2 posts tagged “cooking”

i made a really good dessert; it vanished in a matter of minutes.
oh, there were strawberries to be had. and goat cheese. and almonds. and mint. and bready things. and there is none left over.

why didn't i take a picture of it? :-(

i was eating some really terrible store-bought hummus last night, and was thinking that i should make my own. i hate store-bought hummus...it's so harsh and artificial. so, i googled hummus recipes and found a bunch that looked good. i decided to combine a bunch of recipes into my own:  

2/3 of a can of chick peas (or garbanzo beans, they are the same thing)
1/8 cup of liquid from the above can
2 tablespoons lemon juice (can substitute lime juce)
1 tablespoon tahini (can substitute peanut butter if you really need to, or plain yogurt for lower fat)
a sprinkle of garlic powder (i was going to use crushed garlic cloves, but was just too lazy.)
1/3 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
cumin to taste (i probably used a half teaspoon, add more for flavor)
a handful and a half of shredded fresh baby spinach (or any kind of spinach, really.)
1/4 can of black beans
2 generous tablespoons of sesame oil
a sprinkle of paprika to taste
firm, pressed tofu (i probably used 1/8 block)
a light sprinkle of basil (can substitute any similar herb)

it is pretty delicious, i must say. i'm eating it right now. although there are a lot of ingredients, the flavor of the tahini is really present, and it's nice (if you like tahini). it's not strong at all, and is very light, as an appetizer should be. remember th

at all of the above amounts are not set in stone. looking back, i should have upped the ante on the chick peas and black beans for a thicker consistency.
any ingredient can be altered or omitted to suit personal taste, which is really what it's about.
i served it with whole wheat pita. warm indian naan bread seasoned with cumin would be good, too.

other suggested additions (but not all at once!):
pesto
tomato, sundried or fresh
spicy pepper, such as cayenne
olives
feta cheese
curry