Homemade Hummus

Hummus Recipe Using Dried Chickpeas

My recipe, adapted from a few other recipes found online over the last few years.

8 oz dried Chickpeas, rinsed and sorted through to pick out any bad ones
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Tahini (I use the Trader Joe’s brand)
3 T Extra virgin olive oil
1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 t. Cumin
1/4 t. Cayenne Pepper to taste
3 Ice cubes (crushed to small chunks)

 
Warm pita bread, cut into wedges and/or fresh vegetables (sliced cucumbers, red bell peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli, etc.)
 

Garnishes: Cooked reserved Chickpeas, drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of Paprika or Sumac.

Directions:
 
1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in a pot that’s filled about 2” above the chickpeas (at least 12 hours).
 
2. The next day, strain the chickpeas in a colander; rinse well. Add fresh water to the pot, covering 2” above the chickpeas. Bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and let simmer for about 2 hours, until tender. (The last time I made this, I had to simmer for 2.5 hours – it just depends on the age of the dried chickpeas).
 
3. Rinse and cool the chickpeas (reserve about a cup of the simmered liquid).  Set aside a handful of the chickpeas to use as a garnish.
 
4. Remove the outer skin. This takes about 10-15 minutes but this is what makes the hummus super creamy. If you leave the skin on, you’ll end up with a grainy texture. When the chickpeas are simmering, some of the skins will float to the top, so you can take them out with a strainer.  
 
5. Place the chickpeas in a food processor along with the garlic, ice cubes, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and process until smooth. You may need to use a spoon to scrape down the sides. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. If it’s too thick for your liking add some of the reserved liquid.

6. Place in a bowl and either serve right away; or refrigerate (covered with plastic wrap) until ready to serve.
 
7. When serving, top the hummus with the reserved chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of Paprika or Sumac, and the pita bread and/or vegetables.
 

Note:

 
Even easier, you can use canned chickpeas (15.5 oz can). I place the chickpeas (drained) in hot water for a few minutes before removing the skins. Continue to step 5.

Roasted Root Vegetables

 I made this last night for dinner. The recipe is from: 
https://www.thekitchn.com/roasted-root-vegetables-22948817
 

Prep 10 min
Cook 40-45 min
Serves 6-8
 
Ingredients
 
3 pounds root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and beets
1 small red onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  

Directions:

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
 
Peel 3 pounds root vegetables, if desired, then cut them into rough 1-inch chunks. Cut 1 small red onion into 1-inch chunks. Place the root vegetables and red onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, and toss to evenly coat. Spread out in an even layer.
 
Roast for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, chop until you have 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped rosemary leaves.
 
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, sprinkle the vegetables with the rosemary, and toss to combine. Spread back out in an even layer. Continue to roast until the vegetables are tender and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes more.
 
My Notes:
 

For the root vegetables, I used carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, beets.

I added whole garlic cloves (peeled), which came out so tender and mild.

Overall, a very good vegetable dish.

Mexican Soup

Tony made this Mexican soup, which he adapted from Taste of Home: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/super-fast-mexican-soup/

See notes below for his changes. This was an excellent soup.
 
Prep/Total time: 25 minutes
Serves 4
 
Ingredients
 
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup salsa [red]
1 carton (32 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
 
Directions
 
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in taco seasoning.
 
Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Skim fat before serving.
 
Notes:
 
Used 1.5 lbs chicken thighs, lightly salted.
 
Used 1 t chili powder, 1 t Tajin, and 1 t paprika in lieu of the taco seasoning. This was so flavorful!
 
Added minced garlic and some diced celery.
 
Added 1/2 c green salsa and  1 4-oz can diced green chili’s.
 
Added some fresh chopped parsley; and a handful of fresh spinach.
 
Added a couple of small potatoes (about 3/4 lb), diced, microwave until half cooked; then added to the pot.
 
To serve: We added some tortilla chips, crushed, and a dollop of sour cream.
 
Next time:  Will use cilantro instead of parsley. Will add beans and will double the amount of potatoes.
 
Other optional toppings: diced avocado, a fresh squeeze of lime juice, or shredded cheese.

Soup & Dessert recipes from my book club

Every February (this is the third year), our book club hosts a soup night.  The following are some of the recipes that were made. Everything was delicious.

Tamee made a Maryland Crab Soup:

Here's the link: https://www.mccormick.com/old-bay/recipes/soups-stews/maryland-crab-soup  

Tamee stated small cut-up potatoes can be added. Doubling it will fill a crockpot to its brim.

Donna made red lentil soup:

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

4 medium carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
14 ounces vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup dried red lentils
1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach

Directions

In a 4 quart saucepan, cook carrots and onion in oil 6-8 minutes until light brown and tender. Add cumin and cook, while stirring, one more minute. Add tomatoes, broth, lentils, 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Heat to boiling, then simmer for 10 minutes or until lentils are done. Add spinach and serve.

Notes

To reduce sodium, use no salt added tomatoes, low sodium broth and/ or omit salt.

Donna's comments:  I used low sodium broth, regular tomatoes and omitted the salt from this evening’s soup.

Desserts:

Cheryl O made a blueberry cobbler: 

https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/wprm_print/crockpot-blueberry-cobbler

She substituted wheat flour for all purpose flour and used monk fruit in the raw zero calorie sugar substitute instead of regular sugar.

Candy made a gingerbread with a lemon curd.

https://sugarspunrun.com/gingerbread/

https://sugarspunrun.com/lemon-curd-recipe/

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Friends of ours invited us over for dinner, along with some other friends. Mike made an excellent Hungarian pork and sauerkraut goulash (https://www.craftycookingmama.com/pork-and-sauerkraut-goulash-szekelygulyas-hungarian-goulash/  Note that he did not include the green bell pepper).  

I found this recipe, which I would go very well with the main dish: 

https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/creamy-cucumber-salad/
 

It was a hit! Everyone loved this salad.

Ingredients
  
1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
2 large English cucumbers thinly sliced
1/4 red onion thinly sliced
 
Instructions
 
In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, vinegar, dill sugar, and garlic powder until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
 
Add the sliced cucumbers and red onions on top of the sour cream dressing and stir to coat.
Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for one hour before serving.
 
My Notes:
 
I made this 24 January 2025.
 
I used 3 cucumbers, placed on paper towels, salted, and covered to release excess water.
 

I soaked the sliced onions in ice cold water for 15-20 minutes.

I made this for eight people. There was just a small amount leftover. 

 
Serves 6 to 8.

Mykonos Cheese Dip

This is one of my favorite recipes. I've been making this since 1987. I don't remember where I got the recipe. 

Serves 8-10 people.

Ingredients

1 large clove of garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/2 lb. Feta cheese, crumbled (include the liquid)
1 cup sour cream
1 small bunch fresh chives, chopped
1 Tablespoon of drained capers
Pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot pepper sauce (optional)

Pita bread or crackers to serve
 
Directions

Blend the first 3 ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. Chill.

My Notes:

It's better if prepared the night before so that the flavor of the garlic comes out.

Drizzle a little olive oil on top once finished.

Vinegar Coleslaw

I made this today for my book club. We always have a delicious spread of foods. Just coming out of the holidays, I wanted something healthy, as it does not contain any mayonnaise. 

This is the recipe I followed.
 
https://downshiftology.com/recipes/vinegar-coleslaw-no-mayo/
 
 
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Total Time 20 minutes 
 
Servings: 12 servings
 
Ingredients
 
1 head of green cabbage finely shredded
1 large carrot grated
1/2 yellow or red onion finely sliced
 
Dressing
 
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey (or more, depending on sweetness)
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
 
Instructions
 
Add the shredded green cabbage, carrot and onion to a large bowl.
 
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, celery seed, salt and pepper to create the dressing. Taste the dressing and decide if you'd like to add more honey.
 
Add about half of the dressing to the cabbage, onions and carrots and gently toss. Slowly add more dressing until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

My Notes:

The first three ingredients I eye-balled. I had a very large head of cabbage, so I just used half.

I used half of a small red onion.

I used the entire dressing in the salad.

The recipe states this can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.