This hamburger chop suey is a throwback comfort food recipe that is easy to make but also a little different. Just try it, you’ll love it!

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I am still working through the giant catalog of my mom’s recipes. I first started with the ones she had made copies of for me when I left for college, but after my most recent trip to Maryland we found even more! Literally four boxes of recipes cards. I actually discovered the origin to a couple of her more frequently made recipes and a couple others written in short hand which were neat.

Now I have even more recipes to work through. And I am totally digging these retro, minimal ingredient, few step recipes. I’ve not felt particularly inspired in the kitchen lately and many of these recipes are comforting on many levels, so I find myself drawn to them more than ever.

This hamburger chop suey doesn’t seem to appear in any of my memories, but given that it has chow mein noodles I am sure she made it for my brother and I at some point. It’s totally her style too, combining unsuspecting ingredients into something delicious. According to the internet, it can also be another name for goulash and has Italian-American origins. All I know is that this is most definitely not that.

The original recipe calls for a can of mushrooms, but since neither Bob nor I like mushrooms we substituted that for chickpeas. We also added a bit of broccoli to pump up the vegetable content a bit more. And finally we spiced it up by adding a little chili oil.

One year ago: Strawberry Spinach Salad Pizza

Two years ago: Pesto Chicken Salad

Five years ago: Taco Hummus

Six years ago: Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce & Coconut-Ginger Rice

Seven years ago: Homemade Whole Wheat Bread Bowls

Eight years ago: S’mores Puppy Chow

Ten years ago: Banana Foster Cream Pie

HAMBURGER CHOP SUEY

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Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 head of broccoli, florets cut
• 1 (10.5 oz.) can condensed chicken and rice soup
• 1 (10.5 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (8 oz.) can chickpeas, drained *
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup raw rice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• Chili oil, to taste
• Chow mein noodles

Directions

1. In a large skillet, head olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and brown until most of the pink is gone. Add onion, celery, and broccoli and sautee for 5 minutes.
2. Add soups, chickpeas, water, rice, and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover, turn off heat, and let steam for 20 minutes.
3. Season to taste with chili oil. Serve topped with chow mein noodles.

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This quick and easy chickpea noodle soup is vegan and ready in under 30 minutes!

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A long time ago I first discovered chickpea noodle soup and has been on my recipe idea list ever since. With the frigid temperatures lately I decided it was finally time. I was also fueled by a half used can of chickpeas in the fridge along with every other ingredient already on hand. It was meant to be.

The best thing about this being a vegan soup, is that it takes almost no time to make. I have made a similar version before using leftover Thanksgiving turkey, which also speeds up the soup cooking process. But I also like being able to make classic favorites vegan and have them taste just as good.

Another reason I was motivated to make this recipe if that my father, the very active, non-smoking, non-drinking, no family history of heart disease, heathier than most people his age or even younger, still fits in pants he owned in college, found out he has 3 blockages in his heart. No symptoms, just discovered something off at a routine check up. As a result, he will be having triple bypass surgery next week.

So not only am I now on the hunt for heart-healthy recipes to share per his request, I am rethinking my own food choices. I already try to eat at least a couple plant-based meals a week but, like my father, dessert is my crutch. Not saying I’m going to stop baking cold turkey, but I will be more conscious of how often I am consuming dessert. Cause right now it’s daily, heh…

Two years ago: Black Pepper Ice Cream with Strawberry Chia Jam

Six years ago: Homemade Soft Pretzels with Cheddar-Cream Cheese Spread

Seven years ago: Cookie Dough Oreo Cake

Eight years ago: Pepperoni Pasta Bake

Ten years ago: Butterscotch Haystack Cookies

QUICK CHICKPEA NOODLE SOUP

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Yield: 2 servings Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 oz. whole wheat noodles
• 1 (8oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 1/2 tsp fresh chopped thyme
• Pinch crushed red pepper, optional

Directions

1. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat with oil. Add onion, carrot, celery, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute 3-5 minutes or until tender.
2. Add broth and noodles. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 6 minutes or until noodles are almost al dente.
3. Stir in chickpeas and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Stir in herbs and serve.

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How do you make a whiskey sour cocktail not only purple but also vegan? By using dried butterfly pea flowers and aquafaba!

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Happy February! January crept by but decided to leave it’s mark by dumping a lot of snow on us for the last weekend. Fairly certain Punxsutawney Phil is not going to call for an early end to winter at this rate. It’s not like we are all slowly losing out sanity being stuck inside.

Thankfully, we can distract ourselves a little bit this coming Valentine’s Day by hosting a romantic dinner at home without the crowds – something that’s more normal at least for us as we don’t usually go out to celebrate. Of all holidays, this one seems like the perfect one to spend alone.

If  you are also planning a special night in, I joined a group of blogger buddies to share #ValentinesDayCocktails today! And I am here to show how a whiskey sour can indeed be festive with the help of dried butterfly pea flowers and Joyjolt cosmos whiskey glasses.

Which BTW if you don’t have some fun glasses in your cabinet, you should really check out JoyJolt’s selection – you can even get 10% off with my code SPIFFY10.

To make this cocktail purple, I muddled butterfly pea flowers in lemon juice, which turns the color from blue to purple. Then you shake up all the other ingredients and viola! You have this beauty.

I also used aquafaba instead of an egg white to produce a creamy texture and foam on top. Egg white are optional for a whiskey sour but I love the look it gives this classic cocktail, especially when dressed in purple. P.S. aquafaba is just chickpea water – literally the stuff you’ve been tossing every time you open a can.

And that, my friends, is how you make a cocktail vegan ;-).

Valentine’s Day Cocktails

• Tequila Rose Strawberry Shooters from Our Crafty Cocktails
• Pink Flirtini from Family Around The Table
• Champagne Punch For Two from Kate Recipe Box
• Valentine’s Day Cupid’s Cocktail from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Vegan Butterfly Pea Whiskey Sour from The Spiffy Cookie
• Date Night Wine Cocktail For Two from Our Good Life

Five years ago: BBQ Bacon Mango Pizza

Eight years ago: Apple Maple Turkey Sliders

Nine years ago: Superbowl XLVI Recipe Roundup

Ten years ago: Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies

VEGAN BUTTERFLY PEA WHISKEY SOUR

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Yield: 2 servings Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 12 dried butterfly pea flowers
• 2 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 4 oz. whiskey
• 1-1/2 oz. agave nectar
• 2 oz. aquafaba (optional)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Ice

Directions

1. Muddle butterfly pea flowers and lemon juice in half of a cocktail shaker (or bottom of a glass) until it turns purple, about 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients to the shaker, close with other half, and hard dry shake for 10 seconds. Add ice and hard shake for another 10 seconds.
3. Strain into a lowball filled with ice or a coupe without ice.

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Nankhatai are an eggless Indian shortbread cookie seasoned with caradmom, saffron, and topped with a pistachio!

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Never heard of Nankhatai? They are an eggless, cardamom-saffron flavored Indian shortbread cookie topped with pistachios (or other nuts). Slightly exotic but totally approachable for newbies. 

Since I shared a slow cooker oatmeal made with ice cream in honor of Joe Biden’s love for ice cream on Monday, I figured I would share something for Kamala Harris and her Indian heritage today. It is inauguration day after all and today we have our first ever female VP! Regardless of your political stance, that’s a fantastic achievement. 

In case you were unaware, VP Harris is Indian on her mother’s side. Better yet her mother was a scientist whose work helped advance breast cancer studies and treatment. Hooray science! The past year has been rough for many reasons, but the attack on science and lack of trust in science has been very disheartening in a time when we needed it most. 

So how do I celebrate the re-welcoming of science along with our first female VP? With cookies, specifically with these buttery Indian shortbread cookies! 

To be honest, I actually made these in November as a pairing with Fetty’s Street Food Truck’s masala chai lassi. But I have been holding on to them, waiting for the right moment to share the recipe. I wasn’t entirely sure at the time what that day would be but now it’s here!

These cookies do use a couple of unique ingredients. The saffron is probably the easiest to leave out if you cannot locate it as it mostly adds color (although I have linked the ingredient list to Amazon affiiliate links if needed).

One year ago: Slow Cooker Curried Lentil and Sausage Soup

Two years ago: Macaroni & Cheese Pierogi

Five years ago: Bacon Fig & Asiago Grilled Cheese Sandwich Minis

Nine years ago: Saltine Cracker Toffee

Ten years ago: Papaya Blueberry Almond Granola Bars

IDIAN SHORTBREAD (NANKHATAI)

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Yield: 2 dozen Prep Time: 1 Hour Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup semolina flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp ghee or clarified butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp saffron strands, crushed
• Whole pistachios

Directions

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, cardamom, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, using a stand or hand mixer, cream together ghee, powdered sugar, and saffron until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the flour mix in batched and mix until it forms a soft and smooth dough.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Shape chilled dough into 1-inch balls (I used a small cookie scoop), place on prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly. Using a knife, make a criss-cross design on top and press a pistachio in the center of each.
7. Place the baking sheet back in the refrigerator again for 20 minutes. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 375 F degrees.
8. Once chilled, bake for 15 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are lightly golden. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted slightly from Cook with Manali.

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This Indian-inspired pizza is made with one of my favorite locally made marinades – Sabauce!

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I love when local companies collaborate to create something amazingly delicious. But often times they are only for a limited time. For example, Mikey’s Late Night Slice and Sabuace made a pizza together and it was incredible! They made both a chicken version and a chickpea version and honestly they were equally delicious.

I recently was reminiscing about this pizza and decided to make it myself at home. With a little helpful input from the guys behind Sabauce, I think I came pretty damn close! The base is a mixture of marinara and Sabauce, topped with mozzarella, tomato, red onion, and either chicken or chickpeas marinated in Sabauce.

Instead of choosing between chicken and chickpeas, I went ahead and used both! But you could easily just use one or the other based on your preferences. Gotta love the forgiving nature of pizza toppings!

To finish it off, the pizza is topped with a swirl of Greek yogurt, sprinkled with fresh cilantro, and the crust is brushed with garlic butter. It’s one heck of a pizza, so get your hands on some of that marinade ASAP.

This was definitely one of the best pizzas I have made. It’s unique enough to excite the palate but is approachable to those who have never experienced Indian flavors before.

We use this Indian-inspired Sabauce marinade all the time, especially when we are looking for an easy way to add flavor to a quick meal – use it in chicken, steak, lamb, veggies, anything! And no this isn’t sponsored ;-). But they did give me promo codes to share FREESHIP or INSTA10 to use for online orders!

Four years ago: Chewy Mojito Sugar Cookies

Five years ago: Root Beer Float Brownie Cupcakes

Eight years ago: Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Balsamic & Brown Sugar

Nine years ago: Garlic Rolls

SABAUCE CHICKEN & CHICKPEA PIZZA

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Yield: 1 pizza Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 4 oz. cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded
• 1 (8 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and thoroughly dried
• 1/2 +1/4 cup Sabuace marinade, divided
• 1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce
• 1 recipe pizza dough, risen
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 roma tomato, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt
• Fresh chopped cilantro
• Garlic butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 with a pizza stone* on a rack placed on the bottom third. Place chicken and chickpeas in a small bowl and cover with 1/2 cup Sabauce. Cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes while the oven preheats. In another small bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup Sabauce with 1/2 cup marinara. Set aside.
2. Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round and transfer to a pizza peel sprinkled with corn meal*.
3. Spread the sauce over the crust in an even layer leaving an edge for the crust. Layer with cheese, tomato slices, red onion, chicken, and chickpeas.
4. Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven, top with a swirl of Greek yogurt swirl, sprinkle with cilantro, and brush crust with garlic butter. Slice and serve.

 

Notes

*If not using a pizza stone, just transfer dough to a pan, top and bake.

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Hummus for dessert? It’s as easy as adding peanut butter, cocoa powder, and honey. The only question left is what will you dip into it?

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The last day of #Choctoberfest is here but if you follow my blog you know that Saturdays are also #PBchocSat to celebrate buckeye-inspired (rather peanut butter and chocolate) recipes all season long. So for my final recipe I made a dark chocolate peanut butter dessert hummus!

I know that sounds nuts, but the only thing that makes hummus savory in the first place is what you add to the pureed chickpeas anyway, so why not add something sweet instead?

I’ve actually made a peanut butter hummus before but I was a bit timid if making it a full blown dessert at the time. Here we are 7 years later and I am confident in saying this hummus was delicious! Don’t be afraid of adding that honey and chocolate, go for it! Then dip everything into it. And then get more chocolate by checking out the list at the end of this post.

Today my alma mater Ohio State meets my father’s alma mater Purdue. In recent years this has not been much of a competition but Purdue is not the worst team in the conference for once and has already beaten Nebraska and Illinois by a lot.

Granted Nebraska has yet to win a game and Illinois isn’t much better, but either way they have a little steam in their boilermaker engines this year and cannot be dismissed. Plus it’s a night game at Purdue so there’s that factor to consider as well.

This is not to say that I am generally concerned, but I don’t expect Purdue to be a cupcake either. Crazier things have happened (::cough::App State beating Michigan::cough::).

Two years ago: Magic Bacon Chicken Wing Dip

Three years ago: Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Biscoff Frosting

Five years ago: Cinnamon-Raisin Bagel for One

Six years ago: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Seven years ago: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles by Lauren’s Latest

DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER DESSERT HUMMUS

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Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained with liquid reserved
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Tbsp milk, or up to 1/4 cup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

Directions

1. Add beans, peanut butter, cocoa powder, honey, 2 Tbsp milk, vanilla, and salt to a food processor and blend until smooth. If needed, add a tablespoon of two of more milk to reach desired consistency.
2. Serve hummus with pretzels, graham cracker, or your favorite fruits.

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Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

What happens when you are on an avocado kick and decide to also make homemade hummus? You throw in an avocado. I actually used the avocado in place of the tahini paste I would normally use and then lime instead of lemon juice. Add a little seasoning, blend it up and you’ve got yourself a creamy hummus!

This was the inaugural recipe to be made in the shiny new Cuisinart 12-Cup Food Processor we received as a wedding gift. While I had one already, it was almost a decade old and ready for an upgrade. I almost forgot how sharp those blades can be until it sliced the end of my spatula. Clearly the blades of my old one were super dull.

Fun fact: evidently this date, August 15, is one I have yet to miss in all my almost 8 years of blogging. Being that I don’t post every day of the week anymore like I used to in my early years this is quite the coincidence. Take a trip down memory lane by checking out previous years’ posts below!

One year ago: BBQ Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict

Two years ago: Fruity Pebbles Marshmallow Crispy Treats

Three years ago: August 2015 Stitch Fix #10

Four years ago: Prosciutto, Pear, and Gorgonzola Bagel Bites

Five years ago: Nutella Ice Cream with Granola Topping

Six years ago: Peanut Butter Cup Mousse Parfaits

Seven years ago: Homemade Pesto

AVOCADO HUMMUS

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained with liquid reserved

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

1 lime, juiced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh minced cilantro

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Add beans, avocado, lime juice, and oil to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until blended. Add more salt to taste. If needed, add a tablespoon of two of the reserved garbanzo bean liquid to reach desired consistency.
2. Serve hummus with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.

Source: Adapted from my Taco Hummus and Guacamole Seasoning.

Roasted veggies are the best – so I mixed up a whole bunch of them, added crispy chickpeas, and drizzled the whole roasted veggie bowl with a lemon tahini dressing.

There’s a restaurant in Columbus called Brassica which serves up Mediterranean inspired pita sandwiches, salads, and bowls in an assembly line style made popular by Chipotle. It seems that there are tons of these types of restaurants these days but Brassica is one of my favorites, and after a recent visit I decided to try my hand at making a similar roasted veggie bowl at home. Because that’s how I roll.

I present to you, a bowl full of roasted vegetables topped with crispy chickpeas and a lemon-tahini dressing. It never ceases to impress me how something so simple can be so incredibly delicious and make me forget I’m not eating meat. There’s cauliflower, broccoli, eggplant, sweet potato, carrot, and red onion all mixed up in there. You could also add quinoa for a Quinoa Chickpea Salad if you prefer a little more vegetarian protein.

Then they are served over a bed of kale and lentils or rice (or both if you’re me) and drizzled with lemon-tahini dressing. If you want to go the extra mile you can also make your own tahini.

The crispy chickpeas on top add great texture and flavor to the dish. This was actually my first time roasting them on the stove top and I think I actually prefer it to the oven, especially when I need the oven space to cook other things like the veggies in this particular situation. You could definitely make a huge batch of these crispy chickpeas in advance and store them until needed.

The best thing about these roasted veggie bowls is that you can easily customize them with whatever veggies you prefer. You could also add a dollop of hummus and serve it with warm pita. I actually added a little bit of Cleveland Kraut Beet Red kraut on top of mine because why not? And it’s so pretty!

Two years ago: Lemon-Lime Pistachio Bars

Three years ago: Octoweenie-Mac and Cheese Bagel Bites

Three years ago: Homemade Garbage Plates

Four years ago: Baked Oatmeal with Blackberries and Bananas

Five years ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

ROASTED VEGGIE BOWL WITH LEMON TAHINI DRESSING

Serves 6

Ingredients:

VEGGIES

1/2 head cauliflower, florets chopped

1/2 head broccoli, florets chopped

1 eggplant, peeled and chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

DRESSING

1/3 cup tahini

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

CHICKPEAS

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste

ASSEMBLY

Fresh chopped parsley

Chopped kale

Lentils or rice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Place veggies on two large baking sheets lined with foil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss until coated.
3. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, stir, return them to the oven (alternating racks), and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until tender and browned on the edges.
4. While the veggies are roasting, make the lemon tahini dressing. Add all ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth, and then refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chickpeas and season with smoked paprika, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about five minutes, or until slightly crispy. Remove from the heat.
6. To assemble, place roasted veggies over a bed of kale and lentils (or rice), top with spiced chickpeas, and parsley. Drizzle the dressing over top, and toss to combine.

Source: Adapted from Chicho’s Kitchen.

Hummus is one of those things that I love making myself instead of buying from the grocery store. Granted, while I’m convinced nearly everything tastes better homemade, not everything is easily executed and therefore sometimes shear convenience wins. But when it comes to hummus all you really need to do is blend things up.  As for the perfection of hummus making, I read one that to achieve the creamiest hummus one much remove the skins from the garbanzo beans. Let me say that I have done that painfully tedious task twice and I honestly didn’t find the end result to be worth the amount of time it took to do so. So literally throw them in there to be blended with whatever seasonings strike you that day and get to the best part faster – eating it! On this particular occasion I decided to add some turmeric and ginger, resulting in this brightly colors, flavorful hummus that will be enjoyed by even the turmeric-timid.

One year ago: Weekly Meal Plan: June 13-19

Two years ago: White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal Cookies

Three years ago: Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cookies

Four years ago: Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Cookies Dipped in White Chocolate

TURMERIC HUMMUS

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained with liquid reserved

1/4 cup Tahini paste

1 lemon, juiced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Add beans, tahini, lemon juice, and oil to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until blended. Add more salt to taste. If needed, add a tablespoon of two of the reserved garbanzo bean liquid to reach desired consistency.
2. Serve hummus with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.

Source: Adapted from my Taco Hummus and Minimalist Baker.

I may not be a kid anymore and therefore no longer get to enjoy a summer full of no responsibilities but dang it do I try to pretend! So many fun events are going on in town any day of the week and I sometimes find it hard to focus on work and instead dream about what I will be eating or doing later that day… who am I kidding I do that no matter the season.

But in all seriousness, I’ve been yard sale hopping, gardening (and contracting poison ivy oh joy), berry picking, food and drink tasting, grilling, farmer’s market shopping (heck I can walk there I have no excuse), tennis playing, biking, hiking, concert going, art festival-ing, and any other reason to be outdoors enjoying the weather for as long as it may last. Speaking of, who wants to play slip-n-slide kickball?!?

To continue with the mayhem, this weekend we are having people over to grill and play yard games. Not that we haven’t done that a few times already, but who says there’s a cap on how often such a thing can occur? And since I like to prepare as much as possible beforehand, I decided to make hummus because it had been too long since I last made a fun flavored version.

This taco seasoned hummus is great paired with tortilla chips or your favorite fresh veggies – maybe even make it a duo and serve it with spicy queso hummus dip too.

I didn’t realize until I was taking pictures that evidently all my ideal veggies for tacos are red and orange. Oops. Feel free to throw in a green bell pepper, snap peas, or zucchini to even out the color scheme a bit. Especially if you are serving it in one of these handy Fruit & Veggie-tainers from Snapware.

This colander/bowl set is multipurpose thanks to a large bowl with matching spill proof 6-latch cover, removable 4-compartment colander and covered dip container. With the divider in place, there’s even room for ice in the bowl underneath to keep your food fresh and crisp when using outdoors at a picnic (or grilling!) or transporting to a party. Or make one giant salad in the bowl without the divider, snap the lid and carry it off wherever you need to go.

There’s also a turquoise 5-quart Entertain-a-Bowl that I took advantage of when berry picking, as seen above. The handles made transportation easy, especially as it got heavier because I couldn’t resist adding more and more berries, ultimately resulting in the inability to utilize the latching lid for storage haha. There’s also a small pack with yellow and pink Entertain-a-Bowls and they all nest together for easy storage, hurray! And to get you to cheer along with me, there’s a giveaway at the end of this post for all these products from Snapware!

One year ago: Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce & Coconut-Ginger Rice

Two years ago: Homemade Whole Wheat Bread Bowls

Three years ago: S’mores Puppy Chow

Five years ago: Banana Foster Cream Pie

TACO HUMMUS

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained with liquid reserved

1/4 cup Tahini paste

1/2 lime, juiced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp taco seasoning

1 Tbsp fresh minced cilantro

1/4 tsp salt

Pinch black pepper

Directions:

1. Add beans, tahini, lime juice, and oil to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add taco seasoning and cilantro and pulse until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. If needed, add a tablespoon of two of the reserved garbanzo bean liquid to reach desired consistency.
2. Serve hummus with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original

Disclosure: I was provided with complimentary product and compensated for this post by Snapware. All thoughts and opinions remain my own however.
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