5 Minute Recipes

Simple Hummus Without Tahini

by

Simple Hummus Without Tahini

  • 5 MINUTES
  • MAKES 3 CUPS
  • EASY-PEASY

Say yes to simple hummus without tahini! This healthy vegetarian dip is super yummy, easy and budget-friendly. The hummus recipe features 4 ingredients: chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil, salt and lime/lemon juice. Just throw it all into a food processor/blender and enjoy this homemade hummus in less than 5 minutes. Yum! 

SIMPLE HUMMUS WITHOUT TAHINI:

Photo Slideshow

Previous
Next

SIMPLE HUMMUS WITHOUT TAHINI:

Ingredients

  • 3 cups chickpeas (also known as Garbanzo beans), unsalted, well-rinsed
  • 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (unrefined flax oil will work too) 
  • 1 teaspoon salt (I like Himalayan pink)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice  
  • OPTIONAL: garlic (I used 2 large cloves) 

SIMPLE HUMMUS WITHOUT TAHINI:

Directions

  • Put all ingredients into a food processor or a blender. 
  • Mix everything between 4 – 5 minutes to make it extra smooth. 
  • Taste & add salt/lime/garlic as desired. 

CONSISTENCY TIP

Check the consistency halfway through the blend and if the mix is too thick and chunky looking, add some liquid (sauerkraut juice, lemon juice, liquid whey, balsamic vinegar). The end result shouldn't be too runny nor too thick. Although, each to their own right? 

SERVING TIP

Serve as healthy dip with fresh veggies (carrots, celery sticks, broccoli, peppers) or add to your healthy sandwiches & wraps.

REGARDING DRIED CHICK PEAS

Feel free to cook dried chickpeas instead of using the canned version. Simply soak dried chickpeas for 24 hrs with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, and cook in fresh, filtered water until soft (about 4 hrs). You may use a slow cooker if you prefer.  

TAHINI SUBSTITUTE TIP

If you're not using tahini because you find it expensive, try adding a 1/4 cup of freshly ground sesame seeds to your mix before blending. It works!

Why it's best to avoid pre-made hummus?

One of the main reasons why you should make your own hummus is to avoid many dangerous food additives, which are added to almost all pre-made foods. Hummus is no exception! You can find harmful flavor enhancers (MSG), preservatives (Sodium Benzoate), damaged industrial oils (canola/soybean) and more on the ingredient label! When in fact, a basic hummus recipe calls for just 3 ingredients: chickpeas, salt and olive oil. Just make a fresh batch each week, store it in the fridge and know that what you or your family snack on is ultimately healthy & nutritious! 

Ahoy, I'm Eva!

Using my holistic nutrition savvy and psycho-spiritual point of view, I help you find and unapologetically follow your own nutritional mojo.
Stop Talking, Start Improving Your Diet for Health | Holistic Nutritionist in Canada | EPIC HOLISTIC
The Holistic Nutritionist behind Epicholistic.com

Simple Oatmeal Recipe

by

Simple Oatmeal Recipe

  • 5 MINUTES
  • MAKES 1 SERVING
  • EASY-PEASY

Say yes to 5-min healthy breakfast! This simple oatmeal recipe is super yummy, flexible, beginner friendly and time effective. Once you pre-soak your rolled oats overnight, you’ll be able to make your oatmeal before you say “strawberry cake!” Just set the pot to boil, chop some fresh fruits in between, sweeten, season with Eva’s favorite porridge mix & enjoy! 

SIMPLE OATMEAL RECIPE:

Photo Slideshow

Previous
Next

SIMPLE OATMEAL RECIPE:

Ingredients

  • ½ cup rolled oats (also known as Old Fashioned)
  • 1 cup filtered water
  • 1 tablespoon raisins 
  • 1 apple
  • 1 banana
  • ¼ cup wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 tablespoon Eva’s favorite porridge mix (see instructions below)
  • coconut sugar to sweeten as desired 

SIMPLE OATMEAL RECIPE:

Cooking Directions

  • Pre-soak rolled oats in filtered water overnight (I like to use closeable mason jar and leave on the kitchen counter).
  • In the morning, rinse pre-soaked oats in fresh cold water.
  • Cook rinsed oats in 1 cup of filtered water with raisins if you’re adding them.  
  • Bring to boil, simmer on low, stir occasionally to desired consistency (I like my oatmeal runnier so cca 3.5 min).
  • Add coconut sugar, porridge mix and favorite fruits to the pot & mix it all thoroughly.

VARIATION TIP

This recipe is totally flexible! What you see here is how I like my oatmeal but you can swap suggested ingredients for other options such as dates, other dried fruits, other berries, pears etc. As for oats, you can swap them for millet or buckwheat, yum!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

With regards to apples & berries, I choose organic versions as much as possible to reduce my exposure to toxic pesticides. Also, wild blueberries are more powerful than cultivated blueberries. In case you're interested, review the EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Just click on the "FOOD FOR THOUGHT" title above to be redirected.

Why it's best to pre-soak rolled oats?

Pre-soaking radically reduces the cooking time from the usual 10 to 15 minutes to less than 5 minutes. Some of the hard to digest substances that many grains contain (gluten) get partially broken down which makes them more easily digested. Although oats are naturally gluten-free, they are often contaminated with gluten from other grains during production. Important minerals (iron, zinc, calcium) are better assimilated when you add some acidic medium like lemon/lime juice or apple cider vinegar to your soaking water.

SIMPLE OATMEAL RECIPE:

Eva's Favorite Porridge Mix

Previous
Next

EVA'S FAVORITE PORRIDGE MIX:

Ingredients + Instructions

  • ½ cup chia seeds
  • ½ cup flax seeds
  • ¼ cup raw cacao powder
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • Grind chia seeds + flax seeds using your coffee grinder & throw into a mixing bowl.
  • Add rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly using a whisk.
  • Store the mix in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge and consume within a week.

VARIATION TIP

Feel free to add/swap chia & flax for your favorite seeds such as raw pumpkin, sunflower or sesame.

Why not to buy ground seeds?

Packaged ground seeds are prone to rancidity + food processing significantly reduces the nutritional value of whole foods in general.

Ahoy, I'm Eva!

Using my holistic nutrition savvy and psycho-spiritual point of view, I help you find and unapologetically follow your own nutritional mojo.
Stop Talking, Start Improving Your Diet for Health | Holistic Nutritionist in Canada | EPIC HOLISTIC
The Holistic Nutritionist behind Epicholistic.com

Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese Recipe: Homemade Cream Cheese

by

Garlic & Herb Cream Cheese

  • 5 MINUTES
  • MAKES 2 CUPS
  • EASY-PEASY

Making garlic & herb cream cheese spread from homemade cream cheese is a piece of cake!  The best part? It’s free of harmful additives, nutritious, tasty and super quick to make. Your family and friends will love you for it!

Contents

Video Recipe:

Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese Recipe

STEP 1: Make the Cream Cheese

If you prefer to use commercial cream cheese, skip to step #2 for further instructions. If you prefer to make your own, then you’ll need to separate the milk solids from the liquid whey to make the cream cheese at home. 

You'll Need:

  • 1 kg of plain, unsweetened yogurt or kefir (organic is best)
  • a clean tea towel (see the variation tip below for using a cheese cloth)
  • a strainer
  • a dripping bowl
  • a lid that will fit on top of the strainer

Instructions:

  • Place the strainer on top of the bowl.
  • Line the strainer with the clean tea towel.
  • Transfer the yogurt or kefir into the lined strainer.
  • Cover with a lid and let sit for about 12 hours at room temperature (do not transfer it in the fridge, leave it on the kitchen counter).

VARIATION TIP

If you're using cheese cloth instead of a tea towel, you can use the following two methods: 1, simply transfer the yogurt or kefir into the cloth. Tigh the cloth onto a hook (cupboard handle) so it remains elevated. Place a bowl underneath the cloth to allow the liquid whey to drip into it. 2, Using a tall jar will work also. Just tigh the cloth onto a wooden spoon and lay the spoon on the jar's rim. The cloth will be inside the jar but elevated and hanging off the wooden spoon so the whey will easily drip off.

Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese Recipe

STEP 2: Store the Liquid Whey

After 12 hours, the milk solids should be free of liquid whey, which fully dripped into the bowl. 

What's liquid whey good for and what to do with it?

The liquid whey can be used in many ways. First, you can swap water or milk for liquid whey to boost the nourishing power of your shakes. Second, liquid whey can be used as a starter culture for lacto-fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi. Finally, you can add one tablespoon of liquid whey to a glass of room temperature water to help and settle the stomach.

Storage Instructions:

Simply transfer the liquid whey into a closable jar and keep in the fridge tightly sealed. It will last for up to 6 months and you can use the extra whey as per the examples above. 

Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese Recipe

STEP 3: Make the Garlic & Herb Spread

It will take you less than 5 minutes to make the garlic and herb cream spread. 

You'll Need:

  • Fresh herbs to taste (I’m using chives & dill)
  • Garlic to taste (I’m using 4 medium size cloves of garlic  for this batch)
  • A pinch of nutrient dense salt (I’m using Himalayan salt)
  • A mixing bowl
  • A spatula
  • A closable food box for storage (I like glass)

Instructions:

  • Mix all ingredients!
  • Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge (consume within a week). 

CONSISTENCY TIP

Have the liquid whey handy in case the spread is too thick and you want to make it "runnier". I find that thinner texture is great for dips and thicker consistency works for sandwiches.

Ahoy, I'm Eva!

Using my holistic nutrition savvy and psycho-spiritual point of view, I help you find and unapologetically follow your own nutritional mojo.
Stop Talking, Start Improving Your Diet for Health | Holistic Nutritionist in Canada | EPIC HOLISTIC
The Holistic Nutritionist behind Epicholistic.com