Spicy IPA Hummus

Grab yourself a mug of beer and let's cheers to the start of 2014! We'll probably need some snacks to wash down that beer. How about this spicy IPA hummus and some chips or carrots? Sounds perfect.

Spicy IPA Hummus (adapted from The Beeroness)
Ingredients:
2 jalapenos, stemmed and roughly chopped (remove seeds if you want it to be less spicy)
3 tbsp tahini pasta
15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (peeled, if you have time)
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup IPA beer (I used New Holland Brewery White Hatter), plus additional if necessary

Directions:
Place the jalapenos, tahini, chickpeas, parsley, oil, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until everything is pureed. Stream in the beer while the processor is going. Add additional beer until you get to your desired consistency.

Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or veggies.

Chipotle Hummus

I don't know what it is about warm weather, but it makes me want to make hummus. It makes me want to grill up some veggies, throw them on top of a thick slice of bread slathered with that homemade hummus, and jump in head first. Maybe it is the fact that the farmer's market is up and running and you can find lots of delicious and fresh veggies. Maybe it is because a hummus sandwich doesn't require turning on the stove. Maybe it is due to the fact that I've been working long and crazy hours and this comes together so fast.

Regardless of the reason, you should definitely dust off your food processor and make this chipotle hummus. The chipotle pepper gives it a nice smoky and spicy kick. If you aren't in too much of a rush, you should spend the time to peel the chickpeas. Like I mentioned in my last hummus post, this really does wonders for the creaminess.

Serve the hummus with tortilla chips, pita chips, or an assortment of raw vegetables. Or throw it on a pita or piece of bread, top it with some grilled peppers, onions, and mushrooms and enjoy the start of summertime.

Chipotle Hummus
Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 large garlic clove
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
2 tbsp tahini paste
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/4-1/3 cup water

Directions:
Optional, but recommended: Peel the garbanzo beans.

Combine the beans, garlic, pepper, tahini, lemon juice, oil and cumin in a food processor. Pulse until mixed well and chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in the water until you reach your desired consistency.

Creamy Lemon Hummus (and Superbowl Ideas)

SUPERBOWL XLVII

It is happening this Sunday. Are you ready?!

This is the first year that I'm actually really excited about watching the game because the Ravens are playing! It is Ray Lewis's last game and I'm very optimistic that they will take home the trophy. For good luck, here's a picture of Scott and me when we went to a Raven's game a few years ago. Although they lost that game so maybe it isn't good luck...

In the past, the thing that has made me the most excited for the Superbowl is not the game nor the commercials but the food. I love a party where everyone cooks up their favorite appetizers and you eat with your fingers all evening. For that reason, I've put together a list of fairly quick and easy snacks for your coming Superbowl party. Make one of these and you're sure to bring smiles to the faces of your fellow party-goers.

Savory Snacks for Your Superbowl Party:

Salsa

Guacamole

Black-eyed Pea Hummus

Sriarcha White Bean Dip

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

Baked Tortilla Chips

Pretzel Rolls

Pizza

Baked Ravioli

Chicken Nuggets

Boneless Buffalo Wings

Chicken Quesadillas

BLT Spring Rolls

And in case that list wasn't extensive for you, I'm sharing with you a recipe for literally the creamiest homemade hummus I have ever made. When Deb of Smitten Kitchen posted that the key to making creamy homemade hummus was to peel the chickpeas, I wasn't sure if I believed her. Was it really worth the effort, I asked myself? Like any good scientist, I set out to test the hypothesis. I've made hummus plenty of times and I have found that it is not quite as creamy as what you can pick up at the grocery store. But this peeling of the chickpeas, genius. It was quite certainly creamy! And totally comparable to the tubs you get at the store. Experiment successful -- hypothesis confirmed-- certainly worth the effort. I will never go back to the skins again. 

Creamy Lemon Hummus (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
Ingredients:
About 2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned or cooked yourself)
1/2 cup tahini paste
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/4-1/3 cup water


Directions:
Peel the skins of the chickpeas.

Place the chickpeas in your food processor. Pulse on high for approximately 1 minute until they form powdery clumps. Add the tahini pasta, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Pulse again until pureed completely. While the processor is on, stream in the water until you get a smooth, creamy texture.

Taste and season with additional lemon and salt as needed.

Makes about 2 cups.

Serve as a dip for vegetables and chips or in place of hummus for any recipe.

Black Eyed Pea Hummus

What did you do on Saturday night? I spend my night making this:

A complete disaster in my kitchen!

Albeit, a beautiful and yummy disaster. I'll soon be sharing with you some of the things that I made. I included a few labels to get you thinking about what they might be... It really was an enjoyable evening. I donned my apron and kinda just went at it prepping food, following recipes, and making a few things up myself.

One of the things I started out with was hummus. I've been longing to make hummus since I got my new food processor, so I figured it would be a good place to start. Of course, I thought I had chickpeas in my pantry; however, when I went to grab them, I didn't have any. So I went with black eyed peas instead. I roasted a bulb of garlic and combined that with a few seasonings in the processor. The resultant mixture was delicious! I may have ate it with some blue corn chips for dinner. Don't judge. :)

Black Eyed Pea Hummus

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 bulb of garlic plus 1 tsp olive oil

3 tbsp tahini paste

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tbsp water to reach desired consistency

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut off the top part of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Remove excess skin and then drizzle top with 1 tsp olive oil. Roast for 45 min. Allow to cool and then squeeze out the bulbs.

Combine the peas, garlic, tahini and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mashed completely. Add the chili powder and paprika and pulse to combine. While the food processor is going, add the olive oil followed by water until it reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. 

Garnish with extra paprika. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or cut vegetables.