Green Dream (Edamame & Avocado Hummus)

Summertime cooking tends to pair well with three particular descriptors: light, fresh, and fast. 
With pot-lucks and BBQs-a-plenty, it's sometimes hard to stick to the "light" and "fresh" part of that equation. I've been known to generally bring along my no-fail-crowd-pleasing spinach dip whenever the occasion permits. Today, however, I felt like being a little different - I wanted to bring it up a notch. I decided that I was going to make something healthier, fresher, brighter... 

Leaning further toward the vegan side of life these days, I was inspired to make an egg-free, dairy-free dip. You'd think this would have limited my options, but in fact, it just opened a whole new door into the world of food. Last week, I fell in love with a simple salad that I picked up at the grocery store - edamame beans, cilantro and sesame. A flavour combination that would certainly blend well into a dip, I thought! Well, today was the perfect day to try it out. Gathering all my fresh ingredients, I knew I was ready to wow the crowd. I threw everything into my blender, hit pulse and... watched it fail. My blender just didn't want to whip up something so thick and creamy. What a jerk! Just when I was about to give up, a tiny imaginary lightbulb hovered over my head and lit right up - hand blender to the rescue! The result: Hummus meets Guacamole at a party and they make a delicious baby together. 
Sounds about right. 

Edamame Hummus with Avocado
original recipe by allison sklar

what you'll need
1 ripe avocado
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup shelled edamame beans, steamed (cooled)
pinch sea salt (to taste)
handful chopped fresh cilantro (to taste)
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
1tbsp lime juice
sesame seeds or cilantro for garnish (optional)

how to do it
in a small bowl, whisk together tahini and oil. Using a fork, mash in avocado. Mash in beans and chickpeas, a little at a time. (Mixture will be a bit chunky!) Sprinkle with salt, lime juice and cilantro. With hand blender, smooth to desired consistency. If dip is too thick/dry, add water, 1 tbsp at a time, and blend until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately, or refrigerate well covered and stir well before serving.