Dinner with the Wyetts

James has a general rule that he tries to keep at meal times... don't look at the children, especially Ben. It can make one lose his appetite very quickly! I usually agree, but there is something about a kid digging into a bowl of spaghetti with his hands that is very cute, even though I didn't think it was that cute an hour later when I had to clean it up off the floor!

Bradley informed me that he didn't want noodles, and then politely asked if he could have a big salad for dinner instead. What five year old says that? That worked out great because he can't have spaghetti anyhow. So he had a big salad with his cashew ranch and some homemade hummus (the last pic). I eventually will add a blog to list some of our creative recipes, but I wanted to share this hummus recipe because it is very easy and very good.

Hummus is a staple in our home. We have tried all kinds, but usually they are garbanzo bean (chick pea) based. Well, Brad is allergic to these now, so I have found several great no-bean hummus recipes. I tried this one out and it was a huge hit. After his salad, Brad sat with a spoon and just at this hummus out of a bowl like it was pudding or something!

Here it is:

Artichoke Hummus

• 1 artichoke heart
• 1 zucchini, peeled but keep the skins
• 1 cup tahini
• ½ of a lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove of garlic
• ½ tablespoon paprika
• 1/3 cup olive oil

I used a fresh artichoke and took out the heart so there isn’t a lot of artichoke in here. You can use more if you want (and ones from a can or jar would work too).
1. Peel zucchini and chop up and put in blender with HALF of the skins you peeled off. (the peels seemed to add a different flavor but they are strong so if you have a big zucchini don’t add them all unless you want it very green). If your zucchinis are very small, then you can use two. 2. Add rest of ingredients in blender and blend until thick and creamy. Add water as needed to help with blending. 3. TIP: the olive oil lends to the richness so add more if you need too.

*I added some dill and parsley flakes which Brad loves.

Enjoy!