Many of my girlfriends and family are fun, awesome, and fabulous young moms, and though I’m still a few years away from little ones of my own, the idea of “mom friendly” dishes has popped up more than once.  I was a pretty open minded eater as a little kid, but my brother on the other hand…ketchup and brown stuff only.  Getting a vegetable across his plate was practically impossible. I’m surprised he survived toddlerhood without a bout of scurvy.  So to help out these lovely friends of mine, I’m dedicating mondays to mom-friendly dinners that are easy to make, delicious for everybody, and all with some secret veggies folded in.

When my cousin Erica came over to work on our latest beauty collaborations, I was muddling over what recipes I could add to the Mom Monday roster.  Erica has the most adorable baby boy in the world (it’s a fact), named Jack, and like all babies there are certain things he loves to eat, and other things he doesn’t.  “Kids love peas and yams,” Erica chimed in, “and something they can eat with their hands.” We bantered back and forth on it a bit longer and settled on sweet pea hummus.  Perfect for dipping carrots, pita, whatever you like, and sophisticated enough that mom will love it too.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons sugar (for boiling peas)

2 tablespoons kosher salt (for boiling peas)

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, strained with liquid reserved

1/4 cup greek yogurt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Boil a quart of water, add the tablespoons of sugar and kosher salt.  Add the peas, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender and bright green.  Toss the cooked peas into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Strain the peas, and combine with the garbanzo beans, yogurt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, tahini, and lemon juice in a food processor.  Puree until smooth and thick.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you want it thicker, add a bit of oil as you puree.  To make it thinner, add the cooking liquid from the garbanzo beans or water.

Serve with your favorite veggies and pita!