Jalapeno Avocado Hummus

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Did you know?

In folklore tales, hummus is described as one of the oldest known prepared foods.

Avocado Hummus is a delicious and creative spin on our traditional hummus recipe:

Loaded Roasted Garlic Hummus – Greek Style

For all of your warm-weather get-togethers, BBQs, and holiday parties! Ohhh I’m so excited about all of this!

Rachel’s tips:

ALWAYS use freshly squeezed lime juice from an actual fresh lime.

Bottled lime juice from the store will give your hummus a strange metallic or overly acidic taste.

We want this dish to taste bright and fresh.

Since there are only a few simple ingredients used here, I really recommend using the absolute freshest, highest quality ingredients you can get your hands on…it makes all the difference.

Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, are full of protein, fiber, and loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Canned or pouches of chickpeas or garbanzo beans are readily available at local grocers and online retailers such as Amazon.

I love to keep them in my pantry because I don’t always plan ahead to soak my own beans, so the canned ready-to-eat option shaves a lot of time off prep!

That being said, cooking your own dried chickpeas or beans at home is more cost-effective, and you’ll get to choose and control what is added, such as salt or herbs.

Using dried chickpeas or beans (not canned):
The package of dried beans/chickpeas will have directions for you to soak and cook them at home.

You’ll just need to plan ahead the day before you’re going to follow my hummus recipe below.

When I’m using dried chickpeas, I usually soak them overnight with PLENTY of water because they will expand. After an overnight soak, I’ll rinse them off, then add fresh water to the pot.

Simply cook them over a low simmer for around 2 hours.

Your chickpeas can be cooked all by themselves or with garlic cloves, onion pieces, carrots, celery, or bay leaves, sea salt, or even broth added to the pot for flavor.

Don’t overcook them, as we still want a firm texture much like canned chickpeas.

Allow to cool and dry completely, then follow the directions for the recipe below.

Ohh…Be SURE to try out this recipe, too:

Quick + Easy Avocado Hummus

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 x 15 oz jar chickpeas/garbanzos, rinsed well and drained
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pit removed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 or 2 fresh garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 fresh lime, juiced
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper, or to taste

serving suggestions:
celery sticks, sliced bell peppers, snap peas, carrot sticks, fresh broccoli, and/or sliced cucumbers, to serve

Instructions:

Using a blender or a food processor, add all of your ingredients.

Pulse until minced.

Process until smooth; if needed, add a bit of water to help it puree.

Serve immediately the hummus with crackers, chips, and/or raw veggies.
Enjoy!
Rachel

The post Jalapeno Avocado Hummus first appeared on Clean Food Crush.

Sweet & Spicy Fresh Cucumber Salsa

Crisp fresh-tasting cucumber salsa for snacking or slathering on fish, chicken, or shrimp tacos for a tangy new spin!

Many were asking about the green cucumber salsa that was featured in our tortilla chip video the other day.

So, we quickly filmed a recipe video for you because this salsa is so fast and TASTY to make, and is great to enjoy year-round thanks to those greenhouse-grown English cucumbers that are now widely available.

Sweet & Spicy Fresh Cucumber Salsa is creative, simple, unexpected, and completely DELICIOUS on top of fish or chicken but also fantastic as a quick snack or addition to your BBQ or holiday buffet.

I LOVE spicy foods so I usually add several jalapeños, but you can add less jalapeño to keep things more on the mild side if you want.

Did you know that a lot of the heat from peppers is actually found in the seeds? So if you remove the jalapeño peppers seeds then you’ll tame down the heat a good bit, leaving the flavor.

Do you like chopping veggies?

I’ve found it to be very relaxing for me. Chopping veggies forces me to slow down, calm down, and be present.

It’s incredibly soothing after a busy day and the finished result always makes me feel a great sense of accomplishment because my family will be eating all of these beautifully prepared fresh vegetables.

ALWAYS use freshly-squeezed lime juice from an actual fresh lime. Bottled lime juice from the store will give your salsa a strange metallic or overly acidic taste.

Want to get the most juice possible from each of your fresh limes? Of course, we do!

Here’s a quick trick:

On your counter or a cutting board, press and roll the lime back and forth very firmly with your hands.
The rolling loosens and breaks down some of the citrus membranes and makes the outside a little more pliable.

This makes it easier to squeeze which also means you’ll likely get more juice from your squeeze.
Let me know how this works for you!

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 large English cucumbers, finely diced

• 1 medium red onion, finely diced

• 2 large Granny Smith apples, finely diced

• 2 fresh limes, juiced

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped

• 1-2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped

• 1 Tbsp raw honey or pure maple syrup

• sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Finely dice the cucumbers, red onion, and apples then place them into a large bowl.

Quickly drizzle your freshly squeezed lime juice over the apples to prevent them from browning.

Add the cilantro leaves, jalapeno, and honey.

Season lightly with sea salt and pepper and toss well to combine.

Taste test, then adjust ingredients as desired.

Serve with corn chips, smothered over chicken, fish, shrimp, or over tacos, and enjoy!
Rachel

The post Sweet & Spicy Fresh Cucumber Salsa first appeared on Clean Food Crush.

Rachel’s Healthier Caramel Sauce

Date sweetened caramel sauce for the win!

Dates naturally have a similar flavor profile as caramel, so this works out incredibly well! Blend with a few other simple ingredients to intensify the flavors and create a creamy, drippy, absolutely perfect caramel sauce.

Carmel sauce from the store is SO SO tasty but also unfortunately packed with refined sugar, corn syrup, and often Carrageenan and cheap refined oils. Darn it.

No wonder why I get a stomachache whenever I indulge in highly processed and manufactured caramel sauce.

Luckily, I’ve created a “healthier” version that is made with whole food and natural ingredients. It’s REALLY GOOD, too!

You’re going to want to spoon this homemade caramel sauce over everything!

• dipping for apple or pineapple slices
• on oatmeal
• on yogurt
• on air-popped popcorn
• with organic pretzels
• on pancakes/waffles
• on Ezekiel toast
• on brownies like our Black Bean Brownies or our Double-Dark Chocolate Brownies

Always keep a jar in your refrigerator!

Sweetness Factor is a very personal taste preference, so you may want to use more or less pure maple syrup or raw honey, depending on YOUR family’s specific taste preferences.

makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups soft and pitted Medjool dates (about 10 pieces)
• 1/2 cup almond or cashew butter
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
• 1 cup of coconut cream (not coconut milk)
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of very hot water or milk of choice to reach your desired consistency

Instructions:

You need to be working with soft, fresh dates.

If your dates are hard, soak them in boiling water for 20 minutes. Rinse and drain all liquid off.

Place all the ingredients in your high-speed blender.

Process from low to high speed until smooth.

You’ll likely need to stop and scrape the sides of your bowl a couple of times.

Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Serve on top of your favorite fresh fruits like apples, pineapple, peaches, or honeydew.

Enjoy!

Rachel

The post [VIDEO] Rachel’s Healthier Caramel Sauce first appeared on Clean Food Crush.

Avocado Green Salsa

Are you looking for the best party snacks to make this weekend? Avocado Green Salsa is a crowd favorite every time! Set out some chips and fresh vegetables to dip, and you’re set!

This salsa is great to make ahead of time and store in the fridge, which makes entertaining easier.

I could drink this stuff. But I won’t. Instead, I’ll pour it over my chicken, salmon, shrimp, steak, eggs, and tacos, and also use it as a dip for parties. Believe me, you’ll want it on just about everything!

This recipe is incredibly interchangeable. Use what you have on hand, or swap things out for YOUR personal favorites. Decide what green peppers you like best – they all work here! Comes down to flavor and heat preference.

I LOVE spicy foods, so I like to add lots of jalapeños, but you can add less jalapeño/green pepper of choice to keep things on the mild side.

Did you know that a lot of the heat from peppers is actually found in the seeds? So if you remove the jalapeño seeds, then you’ll tame down the heat a good bit, leaving the flavor.

Tortilla chips are just SO GOOD:

First up, choose the best tortilla chips you can get your hands on, which also fit your specific nutritional needs. Jackson’s Honest, Thrive Market, and Siete brands make a few varieties of chips that I love! The oils they use are really important. Ideally, we want to avoid vegetable oils. I lean towards chips that are made with avocado oil or coconut oil. Always read through the ingredients list on the package. They should be simple and self-explanatory. Tortilla chips are an occasional treat that I really savor.

makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 ripe Hass avocados, pit, and skin removed and discarded
• 2 green tomatoes or tomatillos, stem removed and discarded
• 1 green pepper of choice, stem, and seeds removed for a milder salsa (Anaheim, jalapeño, hatch, or poblano)
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup water or veggie/chicken broth (to reach your desired consistency)
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lime
• a handful of fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
• 2-3 green onions, coarsely chopped
• 1/ 2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

Instructions:

Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor.

Blend until smooth or to your desired consistency.

Taste a test, then add any extra ingredients to your taste, if desired, then blend again.

Transfer your green avocado salsa to a jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Serve with corn chips and fresh crunchy veggies of choice.

Enjoy!

Rachel

The post Avocado Green Salsa first appeared on Clean Food Crush.

Homemade Worcestershire Sauce

You may be thinking Worcestershire sauce is just such a weird ingredient — how do you pronounce it anyway?  And YES there are real anchovies in it. Regardless of its weirdness, I bet you have a bottle of Worcestershire sauce sitting in your refrigerator door.

For MANY YEARS I’ve been asked by our CFC community for a GOOD homemade recipe for Worcestershire sauce – one that isn’t loaded with cane sugar or preservatives as most of the store-bought brands are.

I FINALLY feel that we’ve created a simple recipe that balances flavors perfectly while using only the highest quality real-food ingredients.

So excited for you to test this homemade version out on YOUR favorite recipes!

Note: Do NOT skip the anchovies. They are an incredibly important part of this sauce.

What do you use Worcestershire for?

I mostly use it for marinades on meat and poultry. It adds a savory, salty, briny depth to roasts, burgers, stews, pulled chicken or pork… etc.

Anywhere you’re wanting a little flavor OOMPH, a tiny dollop of Worcestershire sauce will enhance it.

Try adding a teaspoon or two of Worcestershire sauce to your favorite soups, stews, or chilis. It really adds a special something, I promise!

Did you know:

Worcestershire sauce is often found in really good homemade Caesar salad dressing, Bloody Marys, and shrimp cocktail sauce? People might not be able to identify it as an ingredient, but they’ll definitely enjoy it! A very, very small amount goes a long way though.

Here are some of our FAVORITE CFC recipes you can use your homemade Worcestershire Sauce in:

• Tangy Chicken:
• Naked Turkey Burgers:
• Cheeseburger Salad Bowls:
• Philly Cheese Steak Skillet
• Slow Cooker Roast Beef
• Sweet Potato Sloppy Joes:

makes about 1 cup, 1 teaspoon is a serving size

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup coconut aminos, tamari, Braggs liquid aminos, or low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 large Medjool dates, pitted
• 1 fresh garlic clove, pressed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 fresh shallot, grated
• 4 fermented anchovy filets

Instructions:

In a saucepan combine all the ingredients.

Place over medium-low heat and bring it to a high simmer while stirring constantly.

Once nice and bubbly, remove from heat and cool for a bit.

Transfer everything to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

If you desire, you can strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer or sieve.

Keep your Worcestershire sauce refrigerated in a sealed glass container for up to 1 month.

Enjoy!

Rachel

The post Homemade Worcestershire Sauce first appeared on Clean Food Crush.

Delicious Creamy Homemade Mayonnaise

Many people have asked for a homemade mayo recipe since I mention it a lot in our recipes and plans.

It’s really REALLY easy and takes just a few minutes…so it’s time to share!

You’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff…and when you do, you’ll be instantly reminded that homemade is just SO MUCH BETTER!

Do you make your own mayo? It may seem intimidating, but I encourage you to try it out! You’ll be surprised how easy and DELICIOUS homemade mayo really is.

ARE RAW EGGS SAFE TO EAT?

According to the USDA, no. So there’s my disclaimer and warning.

Many people make their own mayonnaise using raw eggs, and have done so for years.

I encourage you to do your own research.

It’s not something I’m too concerned about at our house. We do purchase high-quality, pasture-raised eggs to make mayonnaise.

If you don’t feel comfortable eating raw egg, you aren’t alone, & it’s EASY to avoid:

Enter PASTEURIZED eggs:

You can use pasteurized eggs just like regular eggs. In the pasteurization process, eggs are heated in their shells to an exact temperature to kill any bacteria or viruses.

Find pasteurized eggs right next to regular eggs at your grocery store.

These eggs are GREAT to keep on hand if you’re regularly making homemade mayonnaise, Ceasar dressings…or maybe your daughters are like mine and eat lots of raw cookie dough every time they make cookies.

Food Safety Problem COMPLETELY SOLVED.

Rachel’s Tips:

Make sure you use light olive oil, or light avocado oil, because your mayonnaise will very much taste as the oil you’re using.

ALWAYS use freshly squeezed lemon juice from a fresh lemon. Bottled lemon juice from the store will give your mayonnaise a strange metallic or acidic taste.

• For thicker mayo, add an extra egg yolk.

• For thinner mayo, add more lemon juice.

Once you get the method down, consider making flavored mayo using herbs, Sriracha, chives, garlic, hot sauce, etc. This gets really fun!

Leave YOUR best tips below in the comments!

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 SUPER FRESH large or extra-large egg, cold right out of the fridge
• 2 tsps fresh squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 cup LIGHT olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, or mustard powder

Instructions:

Add all of your ingredients to a (one pint) wide mouth mason jar; The jar should be wide enough to fit the head of your immersion blender. Alternatively, you can use a high-speed blender or a food processor.

Insert the immersion blender all the way down to the bottom of the jar to avoid spillage.

Blend for about 30 seconds, making sure you keep the blender in the same position.

Once your mayonnaise starts to form at the bottom of the jar, you can start gently moving the blender slightly up and down, to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

Remove the blender from the jar, and you’ve got homemade mayonnaise!

Place the lid on and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!

Rachel

The post Delicious Creamy Homemade Mayonnaise first appeared on Clean Food Crush.

Homemade Tomato Ketchup

A Dippers DELIGHT,OK, really though…THIS ketchup is the best tasting ketchup I’ve had!

Homemade ketchup tastes AMAZING! Out of all the homemade dressings and sauces we can make, I think ketchup makes the biggest difference.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups organic tomato puree
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos, or Bragg’s liquid aminos
• 2 Tbsps pure maple syrup, or raw honey
• 1 1/2 Tbsps olive oil, or avocado oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan combine the tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos, maple syrup, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.Place the saucepan on low heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.Once your sauce thickens, use an immersion blender and blend until super smooth and well combined.Taste test for salt and pepper. Allow your tomato ketchup to cool completely, then pour into a clean mason jar and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.Enjoy with these delicious sweet potato fries!

Rachel

The post Homemade Tomato Ketchup first appeared on Clean Food Crush.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Tastes like BBQ sauce SHOULD without the corn syrup or crappy thickeners!

Hands down our FAVORITE sauce recipe!

I’d bet you have all the ingredients in your pantry right now, too!

Ingredients:

The post Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce for Clean Eating Goals! first appeared on Clean Food Crush.

Rachel’s Flavorful Homemade Tzatziki Sauce for Clean Eating!

You should make this dip, and start calling it YOUR “secret sauce”. Tzatziki will add so much tangy FLAVOR to just about everything. You’re going to be hailed as a hero in your kitchen!

Try this as a:

The post Rachel’s Flavorful Homemade Tzatziki Sauce for Clean Eating! first appeared on Clean Food Crush.

Sheet Pan Shrimp ‘Boil’ + Homemade Ranch Sauce

Summertime is definitely winding down, but we can make this SUPER EASY Sheet Pan Shrimp” Boil” year round!

Just 30 minutes, for a dinner that you’ll pull out of the oven & everyone will come running to grab their share! Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For The Ranch Sauce:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped chives
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley leaves
• a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f.

In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, sausage, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and oil.

Season with sea salt and pepper to your taste.

Toss gently to combine then place everything (except for the shrimp) onto one large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.Bake until the sweet potato pieces are tender, about 12 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the shrimp.

Return pan to the hot oven, and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes, or just until the shrimp is cooked through and no longer translucent.Meanwhile, make the dip by adding all the ranch sauce ingredients to a medium glass bowl.

Whisk until well combined.

Once everything is cooked through, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley and garnish with lemon wedges.Serve together with the homemade Ranch sauce.

Enjoy!

Rachel

The post Super Easy Sheet Pan Shrimp ‘Boil’ + Homemade Ranch Sauce for Clean Eats! first appeared on Clean Food Crush.