Summer Hummus

This version of my hummus is dedicated to my cousin, Aaron, because we were talking last fall about hummus with more flavor.  I had also been thinking about it, so last fall when he visited, I began my experimentation on making a wonderful tasting hummus.

Hummus is something that I eat a lot of because I feel that it is healthy, particularly when you make it yourself.  Another great thing about making your own hummus is that you can make it for much cheaper (and in larger quantity) than you can buy in the grocery store.  I like the plain hummus with few spices and flavors, but in the past year I have been trying to come up with a hummus that I can make at home, but changes up the original flavors.  The flavor of this hummus comes from the vegetables that are in it, which add a nice depth of flavor without getting it all from spices.  Actually, there are no spices in here except a little salt to make the flavor pop.

Summer Vegetable Hummus
2 cans garbanzo beans, shelled
3 oz. marinated artichoke hearts with juice
2 oz. fresh spinach
juice from 2 lemons
3-4 Tablespoons tahini
salt to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)
1-2 Tablespoons sweet onion
3 cloves garlic
3 small sweet peppers
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2-4 Tablespoons water (as needed to be able to mix in a blender)

The recipe is simple....shell the garbanzo beans, squeeze the lemons into a bowl, and throw everything into the blender.  I recommend starting with the liquids and spinach and a portion of the garbanzo beans.  Once you have a smooth consistency, then add everything else and add a bit of water as needed to get it to the texture you desire.  Then refrigerate for a cooler hummus or eat right away with pita bread or crackers.

Indian Creamed Spinach with Chicken (Saag)

As long as I can remember, I have loved trying foods from different places.  I can't remember when I first tried Indian food, but I do remember trying creamed spinach.  Since that day I have been searching for a recipe to make at home that is as delicious as I have eaten in a restaurant.  (Next, I will have to master naan bread, but that is a recipe for another day.)  I stumbled upon a recipe that included tomatoes.  I have no idea what they would add to the dish, but I found that I love the complex flavor that they added to the recipe.  It was a pretty good recipe, but it wasn't as good as I remembered eating in a restaurant.  I continued the search until I found this recipe in Anjum's New Indian.  My recipe is adapted from this cookbook.  I recommend this book if you are interested in making Indian food.  This recipe freezes well and reheats well, too.

Creamed Spinach
Serves 6

12 oz. spinach
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
4 green chiles, pricked
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
12 garlic cloves, peeled
3 large tomatoes, cut into quarters to remove core
1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoon plain, unsweetened yogurt

Use a blender or food processor, make a puree of the spinach.  Add a few tablespoons of water to help to make the puree.  Set aside.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil.  Add the spices (cinnamon, bay leaves and cardamom pods) and cook for 15-20 seconds or until fragrant.  Add the green chiles and onion and cook until they are browned.

Using the blender to make a paste of the ginger, garlic and tomatoes.  Add this to the cooked onion.  Add the remaining spices (coriander, garam masala and salt to taste).  Cook for about 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.  Stir occasionally.  Add the chicken and continue to cook over medium heat until the masala releases oil into the pan, about 10 more minutes.  Add the yogurt and cook until the sauce has evaporated a little.  Taste to ensure that the masala sauce has cooked through.

Stir in the spinach puree and cook for another 15-20 minutes over medium heat until the chicken has been cooked through.  Cover the pan and stir occasionally.  Taste and adjust seasonings.   Serve with rice or naan bread.

Sausage, White Bean, and Spinach Gratin

In the past couple of years, particularly in winter, I have grown very fond of white beans.  I usually stock up on three different kinds/sizes...white kidney beans (also called canneli beans), navy beans and great northern beans.  Any time I try a new recipe or start tweaking one I make frequently, I tend to add an extra can.  I can image one day my chicken chili will have more beans than it does now and probably no chicken.  Beans are a good source of protein, but they are also filling and stay nice and hot on a cold winter's night.  I see more experiments with beans in my future, especially in dips which will transition to summer well.

This recipe is similar to another one I make, but this one is a gratin.  I also like this recipe because of the addition of spinach as it adds more color and satisfies my desire for greens in winter.  The recipe is based on the Keepers cookbook by Brennan and Campion.  It is a simple recipe to put together and not very time consuming, so great for a quick meal.

Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Gratin
Serves 6

3/4 cup of breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
several handfuls of spinach

Preheat oven to 425F.  Combine the breadcrumbs and butter in a small bowl.  Season with salt.  In a large skillet which can also transfer to the oven, heat the olive oil.  Add the sausage.  Break up the sausage while browning.  Once brown, transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Add the onions and garlic, stir occasionally until onions are soft.  Add the tomato paste and thyme.  Stir until fragrant (about half a minute).  Add the wine and simmer to deglaze for about 2 minutes or until nearly evaporated.  Add the broth and simmer. Add the beans, sausage and any juices from the bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer until heated throughout and some of the liquid has been absorbed. (It still will be juicy, but not so much that there is more liquid than solids.) Remove from heat and add the 5-6 handfuls of spinach.  Check seasonings again.  Sprinkle the top with bread crumb mixture.  Bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown (about 15 minutes).  Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.  This dish reheats well.

Spinach Quiche

I was baking so much the past few weeks, so I needed a break from all the sweet stuff and have added some savory recipes to balance out all of the high sugar content recipes.  Recently, I have been craving some nice greens.  Therefore, I went out and bought some spinach with is useful in so many ways.  It is such a versatile green that it is delicious eaten raw, but equally delicious chopped up and cooked.  This recipe is from my family in New Zealand.  It was one of the first things I learned to make when I was there, and I still go back to it when I am craving a piece of spinach quiche.

Spinach Quiche

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Crust:

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

4 tablespoons cold butter

ice cold water

Mix dry ingredients and then rub in the butter.  Add cold water by the tablespoon until dough comes together.  Roll out dough and place in a pie or quiche plate.

Filling:

4 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (less if you want the flavor more subtle)

3/4 cup milk

1/2 large onion

spinach to taste, though at least 1.5 ounces

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

In a food processor with the cutting blade place the eggs, salt and pepper, nutmeg and milk.  Blend in and add the onion and spinach leaves.  Finally, mix in the grated cheese.  Pour the filling into the pie plate.  Place in oven for about 45 minutes or until gently set.  (It should not be liquid in the middle so judge the time based on how wiggly the middle is.)

Makes one pie plate (about 8 servings)