HUMMUS

I'm in the ~'I love hummus' ~ camp.

Every time I make it, even though I like it, I think it tastes a little gritty.
Every time I order it from a Mediterranean restaurant, it's as smooth as silk. When I buy it from the grocery store, I'm always disappointed.

I've even asked the owners of restaurants how they make it - they smile and say, "I use a food processor."

So do I.

I decided to research online and I found the solution to my dilemma.
You have to take the skin of each and every garbanzo bean! All the bloggers from across the pond say so.

It took me an hour (2 episodes of Barefoot Contessa) to get a pound of cooked beans 'peeled'.

Was it a tedious task? Yes. Were the results worth it? YES!

Next time, however, I'm going to try a food mill. I hope that works.

HUMMUS ~~

1 ⅓ cups dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas) - I cooked them in a pressure cooker. It took 20 min. You can use the stovetop, of course.

Drain the beans and reserve the liquid. This is important.

Remove the skins (see picture)

Pulse the beans in a food processor until they are crumbled.

Add:
¾ cup Tahini
juice of 1 lemon
4 cloves of chopped garlic
1 ¼ t salt
Process until smooth
Slowly add bean water to the mix until the mixture is very smooth - even a little on the thin side. It will thicken as it sets up and chills in the refrigerator.

Serve with olive oil, parsley, paprika, pita bread, or raw or cooked vegetables.

TIP: Cook fresh or dried beans. Do not use canned. The taste is noticeably better!

Use the bean water. There is tons of flavor there.

Remove the skins from the chickpeas ~~ 
After they are cooked and still hot, drain them, reserving the water for later use. Put the peas in cold water to help remove the skins.
The easiest way to do this is to pinch the peas between your thumb and forefinger with the pointy side facing your hand. Squeeze the pea and the skin will pop right off.

Very smooth, indeed! And yummy, too!

KEEPING LEMONS

TIP: Keeping Lemons

I don't know about you, but I love to have lemons on hand all the time. I've tried leaving them in a bowl on the counter and putting them in the crisper drawer. Both methods leave me a little sour. - pun intended  They seem to go bad quickly.

I read some time ago to wash the lemons, put them in an air tight container and then place them in the refrigerator. They keep for weeks!!!

MAPLE PECAN PIE

4 eggs, beaten
½ cup raw sugar
1 cup maple syrup 
2 T melted butter
1 T vanilla
½ t salt
1 ½ cups pecans

Pour into unbaked pie shell
(See my previous post for pie crust)

Bake 350 for 35-40 min





• • This pie is not overly sweet like the transitional pie we are familiar with that uses corn syrup. It's still good with a strong maple flavor.

THANKSGIVING TURKEY

Slow Roasting Turkey-- 

Salt and pepper the turkey and rub it down with olive oil and butter. 

Stuff the cavity with garlic, apple and celery. (There is no such thing as too much garlic)  

Place the turkey breast side down in the roasting pan - on a rack. This allows the juices to flow down into the breast meat. It will stay moist!

Cook 1 hour at 350 degrees. 
Reduce the temp to 200 degrees and cook 50 min per pound. (ie an 11 lb turkey will take 9 hours 10 min)

TIPS:

If you want to crisp the breast, turn the turkey over during the last hour.

If you put the turkey in later at night before bed, you'll wake up to a wonderful smelling house! This method allows for time to carve the meat, wrap it to warm later and free up an oven.

Don't forget to check that your oven doesn't automatically turn off after so many hours!!

PIE CRUST

I've used this tried and true recipe for many, many years. 

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup butter 

1 egg

2 ½ T ice water 

1 t vinegar 

⅛ t salt

Mix flour, salt and butter until it resembles course meal. (I'm using my food processor these days)

Add the egg and vinegar. 

Add water 1 T at a time and combine. Bring into a ball, wrap and chill. 

As a single crust - bake at 475 for 8-10 min. 

TIP-

Do not overwork the dough...keep a light tough and use flour sparingly while you are rolling it out. Otherwise, it will get heavy and not be as flaky.

I double or quadruple this recipe and keep those amounts in my cookbook for easy reference. If you plan to make one, you might as well make four while you are making the mess!

I often make it early and place it in the refrigerator to chill or freezer to keep until I'm ready.  

The original recipe calls for crisco, which I never use. Lard is another choice and good for savory pies. I prefer butter for my pastry. 

I use maple vinegar. Yum.
And grass fed butter and sea salt. Of course.


I use maple vinegar. Yum.
And grass fed butter and sea salt. Of course.

WHAT IS THAT?

This looks really strange, doesn't it?

This container (usually a large glass jar) sits in my freezer. What do YOU do with the leftovers from dinner? - carrots, mashed potatoes, green beans, chicken, soup, stew, rice, beans, gravy, roast beef, etc? Sometimes it's a bowl full and sometimes it's just a spoonful. Either way, I'm not about to waste it and throw it away. When the jar is full, I thaw it, get out my large stock pot, saute' some onions and garlic, add all the contents to the pot. It's always a surprise and it's always good. If your food was seasoned well to begin with, you'll have a tasty soup. Often, I add a bit of chicken stock if it's too thick.

This batch almost tasted like gumbo. Spice it up and pass the hot sauce!

SPICE MUFFINS

Whole wheat flour in the canister and my other flour of choice by King Arthur

Sift:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg

In mixer:
½ cup butter - room temperature
½ cup coconut sugar
½ brown sugar
add: 4 eggs (room temp) 1 at a time and mix well
on low speed, add ½ c milk + (if using ww flour, you may need a tad more)
add flour mixture and
stir in 1 c pecans (optional)

Bake 400º for 12-15 min

    ALWAYS use a microplane and use fresh nutmeg...BIG difference!

I love my scoops in several sizes...all your muffins will be the same size.

Tender and warm...don't forget the fresh butter!

TIP:

Bake ALL muffins at 400º ~ even if the recipe says 350º. That BLAST of heat makes them rise nicely!! You'll have to play around with your recipes and adjust your time accordingly...it's just a tip I've learned along the way!

Use this as a base recipe - add grated apples, a bit of pumpkin or applesauce, any nuts or raisins. Use your imagination!