Roasted Lemon and Garlic Hummus with Cilantro

Hi everyone, I hope your new year is off to a great start!  Mine is going at break-neck speed and this morning I’m off to guest with Christin at Blue Crab Martini.  Regular readers will know Christin from her Tuesday Tidbits feature  last May.  I love her healthy, whole food recipes and she is currently doing an #EatLean Series for the first 15 days of January that will give you lots of motivation for the coming months.

I contributed this Roasted Lemon and Garlic Hummus with Cilantro.  You know I’m on this roasted garlic kick these days and I thought it would be perfect in hummus.  Then I started thinking – why not roast the lemon, too?  The result was simply delicious and I hope you’ll try it because I know it will become a staple snack in my house.  I can’t wait to share this with my hummus-loving nephews!

Christin also shares tales of her family adventures in Chesapeake Bay and you’ll love the photos of her adorable family.  Please pop over to her blog to get the recipe and explore her impressive site.

We all love to eat healthily and I find the way to maintain your passion for healthy food is to pack as much flavor as you can into each bite!  This dish is easy, quick and full of protein, fiber and healthy fats.  This will make your healthy veggies even healthier!

According to Livestrong.com,  hummus, with 140 calories per 1/3-cup serving, is not a low-calorie food, but it is a nutrient-dense source of calories. Nutrient-dense foods are foods that contain nutrients you need for good health in a fairly small amount of calories. They are also natural foods that don’t contain any added solid fats, sugar or refined starches. So while hummus is a little higher in calories than other healthy food options, you shouldn’t feel guilty for including it in your diet because it is nutrient dense.

Roasting the lemon and garlic adds a whole new depth to the flavor and the cumin pushes it over the top.  During these cold months, I have been roasting garlic for a snack and I’m sure that’s what keeps me from getting colds or the flu.  It does, however, affect the kissing factor so be sure to brush, lol.   You don’t want to be a garlic-breathing dragon on your loved ones!  You can also add it to your pasta or pizza (veggie thin crust, right?) for that extra bounce to your bite.

For this recipe I substituted sesame seed oil for tahini simply because I didn’t have any on hand but either one is fine.  The addition of Greek yogurt is for the extra nutrients.  If you’re not a fan of lemon, one might be plenty.  This recipe makes a big batch so it’s suitable for parties but is easily halved and that will give you leftovers for your lunches.  I’m thinking that next time I’m going to add a red chili pepper.  What do you think?  Extra zing or would it be too much?  You can top it with a drizzling of some good quality olive oil as well.  That’s the great thing about hummus – you can change it up to suit the tastes in your household.

I toasted some sunflower seeds or you can buy them already toasted if you’re on the run.  If you’re making this a lean start to 2015, skip those junky Doritos and cut up some veggies.  Red pepper, celery, zucchini and carrots are perfect with this dip.

Thanks again, Christin, for inviting me to share a healthy snack with your readers.  I’m a big fan of your blog and it’s so exciting to see your hard work generating some fabulous opportunities and successes.  This next year is going to be an exciting one!

Here’s some other snacks that can help you keep to your new year’s resolutions.  Cheers!

Roasted Beets on Ciabatta with Goat Cheese and Arugula

Roasted Baby Peppers

Ful Medames

Asparagus and Ricotta Crostini

Healthy Popcorn Snack