One of my favorite things about blogging has been connecting and making friends with people who I not only have so much in common with but who I also adore, so much, too. Who knew it was possible to have, what some people would consider to be “perfect strangers”, as some of your most favorite people and some of your closest friends.

Since most of us bloggers are scattered all over the country world, it would be nearly impossible to get everyone together to throw a party in someone’s honor – so the next best thing is a virtual party and today a bunch of us teamed up to do just that! In honor of our lovely friend Ella, of Pure Ella today we are hosting a virtual baby shower for and you are all invited. Ella is one of the most sweet and inspiring people I have met, Ella’s energy, happiness and positivity makes me smile every day and I am so proud to call her a friend, despite the fact that we haven’t even met in the real life. Ella’s beautiful site is filled with delectable, swoon-worthy recipes, that are always so perfectly photographed. Plus, besides all of the yummy goodness, she is always sharing fun creative ideas for healthy living, beauty, home, crafts and more.

I am so happy to be able to get together with some friends today, albeit virtually, to celebrate Ella and her family’s pending new addition.

Whether you have an upcoming baby shower you are attending or you are planning a baby shower, a bridal shower or even your mother’s day brunch – there are tons of incredible ideas here for you to knock your guests socks off. The best part is, every single recipe is both gluten-free and vegan, too!

I am so honored to be sharing my recipe amongst this amazing group of talented bloggers, so please after you check out this recipe, head over to each of their sites and check out their amazing recipes, too. Of course, be sure to pin them, share them, print them out, memorize them or whatever you’ve gotta do – these recipes are all so perfect for entertaining, so I know they will all come in handy at some time or another, whether for an upcoming baby shower, bridal shower or another occasion.

For our little virtual baby shower today, I am bringing these deliciously simple Sprouted Hummus Cucumber Cups. I wanted to create a simple, raw savory finger food that was not just delicious, but that’s also full of amazing, healthy goodness, too. If you haven’t noticed, I have been a tad obsessed with sprouting lately. Beyond the traditional sprouts you would add to your salad, I have also been sprouting just about anything else that I can. I kinda can’t stop.

Sprouted chickpeas have a different taste to them then cooked chickpeas, a bit more earthy and green – but this flavor lends itself so well to a hummus, and you can customize the flavor of the hummus to really, whatever you’d like, I kept it simple with this one. Besides having a unique flavor – by sprouting the chickpeas, you are also making them much easier to digest (you read more about why here) – which means no gassy mishaps at the baby shower. Seriously though, sprouting unlocks the full potential of foods so you are able to absorb much more of the available nutrients. It really is like magic, sprouted chickpeas not only contain much more protein then traditional cooked chickpeas, but you are also getting up to 5 times the vitamins that you normally would get with cooked/canned chickpeas. These sprouted guys are high in magnesium and zinc and they are a great source of complex carbohydrates. So, not only are we getting an incredible and tasty bite-sized baby shower worthy snack – but a nutrient-dense one, at that.

Sprouting is an easy process, no special skills are needed and really no special tools, just some time and patience. I encourage you to check out my how-to post on sprouting, where I go even more in depth about how to do it, what foods you can sprout and all of the many benefits of sprouting.

If you don’t want to be bothered with sprouting, you can just add your favorite homemade hummus to these cute little cucumber cups, instead.

So here’s to the new baby! Enjoy one of these delicious Sprouted Hummus Cucumber Cups and be sure to check out what else is going on at the baby shower at the bottom of this post, below the recipe!

[print_this]Sprouted Hummus Cucumber Cups – Gluten-free and Vegan
makes approximately 40 – 50 cucumber cups

Sprouted Hummus
makes about 2 cups

• 1 cup dried organic chickpeas – this will end up being about 1 1/2 to 2 cups, once sprouted
• 1/4 cup organic unsalted tahini*
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water (you may want more depending on the consistency)
• 1 1/2  teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• dash of ground cayenne, to taste (we add a lot, we like spicy)
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup Terra Delyssa organic extra virgin olive oil
• fresh chives, parsley or raw bell pepper for serving

1) Sprout the chickpeas. Rinse the dried chickpeas a few times and then drain. Add them to a glass jar, cover in 2-3 times as much cool filtered water and place sprouting lid or cheesecloth (held in place by a rubber band or the metal jar ring) over the top of the jar. Soak overnight, for at least 12 hours. In the morning, drain the soaking water off, rinse the chickpeas, drain again and with the lid on, tip the jar upside down and place into a bowl at an angle (don’t turn totally upside down, they need oxygen), so that any remaining liquid drains off. Leave on the counter, out of direct sunlight. Rinse the chickpeas a couple times a day with filtered water and allow to sprout over 1 to 3 days. They should have tails about 1/4-inch long.  Read my full post on sprouting for more information.

2) Once sprouted, give the chickpeas one final rinse and drain. Pull out any chickpeas that are mushy or look yucky. Add the chickpeas, garlic, tahini and lemon juice to the food processor. Process until smooth and creamy adding in however much water is necessary to keep it moving and make it creamy. Then add the sea salt and whatever spices you are using. Continue processing to combine and then drizzle the olive oil in slowly, while it’s processing.

Give the hummus a taste and add more salt or any other seasonings, if necessary.

 

Cucumber Cups

• 3-4 large cucumbers

1) Peel the cucumbers partially, leaving thin strips of skin going down the entire length of the cucumber, alternatively you can also run a fork or zester down the side to create a cool pattern. Cut off the ends of the cucumbers and cut each cucumber into 3/4 to 1-inch thick slices. You’ll probably get about 10-12 slices per cucumber, depending on the size. Scoop out the center of each cucumber slice with a melon baller, leaving a shell of flesh for the filling to sit on.

2) Add the hummus to a pastry bag and pipe it into the cucumber cups or you can just spoon it in. Garnish with a little smoked paprika, some fresh chives, parsley or a little raw red bell pepper.

 

* use homemade or store-bought raw tahini if you want this to be a truly raw recipe.

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Check out the other delicious dishes we are serving up at Ella’s Virtual Baby Shower:

 

Emma of Coconut & Berries (Strawberry Orange Rosewater Smoothie)

Gina of So…Let’s Hang Out (Cucumber Mint Limeade)

Sylvie of Gourmande In The Kitchen (Hibiscus, Strawberry, & Rhubarb Iced Tea)

Kris of 80 Twenty (Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus)  

Ashley of My Heart Beets (Artichoke Hummus)

Meg of Beard and Bonnet (Shower Worthy Tea Sandwiches)

Rika of Vegan Miam (Sweet Potato Dumplings in Ginger and Jasmine Syrup {Tang Yuan})

Sherrie of With Food + Love (Blackberry + Mango Fruit Salad with Earl Grey Whipped Coconut Cream)

Jenny of Nourished Kitchen (Cultured Coconut Milk & Mango Popsicles)

Richa of Vegan Richa (Dark Chocolate Silk Pie)

Gabby of The Veggie Nook (Lemon Poppyseed Truffles)

Cara of Fork and Beans (Lemon Blackberry Cupcakes)

Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen (Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes )