Seasonal ingredients with a yummy hummus recipe, side dishes

Snow peas and sugar snap peas are yummy side dishes with edible pods.

Both are considered a legume and with their dense nutrients and can be quite filling due to their starch content.

Both of these spring pea types, the whole pod is eaten, not just the peas inside.

Snow peas are a flat pea with small peas inside (there is a string on one side which you can remove with a quick tug or just eat as I do.) Great in Asian dishes

Superb Sugar Snap Peas The sugar snap pea is a crunchy large pea pod, its a cross between a snow pea/classic English peas.

Sugar snap peas are excellent eaten raw out served with dips like hummus, cut up in salad or lightly steamed as a simple dinner side dish . (my favorite)

http://savourthesensesblog.com/lemon-artichoke-hummus/?utm_campaign=yummly&utm_medium=yummly&utm_source=yummly

A great recipe with a bit of a twist from the classic hummus

I add

1/2 tsp ground coriander,

as well as 1/2 tsp, smoked paprika for

a depth of further flavor

Lemon-Artichoke Hummus

Recipe type: Appetizer or great for on a sandwich or easy lunch Prep time:  35 mins Total time:  35 mins Serves: 12 Ingredients

• 1 
cup canned artichoke heart (rinsed, dried & chopped)

• 4 
tbsp lemon juice (2 lemons)

• ¼ 
cup water

• 6 
tbsp tahini (stirred well)

• 2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)

• 1
 (14 oz) can chickpeas (drained & rinsed)

• 1 clove garlic (minced)

• ½ 
tsp salt

• ¼ 
tsp lemon zest

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper (divided)

• 2 
tsp fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Set aside ¼ cup of the artichokes for garnish.

2. In a small bowl, combine the water and lemon juice. In another bowl, whisk the tahini and olive oil together.

3. In a food processor, blend the chickpeas, ¾ cup artichokes, garlic, salt, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper and lemon zest (about 15 seconds). Use a spatula to scrape ingredients off the sides of the bowl.

4. Turn the processor on and add the lemon water slowly through the top. Scrape the sides again and continue to blend (about 1 minute).

5. Again, turn the processor on, slowly add the tahini oil mixture, and process until smooth (about 15 seconds), continuing to scrape the sides of the bowl.

6. Place the hummus into a bowl and garnish with the extra artichokes, parsley, and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper.

7. Set stand at least 30 minutes, then drizzle with olive oil before serving.

I serve this with pita chips and bread and lots of fresh vegetables including the crunchy sugar snap peas