Home Page / Shop / Recipe List / Jen's Bio / About God / History / Subscribe / Contact
Milk and Honey Cookbook
Looking for cookbooks? Jennifer Cote's cookbook
and devotional,
From the Land of Milk and Honey, is available online at
Winepress Christian Books. $13.95
(Or For Sandwiches)
Healthy recipes can be made easily enough, using whole foods and natural ingredients. The sesame seeds in this hummus recipe pack a nutritional punch, being loaded with extra minerals and fiber. And the garbanzo beans are a great protein for vegetarians (and for the rest of us, for that matter).
For this hummus recipe, I wanted a bean spread (or bean dip) that would have plenty of lemon flavor. Even copious amounts of lemon juice failed to produce that, but by processing a whole lemon into the mix, the flavor came through. A dash of natural lemon extract/oil would also do the trick. Some might say that the pith in the rind seems too bitter, but I know it's loaded with nutrients, so it doesn't bother me. Ah, another whole food. I like it!
I added vinegar to give it tang, as, again, the lemon juice didn't seem to add enough sour. I did read that some have used toasted sesame oil in place of the sesame butter; it's a resourceful substitute if you don't happen to have tahini on hand. Certainly, you'd use less, as it's mainly to give it the flavor.
Hummus Recipe
I prefer cooking the dry
garbanzos for this hummus recipe. It takes time, but hummus freezes well, so making a big batch is
worth the effort. (Or make a half recipe if you like). Serve as an appetizer,
with toasted pita bread triangles or stoned wheat crackers. Also tasty for
sandwiches; we serve it on wheat toast at the deli, adding cucumbers, tomato,
onion, and sprouts. Makes 5 pints or so; serves 15-20 (or more).
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. garbanzo beans,
dried (or substitute 4 1/4 c. canned garbanzos, which is about 2-3 16 oz. cans)
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 of a lemon
- 1 pint (2 c.) tahini, fresh-ground
- 1 1/2 TBS. salt (or less)
- 1/2 c. olive oil
- 1/4 c. white vinegar
- 2/3 c. water
Bring 2-3 qts. water to a boil, then cook garbanzos for several hours over medium heat until very tender. Add more water if needed to keep beans covered. Cook: > 1 lb. dry garbanzo beans
Drain the cooked beans, reserving 1/2 c. of whole beans to
garnish the dish, if serving as an appetizer. Set the cooked beans aside. Process
the following until pureed fairly smooth: >
3-4 garlic cloves > 1/2 of a lemon, seeded- use peel and all
To the above, add and process some more: > 1 pint (2 c.) sesame butter,
preferably fresh-ground*
(found at some health food stores) >
1 1/2 TBS. salt > 1/2 c.
olive oil
While motor's running, also add through the top, mixing
until smooth: > 1/4 c. white vinegar
> 2/3 c. water
Put hummus in a medium-large, shallow bowl, garnishing w/
chopped parsley, a sprinkling of paprika, and whole garbanzo beans; a colorful
presentation! To serve with toasted pita triangles, cut one package or so of
pita bread into triangles, baking on a cookie sheet for 10-20 min. at 350 degrees,
until golden brown.
For variety, you can add extra spices, like cumin powder,
curry, or process in sun-dried tomatoes. It will keep one week or so in
refrigerator, or freeze serving-size portions, which will keep for months.