Wednesday, July 11, 2012

ToT on Wednesday: FOOD

So I'm late. It happens.

And the crazy part is the subject is food, one of my favorite things in the world! There is SO much I could write about from a Just Living perspective . . . I have posts started on why I'm a vegetarian, ethical food choices, all kinds of good stuff. And we are going through another food shake-up around here, thanks to little guy. Turns out his little body doesn't like cow milk--or rather the proteins in it (casein and whey)--or gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and a few other grains. He doesn't have a full-on allergy, but he does have a sensitivity. If mama eats either of those items, we see skin reactions, runny nose, and a fun assortment of digestive issues in our little fella. As it turns out, theory goes if baby has a sensitivity, mama likely does too, just undetected since I've gotten used to the effects. So no dairy or gluten for me! It's been challenging, but kinda fun because it's forced some creativity. And honestly, I feel better without it.

This started a whole host of obsessive research about food, how we eat now, how we ate historically, what has changed about the food itself, what do we really need to be healthy. I've found some enlightening stuff and a few crazies. I had been toying with the idea of being vegan for awhile, for a lot of reasons. (Mark Bittman, for one, has lots of info, and while you can read about dairy in particular here, the information applies to lots of factory farmed foods.) As it stands, I am semi-vegan--I am mostly vegan, but I am OK with eating some animal products here and there. For me, that includes honey, eggs (we get ours via Green Bean Delivery from a pastured farm in northern Indiana), and occasional fish (though fishing practices make me cringe, that is a project for another day). We also eat a good amount of organic food, though we are not psycho about it or anything. And we are working on cutting sugar around here, too. It is fun to eat, but it is kind of the devil.

So . . . I wanted to share a favorite recipe with you, at the request of my Together on Tuesday friends. And I wanted it to be something that fits the criteria above. That ruled out some of my favorite cakes, cookies, and tarts, as well as some gooey, cheesy dishes. But it leaves one of my all-time favorites that I've been making for nearly a decade, and one of my most-requested recipes: straight-up, plan and simple hummus.

Hummus

1 16 oz can garbanzos, rinsed (or about 1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzos, which is even better. BPA-free cans suggested if you go the canned route.)
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon, or about 3 Tbsp
3 Tbsp Tahini (sesame paste)
3 tsp cumin powder, toasted
Olive Oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt 

Garnish with paprika, chopped parsley, tomatoes, kalmata olives

Toast cumin in a dry pan until scent is strong and set aside.
Crush garlic and saute in olive oil until cooked through
Add garbanzos, tahini, garlic with oil, some salt, cumin, a couple Tbsp of water, and about half the lemon juice into a food processor. Gradually stream in some olive oil and water as you process until smooth. 
(If using a blender, add liquids first and add garbanzos gradually.)
Adjust consistency by adding olive oil or water a bit at a time. 
Spread into a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper,

Extra yummy if you let it stand a day and then garnish as above. I always serve it with veggies, and pita is another popular choice.

Nothing fancy, but it's a staple around here, and it's one of my comfort foods. I hope you like it!

Check out the other Together on Tuesday bloggers, listed to the right, for more favorites.

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