Bean spreads and hummus

While you're munching on nuts and/or fruit, you can get organized to cook your entree. Or, you could make dinner using bean spread partnered with fruit and fresh veggies .. a complete meal:

1. mix up a bean spread or use hummus from the store
2. Spread on whole-grain crackers, bread, tortillas, or celery sticks
   
3. Sprinkle on sesame seeds
4. Add a topping:

• Sliced tomato and feta cheese on top
• like olives? slice some of those on there, too.
• Spice it up .. try some Louisiana Hot Sauce
• Grated carrots, sliced bell pepper, sliced pear

How to make bean spread.

You need a blender.

Search for hummus recipes; you just need to see the idea and then let your own taste take control.

Here's a basic recipe:

1. Can of garbanzo or black beans
2. 1/4 cup of olive oil
3. Juice of lemon or 1 Tablespoon, depending on taste
4. 1 teaspoon cumin

Process in blender until creamy.

I prefer to make hummus with tahini. Tahini is ground sesame seed paste; buy it in a jar like other nut butters or make your own.

1. can of drained garbanzo beans (also called chick peas), reserve the liquid
   
2. 1/4 cup of reserved bean liquid
   
3. juice of lemon or around 1/4 cup
4. heaping tablespoon of tahini (1 1/2 Tbspn if you want to measure)
5. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
6. salt..scant 1/2 tsp
7. 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Process in blender until smooth.

Garbanzo bean hummus with Tahini

Here's a pic of my garlic press. Paid $2.89 for it at a local restaurant supply.

It not only minces the garlic but releases the garlic juice. All you have to do is take the peel off the garlic, press, scrape off with knife, use knife tip to collect garlic back into center of press, and press again. Throw out leavings unless you're stewing. You can press a garlic clove without peeling, but that doesn't suit my sensibilities.

The black bean tahini version we make:

1. can of black beans, drained
2. two (2) heaping tablespoons of tahini (about 1/4 cup measured)
3. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
4. 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
5. juice of a small lime or 1-2 teaspoons
6. 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Process all in blender until smooth.

Store the leftover in a jar in the fridge.

Black bean hummus with Tahini

How We Cook and Why .. for Starters

Had any seeds

..or..

nuts today?

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Gosh, there are so many great blogs written by passionate souls, but we are still compelled to chime in with ours. Here's our eating philosophy:

1. You are what you eat.

2. All things in moderation.

3. Cooking puts you in control.

4. You should like what you eat, even if you can't eat what you like.

5. Cooking for yourself = loving yourself.

6. Buy the best quality food you can.

7. Buy fresh.

8. Cook from scratch.

9. Try new foods, be adventurous - try combinations.

10. Enjoy!

We'll be sharing our conversations about what we had on hand and what we did with it. We'll be including some how-to's and info we've gleaned about cooking tools, too