Foodie Friday: Curried Golden Raisin Hummus

I’m sorry, I totally left you high and dry this week but work has been cuh-ray-zee! [That’s crazy.. if you didn’t get it.] Luckily, I did get to make a delicious hummus over the weekend that I’m psyched to share with you!

Nathan and I are in love with Baba’s Kitchen, a Mediterranean restaurant in the city. Every month they have a specialty hummus which I usually pass on because their baba ghanoush is so fantastic, but I couldn’t pass on the Curried Golden Raisin Hummus. It was equally as delicious as their baba ghanoush and I had been craving it since! I knew I had to figure out a recipe..

Veggie pocket platter over quinoa @ Baba’s Kitchen

Curried Golden Raisin Hummus

Makes fourteen 2 tbsp servings

Ingredients
– 1 tsp honey
– 1/4 cup water
– 4 tbsp golden raisins; divided
– 4 dried apricots; chopped [I prefer Sunsweet, they’re nice and soft!]
– 1 can garbanzo beans; drained and rinsed [I use reduced sodium]
– 1 tbsp + 1 tsp mild curry paste
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
– 1/4 tsp paprika
– 1 tsp kosher salt
– 1/4 cup EVOO

Directions
In a small bowl, microwave honey and water for 10 seconds. Mix together and add 3 tbsp of the raisins and all of the chopped apricots. Let the dried fruit reconstitute for about 10 minutes.

While the fruit is soaking, add the beans, curry paste, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt to a food processor. Start processing and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. As everything starts to come together, add the fruit and honey water mixture. Process until smooth. [Feel free to add more water to adjust consistency to your liking.]

Once you’ve reached the desired consistency, stir in the remaining tbsp of raisins. Serve with chips, veggies, or smear it onto a sandwich. And if you didn’t eat it all in one sitting, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator 😉

Nutritional Stats
Per 2 tbsp serving

81 Calories  /  5g Fat  /  9g Carbs  /  3g Sugar  /  2g Fiber  /  2g Protein

Food for Thought

Have you ever made your own hummus? Have you ever tried different flavors of hummus? What is your favorite flavor?

P.S. GO ORIOLES!! Happy opening day to my favorite team 🙂 O-R-I-O-L-E-S!

What I Ate Wednesday #40: Passover Fail

I tried really hard. Really, I thought “Passover will be so easy.. I’ll just continue to eat exactly how I always do!” I had recipes ready to go, I had food prepped, and then I realized I forgot about legumes. Ok, no big deal. And then I realized I forgot to read a list of ingredients.

So I’m not perfect.. but I’m doing the best that I can! I mean, it has been a whole day and a half.

[Breakfast]
Slimmed down sweet scramble topped with my homemade maple cinnamon walnut butter, cashew butter, and walnut butter quinoa granola. Success! A delicious, Passover-friendly breakfast.

[Lunch]
Kale salad with lots of veggies, buffalo sauce, and a Savory Mushroom & Roasted Garlic No Bull Burger. Sounds like it should be good.. and then I realized I didn’t read the ingredients on the burgers. One ingredient is lentils; alright, legumes aren’t the end of the world. Oh, how about the barley and spelt? Whoops! Good thing I have the rest of the week to make up for it, right?

[Dinner]
Leftovers! My family always does 2 nights of everything. Seriously, I thought there were 2 nights of Thanksgiving growing up and I didn’t understand why other people didn’t celebrate the second night.

Regardless, the second night of Passover we had some leftovers and some new additions. Salmon, Bube’s brisket, roasted broccoli and sweet potato, and some fabulous charoset which I will be sharing the recipe for very soon! [Figs, orange, and dates! OH MY!]

[Snacks]
Apple.
Carrots with baba ghanoush and curried golden raisin hummus. Gotta work out a recipe for this hummus!
Mini carrot cake cupcake and a piece of dark chocolate covered matzah. Those paleo cupcakes were a huge hit! Glad I doubled the recipe and made minis!

No more No Bull Burgers for me this week.. back on the Passover wagon today. I promise! [Except for the beans in my sweet potato burgers.. ohh legumes, you get me every time!]

Food for Thought

Have you ever failed on day 1 because of minor oversights?

Does your family have any traditions like my family’s two-night celebrations?

Bootcamp is Almost Over?!

There are only 2 weeks left in Tina’s Best Body Bootcamp. I can’t believe it! The first 6 weeks have flown by and I feel like I’ve accomplished so much already.

The workouts over these past 2 weeks have been either pyramid sets or high intensity circuit training. I definitely am more a fan of the pyramids. While I enjoyed the timed workouts in weeks 3 and 4, hitting a certain number of reps and sets is more my speed.

Weeks 5 & 6 Thoughts

As I mentioned in week 1, I’ve been doing this bootcamp routine along with the Love Your Body Challenge which ended on Valentine’s Day. Between the schedules of both routines, I’ve been able to really challenge myself with new workouts and push myself further. I’d have to say my biggest accomplishment thus far has been running a 10K! Before a few weeks ago, my longest run was just over 4 miles but now I’m confident that I can keep upping my mileage. Maybe there’s a half marathon in my future?

Killer. Loved it. Like I said, the pyramid workouts were my favorite; they really pushed me out of my weight comfort zone and into pressing up to 30 lb dumbells! And somehow, over 8000 calories burned later, at the end of the weekend I’m actually feeling refreshed and ready to go again! These last 2 weeks are the time to really kick it into high gear and I’m looking forward to mixing it up again. My muscles are so confused.. that’s definitely a good thing!

Favorite Meal of the Week

Valentine’s Day is always a day for Nathan and I to have a great dinner at home. I know I posted this fun Valentine’s date idea, but in reality, with the big day being a Thursday, that just wasn’t going to happen during the week.

Instead, we made shawarma-spiced lamb chops, roasted asparagus, Israeli salad [cucumber, tomato, onion, dill, lemon, & olive oil], and tahina sauce. I also picked up some fresh naan, lemon rice, and a platter of Mediterranean appetizers complete with falafel, baba ghanoush, stuffed grape leaves, and more!

Finally, for dessert, I was inspired by a Tone It Up recipe and made my own twist on their dark chocolate strawberry cups. Expect to see it on the blog soon 🙂

Previous Reviews

Best Butt-Kicking Bootcamp [Week 1]
Bootcamp – Take 2 [Week 2]
Beat Up Bootcamp [Week 3]
Bootcamp: The Midway Point [Week 4]

Food for Thought

How do you measure success in your workouts?

Happy New Year!

Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t make a resolution to blog more! So sorry to leave you hanging for the better part of 2 weeks. (Life, right?) So let’s catch up, shall we?

I was really looking forward to New Years Eve; my family always has a big dinner to celebrate with lobster and other wonderfully delicious treats. The peanut butter pie and peanut butter cups always call my name! I could never have too much chocolate and peanut butter. This year, however, was a bit different. My brother had to work on NYE, so we got together for lobster and mounds of peanut butter and chocolate on the 29th.

I made Gina’s Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip which, like all of her other recipes, was a big hit! We also stopped at Lebanese Taverna to pick up a shawarma dinner for my non-seafood-eating fiance. The nerve of him! But since we were there, we decided we’d also get some baba ghanoush. They have one of the best around!

We followed up the delicious appetizers with even more delicious LOBSTA! Sorry for the awful picture.. I was too excited to dig in to go grab my real camera 😉 I loaded up on my veggies and after devouring everything on my plate, went in for 2 lobster claws and some extra shawarma that we got for everyone to share.

And I must have been really excited to dig into dessert because I don’t even have a bad picture of that! But imagine.. creamy peanut butter pie with oreo crust.. and homemade melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cups.. oh yea, and fresh fruit. YUM!

After indulging on Saturday, Nathan and I had plans to indulge, yet again, for the real deal New Years Eve on Monday. We went back to an old favorite, Annabel Lee Tavern. We started with cocktails and a chicken quesadilla. Their cocktails are on point, but I’d skipped the quesadilla next time. It wasn’t bad, just not anything special.

I had the Morella (my fave!)– Hendrick’s Gin, St Germain Liqueur, Muddled Cucumber and a dash of Simple Syrup. Nathan sipped on the Descent into the Maelstrom – Goslings Rum, Bacardi 151 and Ginger Beer. Goslings Rum and ginger beer are his jam. It’s a new-found love for him but he orders it whenever he finds it!

Dinner and dessert were phenominal, as expected!

Before our food arrived, we finished up our first round of drinks and decided to split a Sweet Baby Jesus, or Sweet BJ, as Nathan called it. Hey, it’s the hashtag! 😉 This beer is a chocolate peanut butter porter, and like I said before, never too much chocolate and peanut butter!

I ordered the crab cake platter with blackened asparagus. Look familiar? That may just be because it’s my favorite crab cake ever. And coming from a Maryland-er, that means they’re doing it right! Nathan had the roasted duck, cooked to absolute perfection!

Finally, we treated ourselves to a slice of salted caramel crunch cake. Oh my gracious! I would get this time and time again if they continue to have it on their menu! A perfect meal to end a wonderful year.

We partied the night away right into 2013, which just so happens to be our wedding year! With it being just over 4 months away now, planning has started to pick up again. We’re both so excited for everything to come! So from our craziness to yours, we wish you a Happy New Year!

Food for Thought

What did you do for New Years Eve? Did you go out to celebrate or stay in the comfort of your home?

What I Ate Wednesday #20 – Fly By Food

I cannot believe it’s already time for another WIAW (and I even missed last week!) Is it just me or have the days been flying by faster than usual recently?

Let’s get back into the swing of things..

[Breakfast]
I had a revelation. I always put raisins in my oatmeal because I love dried fruit. So why not do that with my protein pancakes? BUT I decided to step it up a notch. Dark chocolate cherry protein pancakes. To die for and the recipe will be posted on Friday! You don’t want to miss this one.

[Snack]
Organic pineapple Oikos greek yogurt. I always get whatever yogurt is on sale, and 9 times of out 10 it’s fat free. The organic pineapple, however, is 1 1/2% fat and it’s so tasty! It has an extra creaminess to it that you definitely miss with the 0%.

[Lunch]
Leftovers. I have so many leftovers! Not that I’m complaining because the leftover salmon, roasted red pepper hummus, and caramelized onion hummus has been delicious on my salads. I also recently ordered some nutritional yeast and have been sprinkling that on top of my salads and it is very tasty! It has a little bit of a nutty flavor and adds so many nutritional benefits. I also topped off my lunch with a mini Intense Dark Chocolate Espresso Escape Ghirardelli square. YUM!

I got mine from iHerb.com and if you use code ZAF482 at checkout, you can get $5 off your first order!

[Snack]
Guava goddess kombucha. It has to be my most favorite flavor and definitely hit the spot. And I followed that up with a mixed berry granola bar from Eat. Think. Smile. I’d never had their bars before but I would definitely go back for more. It was light and tasty and had just a hint of berry flavor, which was great because the rest was delicious cocoa!

[Dinner]
LivingSocial is our friend and we cashed in! I treated myself to a Old Dominion Octoberfest beer and some amazing homemade baba ghanoush before diving into my salad. I almost couldn’t finish my salad because the app was so tasty, but don’t worry.. I managed 😉

I’ve found that Nathan and I both prefer baba ghanoush over hummus. Thoughts?

[Spooky Snacks]
I’ve not done a great job of actually making spooky snacks for you all, but I did find out that my office is having a Halloween pot luck, so over to Pinterest I went! I found this little gem and they’re just too cute! I hope I get the chance to make them for the party!

Food for Thought

Does time fly faster for you as the year goes by?

What’s your favorite Halloween treat?

What I Ate Wednesday #10 – Out on the Town

Saturday was a rainy, gross, stay inside kinda day. But we just don’t like to do that. It’s the weekend.. gotta have fun!

I started my Saturday with a workout, a hair chop, and a dress purchase. But this wasn’t just any dress purchase. My friend, bridesmaid, and college roommate announced last week that she is getting married. Next month.

Say whaaaaaaattttt?!

I know! And I’m also a bridesmaid! With all of 4 weeks to prep, she asked for the bridesmaids to wear black or silver and she didn’t care what it looked like. And I’m pleased to say that I was successful in a short amount of time! (Thank you very much White House Black Market!)

I wish I could say my night out on the town involved dressing up in my new fun dress, but sadly, it did not. It did, however, involve some delicious eats and drinks!

Breakfast
I’m still way too obsessed with the banana bread protein pancakes from Julie at Peanut Butter Fingers. They’re just my favorite pancakes and I can’t stop wanting them! I also had my Tone It Up Bombshell Spell and since it was the weekend, I topped it off with my favorite coffee. Get this. Chocolate coconut coffee. Seriously, what could be better?!

Snack
Also on my obsession list, cherries. And they were on sale last week! We stocked up.

Lunch – Outing #1
A little while back, I got a LivingSocial deal to Bang Bang Mongolian Grill. If you enjoy cooking and controlling your ingredients, this place is for you! You grab a bowl, load it up with protein, vegetables, sauces, and spices, then give it to the cook and choose your starch. They cook everything on a flat top and hand you a steaming hot bowl of deliciousness! It’s like cooking at home without having to actually cook! And without the mess.

I loaded up on salmon, shrimp, tons of veggies, zesty orange garlic sauce and went for the brown rice. It was delicious and super easy. Definitely going back soon!

Snack
Not pictured, but super delicious. Vanilla greek yogurt with Great Grains Cranberry Almond Crunch. If you’re a cereal or granola lover, this one is for you! But beware, it’s addicting! (Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

Dinner – Outing #2
Baba’s Mediterranean Kitchen. Oh yes.

If you’re in the Baltimore area, make your way over. We started with a sampler.. hummus, baba ghanoush, spanikopita, and falafel. Nathan said it’s the best falafel he’s had since Israel. It was all amazing though. For my dinner, I got the shrimp ouzo over quinoa with a side greek salad, hummus, and pita. My only complaint is that they don’t make their own bread.. and we’re bread people. Beyond that, I would go back in a heart beat! (And the prices are awesome!)

After Dinner
Since we were with some friends, we headed over to The Wine Market; an adorable little wine shop (duh!) and bistro. The girls got some wonderful assortments of red wines (not pictured) and the boys shared 2 beers. A Tripel Karmeliet to start; an amazingly delicious Belgian tripel that pretty much can’t be topped. But why not try? They followed it up with an Ommegang Hennepin; this one is a Belgian-style Farmhouse Saison. Another winner. And while I was definitely enjoying my wine, I’m clearly much more intrigued by beer. Can you tell? 😉

Fitness
After reviewing that dinner, I’m really quite pleased that I got up for my workout Saturday morning! I hit up my Tone It Up girls for a couple of my toning faves – the Sandcastle workout and the Itty Bitty Bikini workout. Don’t let these names fool you.. it burns! Especially that total ab tone up at the end of Itty Bitty Bikini!

I paired that up with a favorite HIIT elliptical workout from SELF Magazine I was ready to hit the town!

Speak Up!

What’s your favorite type of cuisine? We love Mediterranean! Saturday was our first time trying Baba’s and we’ll definitely be back.