Walnut Hummus and Vegetable Sandwich Wrap

Always a healthful choice for a sandwich "binder," this hummus gets in your Cholesterol Down nut and bean steps (not to mention some fresh garlic, too), all in one sandwich!

Yield: 14 servings
     1 large garlic clove
     ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
     Juice from 1 lemon
     1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans,
         rinsed and drained
     ½ cup tahini paste
     ½ teaspoon sea salt
     ½ cup water

In a food processor, chop garlic into small pieces. Toast walnuts on a tray lined with aluminum foil in a toaster oven at 350°F for approximately 5 minutes until golden brown (shaking pan frequently to prevent scorching). Add walnuts, lemon juice, garbanzo beans, tahini, salt, and water to food processor and process until smooth. Serve hummus as a sandwich stuffer or as a dip for crudités.

Sandwich: Take a 100 percent whole-wheat wrap and spread it on a cutting board. Spread ¼ cup hummus on the wrap. Add chopped spinach, tomatoes, red onions, roasted red peppers, and any other type of vegetable that you desire. Roll the wrap tightly, cut in half, and serve.

Nutritional information per serving (1 vegetable sandwich wrap with 1 cup assorted raw vegetables and 55 grams hummus or approximately ¼ cup):
Calories: 318, Fat: 11 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 314 mg,
Carbohydrate: 49 g, Dietary Fiber: 6 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 13 g

Smokey Baba Ganoush

Garlic lovers rejoice! Grilling the eggplant and adding loads of garlic and onion give this dip a real bite. Serve with pita crisps or warmed whole-wheat pita and you have a Middle Eastern delight.

Yield: 14 servings
     2 large eggplants
     3 tablespoons olive oil
     ½ cup onions, chopped
     4 garlic cloves, minced
     1 cup tomatoes, chopped
     2 garlic cloves, chopped
     Juice from 1 lemon
     2 tablespoons tahini
     2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
     ½ teaspoon salt
     Dash of freshly ground pepper
     Pinch of ground cumin

Cut the ends off the eggplants and slice lengthwise, cutting almost all the way through so that eggplant halves fan open. Place each eggplant on enough aluminum foil so that you can close the foil around the eggplant and create a closed cooking pouch. Spread ½ a tablespoon olive oil on each eggplant half. Add half the onion and 2 minced garlic cloves to each eggplant. Seal the aluminum foil and place on a grill, cooking over medium-high heat for approximately 40 minutes until the flesh of the eggplant is soft. Remove from grill and aluminum foil and cool. Scoop out cooked eggplant flesh, cooked onions, and garlic and place in a food processor. Add in remaining ingredients (tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, yogurt, salt, pepper, and cumin) and process until smooth. Serve with pita chips or warmed whole-wheat pita, either at room temperature or chilled.

Nutritional information per serving (1/14 of recipe, 102 grams or approximately ¼ cup):
Calories: 67, Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 88 mg,
Carbohydrate: 7 g, Dietary Fiber: 0 g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 1 g

Smokey Baba Ganoush

Garlic lovers rejoice! Grilling the eggplant and adding loads of garlic and onion give this dip a real bite. Serve with pita crisps or warmed whole-wheat pita and you have a Middle Eastern delight.

Yield: 14 servings
     2 large eggplants
     3 tablespoons olive oil
     ½ cup onions, chopped
     4 garlic cloves, minced
     1 cup tomatoes, chopped
     2 garlic cloves, chopped
     Juice from 1 lemon
     2 tablespoons tahini
     2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
     ½ teaspoon salt
     Dash of freshly ground pepper
     Pinch of ground cumin

Cut the ends off the eggplants and slice lengthwise, cutting almost all the way through so that eggplant halves fan open. Place each eggplant on enough aluminum foil so that you can close the foil around the eggplant and create a closed cooking pouch. Spread ½ a tablespoon olive oil on each eggplant half. Add half the onion and 2 minced garlic cloves to each eggplant. Seal the aluminum foil and place on a grill, cooking over medium-high heat for approximately 40 minutes until the flesh of the eggplant is soft. Remove from grill and aluminum foil and cool. Scoop out cooked eggplant flesh, cooked onions, and garlic and place in a food processor. Add in remaining ingredients (tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, yogurt, salt, pepper, and cumin) and process until smooth. Serve with pita chips or warmed whole-wheat pita, either at room temperature or chilled.

Nutritional information per serving (1/14 of recipe, 102 grams or approximately ¼ cup):
Calories: 67, Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 88 mg,
Carbohydrate: 7 g, Dietary Fiber: 0 g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 1 g