generous spread of it on flat bread, a tortilla or a pita with layers of veggies like spinach, tomatoes, avocados, thin strips of carrots, and dried cranberries is really good.  Healthy chicken or turkey can be layered in as well.  These roll-ups are creamy, flavorful and the veggies add a nice crunch. It's a great new way to make roll-ups.

The main ingredient in hummus is beans. Garbanzo beans are the traditional choice and very good. But, white beans can be used and tend to make a creamier hummus. Here's what is needed to make it and how...

1 15 ounce can of beans, Garbanzo or white
Olive oil
Juice from half a lemon
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
Fresh herbs - basil, oregano, parsley or whatever you like
Salt and Pepper to taste

Rinse and drain the beans and pour them into a food processor. Add the other ingredients, adding a drizzle of olive oil at a time, and blend until creamy. Give it a taste test and adjust flavors to your liking...more or less garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, herbs...or try different herbs and spices.  We've found that our favorite herb is basil. Tahini (sesame seed paste) is traditionally used in hummus and would add more protein and possibly more flavor but we've found that it's not necessary. It's delicious and creamy without it.  For a roll-up, spread a generous amount of hummus onto flat bread or a tortilla and layer in your favorite veggies, roll it up and enjoy!  Mmmmm...good!