Hummus: Store-bought = $4, Homemade = $1.50--You Choose

Recently, we've been on a bit of a hummus kick.  Hummus is great stuff, nutritionally.  It's full of protein and it can really satisfy a snack craving.  Plus, it's actually healthy for you--depending on what fats you make it with.

That said, many people spend tons of money buying mediocre store-bought hummus when it takes all of 10 minutes to make your own and you probably have (or can have) everything you need in your pantry or fridge.

A word on Tahini...

I used to use a recipe that included a *lot* of tahini.  Tahini is an oily paste made from sesame seeds.  It looks and smells suspiciously like peanut butter and gives hummus that characteristic middle eastern nutty flavor.  Most store-bought hummus contains tahini in varying amounts.  In the grand scale of fats, tahini is about as healthy for you as peanut butter, so keep that in mind.

I found out quite by accident that hummus tastes just great without tahini when I didn't have it one day and plowed-on with the recipe.  It's easier to make that way (no specialty ingredients), cheaper, healthier, and lighter-tasting.  It's now our favorite snack food to have on hand when company comes and it got rave reviews when served with pita chips before Thanksgiving dinner.  I thought I'd share my version of the recipe with you today.

Healthy Hummus (No Tahini)
3 tablespoons lemon juice (bottled okay, fresh even better)
2 tablespoons water
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 14-oz can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 small garlic clove minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper

1) Place the chickpeas in the work bowl of a food processor or really good blender.  Pulse to begin chopping them.
2) Add the dry spices to the chickpeas.
3) Mix all of the liquid together in a measuring cup and stir.
4) Turn the machine on and begin drizzling the liquid in through the feed tube.  Stop and scrape-down the sides.  Resume processing until the mixture is smooth.
5) Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  It'll keep for a week or more.

Note: The recipe makes a fairly soupy dip.  If you like it firmer, omit 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and a few tablespoons of the oil.

Apples Part 3 - Apple Chips (Dried Apples)

I think I mentioned a few months back that I purchased an inexpensive food dehydrator on eBay just to try out the technique to see if it worked well and if I had the knack for it.  My first few drying sessions were kind of rough, so I put it away for awhile.  When faced with a huge basket of apples, however, I thought of my lonely dehydrator in the closet and decided to take it out and give it another whirl.

Overall, I'm extremely happy with the results.  The plain ones turned out and have stayed bright white.  The cinnamon ones were an experiment and honestly, aren't that great.  I'd recommend going plain.

I can't wait to give these a try in some middle-of-the-winter muffins.  I'll rehydrate them in some warm water, or maybe even some rum if I'm feeling they need a little more kick.  Of course, they're great just for plain old snacking.

Quick Munchies to Bring to a Party

My wife and I are heading off to a party this afternoon. I always like to bring a little something food-related when I go to parties. However, we don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen before we get on the road. This ever happen to you?

A nice quick solution is "Brownie Bites" or "Blondie Bites". You find a good recipe for brownies or blondies (or a boxed mix) and mix it up as directed. However, instead of pouring it into a pan, waiting 25-45 minutes, then letting it cool before cutting, you place a tablespoon or so of batter in each cup of a mini-muffin tin. Bake the brownies or blondies at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes, checking periodically to make sure they don't burn. They're done when a knife slides in and comes out with no batter. Let them cool slightly and remove them from the pan.

That's it. It's that simple!