Spicy Cilantro + Jalepeño Hummus

I was first introduced to Trader Joe’s cilantro and jalepeño hummus by our friends Caitlin and Kevin. Last winter we sat around our dining room table playing Catan for hours on end with a snack buffet to keep us satisfied and that hummus made a frequent appearance. One day I was dipping chips into my favorite spicy magic green sauce when it hit me A “This taste a heck of a lot like that trader’s hummus” and B ”I could totally make this!”. This recipe is quick to whip together and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Spicy Cilantro + Jalepeño Hummus

• one recipe spicy magic green sauce

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained (16 ounce can)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• juice of 2 lemons

• 1 clove of garlic

• salt to taste

• black pepper to taste

• 1-2 tablespoons water

Make one recipe of the spicy magic green sauce and set aside.

Next, using a blender or food processor combine the chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add in the water to get the desired consistency. Transfer the hummus to a bowl and top with the spicy magic green sauce. Serve with chips and veggies. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Quick Mango Avocado Spring Rolls With Peanut Sauce

Spring rolls have become one of our favorite hot weather dinners and since temperatures have been hanging out in the higher 90’s this week I figured you might need this recipe in your life. These spring rolls are so refreshing and can be made with almost anything you’ve got on hand. If we’ve got the rice wrappers and the rice noodles, you’re on our way to a delicious and filling dinner. I love using mango to add a little sweetness and avocado to add a little creaminess. Radishes, edible flowers, and cucumbers can also be used to to add more variety in color. If you’ve never made spring rolls before rest assured that you can do this. The process can be a little intimidating so I’ve kept the ingredient list minimal. Once you’ve got the basics down though, the sky is the limit!

Quick Mango Avocado Spring Rolls With Peanut Sauce

The Rolls

• 1/2 cup mint, loosely packed

• 1/2 cup basil, loosely packed

• 1 mango, peeled and cut into thin slices

• 1 avocado, peeled and cut into thin slices

• 8-10 rice wrappers, depending how much you fill them

• 4 ounces vermicelli rice noodles

optional

• microgreens

• radishes, sliced thinly

• edible flowers

• cucumbers, sliced thinly

The Peanut Sauce

• 2/3 cup peanut butter

• 2 teaspoons tamari

• juice of 1 lime

• 3-4 tablespoons of water

• 1 teaspoon sriracha

Bring a pot of water to boil and the vermicelli rice noodles according to the package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside until you are ready to assemble the rolls.

For the peanut sauce, use a small mixing bowl to combine the peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, water, and sriracha. Add more sriracha to taste.

Have your mint, basil, avocado, mango, and whatever additional ingredients you wish to put into the rolls ready for rolling.

Fill a shallow dish with about an inch of warm water. One at a time, place the rice wrappers in the water for about 15 seconds. This will soften them just enough to allow them to be folded without breaking. Remove from the water and place on a towel to get a little excess water off. Next layer a portion of the each of the filling ingredients onto the wrapper. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling and tuck the filling under the wrapper. Fold the sides in and continue to roll to form the spring roll. Repeat until all of the ingredients have been used. Eat immediately using the peanut sauce for dipping or store in the refrigerator for up to a few hours.

Spicy Magic Green Sauce

When Josiah and I were in Austin a few weeks ago somewhere amongst our 9 taco-exclusive meals in a row, we had some tacos at this little local restaurant. We ordered a few of the vegetarian options they offered and were about to pay when the cashier said “Oh I forgot to ask, do you want any salsa with that?”

Don’t get me wrong, I like salsa, but it’s not a necessity for me every time I have tacos, so when I heard myself say “yeah, sure” I kind of surprised myself. Without really thinking much of it, I took the little cups they hand you to grab some from the condiment station and filled it with one of their spicy options. The green color spoke to me and spicy is something I often gravitate towards so this one fit the bill. There was minimal thought put into it otherwise.

I got back to the table and decided to dip one of the chips from our chips and guac order into the salsa (again, maybe not weird for others, but not a sure-thing for me). I dipped it and immediately knew that this salsa was different. It was hardly salsa. It was more of a godly nectar sent down from above. Fate intervened and salsa, which was merely an afterthought has become a staple. My life has been forever changed.

As soon as we got home I knew I had to attempt to recreate this deliciousness and this is what I came up with. We are currently putting it on everything: tacos, veggie bowls, eggs or even just straight up dipping chips! It’s on repeat in our life now and I hope you try it and can see why.

Spicy MAGIC Green Sauce

• 1 pound jalapeño peppers

• 12 cloves of garlic 

• 1/3 cup olive oil 

• 1/4 cup cilantro 

• juice of 2 limes 

• Salt to taste

Turn the broiler on high. 

Slice the jalapeños in half and remove most of the seeds (see note). Toss the jalapeño peppers in a little oil, then place on a baking sheet. Broil until the peppers are mostly blackened and soft, about 10-12 minutes. 

Place the  jalapeños along with the garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in the base of a high-powered blender. Blend until mostly combined, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil to form a smooth and creamy sauce.

Transfer to an airtight container and store for up to a week. 

Note: The amount of seeds to remove is completely up to you. I absolutely love spicy things and I think I have a pretty high spicy tolerance, but the first time I made this sauce I left about half of the seeds in and nearly burned my mouth off. The next time I made it I ended up removing 90% of the seeds and found that was a much better level of spiciness for me. Use your own judgement, but also note that jalapeño spiciness differs from jalapeño to jalapeños so each batch may be just a touch different because the peppers themselves will be slightly more or less spicy. 

Sautéed Cabbage with Tahini

It feels like cheating to call this a recipe, so I won’t. I’ll just call it what-i-eat-for-breakfast-when-i-feel-like-going-veggie-heavy-but-putting-in-minimal-effort because that’s really what it is. So if you’re in need of an insanely easy plant based breakfast, lunch, or dinner idea, here you go.

Sauteed Cabbage with Tahini

serves 1

• 2 cups pre-shredded cabbage + carrot mix (I used the Trader Joe’s one)

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• sea salt to taste

• 2 tablespoons of tahini

Heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the coconut oil is hot, add in the cabbage-carrot mix and then sauté for 4-6 minutes or until the veggies have softened. Transfer to a plate and drizzle with the tahini. So simple, but super satiating and nutritious!