beXnlog

Extra Virgin Overload

For lunch today i whipped up a batch of hummus. It's so easy and delicious, you'll never buy it again. Using tahini and extra virgin olive oil makes it creamy while the garlic cloves and lemon add the right amount of freshness. be and i spread the hummus into warmed pita pockets, added lettuce for crunch and be used some feta cheese, too. (Those sprouts were already going bad!)

Hummus, be Proportions

1 16 oz can chickpeas, drained
2 garlic cloves
1 T tahini (ground sesame paste)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2-3 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 t salt
paprika (optional)

Put all ingredients into a blender and mix on the lowest speed. You will have to stop occasionally and push the hummus down from the sides into the blades. Blend until you have a creamy, smooth paste. Spread into a bowl and sprinkle with paprika.

There isn't really a way to go wrong with this recipe. I've seen many other recipes using different proportions. Store-bought hummus all tastes different; some are more tart, others use much more tahini. If you prefer a thinner hummus, add 1 or 2 T of the chickpea liquid. If you want a chunkier hummus, don't blend as thoroughly. As long as you like it, it's great!


After a deadline-filled day at work, be and i made a nice dinner, using a good amount of produce! He made 2 trays of his famous crunchy croutons and 2 big bowls of salad while i made garlic and lemon pepper broccoli (be's most favorite), pasta with Newman's Own vodka sauce for be and Barilla Arrabbiata (hot pepper) sauce for me, with a side of rustic bread and olive oil & rosemary dip. Although my pasta sauce was better than Classico's Spicy Red Pepper, it still wasn't hot enough for my liking. I heated up about 1 T of olive oil in a saucepan and dumped in 1/2 t of red chile flakes, shut off the heat and stirred it around. I added this to my pasta before adding the sauce, and it made things much hotter and more flavorful.

Now that i've consumed about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil today, i'm craving some crunchy fresh fruit. Our bosc pears are crunchy, but not the best in terms of flavor. The gala apples are good, much better than supermarket ones, but a pink lady from the farmers' market would be better. I guess the lesson here is: don't have 1/4 cup of olive oil in one day. By the way: we still have 2 jugs of it from Costco!

be's Lemon Pepper Broccoli

1 head broccoli, or equivalent florets
2 T vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt
1 t lemon pepper seasoning OR fresh lemon juice (1/3 lemon) and 1/8 t freshly ground pepper

Chop the broccoli into same-sized florets. If the stalks are good, peel away the outer layer and cut into 1/4" slices. Wash well and dry as much as possible (salad spinner or leave out to drain). Heat the oil in a flat pan over medium-high. Add the garlic and stir, then add the broccoli and combine. Quickly add 3-4 T of water to the pan and cover. Let the broccoli steam for 2-5 minutes or until bright green, depending on the size of the florets. Stir, add salt to taste, lemon pepper OR the lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Keep stirring until 90% of the water has evaporated. The broccoli is ready when you are just able to stick a fork into a floret stem. Don't overcook broccoli or it gets mushy; it's better to err on the side of crunchy, but fork-done is best.

posted by beXn @ 12:55 AM