Not long ago I shared some of my experience with fitness and weight-loss. One of the reasons I finally bit the bullet and published that post after hanging onto it for a while, was that I was carrying a little secret. When I took those after photos and wrote that post, I was a couple of months pregnant. I figured it was then or never since I would probably just start getting bigger from that point on! I had really great intentions going into this pregnancy. I was sure I would be awesome and fit and amazing and continue to eat healthy foods and fuel my body the right way and everything would be magical. And then a little someone came along and reminded me who was boss.
Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been disastrous. I’ve actually kept up working out and weight training and that part of me feels fantastic and strong. Even for the first 3 months when I was completely wiped out and feeling sick, I dragged myself to the gym every single day and I’m so glad I’ve kept up those habits. But my nutrition? That’s another story. You see, my babies don’t like quinoa, fresh spinach, and lean proteins (go figure). They’re more of the peanut butter, oreos, ice cream and nutella-straight-from-the-jar types. And since we’re being honest, we could add onions rings, bbq ribs, melted cheese, and Sour Patch Kids to that list. And ranch dressing. And Mexican food. Lots and lots of Mexican food. Soooo my latest goal has to been to get a handle back on my nutrition because I have been plumping up way too fast after a first trimester where I literally lived off a diet of straight-up carbs (preferably the fried or sugared kind.) And since I’ve been craving Latin food like crazy, I started by coming up with some healthier snacking alternatives and this has been one of my favorites.
Start with a can of black beans (that have been drained and rinsed) and add them to a food processor.
Then we’ll add a little tahini. This combo might sound weird, but trust me, I’ve never led you astray before. (And if you’re not familiar with tahini, it’s a paste that looks, and even tastes similar to peanut butter, but it’s made from sesame seeds. You can usually find it in the foreign food aisle of the grocery store, near the Indian foods.)
Add the juice from a big juicy lime
and you’ll need a little olive oil. I developed this recipe specifically with our Chili Olive Oil in mind- it’s perfection here, but if you don’t have any, you can certainly sub any extra virgin, or our Garlic!
The Chili Oil adds just the right amount of flavor and heat.
Add some minced garlic, ground cumin, and kosher salt and blend it up.
I recommend adding the zest from your lime, too.
After it’s pureed (you can leave it as chunky as you like), add water, or additional lime juice, until it’s the consistency you like. I usually ad 1-2 tablespoons, and then pop it in the fridge to let all of those flavors develop.
While your hummus is chilling, whip up the baked tortilla chips. Brush some 6-inch flour tortillas with olive oil (I prefer garlic olive oil, like ours)
and sprinkle with a mixture of ground cumin and a couple pinches of salt. I mix it up right in my palm and then sprinkle on with my fingers.
Now, I’ve mentioned this in blog posts before, but it’s worth mentioning again. This is one of my all-time favorite pantry staples. Any regular reader of this blog knows how much we LOVE our limes and lemons. And we’ve told you over and over again to never use the bottled stuff. But there will always be times when you’re in a pinch and you don’t have fresh limes, which is why I always, always have this in my cupboard. It’s called True Lime It’s actual crystallized limes (comes in lemon, orange, and grapefruit too.) You can buy it in these little packets, which is what you most often see in the grocery store,
or do what I do and get a big ol’ shaker jar. I love the convenience of just spooning in however much I need to into recipes. You can use it in anything you would use fresh limes for. Just last night I added it to our fresh pico de gallo, and our Fajita marinade.
Bottled lime juice is bitter and lacks flavor, but this stuff? It tastes just like real, fresh limes (because that’s what it is). Every time. I buy mine on Amazon, but you can sometimes find it near the bottled citrus juice, or in the baking aisle of the grocery store. The reason I’m mentioning it here is because it’s one of the few occasions where it shines in its crystallized form. Sprinkling it on tortilla chips (either homemade, like this, or warmed store-bought tortilla chips) gives them that awesome lime-dusted flavor that some restaurants and commercial brands use. It’s kind of a secret ingredient and it’s soooo good. You can of course skip this part of the chips and it’s fine, but if you grab some it knocks these out of the park.
That’s not sponsored- just honestly something I love and use and I thought you’d love it too! Now, back to cooking. Cut up those tortillas into wedges and baked them for 10-12 minutes until they’re light and crispy.
When the hummus is ready, drizzle it with some additional chili oil and sprinkle with some chopped cilantro.
Serve it with your baked chips (or pita chips, veggies, tortilla chips, etc.)
Or I even love it on a wrap with grilled chicken and roasted peppers. Healthy, with a good dose of protein and fiber and it tastes amaaazing.
Black Bean hummus with Baked Cumin-Lime Chips
Recipe by Our Best Bites
1 14.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (preferably our Chili Olive Oil)
optional but recommended: zest from 1 lime
juice from 1 lime (at least 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (jarred is fine)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1-2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
additional olive oil (about 1 teaspoon)
Baked Cumin-Lime Chips
4 6-inch flour tortillas (feel free to make more!)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil (Garlic olive oil, if you have it)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1-2 pinches table salt
optional but recommended: True Lime*
*If you don’t have True Lime, or can’t find it at your store, you could sprinkle on some finely grated and then chopped lime zest, or quickly run a 1/2 a cut lime over tortillas before sprinkling on seasonings.
Place black beans, tahini, 1 tablespoon chili oil, lime zest and juice, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and kosher salt in a food processor. Pulse until relatively smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons water until desired consistency is reached. Can be eaten immediately, but for best results, place in fridge to chill for at least an hour. Note: If you’re not using chili olive oil, feel free to add a few splashes of hot sauce if you’d like a kick.)
To prepare chips, preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean up). Brush tortillas with olive oil. Combine cumin and salt in palm of hand and sprinkle evenly over tortillas. If using True Lime, sprinkle on a little to taste. Use a pizza cutter to slice tortillas into 6 wedges each and place in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Let cool completely and serve with hummus.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups hummus.
Nutritional Info per 1/4 cup Hummus: Cal: 124 Fat:6g Pro:5g Carb: 13g Fiber: 5.5g
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Questions & Reviews
Congrats on your pregnancy, Sara! And I’m looking forward to trying out this recipe!
Congratulations! I was just barely pregnant also when you wrote your post about weight training etc. It has really gotten me to exercise differently (I’m a hard core walker) during this pregnancy (#2), and I am feeling stronger already! Because of your post, I did a whole bunch of research on what is okay during pregnancy…and it’s a lot! I’m enjoying learning how to move my to feel better– and my 2 year old son enjoys working out with me. I use weights, and he uses toy hammers. 🙂 This recipe sounds pretty yummy. I will have to try it! And thanks for the true lime tip!
Haha such a little bossy thing! But anything that can promote the creation of such recipes is okay by me. Love this hummus and especially the chips.
Every good intention went out the window for me too when I went through my pregnancies! I figured I deserved all my carbs after not keeping anything down for 4 1/2 months. 🙂
Congratulations!! (Oh, and I am looking forward to making this recipe!)
Yay for babies! Congratulations!
Congratulations!
This looks delicious! Congrats on your new little one! SO exciting!
I bought myself your four pack of olive oils for Mother’s Day. 🙂 Last night we used the lemon oil on shrimp before we grilled them. DELICIOUS!
Oh I’m so happy you’re enjoying them!
This looks SO good. Can’t wait to try it!
Congratulations! So exciting!
Congrats! I am in a similar boat. Finally lost the last of my weight from my last baby and now trying to eat healthy and stay active for #4! Hang in there!
Haha, good luck! If nothing else, I now know I can knock it all off and get fit quickly after the baby too, lol. Good luck to you too!
Congrats again! I must have missed the true lime in the other posts, but it’s in my Amazon cart right now!! I had no idea this was out there. I’m always running out of lemon/lime, or buying too many and throwing them away.
Congratz! Wishing you all the best!
CONGRATULATIONS! I knew when you posted earlier about wanting another baby that it was just a matter of time. How exciting!! You go girl (and I too hope you get a little girl – so adorable she will be with those big brothers!!)
Congratulations!! Hope your pregnancy is great!
Congratulations! Babies are the best thing ever!!!!! 🙂
Hope you get a girl!!! I just had a baby boy 13 weeks ago and love to nurse him. I have decided the body packs on the fat during pregnancy so that it has a store to make creamy milk for when the baby arrives. So don’t feel bad about a few pounds, it is all for the baby. You are health conscious and it will all come off in due time. You did give us a little bit of a hint that you wanted another baby, and I guessed one must be coming very soon, and so it is! Happy pregnancy!!!!
Congrats!!!! Thanks for keeping it real… I am battling the first trimester food woes right now too and as much as I wish I could tolerate my usually healthy diet, this baby (#3) only likes me when I eat massive amounts of carbs and salty snacks. This recipe might settle in my always churning stomach, so maybe if I get enough energy today, we will whip some up.
YES- bring on the carbs and salt!
Congratulations! I am in the exact same place: pregnant (#5), great intentions, exercising 6 days/wk, but eating to beat the nausea= lots of carbs :(. So…here’s to “at least we know how to get back in shape post baby” :). That little Boss is totally worth it!
Congratulations Sara!!
WOO-HOO! Congratulations! I, like you, always have WONDERFUL intentions at the start of a pregnancy, but when I’m not feeling well I go straight on to comfort foods and old bad habits. I wish it was easier! Anyways, this recipe sounds awesome, and I am so happy for you!
Congrats Sara. You have been my inspiration since your post on health and fitness. I have always been an exercise guru but after baby #3 it was harder to take off the weight. I since have joined a bootcamp and using fitness pal. What’s always been on my mind is what you said in your post… “to finish”. I have been working out 5 days a week for the last month. I have noticed things are sliming but not weight has been lost yet, but I know I am gaining muscle! Thank you for your post. I love hummus! I am excited to try this! thanks :0)
Congratulations Sara!
Congratulations!!
Congratulations! 🙂
This recipe sounds amazing!
Yummy! If you want another idea, we’ve been making your other seasoned black beans recipe and pulse it a few times in the food processor with some cheddar cheese to make the best hot black beam chip dip! Love your recipes and congrats on baby!!
Congratulations!!! And this looks fabulous!
Congrats! I was about 2 months along with that post too, so I’m guessing you’re due in October as well. (Wishing you had posted your weight gain with your cravings so I can maybe feel better about mine… 🙂 Unless your idea of plumping up is like 3 pounds. Then I would feel worse.) Good luck!
This looks delicious! I had bought a black bean hummus from Costco a few months back, and I was wanting to lighten it up. This looks like just the ticket! Congratulations on your pregnancy! 🙂
I am so excited for you and this new little baby. I appreciate how real you are in your posts. It is always so refreshing. Good luck with everything.
How is it possible that there are no comments here already?!?!?! First let me say, congratulations!!! Baby #4 is one lucky little peanut. Second, this looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. btw, I always have the true lemon on hand, but haven’t ever tried the lime variety… I’ll have to amend that soon!
I just barely published it 😉 Just a little early for Monday!