hummus

The tahini I made was for hummus.  The request from the boyos.  I actually need to make more hummus but I am waiting on beans.  I ordered them because that is just how good the Rancho Gordo beans are.  They are some of the most expensive beans you can by on the market but well worth it.  They cook fast too because they are so fresh.  My problem with garbanzo beans from the bulk section of most stores are they are so old it takes forever for them to cook!

The hummus was actually quite easy and so tasty!  

hummus

Note:  You can add other things if you wish.  I am going to try a black bean hummus at some point.

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans (500 grams) (2 cans)

Juice of three limes (it was what was in the house!)

1/4 cup tahini, well stirred

1 head roasted garlic

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

4 to 6 tablespoons water 

olive oil, salt, and paprika for serving

The first thing I did, was I peeled the garbanzo beans.  Yes.  Took the time to take the skins off.  It just makes a much smoother hummus.  I put an audible book on and did it.  Gift from the Sea by Ann Morrow Lindbergh.  

Put the garbanzo beans in a food processor bowl.  If you do not have a food processor, blender or pestle and mortar.  The goal is to get everything as smooth as possible.  It is one of the few things I like my food processor for.

I then put everything but the water in the processor bowl.  Squished out the roasted garlic cloves.  Squeezed the limes.  Put in whole cumin because it was what I had.  I processed for about 7 minutes.  I then added the water.  At this point, I had one of the boyos taste for salt.  He said the 1/4 teaspoon was enough especially since it was going to be eaten with crackers.  But that is all up to you.

I got what you see in the first picture.  After refrigerating the hummus, I would have used the six tablespoons of water instead of four.  But I think that has everything to do with how creamy and loose you prefer your hummus.  Or how strong your dipping crackers or chips are!

I am making this again as soon as the beans are delivered.  Maybe homemade is not as cheap as store bought because of the quality of beans I use but I would say it tastes better.  Great snack, lunch, and traveling food.  Also gluten free which has come back into my life.  One of the boyos.

granola bars

I made the comment recently that more traveling could occur if we ate more of our own food, both on the road and everyday.  I have only been home one weekend in the last seven.  It may actually be six.  I find the problem with traveling the way I do is that I do not wish to stop and if I do, I cannot find anything I really wish to eat.

Many years ago, when we used to have more food allergies to deal with.  I made my own granola bars based on a Martha Stewart recipe.  I dug it out again because the boyos need snacks.  And because we are traveling again this weekend.  It is a good thing that I like sleeping in a tent and I have a very small tea kettle that I can take anywhere!

These granola bars can be quite crumbly.  I used to travel with them in a plastic box instead of a plastic sack.  Very satisfying though.

peanut butter granola bars

Note:  based on a Martha Stewart recipe.  I went looking for it again and I think the name has changed to be a breakfast bar.  I have also occasionally thrown in a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  It is all a matter of taste

1 large egg white

1/2 cup quick oats or other flake type cereal with same consistency (I always thought amaranth flakes would be good)

1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries.

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup peanut or other nut butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons olive or walnut oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Preaheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.  If you use two pieces, and lay them perpendicular to each other, it makes lifting the granola bars out easier.

Mix the oatmeal and dried fruit in a bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat the oil, peanut butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together.  Heat and stir until the brown sugar is dissolved.  I usually remove the mixture from the heat before all the sugar is dissolved and just keep stirring hard until it is.  I wish to cool the mixture down a bit because you now stir in the egg white.  Cooling the mixture down a bit means that the egg white does not cook.

Mix the peanut butter mixture into the oat mixture.  Spread in an even layer in the baking pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.  It should be a little darker brown.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Lift out of baking pan and let cool completely before cutting.

I did not get these cut before the picture.  I am still frustrated that I only have my phone camera.  Hopefully, the car will be repaired soon!

Good for traveling.  Good for missed breakfast.  Good for snacks for boyos who run so hard they forget to eat!  Very good for Koda bears.

crispy avocado tacos

When we were at MotoGP, we found a taco place that had better mojitos then margaritas but also had crispy avocado tacos.  Personally, I thought maybe not for me but I decided to give them a try.  Most everything else on the menu was too heavy or too much chicken.  I find chicken just hurts.  I had a fish taco and I had a crispy avocado taco.  Usually fish is my favorite but not at this place.  We went back for more tacos and I just ate the crispy ones.

These I decided to replicate.  I read more then a few recipes.   Came up with a plan and proceeded.  Oh my gosh!  Heaven.  The recipe I came up with is gluten free.  It can also easily be vegan if you so wish.  I just did not have any almond or hemp milk in the house.  I had a very full tummy after two tacos, which is half an avocado.  Very happy but very full.  Just be aware.

crispy avocado tacos

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into eighths.  It should be soft but firm.

1/2 cup millet flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons dairy or non-dairy milk

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/16 teaspoon ground chipolte pepper

1/16 teaspoon ground ancho pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

4 corn tortillas

1/2 cup black beans

coleslaw, vinegar and oil based

salsa of your choice

avocado crema

goat cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a shallow dish, put the millet flour.  In a shallow disk, whisk together the oil and milk.  In another shallow dish, mix the almond flour, salt, pepper, and spices.

Dust an avocado slice in the millet flour.  Shake off extra.  Dredge the slice through the oil/milk mixture.  Dredge in the almond flour mixture.  Place on the baking sheet.  Continue until all the slices are done.

Bake for 20 minutes or golden.

Warm the tortillas.  Warm the beans.

When the avocados are roasted, take out of the oven.  Put a tortilla on a plate.  Smear with a bit of bean.  Put two avocado slices.  Add avocado crema, cole slaw, and goat cheese crumbles or anything else you wish.  Repeat until you have four tacos.

Happy belly!

national peanut butter cookie day

Last week, during our stretch break at work (Yes, exactly what it sounds like.  A break where there is trainer led stretching for ten minutes), I found out it was National Peanut Butter Cookie Day.  It made me laugh.  I came home and told my Beloved.  He asked very sweetly if he could have peanut butter cookies. 

Peanut butter cookies are not high on my list of favorites.  He enjoys them but I think there are a few others he likes better.  They are the easiest cookie to make gluten free.  I find the hardest thing is if you are silly enough like me to bake them on a cast iron pizza pan, is keeping on eye on them so they do not burn!

peanut butter cookies

Note:  If you use a more pasteurized then I did, you can actually roll them into balls later and put the cross hash in them.  Even maybe roll them in some granulated sugar.  These not so much.

1 cup old fashioned peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream the peanut butter and brown sugar in a bowl.  Mix in one egg.  Stir very well.

Drop by spoonfuls on baking sheets covered with Silpats or parchment paper. 

Bake for 15 minutes.  If you need to do a second baking, watch the cookies closely so they do not burn.

So simple.  So yummy.

black bean brownies

I have come across this recipe for black beans brownies now and then.  I finally decided to try them.  The funniest part of the whole thing was the batter tasted like a box mix.  How odd!  My Beloved has actually asked for them again but I have to admit that I have been using the black beans for dinner.  Time to cook more beans!

black bean brownies

15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed

3 eggs

1/3 cup melted butter

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 to 1 cup mixture of butterscotch and chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 8 x 8 inch pan.

In a large blender, blend all the ingredients except the chips.  I let it blend for awhile.  Gently mix in the chips.  Pour into pan.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or unitl a knife comes out clean.  Let cool a bit before cutting.

The boys really liked these.  I have to admit that I like my chocolate torte better but they are very different.

Next time, like the directions, I would stir the chips all the way through.  Time to cook more black beans.