I don't know if this is true where you are, but it is flu season here and it has hit hard. People of all ages are coming down with head colds, ear infections, sinus infections, bronchitis and more! As an educator I am constantly surrounded by sniffles, runny noses, dirty hands and illness. Fighting off the onslaught of disease has become common practice and the best way to do that is to keep your immune system super charged through eating good food!

Every year I fight off illness with garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, spirulina and my all time super hero, oil of oregano. That stuff is a lifesaver and has stopped many a cold in its tracks.

Often I do research on the medicinal properties of food in order to gain a greater understanding of how our bodies utilize minerals and vitamins as well as to gain ideas for new recipes and flavor combinations. Recently, when performing this research I came across an old favorite that is currently being touted as a super-food, horseradish!

Horseradish is extremely alkaline, is loaded with nutrients and minerals including fiber, vitamin c, folate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and manganese. It can clear a sinus infection, ease joint pain, kill bacteria, cure a urinary tract infection and has shown promise in reducing cancerous tumors as well as protecting the body from toxins.

I love horseradish and its spicy goodness and it just so happened that I had some fresh horseradish root in the fridge waiting to be prepared. I made up a batch of horseradish by peeling and processing the potent root in the food processor with water, apple cider vinegar and salt. As my eyes were tearing and my nose running I decided that I wanted to turn some of that horseradish into a delicious sauce to go with the squash, brussels sprouts and tomatoes that I had just roasted. Often times when cooking I kind of just wing it and hope for the best. I saw some parsley in the fridge as well and thought that it would go nicely with the horseradish then added some lemon, mustard, more apple cider vinegar, and olive oil. I didn't want to go the route of a cream sauce but boy I needed something to cut the heat of my creation, thus adding a can of chickpeas to the processor created a hummus that was absolutely delightful topped with the roasted vegetables and a drizzle of olive oil. I hope that you enjoy as well.

Roasted Vegetables over a Spicy Horseradish and Parsley Hummus

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed

2 cups of Brussels Sprouts, halved

1 pint Grape Tomatoes

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1 tsp Oregano

Horseradish and Parsley Hummus

4 tbs Horseradish

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley

1 tbs Whole Grain Mustard

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 15.5oz can of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Preheat the oven to 375. Toss the butternut squash and brussels sprouts with the olive oil, oregano, and a liberal dose of salt. Turn onto a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes or until browned, stirring halfway through. Throw the tomatoes into the same bowl that you tossed the squash and brussels sprouts in, coating with the leftover oil. Add to the baking sheet and roast all of the vegetables for another 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have split.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, process the horseradish, parsley, apple cider vinegar, lemon, mustard, chickpeas and olive oil. Season with salt to taste.

At this time you can choose to warm the hummus slightly or serve as is topped with the roasted vegetables and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy and healthy eating!

Garlic Scapes are a refreshing spring time treat, there potent, zingy flavor enlivens any dish. They can be used to replace garlic but more importantly they provide a more intense, greener flavor than the bulb. Previously I posted my radish green and garlic scape pesto on the blog which is an example of how simple and versatile the scape can be.

After making that delicious pesto which I used for 2 weeks straight on sandwiches, with zucchini noodles, and simple ate with a spoon, I still had a few scapes left that needed to be used. With friends on the way over. hummus seemed like the perfect snack and the perfect platform to showcase the rest of those vibrant scapes.

Hummus is one of my favorite snacks. I have spent a lot of time researching and experimenting in order to create the perfect smooth, creamy dip that I desired. Now, after perfecting my recipe it is difficult to go back to the store bought brands as they lack that freshness that I have become accustomed to.

The secret to perfect hummus to cook the chickpeas until they are mushy and then to use the cooking water in your dip when pureeing. I often sprout chickpeas first and then cook them off but canned chickpeas work as well. Combined with liberal amounts of olive oil, cumin, lemon, and in this instance garlic scapes the flavors is delightful.

As a side note, the garlic scapes are a little bit fibrous so the hummus may not be as silky when made with regular garlic.

Garlic Scape Hummus with Raw Sweet Potato Chips

2 15oz cans of Chickpeas or 2 cups of dried Chickpeas, soaked and sprouted

4 Garlic Scapes

1/4 cup Olive OIl

1/4 cup Tahini

1 tbs Cumin

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1 cup Chickpea cooking water

Juice of 1 lemon

Place the chickpeas in a medium saucepan and cover with 2in of water. Bring to a boil, reducing to a simmer and letting cook until mushy about 30 minutes. Drain chickpeas, reserving cooking water. Remove chickpea films if desired - this will make the color of your hummus brighter.

Add the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and cumin to a food processor.Begin to process, slowly pouring in the cooking water until smooth. You can add more cooking water if you would like to to be a little looser, the hummus will set up as it chills in the refrigerator.

Place the hummus in a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin and oregano.

Slice sweet potatoes to a 1/4in thick, dust with salt and enjoy!