Guacamole Hummus

After spending the afternoon at Boston Rescue Mission, I was looking forward to heading home and watching the Super Bowl with Bret.  Since I was gone most of the day, Bret whipped up some fantastic grilled buffalo chicken tenders.  I wanted to have something cool and creamy to contrast with the spicy chicken tenders so I decided to try my hand at guacamole hummus.  This was a recipe that I flagged from the May 2011 issue of Everyday Food.

First, I gathered my ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Lemon wedges

Like making hummus, the preparation was super simple.  I combined the chickpeas, cilantro, garlic, and avocado in the food processor.  I pulsed until everything was finely chopped. With the food processor running, I added the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and then added the lemon juice.  I then added one tablespoon of water at a time, until the guacamole hummus was not chunky and the mixture was smooth.  I seasoned the guacamole hummus to taste with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges.  I opted for serving this with cucumber and celery stick for a very green-themed and healthy snack, but you can also serve with tortilla or pita chips.

Um, this was an awesome and healthy dip.  It tasted just like guacamole but had such a thick creamy texture.  It only required one avocado and none of the mashing.  I like a little chopped red onion and jalapeno in my guacamole so I think I'll add that to the guacamole hummus the next time I make it.

While guacamole is an already pretty healthy snack, adding the chickpeas added some protein to make it even healthier.  Tell me, what are you favorite healthy snack foods?

Super Bowl Sunday: Boston Rescue Mission

For most of us, today meant one thing - the Super Bowl.  On Super Bowl Sunday, many of us get a chance to indulge in our favorite foods and spend time with our friends and family.  All week long, I have been reading about different Super Bowl recipes and how everyone is really excited to whip up some new treats.  I was also looking forward to spending some time in the kitchen this afternoon, but this kitchen was at the Boston Rescue Mission. 

Awhile back, my friend Jen wrote about her wonderful experience volunteering at the Boston Rescue Mission.  Until she wrote about it, I never knew that the Boston Rescue Mission even existed.  When I browsed the organization's website, I learned that the Boston Rescue Mission is focused on providing services to the homeless and those suffering from substance abuse problems.  Jen recently reached out to some local bloggers about participating in the meal service program and I was eager to volunteer.

I met Jen at Costco to help purchase the groceries for the meal.  As volunteers, all of us food bloggers (Elina, Jen, Meghan and I) pitched in to purchase the ingredients.  Our dishes included bacon encrusted pork loin, roasted red bliss potatoes, corn, salad, bread and brownie bites.  We spent a few hours prepping and cooking the meal.  And then we had the pleasure of serving the meal to the residents and guests.  Here are some photos from this afternoon:

I made it home just in time for the Super Bowl.  I was a little exhausted but the afternoon was really worthwhile.  It felt really good my time and energy to cook a healthy and nutritious meal to such a wonderful group of individuals and a fantastic staff.

If you are interested in learning more about the Boston Rescue Mission, please check out their website here.  You can also directly donate to the Boston Rescue Mission through Jen's fundraiser.  She has already donated $10,000 to the Boston Rescue Mission and is looking for others to help match that donation.