Love, Laughter and Lentils: Heaven in Dip Form

Last week on FBG, I had the opportunity to gush over a new-found Fit Bottomed Girl: Elana from Beach Bum Foods. And today I get to gush over three of her dips: Original Avocado, Basil Avocado and Spicy Avocado! It’s no surprise, I loved all three. It’s only recently that I learned the potential of the all-powerful lentil bean. The beans pack some good protein, which came in handy this past winter when I was on a soup kick. I made sure to throw them in whenever I could. Now that it’s summer and warm as heck outside, soup just doesn’t appeal to the taste buds—so you can imagine how delighted I was to find a cold lentil dip full of recipe potential.
The Original Avocado tip is tasty and has a pretty straightforward taste. It’s a smooth, lentil-flavored spread that proved to be fabulous for wraps. I took a whole-wheat tortilla, spread a spoonful of the dip on and then added cucumber, sliced tomatoes, red onion and spinach for a tasty and easy lunch meal.

The Basil Avocado could work as a spread as well, but I have a sweet spot for basil, so I bought a bag of Trader Joe’s gluten-free sweet potato chips and went to town with a friend one night. The sweet potato and basil were so good together! I swear that combination is a match made in heaven. My bud had to cut me off.

The Spicy Avocado is a zinger! It won’t give you third-degree mouth burns by any means, but you will feel the heat after a scoop or two of this spicy dip. It’s got a bite, but that didn’t stop me from trying it on wraps and using it as a dip for veggies and chips.

What about you? Trying to incorporate more plant-based protein into your daily meals? Ever tried lentils? —Tish