Hummus and Baba Ghanoush

Hummus

• 1 16 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
• 3 to 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Drain the chickpeas and set aside the liquid.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or a food processor. Add chickpea liquid while blending for about 3 to 5 minutes until thoroughly mixed and very smooth.

Baba Ghanoush

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup tahini, plus more if needed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
• 1 pinch ground cumin
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat a grill to medium-high.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Score the eggplant in several places with a fork and place it on the grill, about four to five inches from the fire.
4. Grill the eggplant, turning frequently, until the outer skin is blackened and blistered and the flesh feels soft to the touch, about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and cook until very soft, another 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Remove eggplant from oven, cool and peel off skin.
7. In a large bowl mash the eggplant with a potato masher or a fork.
8. Add tahini, garlic, lemon juice and cumin and mix well until smooth.
9. Season with salt and pepper and taste, adding more tahini or lemon juice depending on your palette.

Vitamix Crabmeat Spread

Yield: 2 1/3 cups (560 ml)
Speed: Variable
Time: 5 to 10 Seconds

Ingredients
1/4 cup (60 ml) lowfat milk
8 ounces (227 g) light or nonfat cream cheese, room temperature, cut in four pieces
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
pepper, to taste
1 cup (135 g) crab meat or imitation crab meat

Directions
1. Place all ingredients into the Vita-Mix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 3 or 4.
4. Blend for 5 to 10 seconds or until chunky. You may need to stop the machine and run a spatula around the inside of the container to integrate ingredients. If necessary, use the tamper to press any ingredients into the blades while processing. Do not over mix.

Note: Refrigerate in airtight container.

Health Classification: Low Carb

Meal Type: Appetizers

Best Hummus Ever

Toast 1 teaspoon cumin seeds in a little skillet until fragrant and dark, about a minute. Pour them into a mortar and pound with a pestle. Add 2 garlic cloves to the cumin and pound them until they become paste. Scrape everything into a food processor and add 1/4 cup tahini, a pinch of cayenne, kosher salt, pepper, the juice of 1 1/2 lemons, and 2 (15-ounce) cans chick peas, drained. (Davis also gives instructions for making this with freshly cooked and hand-peeled dried chick peas, but we haven't gone there yet). Pulse the machine a few times, then add 1/3 cup oil in a steady stream. (This is more than Davis uses, he calls for 5 tablespoons). If it seems too thick, you can thin it out with water, but Daniel uses even more oil.
To serve, spread it on a plate and drizzle on more oil, then sprinkle with a touch more cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Enjoy. And let me know if you think the hummus lives up to the title.

Fast Bruschetta

From Martha Stewart:

Canellini Beans with Herbs
Heat 1 garlic clove + 4 minced anchvy fillets in 2 T oilive oil until fragrant, 1 min. Stir in 19 0z can beans, drained and rinsed, and 1 t each fresh rosemary, sage and thyme. Cook til beans warm. Spoon onto 8 slices bruschetta. Drizzle with EVOO.

Roasted Peppers and Herbed Ricotta
Stir 1 c ricotta + 1/2 t coarse salt + 2 T EVOO + chopped fresh oregano. Season with ground pepper. Spread on 8 slices bruschetta. Cut 1 roasted red pepper into 8 strips. Place 1 strip on each slice. Drizzle with EVOO.

Feta Radish Spread

Martha tells you to make your own pita chips here but I simply ran out of time. I brought my clients store-bought pita chips instead. Another change I made was to use more yogurt (a full 7 oz. container instead of the 1/4 cup she called for) to eliminate the need for olive oil in the spread.

1 package sheep’s milk feta cheese (7 or 8 ounces), coarsely chopped
1- 7 oz. container Greek yogurt (DT: I used low fat)
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 radishes, quartered and thinly sliced

Pulse the feta, yogurt, and lemon juice in a food processor just utnil the mixture is thick and spreadable, about 10 pulses. Transer to a medium bowl, and stir in the parsley and radishes. Serve with pita chips or crackers. (The dip can be made, without the radishes and parsley, 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Add parsley and radises just before serving.)

Warm Red-Lentil Dal with Pita Chips

Serve this dal as a dip with pita chips or as a side dish with grilled meats or fish.Per serving: 189 calories, 5 g fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbs, 291 mg sodium, 12 g protein, 3 g fiber

• 1/2 pound red lentils (about 1 1/4 cups), picked over and rinsed
• One 14 1/2-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth, or homemade, skimmed of fat
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1 large tomato, seeded and finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

In a medium saucepan, combine lentils, broth, water, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan; add garlic, cumin seeds, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove the lentils from heat, and stir in the garlic mixture, diced tomato, mint, and salt. Serve warm.

Bagna Cauda Dip

The dish is eaten by dipping raw, boiled or roasted vegetables, especially cardoon, celery, cauliflower, artichokes, peppers and onions. It is traditionally eaten during the autumn and winter months and must be served hot, as the name suggests. This is a Martha Stewart spin:

Let mellow overnight. Bring to room temp to serve. Makes 1.25c.

2T unsalted butter
3 large garlic cloves, fine chopped
3 oz anchovie fillets, rough chopped
1/3 c olive oil
1T milk

Melt butter add garlic 2 mins on med-low. Add anchovies and oil, reduce to low. Cook stirring occasionally til soft and lightly browned about 20 mins. Remove from heat, let cool. Add milk, puree til smooth. Store in airtight container up to 4 days.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

35 min | 5 min prep

1 pie plate full

• 2 (5 ounce) cans chicken, drained ((by the tuna in the grocery store))
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 3/4 cup red hot sauce
• shredded cheddar cheese, you decide how much
• Frito corn chip, scoops

1. Beat cream cheese, ranch dressing, and red hot sauce.
2. Fold in shredded chicken.
3. Spread mixture into pie plate sprayed with Pam.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
5. Add cheddar to top and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
6. Serve hot with Frito scoops.

Edamame Hummus (Ellie Kreiger) *****

2 cups shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
1 cup silken tofu, briefly drained of excess liquid
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice, plus more, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, plus more, for garnish

Set 1 tablespoon of edamame aside for a garnish. Place the rest of the edamame, tofu, salt, garlic, oil, lemon juice[, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin in the bowl of a food processor and process until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, plus more lemon juice, if desired. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with reserved edamame, and some cumin. Serves 12

Fat Free Baba Ganoush

This baba ganoush (eggplant dip) recipe has no oil and no tahini, making it a fat free vegetarian and vegan appetizer or dip that you can enjoy any time! I like to spread a little baba ganoush on a flour tortilla with some lettuce and veggies for a quick and healthy low-fat vegetarian lunch. For a more hummus-like recipe, try this baba ganoush hummus¹, or, for a spicier version, try this chili lime baba ganoush².

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 cloves minced garlic, preferably roasted
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp parsley

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice eggplants in half and pierce with a fork in several places. Roast for about 45 minutes, or until soft. Allow to cool slightly, then scoop out inside of eggplant, leaving skin behind.

In a blender or food processor, process eggplant with remaining ingredients until smooth.

Hummus (everyday food) *****

see June 2005 p. 137

FAST hot red pepper/goat cheese dip

Bake Trader Joe's Red Pepper puree in a shallow dish with goat cheese crumbles on top. Serve with crackers.