Ditch the Dips!

When I was walking down the canned goods aisle the other day with my parents, I saw that cannellini beans were on sale so I had to pick some up! I wanted to make my own hummus to bring back to my apartment at school and knew that I didnt have a food processor there, so it had to be made here. Hummus is very easy to make and a very nutritious snack. It's a lot healthier than breaking out sour cream based dips at parties, or for a midday snack with something crunchy. Not only is hummus a good dip, but it can also be mixed into salads and used as a dressing, put on top of grilled meat to add some flavor, and even replace mayo in your sandwiches. There are endless possibilities with hummus!

Besides being mighty tasty, hummus is also high in protein and healthy fats. Cannellini beans have 6g of protein per half cup serving! Perfect for anyone on a meatless diet trying make sure you're getting enough protein. Hummus is also made, most of the time, with extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil is high in one of the heart healthy fats called Monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in the body, which can reduce the risk for heart disease.  

Next time you're trying to decide what to bring to a family gathering, or just want to make something tasty to snack on- Turn to Hummus! Delicious, easy, and nutritious too! 

When you make your own hummus, you can decide what type of bean you want to make it with! I like my hummus made with cannellini beans, but some may like it with chickpeas or even kidney beans. Why not try this recipe a few times with different beans!  Here is the recipe I used to make it!

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 

2 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (I used cannellini beans), drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 sprigs fresh rosemary, rinsed

Preparation

1.  In a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir half the olive oil and the 2 cloves garlic until fragrant, being careful not to brown garlic, about 1 minute. Pour the oil and garlic into a food processor. Wipe out the pan and set aside.
2. Add white beans, lemon juice, and salt to the food processor and whirl until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl.
3. Return the frying pan to medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the rosemary sprigs. Warm the rosemary in the olive oil until fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally so the rosemary doesn't burn. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.
4. Set the rosemary aside and drizzle the olive oil over the bean dip. Mince one teaspoon of the rosemary leaves and sprinkle over the dip.
5. Do-ahead tips: Make dip up to 2 days ahead. Store dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring dip to room temperature before serving. Prepare the rosemary oil right before serving.

Thank you diningwithadinergirl.blogspot.com for this great recipe!