Appetizers/Savory Snacks
Pumpkin and White Bean Hummus
Happy Fall! Starbucks’ pumpkin spiced latte doesn’t have to be the only festive food you try this season–this pumpkin hummus might be the perfect addition to your next gathering or family snack time.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 (15-oz) can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
Directions:
Place all ingredients into food processor, process until smooth (~30 seconds). Serve and enjoy with pita chips or crunchy veggies!
Original Recipe by Cooking Light can be found here.
Hearty Fruit & Nut Granola
I’m excited to be sharing another recipe from my book, The Diabetes Comfort Food Diet Book! This is an easy, and tasty granola recipe that you can make ahead for the week, for breakfast, snacks and on-the-go!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned (large flake) rolled oats
- 1/4 cup millet
- 1/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, millet, cranberries, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, maple syrup, cinnamon, and cardamom. Stir well to combine.
- Spread evenly onto prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown, stirring carefully once or twice. Remove from the oven and break up any large pieces of granola while it’s still warm.
- Cool completely before sorting into airtight containers. You can store at room temperature for up to 1 week. Enjoy!
Coconut Almond Crunch Granola Bars
From ready-made breakfasts to kids’ camp snacks, granola bars are a go-to choice for on-the-go moms and dads. What better way to enjoy granola bars, than making them yourself? They’re also a great way to get your kids involved in the kitchen!
Time: 30 minutes cooking, 15 minutes cooling
Yields: 10 bars
Ingredients:
- 2 cups oats
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup nut butter
- ½ cup dried fruits (raisins, craisins, dried cherries)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Toast oats on baking pan for about 5 minutes, shake or stir the oats on the pan once or twice. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- Coarsely chop the almonds and place onto the pan with the shredded coconut and place in oven for about 8 minutes, the coconut will start to turn golden and have a light aroma.
- While the nuts and coconut are in the oven, pour the honey and nut butter (I used creamy almond butter) into a small sauce pan on medium-low heat, stir occasionally. Simmer the mixture for 3-5 minutes until it is a medium golden.
- Remove honey and nut butter mix from heat and stir in oats, almonds and coconut. The mixture may seem dry, but should be evenly coated.
- Sprinkle in dried fruits (I used a mix of raisins, dried cherries and cranberries) at the end of mixing.
- Pour whole mix onto parchment lined baking pan or 8 x 12 cake pan and spread evenly.
- Compress the granola mix so that there are not any spaces (this will prevent your bars from falling apart when you cut them). You can use the bottom of another pan covered in parchment paper to flatten out the mix.
- Wait about 10-15 minutes for mixture to cool before cutting into 1 x 4in bars.
- Store in air tight container and enjoy!
Fun Adaptation: This recipe also makes a yummy granola! Just crumble the mix after it cools or chop into smaller pieces for a fun yogurt topping!
