White Bean Dip with Parmesan and Sage

Last month I posted a recipe for White Bean Dip with Pecorino Romano, but I have to say, I've outdone myself with today's recipe. I was inspired by a white bean and sage dip that my friend over at The Splendid Soon made for a party of mine she catered (well, mine and my roommates). It was incredible, along with everything else she made. And if I can make a quick pitch—if you're ever looking to have a party catered and you live in NYC or Brooklyn, she's your girl.

I didn't want to ask for her recipe so I figured I would  do a quick Google search, see what I found, and pull a recipe together. I happened upon this recipe from Spoonful (and only just noticed the coincidence in name), and in no more than five minutes I made the most delicious, healthy dip. Which was exactly what I needed yesterday evening after a weekend of eating and drinking at a wedding and a five hour car ride home from Boston.

I know I've mentioned before that since going gluten-free I've struggled with finding healthy, satisfying snack options, and I imagine there are a lot of you out there (whether or not you're gluten-free) who have had the same problem. For so long I simply relied on tortilla chips and salsa as a snack, but there's so much more out there. It just takes a little planning and creativity. Even better, there are a lot of things you can make at home in no time at all. I absolutely love this dip and it's perfect with fresh vegetables or gluten-free crackers. My only hesitation about making it is the risk I run of eating the entire thing in one sitting!

White Bean Dip with Parmesan and Sage

1 can cannellini beans
1 small clove garlic, chopped
7-8 leaves sage, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Parmesan

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor except for the Parmesan and blend. When you have a smooth, creamy consistency, add the Parmesan and blend briefly. You can either serve it immediately or stick it in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes or so.

Enjoy!

Olive Tapenade

If you love olives (and I know not everyone does), I promise you will love this tapenade. One of my friends recently told me she was going to call this "Olive Crack" rather than "Olive Tapenade" because she couldn't stop eating it. I concur.

I can't claim the recipe as my own. Credit goes to my aunt, who, as I've mentioned previously, is a fabulous cook. While I was at her house over Labor Day weekend I discovered leftover olive tapenade in her refrigerator, which she had made for a dinner party a few nights before. I devoured almost all of it immediately and begged her to make more so we could not only serve it at a cocktail party they were hosting that night, but also so that I could go home, make it, and share the recipe with you. 

This is one of those recipes that will stick with you for years and years, and one that will come in handy time and time again. Whether you're looking to whip up a quick snack for yourself, or an hors d'oeuvre to serve at a cocktail or dinner party, this is a recipe you should keep in your back pocket. 

And the best part? It's so, so easy to make and you only need two (two!) ingredients. Are you sold?

Olive Tapenade

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted black or Kalamata olives (I usually buy the "nice kind" from the olive bar in Whole Foods)
1/4 cup roasted baby yellow tomatoes 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450º.

Roast the baby yellow tomatoes in olive oil (1 teaspoon should be enough) for 25 minutes, or until golden. 

Pit the olives and place in a food processor with the roasted tomatoes. Blend until smooth. 

If the tapenade tastes too salty, feel free to add more roasted tomatoes (it should cut the salt). My aunt also added an anchovie, but I didn't have any in my refrigerator and it tasted perfectly fine without. 

Enjoy on a toasted gluten-free baguette or crackers (as I mentioned in an earlier post I love Glutino's Gluten Free Table Crackers), or with sliced vegetables (red pepper is my favorite). 

This should keep in your fridge for at least 3-5 days. 

White Bean Dip with Pecorino Romano

To me, cannellini beans are so quintessential Italian. They're a staple of Italian cooking, particularly in Tuscany, and can be found in tuna salads, pasta dishes, minestrone soup, and much more. I spent a lot of time in Tuscany when I was younger (I have relatives on my mom's side who live in a little town outside of Pisa called Migliarino) and in Rome, where I spent the spring semester of my junior year in college. I have such a fondness for cannellini beans, and sometimes I'll simply sauté them with white onion and olive oil and call it a night. 

I've always loved white bean dip, but until last night I had never made it before. It's a good alternative to hummus or guacamole and as I quickly found out, just as easy to make. I threw together this recipe and was very pleased with how it turned out. The garlic gives it a little kick and the mixture of pecorino romano and lemon juice makes it incredibly flavorful. 

White Bean Dip with Pecorino Romano

Serves 8
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 can cannellini beans
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup parsley
2 tablespoons lemon (and a little lemon zest for extra flavor, if you want)
1/4 cup pecorino romano
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Add everything into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Serve with gluten-free crackers (I love Glutino's Gluten Free Table Crackers; they contain soy lecithin but it doesn't seem to bother my stomach), red pepper, carrots, or any vegetable of your choosing.

Don't you love my new bowl and plate from Anthropologie? I couldn't resist.

Jalapeño Cheddar Hummus

If you read my recipe for plain hummus a few weeks ago, you know that it is one of my favorite snacks. I eat it all of the time. Unfortunately that means I tend to get sick of it and sometimes need a break. But one of the great things about hummus is that you can make so many different flavors and varieties. Sick of plain hummus? Make garlic hummus. Or lemon hummus. Or red pepper hummus. Or jalapeño cheddar hummus! 

At the end of my post I mentioned that I wanted to try making jalapeño hummus. Fortunately my good friend Paige, who currently lives in Buenos Aires (and has a fabulous blog called La Panza Porteña), sent me her recipe for jalapeño cheddar hummus. I took a stab at it this past weekend and, I'm embarrassed to admit, ate almost the entire batch in two days. That's my only issue with hummus. I have no self-control. Zero.

I ate it with Crunchmaster Gluten-Free Sea Salt Multi-Grain Crackers (love these, by the way).

I ate it on a slice of Meredith's Gluten-Free Bread with tomato from my dad's garden on top.

I ate it with sliced red pepper (but I was so busy eating that I failed to take a picture). And I wanted to eat it over eggs, but there's still time for that.

Jalapeño Cheddar Hummus

Serves 6

1 15 oz can chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 jalapeño pepper, chopped and seeds removed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground paprika (her recipe called for cumin, but I didn't have that in the pantry, and this worked perfectly)
1/2 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Combine everything in a food processor or blender (except the cheese) until blended smooth. Add some extra water if necessary to thin it out.

Remove from blender and fold in cheddar cheese. Process again until well combined.

Thanks for the recipe, Paige! Next I want to try this Sweet Potato Hummus with Fennel Seeds from the fantastic vegan blog Sweet Potato Soul, which I recently discovered. And this Edamame Hummus from Skinnytaste. Trader Joe's sells the best edamame hummus, but I'm thinking I can make it from scratch and it'll probably taste just as good or even better. Any other recommendations?

Hummus

If you're gluten-free (and honestly, even if you're not), you'll probably agree that finding good, healthy snacks can sometimes be challenging. My snack time is usually around 4 pm, when the work day is starting to wind down, my lunch is wearing off, and I need an extra kick of energy if I'm going to hit the gym after work.

For a while I was eating these thinkThin bars for protein, but they weren't sitting too well, and I realized that was because they contained soy, which I have since cut out of my diet completely (and I've been feeling much better).

Anyway, hummus has always been a go-to snack for me. Hummus and pretzels (I love Glutino's Gluten Free Pretzel Twists, but they also contain soy), hummus and red pepper, hummus and cucumber, hummus and carrots, the list goes on and on. I'm trying to remember when I really fell in love with hummus, and I think it must have been college. It seemed to be one of the only healthy snack options in our dining hall, and I have very fond memories of devouring containers and containers of hummus with my college roommates.

Since I've been eating it all of these years I figured I'd give it a shot and try making it from scratch. Boy have I been missing out! Home made hummus is a) delicious and b) incredibly easy to make.

I'm guessing that a lot of you love hummus as much as I do, and I strongly recommend that you try this at home. I've been bringing it to work and having it as a late afternoon snack, and it's also a good go-to (rather than chips and salsa) when I get home at night and need a little something to hold me off until I make dinner.

Hummus

2 cloves garlic (or, if you like it really garlic-y like I do, you can use 3 cloves)
1 can garbanzo beans, half the liquid reserved
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

In a food processor, chop garlic. Pour garbanzo beans and remaining liquid into blender. Place lemon juice, tahini, and salt in blender. Blend until creamy and well mixed.

Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl. Add fresh parsley for garnish and lemon zest if desired.

The next time I make hummus I may try and come up with a jalapeno recipe for some extra kick. Stay tuned!

Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

Fresh figs are one of my very favorite seasonal foods. If I could eat them every day I would. Luckily for me we are entering prime fig season. 

One of the things I love about figs is that they go well in so many different dishes. In a salad, with pork chops, wrapped in bacon or prosciutto, stuffed with goat cheese... The list goes on and on. As I was looking for some inspiration I found this amazing fig recipe slideshow on Martha Stewart's website. They have an entire seasonal produce recipe guide that I highly recommend.

I do want to start incorporating nutritional information about the ingredients I use when possible. It's always nice to know that what you're eating is benefiting you in some way. So I'll tell you now (in case you didn't already know) that figs are rich in fiber, potassium and manganese. If you want to read more click here.

Anyway, here on Gluten Free For All one of my main goals is to post recipes that are simple and easy, but also incredibly delicious (and of course seasonal). Recipes that don't take an hour plus to make, but that can be thrown together in 15-30 minutes. Today you're in luck, because this recipe takes all of five minutes and is one you will want to make again and again as long as there are fresh figs to be eaten!

Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

Serves 1

5 fresh figs
1/4 cup goat cheese
Balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar

Slice the figs in half, keeping the skin on. Sprinkle goat cheese on top of each slice. Drizzle balsamic glaze (which, as you know, I put on pretty much everything) or balsamic vinegar on top.

And there you have it! The perfect summer appetizer or dessert. And you can bet I will be back with more recipes that incorporate fresh figs over the next month or so.