Hummus and Sprout Sandwich for One

Hummus is one of those staples that vegans live for. I make it every week and play with herbs, different beans, and various spices so that no two batches are the same.

2 slices multi-grain bread

2 TBLSP homemade hummus (recipe follows)

1 ½ TBLSP vegan cream cheese

6 kalamata olives, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

½ cup sprouts of choice

¼ avocado, sliced thinly lengthwise

1 TBLSP raw almonds, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Smear the hummus on one side of one piece of bread, and the cream cheese on one side of the other piece of bread.
2. Doodle the olives and onions evenly around on top of the hummus.
3. Spread the sprouts evenly across the olives and onions.
4. Line the avocados up neatly on top of the sprouts. They will want to wander off, so keep a close eye on them. You might need to pat them in place.
5. Doodle the chopped almonds on top of the avocado.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste, and close the sandwich up by putting the cream cheesed side of the other piece of bread face down. (I know you know how to make a sandwich. I’m just being thorough.)
7. Cut in half and serve!

If you’re wrapping it up to go, use waxed paper. Waxed paper will help your sandwich stay fresh and keep it all herded together nicely. It’s also compostable.

Hummus

You can use hummus as a dip, as a filling for burritos or sandwiches, or to stuff celery. Go wild! Eat it with a spoon!

1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

½ bunch cilantro

3 cloves roasted garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Slosh of olive oil (perhaps 1 ½ TBLSP)

Juice of half a lemon (or lime)

Ground cumin (to taste)

2 TBLSP tahini (peanut butter will do, in a pinch)

1. In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients and whirl until it’s a stiff paste. If you like it thinner, add lemon juice or olive oil. If you want it thicker, add more tahini, beans, or herbs.

In the photo, there’s “green” hummus on one side, which is colored by lots and lots of fresh herbs. Yummy!

Variations:

• Experiment with beans—black beans make a lovely lavender-colored hummus with a mild flavor, kidney beans make a reddish hummus with a strong flavor. You won’t know which is your favorite until you try them all!
• I like to throw in whatever fresh herbs I have hanging around, which is usually basil and/or cilantro, but has been as mundane as parsley and as exotic as lavender. The more you throw in, not only will you get more flavor of that herb (or combination of herbs), but it will affect the color, which can be fun.
• Sometimes I use fennel, cardamom, or caraway seeds. I blend some with everything else, and then I toss some whole seeds in at the end for texture.