Veggie Wrap

Day one of the vegan experiment went well. I found that by being prepared with small snacks throughout the day, I was able to put off any hunger before it got so bad that I caved in for a non-vegan treat. Let's see if I can remain that strong for the reminder of the week.

I made this tasty and very filling wrap for dinner last night that satisfied my hunger and got me through an hour-long Body Jam session. Success!

Veggie Wrap

1 large whole wheat tortilla
2 tablespoons homemade hummus
2 tablespoons salsa of your choice
3 ounces salad greens
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup cooked black beans
1/4 cup couscous
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced
A few red onion pieces

Lay the tortilla out and spared the hummus over one half of it. Next spread the salsa over the hummus layer, then pile on the remaining ingredients. Wrap it up and enjoy!

The Great Vegan Experiment

If you've been a long-time Apron Adventures reader, or even if you haven't, you've probably noticed my affinity for cheese, bacon and other meat/dairy products. I find I often rely on them to make a dish pop. So, in order to step out of my comfort zone, and also just to see if I can, I'll be following a vegan diet today through Friday. This isn't to make a statement, rather just a friendly experiment to see if I can hack it.

So far, I've armed myself with homemade hummus and olive tapenade, almond milk for my morning coffee and ceareal, tons of fresh produce, grains such as quinoa, cous cous and lentils, and tofu. If you have any tips for this brave blogger entering a new world, they are much appreciated.

I'll be blogging along the way, so cheer me on since I know I'll need as much support as I can get!

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus

1 red bell pepper
1 can chick peas, rinsed
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
Dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Approx. 1/4 cup olive oil

Roast the red pepper in the oven until skin begins to blister, turning occasionally. Place in a paper bag for about 1 minutes. remove the blistered skin and place in a food processor. Add the chick peas and galic and pulse. Add in seasonings and pulse, then slowly stream in the olive oil until a desired consisteny is reached. Enjoy with pita bread, fresh veggies or on your favorite sandwich.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Something that I've really come to enjoy the past few years that I wasn't really exposed to as a child is hummus. Somehow, I've managed to never attempt making it, even though hummus is actually quite simple. I decided to make a roasted red pepper one since that is the first hummus I ever had. Of course there are a hundred

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

2 red bell peppers
2 cloves garlic
1 15-ounce can chick peas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the bell peppers on a foil-lined baking sheets and roast about 20 minutes, turning every few minutes. During last 3 minutes of cooking, toss garlic cloves on sheet to lightly roast. Remove from oven and let cool. Remove stem and seeds from bell pepper and place in food processor with garlic; pulse. Add in chick peas and pulse until smooth. Add lemon juice and olive oil as needed (about 1/4 cup) and season with salt and pepper. Pulse until smooth. I served this with warm sliced pita, carrot sticks, sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes.

My friend Karen was visiting so I made her my test subject. She approved!