Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

Hi. My name is Marisa and I am addicted to sweet potatoes.

Like… If I could, I’m pretty sure I would eat them at every meal. In fact, there were days during the Whole30 when I DID eat them at every meal and I have definitely made a mid-week run to the grocery store JUST to pick up sweet potatoes. Not milk. Not bread. Sweet potatoes.

It’s excessive.

Given this predilection of mine, you can imagine that when I first heard about sweet potato hummus (through this post over at the Not So Desperate Housewife) I was enthralled in the “come to me, my precious” kind of way.

After some experimenting, I have a recipe for Pure Magic Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus to share with you today! This stuff makes a spectacular finger food for parties or simply a delicious snack, and it is especially awesome because you likely have all the necessary ingredients in your pantry already!

Afternoon delight? Hummus stuffed bell peppers, carrot chips, root vegetable chips, and a big bowl of hummus makes an easy tray for a party or a delicious afternoon snack. #nom

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, baked in oven at 400 degrees until very tender

3 Cloves of Garlic, peeled

2 TBS Red Pepper Flakes (start with less, and then add it in to taste)

1/4 c Lime Juice (lemon juice will work, too, but I prefer the lime with the red pepper)

1/4 c Almond Butter or Tahini (Tahini is more traditional, but I used almond butter today and it was delish!)

1/4 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ground sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bake your sweet potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees (poke them several times with a fork to vent). They will take anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes, depending on size, so keep an eye on them. Once the sweet potatoes are very soft, set them aside to cool.
2. When sweet potatoes have cooled, cut them into large chunks (to make them a little more manageable for the food processer/blender), add all other ingredients, and run the food processer until smooth. Note: you can use a blender if you don’t have a food processer, you’ll just want to work in batches because blenders tend to get stuck with foods this thick. As you are blending, you’ll want to stop to check the balance of flavors fairly often to find a balance you prefer:
   1. If it is too sweet, add lime and/or red pepper
   2. If it is too salty, try adding a little more tahini or almond butter (depending on how salty your particular brand is). Otherwise, you can add some more sweet potato or some mashed carrots or some canned pumpkin.
3. Serve as a dip with fresh veggies or root vegetable chips, or stuff hummus into mini-bell peppers for an easy finger food. This would also be great as a filling between slices of cucumbers for mini-sandwiches.

Enjoy!

In The Beginning

We are just finishing up our first Whole30, and after spending the past month eating only healthy, whole foods, we are converts to the grain-free, dairy-free, additive-free Paleo lifestyle. At the same time, as busy young professionals, living in rural Mississippi, living whole isn’t always easy. We are writing this blog in hopes of making whole living more accessible for others. We believe that whole living needs to be delicious. It needs to be affordable. It needs to be easy to understand and convenient and not intimidating or exclusive. Whole living is for all. 

Who We Are:

Two Maris(s)as: We started out as co-workers. We had the same name, the same job title, and the same zodiac sign (our birthdays are two days apart, is life not wonderful??). We later found out that we share a middle name (also with different spellings) as well as a love for yoga and dogs and cooking and rainy day naps and writing letters by hand. We also share a passion for equity and education and doing what we can to make this world more just and well and fair.

What’s the Whole30?

The Whole 30 is a thirty day program where you only eat healthy fruits, vegetables, meats, and nuts. You specifically avoid all grains, all dairy, all added sugars, all sulfites and other additives, and all processed foods. The purpose of doing this is twofold: 1) by eating foods that are easy to digest and that our bodies are designed to consume, you are able to heal your gut and cut down on inflammation in the body and 2) by eliminating foods your body may be sensitive to, you are able to pinpoint how your body reacts to different foods. After the 30 days, you may choose to experiment with dairy or natural sugars to see how your body reacts. For more information, visit the Whole30 site here to learn more about the program guidelines, check out the awesome resources and community, and read about all the benefits of eliminating grains and added sugars.

Two Maris(s)as’ Food Philosophy and Guidelines:

Now that we have finished our first Whole 30, we are both transitioning to a set of guidelines that is a bit more lenient than what is required under the Whole 30. Here is the deal:

Marissa: Growing up food was the central element of every gathering. I learned tricks and tips about preparing tasty staples at an early age and loved picking raspberries from my dad’s backyard garden to use for pies on my imaginary one-woman cooking show. In my early college days, I had a number of vegetarian friends, and it was the first time I was aware of how central meat was to the meals I grew up eating. I started cooking mostly plant-based meals from college on and loved being inventive with veggies. My digestive system has always struggled with dairy and some gluten and I’ve often wondered about food intolerance. When MM proposed the Whole 30 challenge, I was instantly interested. The last month was the first time in years I’ve consistently added meat in my diet and have been able to completely stay off dairy. I noticed changes in my energy levels, skin and more. I don’t believe there is a right diet or lifestyle for any one person. I believe we all must be aware of our bodies and find what is right for our own health. These are the guidelines I hope to follow as I maintain a healthy lifestyle but I know that food has and will always be a celebration of life, people and place so I’ll be leaving wiggle room for those little joys.

• Largely whole 30 approved foods = aiming for about 75 percent of my diet to be whole veggies, fruits, and nuts. I plan to include fish and small portions of meat 1-3 times throughout the week.
• As a lover of baked goods, I’ll be experimenting with grain-free treats as much as possible allowing for honey and maple syrup.
• I’m continuing to slowly add dairy into my diet with awareness of which dairy is okay for my body. I plan to minimize processed grains in my diet as much as possible.

Marisa: I am a huge skeptic of fad diets, so I was a little leery of the Whole 30 at first, and the paleo label makes me cringe, but it is hard to be skeptical of a diet that simply encourages you to eat tons of fresh fruit and vegetables and humanely raised, additive-free meat, right? That same natural tendency towards skepticism comes out in full force when I see Paleo recipes that call for complicated ingredients like fermented cod liver oil. I really believe you should know what you are eating, where it came from and how it was made, as much as possible. At the same time, I’m working really hard to beat my sugar addiction and to find ways to make eating Whole quick, easy and affordable. With that in mind, here are my guidelines for myself and for the recipes I’ll post:

• For the most part, I plan to continue eating Whole 30 approved foods.
• I am particularly focused on making sure that most of my meals consist of proteins, healthy fats and non-starchy vegetables, though honey or maple syrup for baking is fine.
• I believe that food should be a joyful experience, so I am leaving room for occasional treats that are off plan, like wine, great cheese, or a croissant. Like all things in life, they should be consumed in moderation, though.