By Brandon McDearis

Two of my favorite things in the world to snack on are guacamole and hummus. It was only a matter of time before some clever cook somewhere decided to experiment with combining the two to make a delicious and healthy dip. Unfortunately, I was not the first to come up with this brilliant idea, but I was happy to steal it and test my own recipe. It is very simple to prepare, and the ingredients are no surprise. The recipe is pretty much composed of what would traditionally go into each. The flavor of the two together is beyond satisfying, and the final product yields more protein, fiber and healthy fats than the original recipes by themselves. The whole batch yields about 1 quart.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained
  • 2 medium-sized ripe avocados, peeled and cored
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • dash of hot sauce
  • pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the garlic and oil in a small oven-safe pan or pot, cover with foil and put in the oven and allow to roast for about 15-20 minutes, until the garlic begin to darken and soften. Remove the garlic and oil from the pot into a bowl and allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes while you gather your other ingredients. (This can be done in bulk with more olive oil and more garlic. There are many uses in the kitchen for roasted garlic and garlic oil. Note: This step of roasting the garlic can also be skipped to save time. I recommend scaling back to 1-2 cloves of garlic if adding it raw).
  2. Put all of the remaining ingredients into a food processor, along with the cloves of roasted garlic. Process until all of ingredients are coarsely chopped. Add the garlic oil in a steady stream from the top and blend until smooth. If you are having trouble getting it to blend, then stop and scrape the sides of the processor occasionally and then add a 1-2 tablespoons of water through the top while the blade is running.
  3. Adjust seasoning as needed with more salt, pepper, hot sauce or lime juice.

Makes eight 4-ounce servings.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 200 / Fat: 9g / Saturated Fat: 0.5g / Carbohydrates: 20g / Fiber: 8g / Protein: 8g

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Brandon McDearis is the owner of Your Way Cuisine, www.yourwaycuisine.com, a personal chef and nutrition consulting business. He is also a professional wanderer that spends much of his year trotting the globe and working in places such as Alaska, Australia, and Antarctica. 

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Healthy Snack Ideas

Sliders

Use mini-bagels or whole grain bread cut in quarters to make sliders with hummus, cucumber slices, alfalfa sprouts, romaine lettuce and tomatoes. These little sandwiches provide protein, fiber, potassium and vitamins A and C. By substituting hummus for butter, mayonnaise and other spreads that are high in saturated fat you can reduce the saturated fat in your diet and improve your cardiovascular health.

Mini Pitas

Use mini pita pockets to scoop up your guacamole hummus for a great source of soluble fiber, which helps to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Pair one serving of hummus – about 4 ounces – with 3 mini pita pockets for a healthy snack.

Bento Box

Make your own bento-style lunch box with various crackers, pretzels and veggies for dipping. These small boxes often come in a carrying case with an ice pack and can be found in most grocery stores. Or, simply add a small container of hummus to your regular lunch box with bags of veggies, crackers, pretzels.