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Hummus from scratch

January 15, 2023
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For a quick easy snack or a delicious sandwich spread, you can't beat hummus. Throw in a tomato and cucumber salad drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with some Za'atar and you have a great lunch. 

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Just a few simple ingredients and you are good to go. 

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Garbanzo beans and tahini are two of my must have pantry staples so I can make this quick easy snack anytime I want. 

The basic recipe is just beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and a little salt. 
When you drain the canned beans, be sure to reserve the "bean juice," the aquafaba. If you like a thinner, smoother hummus you will need it to thin the hummus out a little, it also has several other good uses.

Here at Creaky-bones compound, aka Senior Citizen Apartment living, on Fridays, some of us get together to play cornhole. I like to bring tasty snacks to share and the hummus and tomato salads are always a favorite. 

Enjoy

Hummus from scratch

 

Yield: about 1 1/3 cups

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (do not drain), or about 2 cups drained, cooked chickpeas

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons tahini

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon), plus more as needed

1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Serving options: pita wedges, pita chips, raw sliced vegetables

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Drain the chickpeas into a strainer, reserving the liquid from the can. If time and patience allow, pinch the skins from each of the chickpeas; this will make your hummus smoother.

Combine all ingredients in the food processor. Combine the chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the blade attachment or blender.

Blend hummus until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Process the hummus continuously until it becomes very smooth, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to integrate any large chunks.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Taste and add more of any of the ingredients to taste. If your hummus is stiffer than you'd like, blend 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved chickpea liquid to thin it out and make the hummus creamier.

Transfer to a bowl and serve. Scrape the hummus into a bowl and serve with pita chips or raw vegetables.

Note:

Using dried chickpeas: For even tastier and more authentic hummus, try cooking your own dried chickpeas from scratch.

Hummus variations• Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of spices for more flavor, like cumin, sumac, harissa, or smoked paprika. • Drizzle a little pomegranate molasses or sprinkle a pinch of sumac on top. • For a roasted vegetable hummus, blend in 1 cup of roasted vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, or garlic. • For an olive hummus, fold in 3/4 cup of chopped green or black olives. • For a nutty hummus, blend in some lightly toasted walnuts, almonds, or pine nuts. • For a more lemony hummus, add 1/4 cup of chopped preserved lemons.

Storage: Hummus will also keep for up to 1 week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Source: Kitchn

And that's that!

Posted at 01:29 PM in Appetizer, Middle Eastern, Snack | | Comments (0)

There's Hummus among us.

December 04, 2020
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This is a whole new hummus recipe for me and from now on, the only one I'll use. 

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I was curious as to the difference if any, the temperature of the chickpeas, warm vs chilled, would have on the finished hummus, so I ran a little experiment. 
On the left, hummus made with chilled chickpeas and chilled cooking liquid (aquafaba). It is thicker and yielded half a cup more than the hummus made with warm chickpeas shown on the right. 

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On the right is the hummus made with warm chickpeas and warm aquafaba, it's not as full-bodied as the chilled batch produced. Even after refrigeration, there remained a difference in the consistency, neither one is "grainy," they are both silky and smooth. 
These are right out of the food processor before refrigeration. There is no difference in taste. 

I didn't skin the chickpeas before processing and you really don't need to, trust me, they will get good and pulverized considering how long they are processed, and I think the addition of the water during processing helps break them down even more.  

Here's what I found interesting about this recipe; the use of the cooking liquid (aquafaba,) the ratio of tahini to chickpeas and the amount of water added, oh yeah, and using citric acid in lieu of lemon juice. LOL, I guess that's the whole recipe.

Please give it a try, you won't regret it. 

From the cookbook On The Hummus Route.

Hummus Hakosem

 

c o o k e d c h i c k p e a s for hummus

  1. Place the chickpeas in a bowl, add water to cover by at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) and place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. The maximum time for soaking chickpeas shouldn’t exceed 48 hours. 2. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas thoroughly.
  2. Transfer the chickpeas to a deep, large saucepan. Add water to cover by at least 2 inches (5 centimeters), add the baking soda and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the chickpeas are soft, the skins are split, and the cooking liquid is thick and gelatinous, 1 to 1¼ hours. Make sure that the water is at a steady simmer and the chickpeas are in constant motion. Use a spoon to occasionally skim the foam floating to the surface.
  3. If using whole chickpeas as garnish, use a slotted spoon to set aside 1 cup of chickpeas when they are soft, but before they lose their shape.
  4. Let cool. Place the cooked chickpeas in an airtight container and cover with their cooking liquid. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use, 2 to 3 days.

 Ingredients

  • 1 1/4cups (300 grams) chilled Cooked Chickpeas for Hummus
    ½ cup (120 milliliters) chilled chickpea cooking liquid
    1¼ teaspoons citric acid (see Note)
    1¼ teaspoons salt
    2 cups (480 grams) raw tahini
    1 cup (240 milliliters) cold water

Directions

    1. Place the chickpeas, cooking liquid, citric acid, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth, about 3 minutes.
    2. Add 1 cup (240 grams) of the tahini and ½ cup (120 milliliters) of the cold water and process for 2 minutes more.
    3. Add the remaining 1 cup (240 grams) tahini and the remaining ½ cup (120 milliliters) water, and process for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and citric acid, if needed. The hummus should be slightly thin and runny.
    4. Transfer the hummus to an airtight container and refrigerate for 6 to 10 hours. During this time, the hummus will stabilize, develop a creamy texture, and its flavor will deepen.
      The hummus will keep in an airtight container refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.

    5. Note:Citric acid is used by many hummus makers instead of lemon juice. It offers consistent acidity and flavor, unlike lemon juice, which can be volatile and turn bitter in your hummus. Hummus is a perfect food. It incorporates legumes (chickpeas), fat (tahini), and grain (in the form of pita), making it an ideal vehicle for consuming protein. It also happens to be a delicious and nourishing food, with a luscious texture and dreamy flavor that dazzles the senses. When making the hummus, be sure to follow the recipe to a tee. Using chilled chickpeas and chickpea cooking liquid is especially important, as it will produce a thick and creamy spread. Recipe by Ariel Rosenthal

And that's that!

Posted at 04:13 PM in Middle Eastern, Vegetarian | | Comments (0)

Freekeh and pinto bean soup aka Shorbat Freekeh

November 14, 2020
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For those of you who like me are unfamiliar with freekeh, it's unripe green wheat that's been roasted over wood fires. It has a wonderful smoky flavor. I hope you seek it out, it's well worth your effort. 

So let's get cooking, gather up some, 

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Freekeh, pinto beans, celery, carrot, lemon, allspice, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, onion, and chicken broth. 

Dice the onion and get that started sauteing in a saucepan. 

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Toast the coriander and cumin seeds and crush in a mortar. I love my little wooden one, it's the perfect size for nuts and seeds. They don't jump out all over the place when I'm trying to grind them up.
Once the seeds toasted and ground and to the onions along with the allspice and garlic. Toast about a minute more. 

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To the onion and spices, add the beans, carrots, celery, stock, and freekeh. I didn't add water like the recipe says, I used all stock. 
Once the freekeh is soft, add the lemon juice and olive oil. 

Ladle up, top with yogurt, chives and olive oil. You'll love it. 

Freekeh and pinto bean soup

Ingredients

  • Shorbat Freekeh

    2 tablespoons olive oil or any neutral oil
    1 onion, finely chopped
    1 teaspoon coriander seeds
    1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    14 oz./400g can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
    1 cup/150g freekeh
    2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
    2 celery sticks, finely chopped
    4 cups/500ml vegetable or chicken stock
    sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
    2 tablespoons lemon juice unflavored yogurt, to serve
    3 1/2 tablespoons/15g chives, finely chopped

Directions

  1. Heat the cooking oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry over a medium heat for 10–15 minutes, until soft. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds by stirring them in a dry pan over a low heat for a minute or so until their aromas are released. Crush them in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and add to the onion with the allspice and garlic. Fry for another 2 minutes until fragrant.

    Add the pinto beans, freekeh, carrots, celery, stock and 2 cups/500ml just-boiled water, cover and simmer for 45 minutes until the freekeh is quite soft. Then season with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the 2 tablespoons each of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

    Depending on how salty (or not) your stock was, you may want to add a little more salt. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.

    To serve, ladle into warmed bowls, add generous dollops of unflavored yogurt, a sprinkling of chives and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

    Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen Cookbook

And that's that!

Posted at 01:25 PM in Middle Eastern, Soups/Stews | | Comments (0)

JUST Shakshuka

April 05, 2020
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Shakshuka is one of my all-time favorite egg dishes, I haven't been able to enjoy it ever since eggs and I have become arch-enemies. 

Well, I'm happy to say that I can now enjoy shakshuka since I discovered JUST, the plant-based, vegan, egg substitute. I know, I know, no runny egg yolk with which to enrich the sauce, but I'll take what I can get, and be happy with it. BTW, JUST is, just wonderful. (yes, I had to)

Yotam Ottolenghi's shakshuka recipe is one of my favorites, it's direct, quick and easy, and delicious. You'll see what I mean. 

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This is it, this is all you need, olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, harissa, bell pepper, cumin, salt, and canned tomatoes, well and eggs or JUST

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Everything but the tomatoes and eggs get sauteed until the peppers soften, about 10 minutes.

Then the tomatoes are added and simmered for about 10 more minutes to thicken the sauce. 

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If you were to crack open a large egg into a measuring cup, it would equal 1/4 cup. So I just measured out 1/4 of the JUST and nestled that into the center of the sauce. 

Other than no yolk, you wouldn't even know that wasn't an egg in the sauce, it tastes exactly like an egg.  

I cooked only one egg because I use the sauce for other things too, like pork chops, it's awesome with pork. 

The JUST people don't even know I exist, this is uncompensated and unsolicited. I'm hoping other people with "egg issues" will benefit from my experiment. 

Shakshuka

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon harissa (homemade, if you'd like)
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 2 (2 cups / 300 grams) large red peppers, diced in 1/4-inch pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 5 cups (800 grams) very ripe tomatoes, chopped; canned are also fine
  • 4 large eggs, plus 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup (120 grams) labneh or thick yogurt
  • 1 pinch salt

Directions

  1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and then add the harissa, tomato paste, red peppers, garlic, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute for about 10 minutes, until the peppers soften. Add the tomatoes, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
  2. Make eight little dips in the sauce. Gently break the eggs and carefully pour each into its own dip. Do the same with the yolks, Use a fork to swirl the egg whites a little bit with the sauce, taking care not to break the yolks. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still running. Remove from the heat, leave for a couple of minutes to settle, then spoon into individual plates. and serve with the labneh or yogurt.

    Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook Jerusalem 

     

And that's that!

Posted at 03:26 PM in Cheese/eggs, Middle Eastern | | Comments (0)