Apple raisin spice oatmeal

I wanted to share  my latest breakfast obsession.  It's not new or revolutionary or anything, just darn good & a real time saver!  What is the miracle of AM eatery you ask?  Oatmeal!  No not those nasty packets of instant wall paper paste, no I'm talking about old fashioned or steel cut oats, cooked slowly with fruit and spices.  Don't let the 'slowly' word scare you, it takes less than 30 minutes and you've got breakfast for a week. 

Due to my apple obsession I went with apple & raisin spice.  It's good people.  Darn good.  The oats pick up the flavors of the apples & spices so you don't have that paste flavor that so often can hinder oatmeal. The apples are softened but still have some body to them.  The spices warm your tongue and excite your palate while the sweet brown sugar and perfume of vanilla  add their compliment it all perfectly.  Once the oats have cooked the raisins have reconstituted and are plump grapes again.  Delicious! 

Now let's chat about the oats. Not all oatmeals are created equal.  This recipe calls for old fashioned or steel cut.  Make sure you follow the directions on the package for the oats regarding ratios of water:oats as well as cooking times.  (Oat information source: fitsugar.com) 

Steel cut oats, also called Irish or Scotch oats:  these are cut, not rolled. They look like chopped up rice, take the longest to cook, and have a slightly chewy consistency.  These are usually in a box, large can or bulk in the grocery store.

Old fashioned oats, sometimes called rolled oats:  these look like flat little ovals. When processing these oats, the kernels are steamed first, and then rolled to flatten them. They take longer to cook than quick oats, but are quicker than steel cut oats.  These are usually in a large tall cylinder or in bulk in grocery stores.

Quick oats, also called instant oats:  these oats are pre-cooked, dried, and then rolled. They cook in a few minutes when added to hot water, and have a mushy texture.  These are also in large tall cylinders as well as boxes of prepackaged oatmeal in the grocery stores.  AVOID.

Apple & raisin spice oatmeal

makes 8 servings

3-4 apples, Honeycrisp is the best choice, but Granny Smith and Golden Delicious are good, also

1/2 c raisins

1/2 stick (1/4 c) butter, unsalted

1/2 t kosher salt

2-3t cinnamon

1 t ground ginger

1/16 t fresh ground nutmeg or 1/8 t regular ground nutmeg

1/2 c brown sugar

1 T vanilla extract

1/2 c water

enough oats & water to make 6 servings of oatmeal, follow instructions on box
(Silver Palate old fashioned oats is what The Witch uses, 1.5 c oats, 2 c water)

Peel and dice the apples.  Heat up a large soup pan and melt butter.  Once it's melted add the apples and stir well.  Add the spices, sugar, water, and plumped raisins, stirring well to mix the water in.  Cover & cook 5 minutes.

Stir the caramel spice apple sauce.  Add the oats and water, stir well.  Cover & cook according to manufacture directions, until oats are soft (that takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on the type of oats you use). Add vanilla and stir well.  Cool and refrigerate oatmeal overnight for flavors to meld and oats to fully hydrate.  Reheat oatmeal in microwave.

  

Nutrition Facts calculated at SparkPeople recipe calculator 8 Servings Amount Per Serving Calories 266.5 Total Fat 8.1 g Saturated Fat 4.0 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g Cholesterol 15.5 mg Sodium 26.9 mg Potassium 166.7 mg Total Carbohydrate 52.0 g Dietary Fiber 4.3 g Sugars 28.7 g Protein 4.2 g

Hearty Minestrone

Hearty Minestrone
makes 8 generous servings
1 can chick peas drained and rinsed
1 can red beans drained and rinsed
1 can italian style stewed tomatoes
3 carrots diced
2 ribs celery diced
1 small onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 zucchini diced
about 1 c cherry tomatoes
1/2 green pepper diced
1 t dried oregano
1 T kosher salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
8 c water OR chicken stock OR equivalent (aka Better than Bullion)
1 c V8 vegetable juice
2 T olive oil
4 oz cooked ditalini pasta

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat.  Once hot add the onions, carrots & celery.  Sautee vegetables for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent.  Add garlic, stir well and sautee 1-2 minutes longer.  Once garlic is very fragrant  just before it starts to brown, add the tomatoes, juice & all.  Stir well to get the garlic up off the bottom of the pan.  Add everything else and bring up to a boil.  Once it boils reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 1 hour.  Taste for season before serving, adjust salt & pepper if needed.  When ready to serve place a small portion of cooked ditalini or other small shape pasta in the bowl and ladle the soup over top.  Garnish with grated parmesean cheese if desired.



Nutrition Facts calculated at Spark People recipe calculator 8 Servings Amount Per Serving Calories 188.3 Total Fat 4.5 g Saturated Fat 0.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.6 g Cholesterol 0.0 mg Sodium 1,029.1 mg Potassium 491.5 mg Total Carbohydrate 31.9 g Dietary Fiber 5.8 g Sugars 4.3 g Protein 6.8 g

Zucchini Cakes

It seems that the Kitchen Witch has a love/hate relationship with zucchini.  If you've read this blog for any length of time you'll know that zucchini is something that is a staple in the Witches' garden.  Every year I say I won't worry or over plant, and yet every year I have a mini freak out -  will they grow?  Will they produce?  Will I have beautiful zucchini this year? And because it's me, every single year I over plant, too, just in case one or 2 of the plants don't do well.  In 3 years, I've never had an unsuccessful zucchini crop.  They're always TOO successful!  Despite my fretting over the wee plants in the early days they grow and become big time producers.  Before I know it I've gone from "oh my I hope they grow" to "holy shit someone needs to come get some of this zucchini!!" If you remotely like zucchini I highly recommend growing them yourself.  It's SO easy, they're very low maintenance plants, and have never failed to produce.  Oh, and the love/hate thing is because I absolutely love zucchini but as the season wanes on I grow to hate it...after all zucchini for 3 meals a day is only awesome for a few days.

Now that you've been informed about the trials and tribulations of zucchini growing, let's get to the point of today's post, shall we?  Zucchini cakes!  Oh sure they've been done before but boy, are they good!  A few weeks ago my girlfriends and I were out to lunch.  I spotted zucchini cake sliders on the menu and thought now that sounds good!  I ordered them and indeed, I was right, they WERE good!  So promptly I went to the store to buy zucchini (it's not zucchini season in Colorado currently, much to my dismay) so I could recreate these babies.  They seemed pretty basic in their ingredients, zucchini, red bell pepper and feta cheese, with some binders to hold it together.

The Witch decided to use an egg as one of the binders along with some panko breadcrumbs.  Not much, I wanted the veggie to be the star of this cake, but enough to hold it together.  The panko is very light in texture, not dense like traditional bread crumbs can be.  It helped the cakes have a nice firmness to them with out being dense or heavy.  The crunch of the red onions provided a nice contrast to the soft zucchini.  As the cakes brown the zucchini takes on a fantastic flavor, browned zucchini is the only way to eat it in this Witches' opinion!  As the cakes cook the feta softens and melts, adding it's salty flavor to each bite.  These zucchini cakes are a taste sensation, low in calories and vegetarian!   Sounds like a great lunch or side dish idea to me!


Zucchini Cakes
makes 4 cakes, 2 cakes per serving
1 medium zucchini (about 7-8 inches long) shredded
about 2T diced roasted red bell pepper
scant 1T fine diced red onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c panko bread crumbs
1/4 c feta cheese
approximately 1/2 t kosher salt
a pinch pepper, or to taste
about 1-2T olive oil for cooking

Shred zuccini using large holes on a box grater.  Squeeze zucchini to remove excess liquid.  Put squeezed zucchini into a small work bowl.  Add the diced roasted red peppers, garlic, onion, panko, feta and S&P.   Pour the beaten egg over top and using a fork, gently mix.  You'll want a cohesive mixture with no obvious pockets of dry bread crumbs or uncoated veggies.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Once hot scoop zucchini mix into 4 patties, about 1/4 c each.  Make about 1/2 inch thick by 3-4 inches diameter.  Cover skillet and fry cakes on first side until golden browned, about 5 minutes.  Cakes will still be very fragile so be careful when you flip them.  Gently flip and continue cooking covered on second side, until browned and cakes hold together.   Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator Amount Per Serving Calories 223.8   Total Fat 16.8 g Saturated Fat 4.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g Monounsaturated Fat 9.3 g Cholesterol 109.2 mg Sodium 562.1 mg Potassium 339.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 11.4 g Dietary Fiber 1.6 g Sugars 2.4 g Protein 7.3 g

Israeli Couscous salad with beans and tomatoes

Israeli couscous, have you all seen or tried this yet? Ever wonder what the heck it is? Well, Israeli couscous isn't a strange and exotic grain. It's not a grain at all, rather, it's pasta, just like all couscous. Yes, you read that right, ALL couscous is really just tiny beads of pasta that cook up super quick due to their tiny size. Israeli couscous is no different except its beads are larger than normal couscous, making them more pearl like. They cook up very fast also, less than 10 minutes, and are tasty! I like to get my Israeli couscous from the health food store, they have it available in bulk and you can buy as much or as little as you'd like. It's really really cheap, too, bonus!

Israeli couscous is toasted from the factory. Personally, I wanted more of that roasty toasty flavor so I decided to further brown my couscous in melted butter. Nothing wrong with that! A small amount of onion was added for flavor, but not so much that it overwhelmed the delicate toasty flavor of the couscous. The Witch used chicken broth to cook the couscous in for additional flavor, but if you're looking to make this dish completely vegetarian water or veggie broth would work just fine also. As the couscous cooks it releases a lot of starches which make the texture of the cooked Israeli couscous more like a good risotto than couscous.

Because this was an entire meal I knew that I needed some protein in there somewhere so I added white beans that I have in my pantry. The soft texture and gentle flavor of the cannellini bean was delightful against the soft, rich creamy flavor of the couscous. Having an abundance of cherry tomatoes from the garden it was a no brainer to add a handful of the sweet red treats into the couscous. Feta cheese was in the fridge and its flavors as well as very granular texture again worked fabulously with the couscous. Now all it needed was a dressing! In a small mason jar, or any jar with a lid, add the juice of half a lemon, a touch of honey to counteract the tart of the lemon and 2 parts olive oil. I just eyeballed the amount in the glass jar, when it looked like I had a 2:1 ratio of oil to lemon juice I stopped. It was about 3T of oil. A touch of garlic and fresh herbs including mint, oregano and parsley completed this easy and tasty dressing. The dressing will make a lot more than you need for one serving, you'll actually be able to get about 3 couscous salads out of this dressing, so save the leftovers in the fridge for another tasty salad.

The final results of this are savor, rich, creamy, tart, sweet and plain yummy. The herbs in the dressing added great flavor, just enough to keep you interested in taking another bite. The tomatoes give bursts of sweet tart flavor that counter the rich creamy taste of the couscous. A nice salty tang is provided by the feta and the creamy beans kept me full for hours! This recipe was developed as a quick and easy lunch for myself. Imagine my surprise when the Little Witch wanted to try some (shock!) and then declared that she LOVES couscous and wanted more! (double shock!) If you're looking for a quick lunch, easy side dish or a meatless main course, look no further than this Israeli couscous dish. Enjoy!


Israeli couscous salad with beans and tomatoes
makes 1 main dish sized serving
1/2 c Israeli couscous
3/4 c chicken broth OR water
2 t butter
1 T minced onions
1 T minced green pepper (optional)
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1/3 c white beans (cannellini beans), drained and rinsed (1 can will make 3 salads)
2T feta cheese
3t dressing, recipe follows

Lemon herb dressing
makes enough for 3 salads
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 parts olive oil, approx 3T
1t honey
1 clove garlic sliced thin
pinch kosher salt & pepper
fresh minced herbs: parsley, mint and oregano (small bit of parsley, 5 leaves each mint & oregano)

Make dressing first: combine all ingredients in a small lidded jar and shake well to mix. Set aside.

Prepare salad:
In a small sauce pan heat butter over medium high heat until it foams. Once the foaming stops add the uncooked couscous, stir to coat all pearls in butter. Toast for 2 minutes then add the onions. Stir to coat onions in butter and continue to toast for 3-4 minutes longer, until couscous is browned and smells nutty.



Add the broth or water and bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Add the beans, cover the pan and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Check couscous for tenderness, if soft all the way through then drain couscous of any remaining liquid. Return to pot. Add the dressing, tomatoes and feta, stir well to coat everything evenly. Enjoy!



Nutrition Facts calculated at SparkPeople recipe calculator
Salad only, no dressing 1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 459.6
Total Fat 9.6 g
Saturated Fat 4.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Cholesterol 25.0 mg
Sodium 308.7 mg
Potassim 294.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 16.6 g
Dietary Fiber 4.8 g
Sugars 0.7 g
Protein 17.7 g

Nutrition Facts calculated at SparkPeople recipe calculator
Lemon herb dressing only -- 3 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 130.5
Total Fat 14.0 g
Saturated Fat 2.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 10.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 96.3 mg
Potassium 14.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 2.9 g
Dietary Fiber 0.1 g
Sugars 2.1 g
Protein 0.1 g

Capellini Pomodoro

This bowl of beautiful cherry tomatoes, fresh picked from the garden, talked to me the other night.

"Make us into something delicious, please" they said.
"But what? What can you do with cherry tomatoes, other than throw into a salad?" the Witch wondered.
"Pomodoro" they replied. "Capellini Pomodoro"

Pomodoro, well that's a fresh tomato sauce, so yes! Why not? Cherry tomatoes could very well become pomodoro sauce, after all its supposed to be fresh, light and NOT marinara. When I think pomodoro I think summer garden, fresh herbs, light pasta. Summer garden & its bounty, check! Fresh herbs, check! Light pasta, check! Capellini pomodoro it is!

I added a bit of white wine to enhance the tomatoes tart flavor and chicken stock to extend the sauce while keeping the oil low. A few cloves of garlic makes everything happy and its pastas best friend. In less than 10 minutes, from start to finish, I had a satisfying dinner that everyone enjoyed.

Capellini Pomodoro
Makes 2 servings
1/2 lb cherry tomatoes
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c chicken stock
2 T white wine
fresh basil
salt & pepper
1/2 box capellini or angle hair pasta

Quarter the tomatoes and mince the garlic.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling salt it heavily, should taste as salty as sea water, and cook the pasta according to directions.

While pasta cooks make the pomodoro sauce by heating a sautee pan over medium high heat. Add the oil, once its hot add the cherry tomatoes and toss to coat evenly. Add the garlic, stir well and often to avoid burning the garlic.

Add the wine and stock, simmer until reduced by half. Add salt & pepper and basil.

Once pasta is al dente drain and add to the tomato sauce, tossing to coat evenly.

Serve with shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe calculator
2 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 296.3
Total Fat 8.6 g
Saturated Fat 1.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 822.8 mg
Potassium 216.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 47.1 g
Dietary Fiber 3.0 g
Sugars 1.0 g
Protein 8.2 g

Indian Style Curry - potato, chick pea, zucchini, cauliflower and peas

I find the best recipes and ideas while out in the blogosphere. Design Wine and Dime is no exception. A few weeks ago she posted a mouth watering recipe for Rava Dosas with potato chickpea masala. After I read the post I could not get this recipe off my mind.

While browsing one of my favorite cookbooks, America's Test Kitchen, Best of 2008, I discovered a curry recipe. Most everything I've made from this book was delicious so I decided to go for it. It shared a lot of similar ingredients and methods with Design Wine & Dine's recipe, which sparked my curry thought pattern initially.

A trip to the farmers market yielded me some nice red baby potatoes. I found a great deal on organic cauliflower at the grocery store as well. The chick peas are a staple in my pantry, along with spices like curry and garam masala. Everything included this meal cost less than $5, it has all organic produce, some if from my very own yard, and was delicious!

Browning the onions and potatoes together help build the flavor base. Toasting the curry powder and garam masala aids in bringing the freshest flavors out of the spices, adding another layer of flavor. The dish takes about 45 minutes from start to finish, but tastes like it took all day. No one, even the meat loving husband, missed the meat in this dish. It is extremely hearty and filling and most of all, extremely delicious!


Indian Style Curry: Potato, chick pea, zucchini, cauliflower and peas
makes about 5 hearty portions
adapted from America's Test Kitchen best of 2008 Cookbook
2 T curry powder
1 1/2 t garam masala
1/4 c canola oil, divided
1 large onion, fine dice
12 oz, about 6 small, red bliss potatoes, cut into large dice
4 cloves garlic minced
1 T fresh grated ginger root
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded if desired, fine dice
1 T tomato paste
1/2 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 medium size zucchini, diced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, pulsed in a food processor or blender
1 1/2 c water
1 can chick peas, drained & rinsed
kosher salt to taste (veggies need lots of salt, season generously, 1 to 1.5 t kosher salt)
2 handfuls frozen peas
1/4 c heavy cream or coconut milk

Toast the curry powder and garam masala in a small skillet over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until spices darken slightly and become fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.. Remove spices from pan and set aside.

Heat 3 T oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Once oil is hot add the onions and potatoes, cook stirring occasionally until potatoes begin to brown on edges and onions are golden, about 10 minutes. Once browning begins reduce heat to medium.

Push the potatoes and onions to the side of the pan making room in the center to work. Add the remaining oil along with the garlic, ginger, jalapenos and tomato paste, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the toasted spices, stirring constantly, cool for about a minute longer.



Add the cauliflower & zucchini next, stirring well to cover in spices. Once the vegetables are thoroughly coated in spices add the tomatoes, water and chickpeas. Season with salt. Be sure to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.



Bring to a simmer, cover and cook about 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally while cooking to avoid veggies from sticking to bottom of pan.



Once potatoes are done add the peas and cook about 2 minutes longer. Add the cream or coconut milk, stir well, add more salt if needed and serve over basmati rice.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
5 Servings
Amount Per Serving *not including rice*
Calories 292.5
Total Fat 13.2 g
Saturated Fat 1.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat 7.0 g
Cholesterol 2.3 mg
Sodium 677.5 mg
Potassium 1,103.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 39.1 g
Dietary Fiber 8.6 g
Sugars 1.7 g
Protein 8.2 g

Quinoa stuffed tomatoes with asparagus and feta

I'm always trying to come up with new, healthy things to eat for lunch. The main stipulations have to be
1. low in mess!
2. low in calories
3. it has to be quick

On the counter I had asparagus and tomatoes that both needed to be used sooner rather than later.

In the summer when my garden is producing tomatoes like they're going out of style I like to stuff them with day old bread and fresh herbs. Its a delightful side dish that compliments pretty much everything! Stuffed tomatoes are wonderful but I was out of bread and bread crumbs.

Being a Kitchen Witch I took a chance with my new BFF quinoa. So far the quinoa has not let me down, but would it be good as tomato stuffing? I didn't see why not! Asparagus, tomatoes, a touch of lemon and feta, well this was shaping up to be a lunch worth blogging about. Low in calories, check. Quick and not too much mess? Check. A new lunch time favorite, check!

Quinoa stuffed tomatoes with Asparagus
serves 2-4 (2 for lunch, 4 for a side dish)
1/4 c quinoa
1/2 c water or broth
1/3 red bell pepper
6 stalks asparagus cut into small rounds
2 plum tomatoes, halved
herbs - dry italian seasoning mix 1/2 t added to the quinoa water
1 clove garlic minced
1 T onion minced
1 t EVOO
1 t lemon juice and a bit of zest if you have it
S&P
2 T feta cheese

In a sauce pan heat the EVOO over medium high heat. Once oils hot add the diced peppers, onions and garlic. Cook about 5 min or until onions just start to brown on edges, add water, salt and quinoa, cover & reduce heat to low, cook 10 min. After 10 min add the asparagus, stir to incorporate, replace lid & allow to cook about 5 min longer or until all liquid is absorbed.

Halve the tomatoes across the length and scoop out the pulp. Lightly salt & pepper the tomato shells.

Spoon the quinoa veggie filling into the tomato halves. Top with feta cheese.
2 halves for a lunch serving, 1 half for a side dish



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
2 Servings (2 stuffed halves per serving)
Calories 157.7
Total Fat 5.6 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Cholesterol 6.7 mg
Sodium 324.0 mg
Potassium 305.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 22.8 g
Dietary Fiber 3.6 g
Sugars 1.5 g
Protein 5.9

Spiced Beans

Canned beans are a staple in the Kitchen Witch pantry. My daughter LOVES beans, so anytime I can throw them into a dish, I do. Its the one thing I know she'll eat! But canned beans have a tenancy to be lackluster, to say the least. Have no fear, the Kitchen Witch is here to spice up those beans for you, turning them from a pantry staple to a quick and easy side dish.

Black beans are my personal prefereance for this dish, they go so well with cumin and lime. However the day I photographed this dish all I had on hand was pinto beans. They were pretty darn tasty, too. Almost as good as the black beans. So feel free to use whatever kind of beans you have in your pantry.

These beans are a great side dish with your favorite Mexican meal. I also like to use these beans with some grilled meats in a taco salad. They also make for mean nachos. Pretty much no matter what you decide to serve these beans with you'll be happy you did.

Spiced beans
serves 4 as a side dish
1 can beans, drained and rinsed well (black or pinto are good choices)
1 t fresh toasted and ground cumin (preground cumin seed works fine too)
1 T minced onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and diced (more or less depending on your preference)
1/2 c water or chicken stock
S&P
squeeze of lime juice
drizzle of oil

Heat a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add oil and onions, allow to cook about 3 minutes. Add cumin, garlic, bell peppers and jalapanos, stir well to coat in oil and cook 2 minutes.

Add beans and water or stock, stir well. Reduce heat to low and allow beans to simmer for about 20 minutes.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 64.3
Total Fat 0.4 g
Saturated Fat 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 40.5 mg
Potassium 189.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 11.8 g
Dietary Fiber 4.0 g
Sugars 0.1 g
Protein 4.1 g

Hummus

Sometimes I feel like the last person to know about a good thing: this time its hummus. Oh sure, I've heard about it for years and thought, Gee that sounds delightful! I love chick peas and sesame seeds, so whats not to love about hummus? I even went so far as to make some once, with out a recipe, as is the Kitchen Witches style. The results were less than favorable so I didn't return to hummus land for a long, long time.

I scored a bag of Stacey's pita chips for FREE recently (thank you Stacey's facebook fan page). As luck would have it I was scrounging through my cupboards and discovered a can of chick peas. Just like that the spell was cast. I'd make hummus. But this time I'd figure out what I was supposed to do before just winging it, and maybe I too could get in on the hummus bandwagon, just as it pulls away from the station.


The results this time around, with a little research under my belt, were amazing. So good that I bought more hummus making materials and I plan on it becoming an integral part of my lunch time routine. My lunch sandwich will consist of whole wheat pita bread, 2 heaping tablespoons of hummus, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and feta cheese. Low calorie, lots of vegetables and meat free. Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

Hummus
makes 8 servings
1 can chick peas, drained, reserve 1/4 c of the liquid
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic
1 t ground cumin seed
1 t kosher salt (more or less depending on taste)
few grinds pepper
3 T tahini
1 T EVOO



Put everything in the work bowl of a food processor. Run it for about 5 minutes, scraping down sides every minute, or until you have a very smooth and thick paste.



Really, that's it! If you don't have a food processor you could try to use a blender but honestly, I don't know if it'd work, this is a pretty thick paste so the blender might not process it properly. If you try the hummus in a blender please let me know how it turns out!


Nutrition Facts provided by Spark People recipe calculator
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 119.7
Total Fat 5.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.6 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 467.8 mg
Potassium 136.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 14.9 g
Dietary Fiber 3.1 g
Sugars 0.2 g
Protein 3.9 g