Hummus

This recipe has been in the works for over two years, and I am proud to say that I am finally willing to release it into the world. After compiling ideas from many, many, many recipes the final touch was contributed by none other than my landlord. When he noticed pots of garbanzo beans soaking on our kitchen table, Kelly explained that we were making up our weekly batch of hummus and he literally beamed at us. Entirely abandoning his mission to locate the cause of the mystery smell that has plagued our apartment for the past month, he charged into the kitchen: the Middle Eastern male Martha Stewart on a mission. He instructed us to add 1 tsp. of baking soda to the beans while they are soaking, which cuts down on the cooking time and ensures that the hummus reaches the height of creamy deliciousness. At first I was skeptical. Baking soda is one of those ingredients that has an uncanny number of applications (like duct tape and dental floss). But I put my fears aside and gave it a try, and lo and behold he was right. Instead of the chunky hummus I was used to the consistency was smooth and light.

A Note on Beans

First things first, for this recipe you’ll need garbanzo beans, which for some bizarre reason also go under the code name of Chickpeas. They are one and the same, so don’t led this stress you out. Secondly, you’ll be using dried garbanzos instead of canned, and if you attempt to do otherwise I will never cease to scoff at you. Yes, dried beans require a little forethought, but they are incredibly inexpensive and are healthier than canned beans, which are loaded with sodium. A few things to keep in mind when working with dried beans is that it's important to rinse them before cooking, and to discard any mutant beans, rocks or dirt clumps that may have gotten in the package by mistake. Also, unlike pasta and pop tarts, dried beans do not last forever. Store them in an airtight container and don't let them sit on the shelf for longer than one year.

Finally, if you’re feeling adventurous and dare to try to improve upon what is already perfection (just kidding), play around with adding roasted red peppers or olives to the food processor and see what comes out.

Hummus

1 c. Dry garbanzo beans

1 tsp. Baking soda

3 cloves Garlic

¼ c. Lemon juice

½ c. Olive oil

¼ c. Tahini

1 tsp. Sea Salt

1 tsp. Cumin

½ tsp. Chili pepper flakes

1. Using a colander, rinse the garbanzo beans under cold water and pick out any beans that are abnormal.

2. Transfer the beans to a medium size pot, add baking soda and fill the pot with water (with at least 3 inches of water above the beans).

3. Allow the beans to soak for at least 8 hours, or over night.

4. Strain beans once again and rinse under cold water. Return to pot and cover once again with water.

5. Cook over medium high heat until beans are tender, and no longer starchy. (Anywhere between 20-40 minutes)

6. Remove beans from heat, strain and rinse a final time.

7. In a food processor, blend garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, sea salt, cumin and chili pepper until completely combined and creamy.

8. Add in garbanzo beans and process until the entire mixture is a smooth consistency. (You may need to add a little water, or olive oil to achieve this- but with whatever liquid you choose add it one Tb. at a time).

9. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries

Throughout my childhood sweet potatoes meant one thing: Iowan Grandma's marshmallow casserole. This horror used to loom at me from across the dinner table every Thanksgiving, literally inducing my gag reflex. Buried under pounds of gooey marshmallows, lumps of this misunderstood vegetable flopped around in butter and brown sugar. Not that this wouldn't have satisfied even the most demanding sweet tooth, and no offense to Grandma, but...Yuck. And for years I couldn't care less whether it was a sweet potato or a yam, I was prepared to hate them both, and hate I did. That is, until recently. Things changed when I discovered the absolute bliss of roasted sweet potatoes with rosemary (and obscene amounts of garlic). It goes without saying that marshmallow casserole from Iowa got its sweet little butt kicked when I figured this out. These fries make an excellent side dish, or middle of the night snack, and as long as you stay light on the oil and salt they're really very healthy. Did I mention they also smell heavenly?

Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries
2 medium size Sweet Potatoes
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Dried Rosemary
2 Tb. Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. Cut potatoes into french-fry sized strips and place them on a baking pan.
3. Stir in garlic, rosemary and olive oil until all the seasonings are evenly distributed.
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned, turning the fries after 15 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

Blueberry Apple Turnovers

Valentine's Day can be a miserable 24 hours. Couples buy chocolates and flowers; single people watch movies they've already seen, drink crappy wine and listen to Celine Dion. But this February 14th I resolve to banish such misery, and if i have to, be my own damn Valentine, after all I know better than anyone what makes me melt. And this year, the thing that makes me go weak at the knees is this flaky turnover- a mix of sweet blueberries and warm apples, wrapped up in a golden pie crust. I spent the past summer watching my friends Mandy and Michael bake up some of the most incredible treats, and so in honor of their being the loveliest couple I know I've created the loveliest Valentine's Day dessert to go with flowers... or crappy wine.

Blueberry Apple Turnovers

Turn-over Crust

3 c. All-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. Salt

3 Tb. Granulated Sugar

1 c. Earth Balance (or butter)

1 Egg

5 Tb. Water

Fruit Filling

2 ½ c. Blueberries (frozen are fine)

1 Red apple, finely chopped

½ c. Granulated sugar

3 Tb. All-purpose flour

3 tsp. Lemon juice

Egg Wash

1 Egg

1 Tb. Water

Raw Cane sugar (Turbinado), for garnish

Additional flour for rolling out dough

To make the crust

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425˚F.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar (from list of crust ingredients). Using an electric mixer, or large fork, mix in the butter until the mixture has only small bits of butter clumps, and is well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg with 5 Tb. water and whisk together.
4. Slowly add this egg mixture to the flour mixture while stirring, and continue until the dough forms a ball. The less you handle the dough the lighter and crispier it will be.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
   

To make the Filling (while the dough is chilling)

1. If you're using frozen berries, place the berries in a strainer and run them under warm water until they have thawed completely. Drain away any excess water and transfer the berries to a medium size bowl.
2. Stir in the chopped apple, sugar, flour and lemon juice until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
3. Prepare the egg wash in a small bowl: whisk together 1 egg and 1 Tb. water.

Creating the Turnover

1. Remove the ball of dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half. Place on half on a floured surface and return the remaining half to the refrigerator.
2. Roll out the dough to between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch thickness. Using a circular cookie cutter or small bowl, cut out circles, (returning the dough to the refrigerator when you're not working with it).
3. Place the circles on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper, and spoon the filling into the center of each circle, being careful not to over fill each turnover to the point at which it cannot close.
4. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush 1/2 the circle's edge with egg wash (which will act like glue) and fold the circle in half, pressing down on the edges to seal the filling inside.
5. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling.
6. Lightly brush the top of each turnover with egg wash, and cut two small slits on top to allow the steam to escape.
7. Sprinkle the turnovers with raw cane sugar and bake until golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes.
8. Allow them to cool on cooling racks and eat while they are still warm, or store in an air-tight container.
9. Enjoy!
   (Printable Recipe)
   

Makes approximately 20 turnovers.

This recipe can be easily adjusted for other combinations of fruits, but regardless of the fruit you select, try to keep the moisture to a minimum, and do not exceed 3 ½ cups. I recommend playing around with raspberries, peaches, cranberries or blackberries. And for an extra twist, drizzle them with melted chocolate after baking instead of using cane sugar.

Vegetarian Tacos

According to my grandmother, the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. What she failed to mention was that the 'let's make dinner at my place' date can also be the fastest way to kiss that man's heart goodbye.

The kitchen can already be a stressful environment, add your gentleman friend to the mix, whom you're dying to impress, and you're only moments away from disaster. But that doesn't have to be the case. This recipe showcases your culinary competency without seeming pretentious, and most importantly it's fun to make together. If he's new to the kitchen let him be in charge of the chopping while you handle the stove.
Vegetarian Tacos

1 c. TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
1 1/4 c. Boiling water
1 packet Taco seasoning
2 Tb. Olive oil
3 cloves Garlic, minced or finely chopped
2 Bell peppers (not green), seeded and chopped
1/2 Red onion, chopped
Chili pepper flakes
1 can Black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 c. Corn Kernels (frozen or canned)

1/4 c. Salsa
6-8 Taco shells (hard or soft)

Toppings: Cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, avocado, salsa

1. Place the TVP in a medium size bowl and mix with boiling water to hydrate it. Stir in taco seasoning packet and allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat.
3. Add garlic, bell peppers, onion and Chili pepper flakes and sauté until the vegetables are tender.
   
4. Add the hydrated TVP mixture, black beans, corn and salsa to the skillet. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. While the taco filling is heating, prepare your toppings.
6. Remove the skillet from heat and construct your tacos, adding the toppings of your choice.
7. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Orange Cranberry Cookies

This cookie is light and delicious, the perfect solution if you're looking for something other than the quadruple chocolate Christmas cookie massacre that never fails to send you directly into a prolonged food coma. I made mine into tiny, bite-sized cookies so I could enjoy them throughout the day without feeling like I'd been calorically naughty.


Orange Cranberry Cookies
2 c. All purpose flour
3/4 c. Granulated sugar
2 tsp. Baking powder
6 Tb. Butter, cut into small chunks
2 Tb. Orange zest
1 Tb. Orange juice
3/4 c. Dried cranberries
1 Egg, beaten
Cooking spray

1. Pulse dried cranberries in a food processor until small bits remain (or chop by hand). Set aside.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, butter and orange zest in the food processor and pulse until well combined.
3. Add orange juice and egg to this mixture. Process until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the processor.
4. Transfer the processed ingredients into a medium sized bowl and combine with dried cranberries. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray baking sheets with cooking spray.
6. Using a teaspoon (or melon baller) form the dough into small balls, leaving an inch in between each one. (The smaller the cookie, the better...don't fight me on this)
7. Bake for approx. 12 minutes. Remove cookies from the baking sheets and allow to cool on baking racks.
8. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)
This recipe is adapted from the recipe for lemon cookies in ‘The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook.’