Maiden Voyage (Hummus Recipe)

As mentioned in the previous post, I received a food processor for my birthday and I’m so excited! The main reason is HUMMUS. I love it and like to make it every few months. Now I don’t have to drive to my parents’ house to steal their food processor. I finally executed this recipe correctly last night after having made major and minor mistakes in the past. The only thing I forgot this time was pepper. Oh well! This hummus recipe requires lots of thinking ahead and a couple hours to make so buckle down for an afternoon or evening and put on a movie.

*This recipe uses a whole bag of chickpeas/garbanzo beans so you will end up with 3 batches of hummus. Read the directions carefully so you understand how much of each ingredient should be added to each batch. The reason I make it in bulk is a. it can be a messy process, b. it freezes well, and c. it’s convenient to make a lot in one setting.
Directions:
1. Buy a bag of chickpeas/garbanzo beans and soak them in cold water overnight or all day. *Using the whole bag will amount to 3 batches of hummus.
2. Drain the water and place beans in a heavy pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then let them simmer till they’re soft, an hour or so. Optional: add some cumin, salt and cilantro to flavor the beans as they cook.
3. While the beans are cooking, I like to get my other ingredients ready to make the three batches of hummus. The following ingredients should be prepared and put into three bowls. Each bowl will have all of these ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. salt
½ – 1 tsp. cumin to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional: G'n'T for sustenance while slaving over the hot stove.

2 TB pine nuts
Dash of paprika – optional
2 TB fresh cilantro – optional

4. Separate the cooked beans into 3 batches. Save the boiled water by pouring it into a liquid measuring cup large enough to hold at least two cups.
*Now you will be processing each batch of hummus one at a time.
5. Using a food processor, process the cooked beans with ½ C of the saved water.
6. Add in the ingredients from one bowl.
7. Then add to each batch,

1 cup of Tahini paste
(one jar is good for 2 batches)
½ C. of fresh lemon juice
3 TB olive oil

Ready to eat!

8. Taste and adjust and add whatever you deem it could use more of. Serve when chilled as a dip, sandwich spread, or whatever you want to try.
I usually freeze one batch of fully prepared hummus so in a couple weeks when we’re wishing we had hummus again it instantly appears. Also, unless you bought two jars of Tahini paste you will have one batch will all of the ingredients processed except for Tahini. You can freeze it and add Tahini later (that’s what I normally do).

A messy kitchen is hard evidence of hummus operations.

When given a chef’s jacket, you must cook like a chef!

I had my 23rd birthday on July 14th. I received wonderful gifts from my husband, like a shopping trip and a night in Omaha, a Team Jacob shirt b/c his name is Jacob, NOT because I’m a Twilight fan, and dinner at Bread and Cup which was soooo good. I also got an awesome KitchenAid food processor and official, name inscribed chef’s jacket from my parents. I put on the chef’s jacket to cook dinner last Friday night and knew that I had to honor the apparel. I’m happy to report it all turned out splendidly and below are the pictures and recipes. I can’t wait for more inspirational nights where I am transformed into the chef in my heart.

Grilled Chicken
1.5-2 lb Chicken breast (tenderloins)
Marinade:
1 C oil
1/3 C soy sauce
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 TB ginger
1 TB Mrs. Dash
Directions: Marinade for 3-6 hrs, if you have time. I marinaded for an hour and the chicken still tasted great. Find the designated griller in the family and tell them to make it happen. The tenderloins only take about 15 minutes. Turn them over multiple times, as needed.

Oven Roasted Potatoes
1/8 C olive oil
1 TB minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
4 large (red) potatoes, sliced/cubed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. (AKA hot enough to melt the mascara on your eyelashes when opening the door to turn the potatoes. Sheesh!)
2. In a medium bowl, combine oil, garlic, spices, and salt. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place in baking pan in single layer. (I doubled the recipe necessitating the use of two baking pans so the potatoes were not overlapping.)
3. Roast for 20-30 minutes, turning once or twice to brown on all sides. (If you have an extremely sensitive fire alarm near your oven, like I do, be sure to turn the microwave vent fan on HI before, while and after opening the oven door. This will help your sensitive fire alarm to not go off as long.)

Chocolate Pudding
1/3 C cornstarch
1/2 C sugar
2 1/2-3 C milk
Directions: Whisk and microwave 2:22. In a separate bowl, whisk two eggs. Slowly add the hot mixture to the eggs then add the egg mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Microwave 2:22, stir, then microwave 2:22. Add 1/2 C chocolate chips, a splash of vanilla, and a little butter. Stir until mixed well then microwave 1:11. Eat when slightly cooled with an optional, but recommended dollop of whipped cream on top.

Jacob helped with the grilling and beverage preparations.

What's a summer meal without some cantaloupe?

Setting the Bar High and Surprise!

Jacob turned 26 on Wednesday, April 7.  Birthdays have always been a monumental day in my childhood so I try to do just as well for my husband.  Last year I got him a bookshelf for our terribly under-furnished apartment.  This year he asked for books and his favorite beer, so I got him both.  His favorite beer is “Three Philosophers” available at Hy-Vee and first introduced to Lincoln at the restaurant downtown, “Bread and Cup.” I’m not much of a beer drinker but it’s reportedly very good.

His two birthday books were about the development of American Christianity from the puritan movement through the civil war era.  Yes, a thrilling topic to be sure.  He’s been reading and raving about, “America’s God” by Mark Noll so I ordered a copy of that.  He immediately transferred bookmarks and I returned his other copy to the library at UNL.  The next book I learned of from the librarian at Beeson Divinity School for whom Jacob worked, Mike Garrett.  He recommended “Theology in America: Christian Thought from the Age of the Puritans to the Civil War” by E. Brooks Holifield.  He was quite giddy when he received each of the books.

On top of the aforementioned gifts, I planned a surprise party for Friday night.  Thanks to the help of my family and friends, Jacob was completely surprised and looked like he was about to have a heart attack when they greeted him.  We went out to dinner with his family and returned to a wonderful crowd of friends and my mom’s  red velvet cake (let know if you’re interested in the recipe).   All in all, we had a great time celebrating his birthday and I have no idea what I’m going to do for the following years that will be as good.  I’m afraid that I’ve set the bar quite high for myself and am unsure of what I can do to improve in the coming years.  More books each year?  We’ll have to see,

Allison G.