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I love when people ask me “how did you and your husband meet?”, and I get to respond with “on a blind date”. He was my best date ever and we have been going strong for 14 years now. Wanting so bad for my best friend G to meet the guy of her dreams, like I did, I begged my hubby to set her up with one of his long time friends E, and we would take them on their blind date.
My best friend G is way into cross fit and follows the paleo diet. E has always been fit himself, but it’s been awhile since I saw E last. Anyway, my hubby put together this fun night for the four of us. The plan was to meet at our house, then we would drive for cocktails and appetizers at the Beach Club, stop by our boat for some tequila shots, while showing off our latest remodel, then head off to Hollywood to a Thai restaurant which offers entertainment such as an Elvis impersonator.
So here is a quick recap of E and G’s blind date. E shows up before G. E is wearing a pastel purple (lavender) cashmere suit jacket, I thought it was made of felt. Wow! Anyway, being covered in a purple jacket didn’t hide the fact that he had put on a few pounds. As you probably have guessed by now, G wasn’t interested in E. Boohoo! E was very thoughtful in bringing both G and I a gift of organic body scrub, which I love. But the body scrub didn’t win G over. Even E’s great personality and infectious laugh didn’t either. I however, had a great night as I always enjoy being with my hubby and friends. So not a total loss.
After our evening of enjoying the ocean view and the Beach Club while noshing on pita and hummus, doing some tequila shots under to full moon on our newly remodelled boat, and eating tons of yummy Thai food, but disappointed that Elvis had retired, we ended up having a fantastic time. On our drive home, I sat in the back seat with G, talking all about her paleo diet. I could not believe how after eating such an enormous Thai meal, she left me craving sweet potatoes. As you may not know, sweet potatoes are high on the Paleo list of things to eat. G told me the various ways in which she flavors her sweet potatoes. So the next day, combining my craving for sweet potato and reflecting on the hummus we ate the night before, I made this phenomenal sweet potato hummus. The combo of sweet potato and hummus was a total hit, G and E, not so much.
This is a super easy, no bake dip, if you rely on your microwave to bake the sweet potato. Chickpeas are replaced by a vibrant sweet potato in this hummus, still relying on traditional ingredients such as tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin to season the hummus. Chipotle powder is added for extra warmth and spice. Simply throw all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend to make this earthy and intensely flavored hummus. I topped the hummus with black sesame seeds, but next time will add a topping of crumbled feta cheese too. Serve with these baked paprika pita chips for an insanely bright and delicious appetizer.
sweet potato hummus
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potatoes (unpeeled)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prick potatoes several times with fork, place on plate, and microwave until very soft, about 12 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through microwaving. Let potatoes cool for 5 minutes on plate.
- Slice potatoes in alf lengthwise and use spoon to scoop flesh from skins, discard skins. In a food processor fitted with blade, add potatoes, water, tahini, oil, lemon juices, salt, garlic, paprika, coriander, cumin, and chile powder. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Transfer hummus to serving bowl, drizzle with additional olive oil and sesame seeds. Hummus can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; if necessary, stir in 1 tablespoon warm water to loosen dip consistency before serving.
Equipment
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Notes
The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use and love!
Ingredients
- 3 whole-wheat pita rounds, cut into 8 segments (like pizza)
- 2-tablespoon light olive oil
- 2-teaspoon garlic powder
- Paprika
- 2-teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Lightly cover 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
- Separate the top of each pita from the bottom, so that each is divided into 2 halves. Transfer the halves to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss well, using your hands, but gently so that each pita triangle is well coated. Then sprinkle each side of the chips with Paprika.
- Lay the pita triangles on the baking sheets in a single layer. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let the pita chips cool on the baking sheets to room temperature. Use immediately or store in a sealed plastic bag or large container with a lid for up to 1 week.
Notes
The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use and love!
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