ADDICTING (CHICKPEA?!) CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH

You are probably thinking the same thing I thought: there is no way chickpeas can really taste like cookie dough. Well, believe it or not, not only does this taste like cookie dough, it tastes like really good cookie dough. I don't even like cookie dough that much, but I actually get addicted to this! I eat so much more of it than I should haha, but at least it's a healthier alternative to actual cookie dough! In theme with my last post, I made this hoping for a quick, healthy, filling, and delicious snack before yoga, and it is all of the above:) Still skeptical?? You just gotta go for it and see for yourself!

chickpea cookie dough

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas

1/2 cup peanut butter

5 tablespoons oats

2 tablespoons agave syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons ground flaxseed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Combine the cooked chickpeas, peanut butter, oats, agave, vanilla, ground flaxseed, and salt in a food processor. Process until even in consistency. You can either stir in the chocolate chips with a spoon if you like more chunky bites, or, if you like smaller pieces of chocolate mixed throughout like me, you can add the chocolate chips to your food processor and pulse until it reaches your desired consistency. Store in the fridge if you plan on eating it in the next week, or you can freeze it serving size portions for easy snacking later! Just roll into balls (of your desired size), place on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a couple hours until frozen (this is just so they don't all stick together as they freeze!), then transfer to a container or plastic bag for storing in your freezer, and then take out a serving at a time to let thaw overnight before enjoying the next day! It's soooooo good! I can't stop eating it! I opt for the freezer method so I don't eat it all in one sitting:)

HEALTHY HOMEMADE HUMMUS

March and April have been slow months for Stems and Savories! I've been doing Yoga Teacher Training since the end of April and although I am SO happy to be a part of such a wonderful community and be learning so much, the ~15hrs/wk (plus ~1 1/2 hours of travel each day) added to my ~50hrs/wk job is killing my free time. And my diet! Our trainings are from 7:30-10:30pm, and I need to take a class at 6pm to get enough hours for the certification, so that means that from 5:45-10:30pm I'm at the studio, and my dinners are now non-existent. It's hard to find something to eat that is 1. going to keep me full, 2. going to not make me want to puke when I exercise, 3. doesn't need to be heated up since there's no microwave at the studio, 4. is healthy, and 5. you can eat on a budget. It took me a couple of weeks to figure it out, but hummus meets all of those requirements! So I started making homemade hummus just about every Sunday and packing it with my salad. And every Sunday, I tell myself I need to post the recipe but can't find the time. When you only have one day off a week, you have a lot of other things you need to get done- like actually eating or sleeping or finishing up leftover work from the week. Well, we're starting our last week of training next week and I finally can't wait any longer to return to Stems and Savories. I've really missed posting! But I do have a couple other quick and healthy eats I've created in the last 7 weeks so I'm excited to post those next! This hummus recipe is about ~16oz worth, enough to get me through a week of packed lunches and dinners! You can adjust it as you'd like too! If you like garlic, go ahead and add another clove; if you don't, feel free to only use one instead of two as I have listed below. If you like your hummus more lemony, add another half lemon's worth of juice! You can also put roasted red pepper, paprika, sumac, or any herb you'd like in there! I drizzled some olive oil and then sprinkled with za'atar below!

healthy homemade hummus

1 1/2 cups chickpeas (1/2 cup dried chickpeas soaked)
1/2-3/4 cup tahini (depending on how much you like the flavor! The more you add, the creamier your hummus will be)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
Juice from 1/2 lemon

If starting with dry chickpeas, let your chickpeas soak overnight with 4 cups of water. Drain once and then add back 4 more cups of water and boil for 1-2 hours until the chickpeas are very soft. Add more water as you need. This will help get you the creamy texture of store-bought hummus! Once your chickpeas are very soft, add the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until even, then add the olive oil, water, and lemon juice. If you'd like a smoother, thiner consistency, add more water or olive oil, depending on if you want more olive oil flavor or not. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks!