Yummy Hummus

This is a fantastic hummus recipe.  It comes from "Dede's Mediterranean Kitchen" (dedemed.com) [sidenote: this is an incredible resource for all things Mediterranean!]  I have made it many times, and every time, I figure for sure it will be enough, but it always gets snarfed down rather quickly, and I'm left wishing I'd made a second batch for backup.  :-)  I usually add a lot more garlic than the actual recipe calls for, and on occasion have roasted an entire head of garlic and use the whole thing.  Alistair says the more garlic the better, but at a certain point, if using raw garlic, it becomes too sharp, which is why I opted for roasting it.  
This is also a great base for experimenting with flavoured hummus-- you could do roasted red pepper, cilantro/ lime/ cumin, 3 olive blend, sun-dried tomatoes, hot peppers, etc... if you can think of it, it can be done!  :-)

Yummy Hummus
Ingredients:
¼ c. plain Greek yogurt
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed
½ c. tahini (sesame seed paste)
½ c. fresh squeezed lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon (optional, for more "lemony" flavour)
2-3 cloves of garlic
½ tsp of salt
2 Tbsp water (if too thick)
3-4 fresh mint leaves

2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped (for garnish)
1 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika (for garnish)
¼ c. olive oil (for garnish)

Directions:
Mix first 9 ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth and to desired thickness.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Optional: Garnish with parsley, cayenne pepper and olive oil.  Serve with fresh veggies, corn chips, rice chips, pita bread, etc.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

[this is not a great picture, because I cropped it from a larger one...]

These were very easy to make, and a fun experiment.  I've always wondered what else you can do with chickpeas besides make hummus or put on a salad, so this was a nice treat.  They are hard and crunchy, like nuts, and I was tickled when my friend Kathy, who has an air-born nut allergy, took the leftovers into her office, so she could 'munch on them while she worked.'


Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients: 
2 (14 oz.) cans chickpeas 
1 tsp curry powder 
1 tsp ground cumin seed 
1 tsp celery salt [I did not have this, so I made my own with celery seed and sea salt- not quite equal parts, more celery seed than salt, then blended them up together in a spice grinder]
1 tsp garlic powder 
½ tsp sea salt 
1 ½ tsp olive oil

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the spices and the olive oil. Mix into a paste, adding a bit of oil if need be. Empty the drained and rinsed cans of chickpeas into a medium-sized bowl. Pour the spice mixture in with the chickpeas and mix well with a rubber spatula (so as not to break the chickpeas). Spread on a parchment-lined cookie sheet (single layer) and cook in a 375 F oven for about 1 hour. Because ovens vary, it’s important to know that these snacks should be hard and crisp, not burnt and not soft. You may need to leave them in the warm oven for a bit to harden them up. Enjoy. 

[EJ's notes: these took 2 tries at baking to get them crunchy.  After an hour they were fragrant and dark brown, but not crunchy.  After I finished making the kale chips, I turned off the oven and stuck the chickpeas in, and just left them for about 2 hours while I visited with a friend.  They were much better the 2nd time around.]

Lemon Kale "Chips"

These were SO easy!  A tasty, nutritious alternative to standard chips, even my "sometimes like pulling teeth to get him to eat veggies" husband munched on a handful of these, and commented, "these are really good!"  I'll probably be making them again very soon...  :-)   


[EJ's notes: this recipe makes about a medium-small bowl's worth... perfect if you've never tried kale crisps before and aren't sure if you (and your taste-testers) will like them.  Next time, I will probably double it.  It may seem like a TON when you start, but they cook down quite a bit.  If you're still unsure about it, you could half this recipe pretty easily, although I'd probably leave the salt the same.]

Lemon Kale "Chips"
Ingredients: 
2 bunches kale, washed and de-stemmed
2 Tbsp olive oil 
2 Tbsp lemon juice 
¼ tsp course sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Chop or tear kale into 1 inch pieces.
Place kale in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice and salt, then with hands, massage into the kale until evenly coated.
Place kale on parchment-lined baking sheets in single layer.
Bake at 350° for 12 minutes, or until kale is dark green and crispy.  (If cooking 2 pans at once, rotate halfway through-- and you may need a minute or two more)
Cool and serve.

Creamy Herbed Crab Dip

I got this recipe from a TV show called 'Best Recipes Ever' which features recipes out of Canadian Living magazine.  It was amazingly easy to put together, and the flavours are so rich and full that it tastes like a much more labour-intensive or expensive dip!  Its great for dipping veggies, and also tasty on crackers.  I'm pretty sure this is going to become a staple for bringing to or hosting parties.

[notes: I used canned crab instead of frozen, because that's what  I had on hand.  I did not have nutmeg or mace, so it was omitted, but I plan to make sure to include it next time I make this recipe.  The chef on the show suggested using whole nutmeg and grating it in fresh.]



 Creamy Herbed Crab Dip
Ingredients:
1 pkg (7 oz/200 g) frozen crabmeat, thawed
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots or onion

4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp mace or nutmeg
1/3 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp crumbled dried tarragon
3/4 cup light cream cheese, cubed and softened
1/4 cup light sour/ fat free cream
1/4 cup each minced fresh parsley and chives
1/4 cup diced roasted or fresh sweet red pepper

Directions:
Place crab in sieve; pick through and remove any cartilage. Gently squeeze out excess moisture; set aside.

In saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat; fry shallots, garlic, salt, pepper and mace,
without browning, until softened and fragrant, about 4 minutes.

Add wine, lemon juice and tarragon; boil over medium heat until reduced by half, about 3
minutes. Let cool.

In bowl and using fork, blend cream cheese with sour cream; add shallot mixture, crabmeat, parsley, chives and red pepper, mixing well. Scrape into serving dish. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)
Servings: 2 cups

Taco Soup and Black Bean Dip

Tuesday night was Mexican night! I'm not sure why I keep making fresh batches of Taco Soup, because it always makes so much. Alistair and I will eat it for close to a week, and then I still end up with enough to freeze. I already have 2 large yogurt containers of taco soup in my freezer, but I keep forgetting to use them! Anyway, each time I make it, it turns out a little different, and Tuesday was no exception. Thanks to my sister, Alli, I have a fantastic supply of dried beans, so this time, I used a mixture of these instead of canned ones. Also, I don't always make an appetizer, but I was really craving some of my Aunt Wendy's black bean dip, so I decided to make that too. Unfortunately, the stainless steel bowl was not the best choice, for photography purposes... but you get the picture! (sorry, bad pun.)

Taco Soup:
Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger, browned with chopped onion
2 packages taco seasoning
1 large can diced tomatoes, with juice
1-2 cans water (use tomato can)
2-3 cans (or equivalent) variety of beans (drained and rinsed): dark red kidney, black beans, pinto beans, great northern, etc... (whatever you have on hand/ prefer) my mom's recipe only calls for kidney, but I like the variety of a mixture.
about 2 cups frozen corn
chopped up bell peppers
1 can sliced olives (with juice) [in my house, they have to be a topping because A doesn't like them...]
a few splashes of hot pepper sauce, to taste

Directions:
Brown the hamburger with the onion. Add taco seasoning and mix until the meat is well-coated. Add the tomatoes, the rest of the ingredients, and enough water to make it a soup-like consistency. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 1-20 minutes, to allow flavours to intertwine. Serve over tortilla chips, topped with shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, green onions, anything else you typically add to tacos! :-)

Black Bean Dip:
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed, reserving cooking liquid
1/2 cup reserved black bean cooking liquid
1 1/2 Tbsp. oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chile, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz goat cheese (chevre)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Tabasco-style hot pepper sauce, to taste
salt
1 small green onion, including top, for garnish

Directions:
In a food processor, process beans with 1/2 c. bean liquid.
Heat oil in 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion, cover and cook until onion is soft, but not brown (4-5 minutes).
Add chili and garlic, cook 1 minute.
Stir in beans.
Cook over low heat until beans are hot.
Crumble in goat cheese (reserving 1 Tbsp for garnish). Add Monterey Jack cheese.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheeses are melted.
Add hot pepper sauce and salt to taste.
Garnish with goat cheese and onion.

Serve with tortilla chips.