Appetizer Recipe: Simple Smooth Hummus

I'll admit it: I'm a bit of a hummus addict. I could eat it every single day and never tire of it. There are just so many different ways to enjoy it-- on crackers, carrots, pita, as a substitute for mayo on a sandwhich. And so many different flavors! Roasted red pepper, garlic, Tuscan white bean, sundried tomato...

Yep, I'm a little bit obsessed. But better than buying the pre-made variety, I like to whip it up myself in the food processor. It takes all of ten minutes, and the result is creamier and healthier than the store-bought stuff. 

This particular recipe is as basic they come. It calls for canned chickpeas, which cuts down your prep time in comparison to using dried. The other key ingredient is tahini, which makes the texture extra-smooth and adds some zesty flavor. 

Simple Smooth Hummus

(make 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

• One 15-ounce can (425 grams) chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup (59 ml) fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
• 1/4 cup (59 ml) tahini (we used Krinos)
• Half of a large garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water
• Dash of ground paprika for serving

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making smooth and creamy hummus possible.

2. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and the salt to whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30 seconds. 

3. Open can of chickpeas, drain liquid then rinse well with water. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and quite smooth.
4. Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until the consistency is perfect.

5. To serve: Scrape the hummus into a bowl then drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika.

Vegetarian Recipe: Perfect Falafel

One middle-eastern cuisine many of us have probably encountered along the line is falafel. They're deep-fried patties of ground chickpeas or fava beans, and they make a perfect little appetizer, or even a main ingredient in a homemade gyro. The mood struck recently, and we couldn't help making our own.

For our recipe, we used a mixture of chickpeas and fava beans to get the perfect texture and base flavor. We then seasoned them with coriander, cumin, cayenne, and a few additional herbs. We didn't want to use up too much oil in deep-frying, so instead we relied on pan-frying our fritters to get the perfect crunch without them becoming too greasy. Keep reading below for our favorite recipe...

Falafel

(makes 12 pitas)

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 3/4 cup dried split fava beans
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, quartered
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
• grapeseed oil for frying

Directions

1. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with water by 4". Soak for 24 hours, checking occasionally to make sure you don't need to add more water to keep the beans covered.
2. Drain the beans and transfer to a food processor with all of the remaining ingredients except the oil. Pulse until minced but not pureed. Add water tablespoon by tablespoon if necessary to make sure the machine is able to work. You want to mixture is as dry as possible, though. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to taste. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Form the mixture into balls a little smaller than golf balls and flatten just a little. In a nonstick pan, heat 1/4" grapeseed oil on medium high heat until it sizzles when  a small piece of falafel is added. Turn the heat to medium.
4. Add just one falafel to begin with and fry until all sides are a deep golden-brown (about 6 to 7 minutes). If it browns too quickly, turn the heat down a little.  If the falafel sticks to the pan, dredge the falafel in a little flour. From there, cook the remaining falafel in the oil. Serve with pita bread and tahini sauce.
5. Enjoy!

Light & Delicious Recipe: Chickpea, Tomato and Feta Salad

Are you tired of boring salads for lunch or as an accompaniment to dinner? This chickpea salad is refreshing, healthy and zesty, and it only takes a few minutes to prepare. Beans are so frequently used as “back-ups” in a meal that we forget what great flavor they have on their own, or that they can even stand alone as a meal! This salad brings garbanzo beans to the foreground and you’ll find yourself not needing anything else to complete your lunch—this bad boy’s got it covered!

Chickpea Tomato Salad

Ingredients 

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cup tomato, seeded and diced
• 1/2 -3/4 cup feta, cubed
• 1/4-1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine the onions and tomatoes in a bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Then add salt and pepper.
2. Add chickpeas, feta and very finely chopped or diced herbs.
3. Mix well, adjust seasoning and place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Salad will marinate and flavors will continue to develop.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Quick & Filling Indian-Inspired Recipe: Vegetarian Chana Masala

This is an adventurous dish to try out if you like experimenting with different spices and expanding your kitchen repertoire. While the ingredient list calls for quite a few different spices, it’s nice to have them on hand because you can use them in so many different ways. Or, if you don’t think you’ll get as much use out of them, you can cut back on some of the less common spices and stick to the ones you’re more comfortable with—you’ll still get a great flavor from this masala. You can make it vegan and vegetarian, plus it’s hearty and filling; perfect as a side dish or on its own!

Chana Masala

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2 cans (14 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
• 1-1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 3-5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, olive oil (or ghee, if you’re not making vegan masala)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about a 1-inch piece)
• 1 chili pepper, red or green, minced (optional: seeded)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala (or tikka masala)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Sea salt, to taste
• Fresh cilantro, chopped, garnish


Directions

1. Heat oil (or ghee, if you’re not making this vegan) in a large pot over medium heat. Once it’s hot, reduce the heat and add cumin seeds, toasting for 1-2 minutes on medium-low heat. Stir frequently and avoid burning the seeds. Should be golden and aromatic.
2. Bringing the heat up to medium, add in chopped onion and cook until softened and slightly translucent, around 10 minutes. Be careful not to brown them.  Then add garlic, ginger and peppers. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Mix in the garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, salt and coriander, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the can of tomatoes and break/crush some of them to help release and blend flavors. Or, if using fresh tomatoes, pulse them in a food processor before adding.
5. Raising the temperature to medium-high, add the chickpeas and reduce to a simmer. Allow for mixture to reduce and for flavors to heighten, around 10 minutes.