Thursday, February 20, 2014
Detox Day #20-Think I am finally over my hummus obsession...
So last night I spent an hour making hummus and yes, it was good. But I think I am officially over my hummus obsession, at least for now. On this detox I think I have eaten more hummus than I have the entire rest of my life combined. And sure I love that it is easy to make, high in protein and you can flavor it any way you like, but it is not taking the place of wine or chocolate, so I think I need to diversify...maybe I will spend the last week obsessing about homemade guacamole or something like that.
On a side note, I have to say that I am starting to feel the effects of detox cravings. Yes, I am super proud of the fact that I am 20 days in, but I am ready to stop and have a buttery glass of Chardonnay, robust Cab or even an effervescent glass of champagne. Hell after 28 days my desperation may be to the point that I am willing to drink wine out of a box or Boones Farm.
Ok back to hummus. I have heard that hummus is this ancient food, however although chickpeas have been around forever, hummus as we know it today was first seen in a cookbook from the 13th century in Egypt. The original varietal consisted of chickpeas, vinegar, lemons, oil and herbs. However, the "traditional" modern day variety also has garlic and tahini.
As many of you know I have been making hummus with canned chickpeas, however last night I decided to make it with dried chickpeas, it was definitely more time consuming, but the texture is definitely WAY more creamy.
First of all, soak chickpeas in water with 1T baking soda. And just in case you were wondering, adding baking soda to dried beans can help tenderize them. Soak the beans for 12-24 hours.
Drain the beans and put them in a pot with 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Lower to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. The water will get a bubbly scum on it, kind of like when you are making chicken broth, just skim it off the top...it does not mean you left dish soap in the pot.
Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid. Drain the beans and rinse with cold water.
Add the beans, reserved cooking liquid, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, paprika (I used smoked and it was wonderful), chili flakes, cumin and salt to a food processor. Process until smooth.
Here is the actual recipe:
Transfer the chickpeas to a large bowl and add 8 cups water; stir in the baking soda. Set aside to soak at room temperature, at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
Drain the chickpeas and rinse well. Transfer to a large pot and add 10 cups water; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chickpeas are very soft, skimming off any foam from the surface, about 45 minutes.
Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the chickpeas and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. With the machine running, add the tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper flakes, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and the reserved cooking water; puree until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the hummus to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with pita bread and/or vegetables. To store, cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 days.
This hummus was just full of flavor and it was also much more subtle. I felt like I could taste each of the individual elements-the lemon juice, the smoked paprika, the hint of sesame from the tahini. It was also much more creamy and smooth in comparison to using canned chickpeas and whereas canned chickpeas sometimes have funky skins on the beans, these did not have that. I enjoyed the hummus, but I am also...well just over my hummus obsession. Cheers!
On a side note, I have to say that I am starting to feel the effects of detox cravings. Yes, I am super proud of the fact that I am 20 days in, but I am ready to stop and have a buttery glass of Chardonnay, robust Cab or even an effervescent glass of champagne. Hell after 28 days my desperation may be to the point that I am willing to drink wine out of a box or Boones Farm.
Ok back to hummus. I have heard that hummus is this ancient food, however although chickpeas have been around forever, hummus as we know it today was first seen in a cookbook from the 13th century in Egypt. The original varietal consisted of chickpeas, vinegar, lemons, oil and herbs. However, the "traditional" modern day variety also has garlic and tahini.
As many of you know I have been making hummus with canned chickpeas, however last night I decided to make it with dried chickpeas, it was definitely more time consuming, but the texture is definitely WAY more creamy.
First of all, soak chickpeas in water with 1T baking soda. And just in case you were wondering, adding baking soda to dried beans can help tenderize them. Soak the beans for 12-24 hours.
Drain the beans and put them in a pot with 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Lower to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. The water will get a bubbly scum on it, kind of like when you are making chicken broth, just skim it off the top...it does not mean you left dish soap in the pot.
Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid. Drain the beans and rinse with cold water.
Add the beans, reserved cooking liquid, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, paprika (I used smoked and it was wonderful), chili flakes, cumin and salt to a food processor. Process until smooth.
Here is the actual recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste), well stirred
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 clove garlic
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika, plus more for sprinkling
- Kosher salt
- Pita bread and/or vegetable sticks, for serving
Directions
Put the chickpeas in a strainer and pick through to remove any small stones; rinse well.Transfer the chickpeas to a large bowl and add 8 cups water; stir in the baking soda. Set aside to soak at room temperature, at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
Drain the chickpeas and rinse well. Transfer to a large pot and add 10 cups water; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chickpeas are very soft, skimming off any foam from the surface, about 45 minutes.
Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the chickpeas and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. With the machine running, add the tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper flakes, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and the reserved cooking water; puree until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the hummus to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with pita bread and/or vegetables. To store, cover and refrigerate 3 to 4 days.
This hummus was just full of flavor and it was also much more subtle. I felt like I could taste each of the individual elements-the lemon juice, the smoked paprika, the hint of sesame from the tahini. It was also much more creamy and smooth in comparison to using canned chickpeas and whereas canned chickpeas sometimes have funky skins on the beans, these did not have that. I enjoyed the hummus, but I am also...well just over my hummus obsession. Cheers!
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