Let me just begin by saying that I love cook books with pictures. Odds are if the book has a piece of meat with pretty grill marks, really shallow depth of field, or a cute title, I'm going to pick it up and take a look.
And that's what happened a few days ago at Barnes and Noble. I ran across a book called Super Duper Soups by Michael van Straten. "Healing soups for the mind and body," it said, as well as the deal-maker: on sale for $3.99 (I'm a sucker for a good deal).
Super Duper Soups is all about how your diet affects your health, your appearance, and even your mood. Then it goes on to recommend different soups to help cure your various ailments, whether it's a bad mood, bad skin, or lack of, uh, libido, let's say.
Having had two colds in three weeks (yes, you read that correctly), I decided to check out the immunity boosting chapter. The soup that caught my eye is called Vegetable Power. It's features vegetables that have allinase which, according to the book, "help boost natural resistance, attack invading organisms, help lower cholestorol, reduce blood pressure, and prevent blood clots." (page 17 for those of you reading along with me)
Sounds good, right?
VEGETABLE POWER SOUP
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1 tbsp flour
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
2 carrots, trimmed and peeled, cut into small dice
2 medium zucchini, cubed
1 leek, finely sliced
1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into small dice
6 cups vegetable stock
4 tbsp tomato paste
1)Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently sautee the onion. After a couple of minutes, add the garlic and sautee until soft.
2) Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix well.
3) Add the rest of the vegetables, stock, tomato paste, and stir well.
4) Bring to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are cooked.
I could not for the life of me find a zucchini, so I omitted that, but I think everything is going to be okay. The soup is delicious. A little on the tomato-ey side, but that's okay. If you don't like tomato so much, cut back on it or even leave it out all together, if you're feeling especially bold.
And can I just say how much fun it is to chop veggies and watch them simmer? That might have sounded sarcastic, but it's really not. There's snow on the ground, it's three days until Christmas, and the whole process of making soup was incredibly cozy. Even though I was at work in the morning and did a lot, I feel even more accomplished now that I've made soup. Delicious and healthy soup, no less.
Showing posts with label garlic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garlic. Show all posts
12/22/09
9/18/09
Spaghetti with Sausage, Peas, and Garlic.
And speaking of sausage...
We did happen to have 1/3 of a pound of sausage leftover from our previous skillet adventures. About to go bad, I decided to use it up. I created a tasty dish which was heavily inspired by the latest issue of Rachel Ray's magazine, which features a really great article about pasta and various sauces you can make for it.
I decided to use spaghetti, since we have about three boxes sitting around. I was missing one ingredient for all but one of Rachel Ray's pasta sauce recipes - olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
Super simple. 1/3 cup of EVOO, 1/4 cup of chopped parsley (I used dried, but you could certainly use fresh), and 1 tbsp. garlic. Plus a dash of salt. Heat in a skillet over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle, then toss with your pasta.
The cool thing about the pasta article in the magazine is that it included ways to customize the various pasta sauces and make them a little more exciting (in case garlic and EVOO aren't thrilling enough for you). The one that really caught my eye was the garlic and EVOO base with the addition of sausage, red pepper flakes, and broccoli. In true Katie fashion, however, I didn't have broccoli and had to substitute something. I settled on peas, because they're delicious and in no way resemble broccoli (which I despise).
Once the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sausage (mine was already cooked, but you could use raw), 2 cups peas, and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes .Or 1/4 TABLESPOON, if you're like me and can't read. It was delicious, regardless. The red pepper flakes, garlic, and sausage played together so nicely.
And this meal couldn't have come together any easier. While the pasta boils, prepare the sauce. Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot, then combine the pasta and sauce with tongs. Boom. Done. Delicious.
Thank you, Rachel Ray, for being so awesome.
We did happen to have 1/3 of a pound of sausage leftover from our previous skillet adventures. About to go bad, I decided to use it up. I created a tasty dish which was heavily inspired by the latest issue of Rachel Ray's magazine, which features a really great article about pasta and various sauces you can make for it.
I decided to use spaghetti, since we have about three boxes sitting around. I was missing one ingredient for all but one of Rachel Ray's pasta sauce recipes - olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
Super simple. 1/3 cup of EVOO, 1/4 cup of chopped parsley (I used dried, but you could certainly use fresh), and 1 tbsp. garlic. Plus a dash of salt. Heat in a skillet over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle, then toss with your pasta.
The cool thing about the pasta article in the magazine is that it included ways to customize the various pasta sauces and make them a little more exciting (in case garlic and EVOO aren't thrilling enough for you). The one that really caught my eye was the garlic and EVOO base with the addition of sausage, red pepper flakes, and broccoli. In true Katie fashion, however, I didn't have broccoli and had to substitute something. I settled on peas, because they're delicious and in no way resemble broccoli (which I despise).
Once the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sausage (mine was already cooked, but you could use raw), 2 cups peas, and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes .Or 1/4 TABLESPOON, if you're like me and can't read. It was delicious, regardless. The red pepper flakes, garlic, and sausage played together so nicely.
And this meal couldn't have come together any easier. While the pasta boils, prepare the sauce. Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot, then combine the pasta and sauce with tongs. Boom. Done. Delicious.
Thank you, Rachel Ray, for being so awesome.
I'm giving my blog a complex.
Whoa, look who abandoned her blog for almost two months. Bad blogger!
I assure you, it's not for lack of eating. I've actually been eating some pretty tasty foods. It's just that life (what little life I have, anyway) has kind of taken over and made me not really want to make the clicky-clicks on the keyboard to talk about food.
And, in my renewed effort to keep this blog going and make it the best little blog ever, I am going to go through and clean up my ingredient tags. Nobody cares if I used salt - it's pretty much a given.
Anyway. On to the good stuff.
As a throwback to my last blog entry...yes, putting garlic cloves in the fridge helps them sprout. My garlics are growing quite nicely, with big green tops. What you are supposed to do is plant them in the fall, cover them with mulch through the winter, then harvest in the spring when the tops have wilted. Any time a plant comes with the instructions "harvest when tops have toppled" it makes me angry. I wish there were a more definitive sign than toppled tops. You can't measure topple. There was no Sir Isaac Topple in Renaissance Italy to invent some sort of measurement for the relative horizontal position of vegetable tops. So I feel that it's a terrible direction to give someone, "harvest when the greens have toppled." I have a tendency to think that when the vegetable top is point ever so slightly downward, it has toppled. I am, however, alarmist and generally bad at plants.
And, in further response to my garlic post, about chopping and saving my own garlic, I think it's cheaper to buy a big tub of pre-minced garlic. I can get garlic in a jar about the size of a pickle jar for about $4. Whereas I'd buy 4 cloves of garlic for about the same price, plus the cost of olive oil. And it wouldn't even last me nearly as long. The last big jar of garlic I had lasted me close to a year. Good cost savings right there, I think.
I assure you, it's not for lack of eating. I've actually been eating some pretty tasty foods. It's just that life (what little life I have, anyway) has kind of taken over and made me not really want to make the clicky-clicks on the keyboard to talk about food.
And, in my renewed effort to keep this blog going and make it the best little blog ever, I am going to go through and clean up my ingredient tags. Nobody cares if I used salt - it's pretty much a given.
Anyway. On to the good stuff.
As a throwback to my last blog entry...yes, putting garlic cloves in the fridge helps them sprout. My garlics are growing quite nicely, with big green tops. What you are supposed to do is plant them in the fall, cover them with mulch through the winter, then harvest in the spring when the tops have wilted. Any time a plant comes with the instructions "harvest when tops have toppled" it makes me angry. I wish there were a more definitive sign than toppled tops. You can't measure topple. There was no Sir Isaac Topple in Renaissance Italy to invent some sort of measurement for the relative horizontal position of vegetable tops. So I feel that it's a terrible direction to give someone, "harvest when the greens have toppled." I have a tendency to think that when the vegetable top is point ever so slightly downward, it has toppled. I am, however, alarmist and generally bad at plants.
And, in further response to my garlic post, about chopping and saving my own garlic, I think it's cheaper to buy a big tub of pre-minced garlic. I can get garlic in a jar about the size of a pickle jar for about $4. Whereas I'd buy 4 cloves of garlic for about the same price, plus the cost of olive oil. And it wouldn't even last me nearly as long. The last big jar of garlic I had lasted me close to a year. Good cost savings right there, I think.
7/28/09
Garden Plans
It's late summer and most of our plants have given us all that they have to give.
So now it's time to look to the future, plan an autumn garden, and think about next summer and what we'd like to grow.
I did some research and found that garlic, onions, and leeks grow quite nicely during the late summer. Squashes and other similar plants are also grow quite nicely, although Aric and I don't really eat those kinds of vegetables. Spinach, cabbage, and broccoli are also possibilities.
For now, however, we are going to concentrate on the garlic. How awesome would it be to grow your own garlic?
I'm an avid fan of Sandra's Money Saving Meals (Food Network, Sunday mornings, check it out!). Sandra says that it's cheaper to mince and preserve your own garlic than it is to buy the pre-minced garlic from the store. I usually buy the pre-minced, so I'm thinking about pricing it out. Is it cheaper to buy a 99 cent bulb of garlic than it is to buy the pre-made? We shall see.
Anyway. Back to the garden. I'm researching how exactly to go about growing garlic. I know you plant one clove for every garlic bulb you want, but I'm trying to find out if you need to prepare the clove in any way. I thought I read somewhere that you have to soak the clove in water and keep it in the fridge until it sprouts little roots (something about garlic sprouting better in chilly climates). We shall see.
So now it's time to look to the future, plan an autumn garden, and think about next summer and what we'd like to grow.
I did some research and found that garlic, onions, and leeks grow quite nicely during the late summer. Squashes and other similar plants are also grow quite nicely, although Aric and I don't really eat those kinds of vegetables. Spinach, cabbage, and broccoli are also possibilities.
For now, however, we are going to concentrate on the garlic. How awesome would it be to grow your own garlic?
I'm an avid fan of Sandra's Money Saving Meals (Food Network, Sunday mornings, check it out!). Sandra says that it's cheaper to mince and preserve your own garlic than it is to buy the pre-minced garlic from the store. I usually buy the pre-minced, so I'm thinking about pricing it out. Is it cheaper to buy a 99 cent bulb of garlic than it is to buy the pre-made? We shall see.
Anyway. Back to the garden. I'm researching how exactly to go about growing garlic. I know you plant one clove for every garlic bulb you want, but I'm trying to find out if you need to prepare the clove in any way. I thought I read somewhere that you have to soak the clove in water and keep it in the fridge until it sprouts little roots (something about garlic sprouting better in chilly climates). We shall see.
7/2/09
Kidney Bean Curry
I have a confession to make...
I backslid on the meal plan. I blatantly deviated from the plan.
But I was so hungry, and everything else would have taken far too long to prepare! And I didn't even have to buy anything extra to make this meal!
And really, you should be proud of me. I researched this recipe and combined several to satisfy my taste buds. This is ingenuity, not impropriety!
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. garam masala
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Sautee onion, garlic, and ginger over med-high heat until soft.
2) Add water, tomatoes, spices, and salt (to taste). Stir to combine.
3) Add beans and stir to coat.
4) Let simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until thick and creamy.
5) Serve over brown rice.
This truly is a wonderful "emergency meal." It doesn't take much time at all to prepare, and is very filling. Aric and I each both ate a bowl full and weren't hungry until the next morning.
I backslid on the meal plan. I blatantly deviated from the plan.
But I was so hungry, and everything else would have taken far too long to prepare! And I didn't even have to buy anything extra to make this meal!
And really, you should be proud of me. I researched this recipe and combined several to satisfy my taste buds. This is ingenuity, not impropriety!
KIDNEY BEAN CURRY
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. garam masala
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Sautee onion, garlic, and ginger over med-high heat until soft.
2) Add water, tomatoes, spices, and salt (to taste). Stir to combine.
3) Add beans and stir to coat.
4) Let simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until thick and creamy.
5) Serve over brown rice.
This truly is a wonderful "emergency meal." It doesn't take much time at all to prepare, and is very filling. Aric and I each both ate a bowl full and weren't hungry until the next morning.
6/8/09
Adventures in Cooking - Black Bean Hummus
I love beans. I love dips. The marriage of the two (bean dips) is truly a thing of beauty.
I ran across a recipe for black bean hummus when I was searching for a tahini-free hummus recipe. It sounded interesting (especially with the seasonings), so I bookmarked it for another day.
That day came this weekend, when I found myself home alone with a miraculously clean kitchen. I have about ten cans of black beans in the cupboard, because every time I go to the grocery store, I somehow forget that I have ten cans of beans and think, "Oh, I don't have any beans at home! I should pick some up!" Perhaps I am a compulsive bean-hoarder. I don't know. No matter, though - it served me well this weekend.
My boyfriend, who claims to dislike hummus, really liked this version. I hesitate to call it hummus, because it almost has the consistency of refried beans. That and my understanding is that one of the characteristics of hummus is that it has a chickpea base.
Whatever you want to call this dip, we can all agree on one name: Delicious!
BLACK BEAN HUMMUS
INGREDIENTS
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (reserve 2 tbsp. liquid)
1.5 tbsp. tahini
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 clove garlic
Pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Add all ingredients to blender or food processor; blend until smooth.
2) Serve and enjoy!
This dip has a really nice tangy kick to it - thank you cayenne pepper! I ate it with tortilla chips, although you could certainly dip veggies in it, or even spread it on a sandwich (which I sometimes do with regular hummus). Aric and I made tacos a few nights ago and served this dip on the side - it was the perfect compliment to the meal.
I did find, however, that the tahini (which I made myself) doesn't really add much flavor to it, or much moisture. The next batch I make (which I plan to gift to a friend), I will omit the tahini and see how that goes. If it comes out too dry, I will probably substitute more of the liquid from the can, since it has the wonderful black bean flavor in it already.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Quick, easy, delicious, and healthy. And boyfriend approved. What more could you want from a dish?
5/29/09
Adventures in Cooking - Double Dumpling Chicken Stoup
It's been really muggy here for the past two days, so I haven't really felt like cooking. Turning on the stove or oven would be agony. And while we could have microwaved something, the idea of putting warm food in our bellies was 100% unappealing.
So today when the humidity broke, I decided to take full advantage and use the stove. I also had some ground turkey in the fridge that I'd totally forgotten about (thanks for reminding me, Aric!) and needed to use up before it went bad.
It's about time to go grocery shopping, so my choices are limited. I briefly considered making a meatloaf (I have a kickass recipe for turkey meatloaf, which I'll share at a later date), but I just wasn't feeling it. Then it hit me - turkey ball soup!
Turkey ball soup began as a 30-minute recipe by Rachel Ray. Her recipe is good, but I've been able to customize it a bit to my preferences. I'll cover the changes I've made a little bit later ("turkey ball soup" will make a lot more sense when I'm done, I promise).
So now, with no further ado, I present you with...
DOUBLE DUMPLING CHICKEN STOUP (by Rachel Ray)
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. EVOO
4 celery ribs from the heart, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups store-bought shredded carrots
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
Salt and pepper
6 cups chicken stock
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 package gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas
Parsley, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Heat the EVOO in a large soup pot over medium to medium-high heat.
2) Add the celery, onions, carrots, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, and cook for about five minutes, until the onions become soft.
3) Add the chicken stock, cover, and bring to a gentle boil.
4) While the stock comes to a boil, combine the ground chicken, salt, pepper, egg, bread crumbs, nutmeg, and cheese.
5) Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and gently drop them into the boiling stock. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
6) Add the gnocchi to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
7) Add the peas and parsley, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
8) Turn the heat off and allow the "stoup" to sit for a few minutes, to cool off and thicken.
9) Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
WHAT I DO DIFFERENTLY
1) I have never been able to find ground chicken in my grocery store. I can, however, find ground turkey (and it's frequently on sale), so that's what I use - thus "turkey ball soup" was born.
2) I hate chopping carrots, so I usually use frozen peas and carrots, and just add them when it says to add the peas. Bigger chunks of carrot might be nice, but lazy wins out in this case.
3) Rachel Ray says you can find gnocchi in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. I have never seen gnocchi anywhere other than the international/pasta aisle.
4) Another note about the gnocchi - normally I use plain potato gnocchi, but I was in Horrocks the other day and found some basil gnocchi, so I decided to give that a try.
5) This is the first time I've ever used the bay leaf. I've never had bay leaves - I always thought they were too expensive. But the other week McCormick's spices went on sale, so I picked up some spices that I'd normally done without. The soup is delicious either way, so if you prefer not to fish around for a tiny little leaf in your soup, feel free to omit.
6) I usually don't use cheese in the meatballs. I never kept cheese in the house, and now that I live with Aric, we typically only have American sliced cheese. But again, I was at Horrocks and found some parmesan cheese with peppercorns in it, so I bought it, and used it in the meatballs. Fancy! Anyway, you aren't missing anything if you don't put cheese in the meatballs, so don't worry.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It's a little expensive to get all of the components for this soup, but sweet fancy pants, is it ever delicious! You can go as fancy or as lazy as you want with this soup, and it will taste like you slaved over the stove for hours.
This is also an incredibly filling soup - excuse me, stoup (so called because it is more stew-like than it is soup-like). I don't like watery soups with nothing to them. I really hate drinking just broth. Turkey ball soup is incredibly hearty, and only gets better the longer it sits in your fridge.
Thank you, Rachel Ray!
So today when the humidity broke, I decided to take full advantage and use the stove. I also had some ground turkey in the fridge that I'd totally forgotten about (thanks for reminding me, Aric!) and needed to use up before it went bad.
It's about time to go grocery shopping, so my choices are limited. I briefly considered making a meatloaf (I have a kickass recipe for turkey meatloaf, which I'll share at a later date), but I just wasn't feeling it. Then it hit me - turkey ball soup!
Turkey ball soup began as a 30-minute recipe by Rachel Ray. Her recipe is good, but I've been able to customize it a bit to my preferences. I'll cover the changes I've made a little bit later ("turkey ball soup" will make a lot more sense when I'm done, I promise).
So now, with no further ado, I present you with...
DOUBLE DUMPLING CHICKEN STOUP (by Rachel Ray)
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. EVOO
4 celery ribs from the heart, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups store-bought shredded carrots
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
Salt and pepper
6 cups chicken stock
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 package gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas
Parsley, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Heat the EVOO in a large soup pot over medium to medium-high heat.
2) Add the celery, onions, carrots, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, and cook for about five minutes, until the onions become soft.
3) Add the chicken stock, cover, and bring to a gentle boil.
4) While the stock comes to a boil, combine the ground chicken, salt, pepper, egg, bread crumbs, nutmeg, and cheese.
5) Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls and gently drop them into the boiling stock. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
6) Add the gnocchi to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
7) Add the peas and parsley, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
8) Turn the heat off and allow the "stoup" to sit for a few minutes, to cool off and thicken.
9) Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
WHAT I DO DIFFERENTLY
1) I have never been able to find ground chicken in my grocery store. I can, however, find ground turkey (and it's frequently on sale), so that's what I use - thus "turkey ball soup" was born.
2) I hate chopping carrots, so I usually use frozen peas and carrots, and just add them when it says to add the peas. Bigger chunks of carrot might be nice, but lazy wins out in this case.
3) Rachel Ray says you can find gnocchi in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. I have never seen gnocchi anywhere other than the international/pasta aisle.
4) Another note about the gnocchi - normally I use plain potato gnocchi, but I was in Horrocks the other day and found some basil gnocchi, so I decided to give that a try.
5) This is the first time I've ever used the bay leaf. I've never had bay leaves - I always thought they were too expensive. But the other week McCormick's spices went on sale, so I picked up some spices that I'd normally done without. The soup is delicious either way, so if you prefer not to fish around for a tiny little leaf in your soup, feel free to omit.
6) I usually don't use cheese in the meatballs. I never kept cheese in the house, and now that I live with Aric, we typically only have American sliced cheese. But again, I was at Horrocks and found some parmesan cheese with peppercorns in it, so I bought it, and used it in the meatballs. Fancy! Anyway, you aren't missing anything if you don't put cheese in the meatballs, so don't worry.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It's a little expensive to get all of the components for this soup, but sweet fancy pants, is it ever delicious! You can go as fancy or as lazy as you want with this soup, and it will taste like you slaved over the stove for hours.
This is also an incredibly filling soup - excuse me, stoup (so called because it is more stew-like than it is soup-like). I don't like watery soups with nothing to them. I really hate drinking just broth. Turkey ball soup is incredibly hearty, and only gets better the longer it sits in your fridge.
Thank you, Rachel Ray!
5/27/09
Adventures in Cooking - Hummus
I am a nut for garbanzo beans. Always have been, always will be. I suspect part of my love of garbanzo beans is the name - garbanzo. It's funny, and makes me think of Gonzo from The Muppets.
When I was little I called them chick peas, because I guess "garbanzo" was hard to say. It took me awhile to realize that the two are the same thing, actually.
I've also liked hummus for awhile. I found it in the grocery store one day and got really curious. It didn't look especially appetizing, but how do you turn down garbanzos and garlic? It's a match made in heaven, really.
Ever since I got my baby food processor (with the plans of making pesto - which never happened), I've been itching to make some hummus. All the recipes I found called for tahini, which is crazy expensive where I live. I can't justify spending that much money for a dip (even one that I love enough to marry). I mean, I could buy store-made hummus cheaper than I could buy the tahini, nevermind the rest of the ingredients.
So when I found the recipe for tahini-free hummus, OF COURSE I had to try it!
BASIL AND PESTO HUMMUS
INGREDIENTS
1 (16 oz.) can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. EVOO
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Combine garbanzo beans, basil, and garlic in food processor. Pulse several times.
2) Use a spatula to push mixture from the sides of the bowl.
3) Pulse mixture again while drizzling in the olive oil.
4) Add the vinegar and soy sauce. Pulse until combined.
5) Season with salt and pepper.
6) Serve and enjoy!
WHAT I DID DIFFERENTLY
This recipe needs a LOT more EVOO to really come together. I don't have an exact measurement of how much I used - I just kind of poured it in until the consistency looked right.
The hummus also needed a little punch to kind of brighten it up, so I squeezed in a little lemon juice - I squeezed in the juice from 1/4 of a lemon. It really helped everything go to a whole other level. It was complex without being overpowering or too heavy. Really tasty.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Easy easy easy to make. Relatively cheap, too. I plan on gifting this to friends, it is so easy and delicious.
When I was little I called them chick peas, because I guess "garbanzo" was hard to say. It took me awhile to realize that the two are the same thing, actually.
I've also liked hummus for awhile. I found it in the grocery store one day and got really curious. It didn't look especially appetizing, but how do you turn down garbanzos and garlic? It's a match made in heaven, really.
Ever since I got my baby food processor (with the plans of making pesto - which never happened), I've been itching to make some hummus. All the recipes I found called for tahini, which is crazy expensive where I live. I can't justify spending that much money for a dip (even one that I love enough to marry). I mean, I could buy store-made hummus cheaper than I could buy the tahini, nevermind the rest of the ingredients.
So when I found the recipe for tahini-free hummus, OF COURSE I had to try it!
BASIL AND PESTO HUMMUS
INGREDIENTS
1 (16 oz.) can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. EVOO
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Combine garbanzo beans, basil, and garlic in food processor. Pulse several times.
2) Use a spatula to push mixture from the sides of the bowl.
3) Pulse mixture again while drizzling in the olive oil.
4) Add the vinegar and soy sauce. Pulse until combined.
5) Season with salt and pepper.
6) Serve and enjoy!
WHAT I DID DIFFERENTLY
This recipe needs a LOT more EVOO to really come together. I don't have an exact measurement of how much I used - I just kind of poured it in until the consistency looked right.
The hummus also needed a little punch to kind of brighten it up, so I squeezed in a little lemon juice - I squeezed in the juice from 1/4 of a lemon. It really helped everything go to a whole other level. It was complex without being overpowering or too heavy. Really tasty.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Easy easy easy to make. Relatively cheap, too. I plan on gifting this to friends, it is so easy and delicious.
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