My 2nd Best Hummus Recipe Is Oil-Free

Are you looking for the best, yet easy, homemade lower fat hummus recipe? Well there is a reason I call this my second best (which is great).

Homemade hummus is so easy to make and most people like it.

The weather has been warm enough to invite family and/or friends to our deck for some casual outdoor dining. Homemade hummus is usually one of the appetizers that I like to serve to give guests when they get here to give them a chance to mingle and take the edge off their appetite before the meal. 

My new updated hummus recipe is light and creamy, absolutely delicious, and is always a hit!

My deck and chairs and table

My peonies are in full bloom 

Influenced by recipes from our Middle Eastern heritage, I am happy to share what I consider my 2nd best homemade hummus recipe because it is made without tahini or olive oil and is not strictly traditional like my Best Homemade hummus (recipe link).

I still like the hummus recipes that I've  previously shared with you on the blog. However, I'm always modifying my chickpea hummus recipe, so it is easier to make, uses less ingredients, and contains less oil and fat making this recipe heart healthy, weight watchers friendly, and oil-free. Of course all of my recipes are always gluten-free and now totally vegan since 2019. 

One easy way to reduce the calories is to reduce the fat. I did that in this recipe without sacrificing taste. I had 5 test tasters for this recipe and all concurred that is was a "5" out of 5!! (Included my 2 older grandkids)

This recipe calls for only five ingredients: 

Cooked chickpeas, whole sesame seeds, aquafaba (the starchy liquid that is a result of cooking dry chickpea or the liquid in the can of chickpeas) freshly squeezed lemon juice, and whole cumin seeds (plus any seasoning you like such as salt, pepper, or garlic powder). 

I Use Sesame Seeds Instead of Tahini Paste

You may have noticed that this delicious recipe omits one of the  traditional ingredients in hummus- tahini !

I do like the taste of the thick white tahini paste, but did you ever open a container of it? It's swimming in oil. 

For this recipe, I've eliminated  the intensely caloric tahini from my recipe. However, I brought the sesame flavor back in with some whole sesame seeds. 

Great Flavor 

Truthfully, I was surprised that I could leave out the tahini and still create a great  authentic tasting hummus that was simple and healthy.

I used my food processor and processed everything until I reached a very light, smooth, and creamy whipped consistency.

The aquafaba (cooking liquid from the chickpeas)  is the secret. It really adds a lovely flavor and a little extra starch to the recipe.

At the end, I always love to garnish the dip with some whole cooked chickpeas and a little salt. 

If you are looking for a healthy dip to serve to company or as a snack for yourself- THIS IS IT!!

It feels like summer!!

Ingredients: 

2 cups of cooked chickpeas (or one 15 ounce can)

(save 6 chickpeas for garnish) 

2 tablespoons of whole sesame seeds

1/4 cup of cooking liquid from the chickpeas or can (aquafaba)

1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon of cumin seeds (plus more for garnish)

Optional: salt, ground pepper, or garlic powder to taste

Directions: 

Place the sesame seeds and chickpeas in the food processor. Pulse until begins to come together. With the motor running, slowly begin to add the lemon juice. Then add as much of the aquafaba as needed to get a thick yet creamy whipped consistency. (you may only need a tablespoon of the 1/4 cup). Add the cumin seeds and pulse once. 

Spread on a flat plat, decorate with a few chickpeas and additional cumin seeds if desired. 

Again, if you are looking for my absolutely best traditional hummus recipe follow the (recipe link for hummus)

My Notes: 

Tahini contains

 90 calories/tablespoon. 8 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber 

Sesame seeds contain

 52 calories/tablespoon, 1.6 grams of fat and 1.06 grams of fiber 

My friend Laura spills off all the oil from her tahini paste to reduce the calories leaving thick dry paste.

This recipe is oil-free, gluten-free, vegan, kosher, -perfect for most of your guests. 

My Favorite Homemade Salad Dressing-Vegan, oil-free, gluten-free

I'm loving my new favorite salad dressing. I haven't given it a name yet, but it's really tasty, sweet and tangy, and quick and easy to make.

It's amazing how you can make a flavorful delicious salad dressing without using oil- which really cuts back on the calories (if that's a concern). 

I used three ingredients: Dijon mustard, minced white or red minced onions, and a Hoisin Sauce (I used a gluten-free brand). 

The Dijon mustard is tangy, the Hoisin sauce is sweet, and the minced onions are pungent. Together the three create a delicious tasting dressing for salads or vegetables.

 It is simple and easy to make and the low calories and low fat.

I use a small bowl or ramekin, a mini whisk, and make it fresh each time I need salad dressing. However, I have also made a larger quantity and added it to a little Salad dressing bottle. When I make a larger quantity, I can use a blender and add 1/2 teaspoon of water.

Just for the record

Dijon mustard has zero calories and Hoisin sauce has 25 calories per tablespoon as opposed to olive oil which has 120 calories per tablespoon and most people use two tablespoons- at least. Oil really packs on the calories- so I try to be creative and find salad dressings that are oil-free and thus low calories and fat.  Onions pack some healthy antioxidants and are low in calories as well.

For those who are not concerned about calories but still are looking for something that tastes good, this simple but delicious salad dressing won't disappoint. 

Since I make it fresh each time I want to eat it, this recipe only serves one. 

However, you can increase the recipe to serve multiple people-directions at the end of the post for a larger quantity of dressing.  

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons of Hoisin Sauce (check for a gluten-free variety)

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard 

1 tablespoon of minced white or red onion

Directions: 

Whisk ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over salad

For multiple people: 

3/4  cup of Hoisin sauce 

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard (or to taste)

2 tablespoons of minced red or white onion

1 teaspoon of water 

Whisk and add to a pourable bottle or for this larger quantity- or blend in the blender. 

Health and Nutrition Notes:

 

1. My mission on this blog is to encourage/inspire healthier eating by providing suggestions and recipes.  

2. See my time saving (link) tips for prepping salads to save you time and energy if you want to eat a fresh salad everyday.

3. If you doctor agrees, eat at least 9 servings of plant-based foods a day- such as salads, vegetables, whole grains, beans or lentils. Plant-based foods are where you get the greatest amount of fiber to help keep your bowels cleansing regularly from daily ingested toxins, antioxidants to help protect against degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease, and nutrients to nourish the cells. (Did you know that meat, chicken, and fish, contain NO fiber and little or no antioxidants? )

**Studies indicate that antioxidants (which are found in plant-based foods) help protect our bodies against the deleterious effects of free radicals. 

Quotes about antioxidants(which defend) and free radicals (which attack)-

 from a (link) Johns Hopkins Newsletter Article-

1. "Antioxidants are substances that play a role in preventing or at least delaying the effects of cell damage."  

2. "While a young body can produce enough antioxidants to quench free radicals, as the body ages its antioxidant defenses eventually cannot keep up with the constant generation of free radicals."  

3. "Free radicals cause oxidative stress by triggering various types of cell damage that influence cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. "

4.  "Antioxidants, commonly found in fruits and vegetables, can improve health."

4. I like to watch inspiring Youtube Videos that support and give great suggestions for a healthy plant-based lifestyle to increase my consumption of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables and bring my body to a healthy weight naturally. One of my favorite videos are Plantiful-Kiki who is a joy to watch. She has lost and maintained a 70 pound weight loss and totally eliminated her high cholesterol and high triglycerides, pre-diabetes, obesity, hormonal problems and a host of other conditions. She shares suggestions, ideas, and recipes on her Youtube channel. Watch her to the end for the best ideas. 

This post is shared on Weekend Cooking at the Intrepid Reader and Baker  where anyone can share a food related post.

This post is also shared on Souper Sunday where anyone can share a soup, sammie, or salad recipe.

Vegan "Cheese" Sauce- Oil-Free

Cheese Sauce Anyone? 

Vegans don't eat cheese, but they do eat plant-based creamy sauces made entirely from vegetables and nutritional yeast (which tastes cheesy). It's uncanny how much a creamy sauce can mimic the "look of cheese sauce" and be used for dips, nachos, and toppings for vegetables. 

I made this sauce from a base of potatoes and carrots. You have to trust me on this one. Together with spices and some nutritional yeast (which many say tastes like cheese), might fool even the most discriminating cheese lover. (I said it might). 

In addition, this type of sauce enhances and adds a richness as a topping for ordinary vegetables including potatoes. 

There are many people who have high cholesterol or heart disease. They may have been told by their doctor to eliminate cheese. This may be a workable alternative in such a situation.

This is how I would use this type of sauce. 

For example- try filling a baked potato with chopped broccoli, fresh salsa and this "cheese" sauce- YUM! 

If you are not vegan but need to cut back on dairy or cholesterol laden foods, this sauce might work for you too. 

Ok- truthfully it's a far stretch for me to say it tastes like cheese- it looks like cheese sauce and provides a flavorful sauce when needed. Some feel it's a match for cheese- I don't. However, I still do like it.

I've seen this type of cheese on many WFPB sites- sometimes its made with cashew nuts as a base and sometimes it is made with just the potatoes as a base. It's always basically a similar recipe. 

This is what I did for my "cheese sauce."

Ingredients: 

2 cups of peeled diced potatoes

1 and 1/2 cups of diced organic carrots 

2 cups of water for steaming (save the water)

1/2 cup of unfortified nutritional yeast 

1 teaspoon of garlic powder 

1 teaspoon of onion powder 

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

optional: 1/2 teaspoon (or more) of chili powder 

salt if you desire 

Directions: 

Place potatoes and carrots in a steamer basket in a saucepan. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and turn the heat to a simmer. Cover and allow to steam until potatoes and carrots are soft. Remove potatoes and carrots, but save the water. 

Add potatoes and carrots to a blender. Add the spices, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. Add 1 cup of the reserved water and blend. Add a little more water if needed. 

Notes: 

1. Recipes after February 2021 my recipes are all oil-free and most previous recipes can be adapted to eliminate the oil. For example, I have found that if a recipe says to saute in olive oil, I can sauté in vegetable broth or a hot pan with a little water.

** I have eliminated using oil because oil is extremely caloric and offers no essential fiber and limited nutrients. In fact, many doctors suggest any kind of oil may not really be good for the heart. 

Good fats from Whole Foods such as  avocado, olives, nuts, and seeds offer not only substantial amounts of fiber but also healthy nutrients. Many doctors now recommend skipping the oil and eating the whole food fats such as those mentioned above.

I have not noticed a significant difference in my cooking by eliminating oil except when roasting vegetables. 

2. My recipes are always gluten-free 

3. Most of my recipes are dairy free and vegan especially after 2020. 

Scalloped Potatoes -vegan and gluten-free

I've always loved scalloped potatoes. They are so creamy and delicious. 

I made this recipe to take to a pot luck and everyone seemed to enjoy it. However, I forgot to take a final photo when the potatoes were nice and creamy. Sorry. 

I like to add frozen peas to my recipe. I like the additional of a little greens in the dish.

Over the years, I have modified my recipe to eliminate some of the high fat ingredients. Despite this recipe being dairy-free, I think you will find it is delicious. I substituted corn starch for cream. It was creamy, dairy-free, and lower in calories thank cream.

It is a simple recipe that can be made rather quickly. It was a perfect side dish. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of chopped onion

2 teaspoons of flour ( I used gluten-free chickpea flour)

5 large golden potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon of cornstarch 

2 cups of vegetable broth-divided

1 cup of frozen peas 

1 teaspoon of garlic powder 

1 teaspoon of onion powder 

1/2  teaspoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon of amino acids (or tamari sauce )

1 teaspoon of herbs de Provence 

Directions: 

Add chopped onions to a preheated hot skillet. Sauté and for 1 minute and then add 1/4 cup of vegetable broth. Sauté an additional 1 minute, stirring. In a separate bowl combine 1 cup of vegetable broth, cornstarch, and amino acids. Stir well and add the cornstarch mixture to the skillet. Add sliced potatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and herbs de Provence. Stir well and coat the potatoes well. add remained of vegetable broth (3/4 cup) and frozen peas, cover, and cook on low for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.