Snack on this: Curried lentil dip with snap peas

The first time I had hummus was in college. I fell in love with the nutty, smooth dip and starting eating it on everything. Being vegetarian, I've eaten meals consisting entirely of hummus at parties. It's always my go-to when traveling or going to my parents' house for the weekend.

I relied on store-bought hummus for years until I realized how easy it was to make at home. Don't get me wrong if I'm in a time crunch I'll grab store-bought hummus. All you do is toss the ingredients into a blender and push blend. That's it. Experiment with different beans, spices and herbs!

I didn't have any chickpeas on hand, and I've been craving Indian food lately, so I decided to use lentils.  I'll definitely be making this dip again.

Curried lentil dip
1 c cooked lentils
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne or red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp tahini
1 c cilantro, loosely chopped
1/2 c parsley, loosely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp walnut (or olive) oil

Blend all ingredients together and enjoy! Pack a small container with hummus and your favorite raw veggies like radishes, carrots, snow peas, celery or cauliflower and take as a snack.

This lentil dip is a great source of protein and fiber. Lentils are great for people with blood sugar issues, since their high fiber content stabilizes blood sugar after a meal. Eating lentils and beans two or more times a week, has also been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Source: Murray 2000, 397-398.