There are a few foods that I’m pretty sure I could out eat anyone in:

1. Guacamole, or just avocados in general. I don’t discriminate.
2. Salad. It’s slightly embarrassing when we head to Fresh Choice. I really do love leafy greens.
3. Hummus.

Quite possibly one of my favorite foods, I have never been able to stick to the 2 tbsp. serving size rule.

I’m not proud of the fact that I can singly handlly consume the entire 8 oz. tub on one sitting but facts are facts. In fact, it’s one of the big reasons I started making my own. Those $3 tubs quickly add up in my weekly habit.

Over the years, I’ve made a million variations of hummus adding and tweaking ingredients here and there, but this is hands down my favorite hummus recipe. I adapted it from the Barefoot Contessa.

At first glance you might think that 3 cups is too much hummus to have around, but once you taste it you’ll be glad you have that much. Maybe next time you’ll even consider doubling it. It really is delicious on everything: roasted vegetables, salads, tossed with hot pasta, sandwiches, or just eat by the spoonful.

The other great thing about this hummus? It’s essentially oil-free. I don’t understand recipes that call for almost a cup of oil. That kind defeats the point of hummus, don’t ya think?  You could drizzle olive oil on at the end like I do for more flavor and presentation but you don’t have to.

Homemade Hummus

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini
7 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. reserved chickpea liquid, or water
6 dashes hot sauce
3 ice cubes
2 tbsp. olive oil (optional)
Paprika garnish

So this past weekend was the  Stockton Asparagus Festival. Did you go?

When I first moved to Stockton, 6 years (!) ago, I remember googling the city from the East Coast trying to decide if this was the job move from me.

The claim to fame in lil old Stockton? (Besides #1 in auto thefts & a crumbling housing market?)
…An annual Asparagus Festival! Ah, if only I wasn’t so blinded by food. 
While I have since high-tailed it out of Stockton, I am happy that I ended up making the decision to live there for a period of time. Besides being able to meet my darling, BL, I also enjoy eating my body weight in Asparagus every April.

Thank goodness Sacramento isn’t that far away.  
While I’ve never actually been to the Asparagus festival, I like to imagine that this is the kind of dish I would make there.

Lightly steamed, dressed in a light lemon-tarragon dressing. I’ll skip the festivities and enjoy this in the comfort of my own home. Perfect as a side, or as a light lunch or dinner. The below photo is about how many spears were left after I finished taking my photos. A bite here, a bite there… whoops. Thank goodness for the rule of thirds  

What’s your favorite way of eating Asparagus? Looking for a a little more indulgent way to enjoy this green vegetable? Why not try my Spring Asparagus tart?

Lemon Tarragon Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
2 tsp. chopped tarragon
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
salt/pepper

Steam the asparagus until just tender. You want a little bite left.

Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, dijon mustard. Add the olive oil and whisk until smooth. Stir in the tarragon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle over the steamed asparagus.

Are you excited for 50+ healthy cupcake recipes being posted today?  Thank you Recipe Redux!

Today I am sharing with you one of my favorite cupcake flavors, Lemon Chia Poppyseed cupcakes.

I know that technically, citrus is a winter fruit but for some reason the smell of lemon always makes me thing of spring. I was gifted a huge bag of fresh lemons from a neighbors tree and thought these muffins would be the perfect way to use them up.

Because when life hands you lemons…. you make Lemon Chia Cupcakes!

Read more…

Ever since I made these lemon salts, I have been trying to find new salts to create. Heading back to the East Coast this summer, I was looking to make a few salts to gift to friends and family.

I received a large bunch of Lemon Verbena in our CSA a few weeks ago, a very fragrant herb that I had no clue what to do with. I searched the internet for a few recipes and didn’t come up with much. Lots of cookie, cake, and ice cream recipes but nothing that I really inspired me to go further. However, I loved the smell of lemon verbena and thought it would make for a great finishing salt.

I followed the same directions as my lemon-parsley salt. Dry the zest and lemon verbena leaves until no moisture remains- about 1 hour in a 180 degree oven. Pulse in a food processor until fine. Add sea salt and pulse a few more times to combine.

To balance out the lemon verbena salt, I choose thai chilies to focus on next. The ultimate salt and pepper combination, Thai chilies pack quite a punch. Perfect for rubs, curries, and blackened tofu, this Thai chili salt might be my new favorite.

Follow the same directions as above. Pulse 4 dried chilies in a food processor until fine. Add flaky sea salt and pulse a few times to combine.

Don’t like thai chilies? Use dried chipotle peppers instead.