Crunch Time: Crispy Almond Thins & Cashew Wasabi Hummus

Some days eating a stick of celery is not that hard. You cut it up, portion it out, put it in the fridge, snack when you are hungry. Simple. Then, you have days where celery is the worst idea for snack you’ve ever heard and if you take one more bite of celery, someone could die. This also goes for carrots, cucumber, mini grape tomatoes, and all other vegetable “snacks”.  All you need or want in life is something else on those days, and if you don’t have something else at your home/apartment/passenger seat of your car, you will go buy chips. 

I had a day like this a while ago but I was lucky enough that there had been a huge snow storm and my little KIA was snowed in. SO having no means to get a giant bag of chips, I stuck with the celery. I tried adding salt to my celery stick-I wouldn’t advise it. Raw vegetables are not enhanced by straight salt. I tried ranch but it still tasted like celery, just with ranch on it. Then I tried hummus…and then remembered I don’t like hummus without chips or crackers. Dang it. 

So I made my way to the kitchen again, dead set on finding a suitable snack, and made a promise to myself that if I couldn’t satisfy this urge then I had full permission to brave the snowstorm and walk any distance necessary in order to find an enormous bag of something salty. And so was born…the almond thin. 

-Almond Thins-

1 cup Almond Meal

1 egg white

Sea Salt to taste- A sprinkle may be good enough for you, I use a whole teaspoon. 

Tools-

Parchment Paper- two sheets

Baking sheet (lay terms: cookie sheet)

Rolling Pin (I don’t have one so I use a tall water glass, laid on it’s side)

Preheat oven to 350°n and lay out two pieces of parchment paper, the size of your baking sheet.

Mix the almond flour and egg white until well combined and form into a ball. Place on parchment, then cover with the second piece of parchment. Roll into a VERY thin sheet so your crisps will be nice and crispy. 

Bake in oven for about 10 minutes, remove the top layer of parchment and score the almond mixture into squares. Mist lightly with cooking spray and bake for another 10 minutes. 

Now you have crisp, buttery crackers so…you need some good hummus. I came up with the recipe below because the taste of tahini (common hummus ingredient) makes me gag. Store bought hummus is ok, but if you can make your own and leave out the tahini then you’re on to something. 

-Cashew Wasabi Hummus-

Cashew butter makes the recipe slightly sweet, while the Wasabi and Rice Vinegar gives it a tangy bite! It’s unlike any store bought hummus on the planet.

1- 15.5 oz can Garbanzo Beans, drained. RESERVE 1/2 cup of liquid for later.

1/4 cup Cashew Butter (I made my own by putting 1 lb cashews in a food processor until it was butter. Add nothing. It needs nothing.)

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil (it’s all I had on hand)

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

3 tbsp Rice Vinegar

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Wasabi Powder mixed with a splash of water -Enough to form a paste

Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix until smooth. If you have an immersion blender I highly recommend using it for this process to get the best consistency. If you like your hummus thin over thick, stream in a small amount of water to thin it out. 

Serve it on a fancy plate with soy sauce for dipping and extra wasabi. Or, just eat it out of plastic containers while watching tv. Whatever is fine. 

Did you try it? Did you like it or hate it? Let me know!

I hope you didn’t hate it…

♥Liz