Hummus

This is classic hummus the way I usually make it.

For increased digestibility, I first soak my chickpeas for 24 hours and then cook them with a small piece of kombu seaweed and cumin seeds (this is the Whole Life Nutrition approach). The cumin seeds also impart flavor as some of them make it into the hummus. The seaweed adds minerals but doesn't impart any taste.

Also, your hummus will be the creamiest if you use your chickpeas as soon as you’ve cooked them. You can certainly store them in the fridge for a day or two if needed, but if possible make your hummus right away.

This recipe makes about 6 cups of hummus, which I divide into 3 2-cup Pyrex containers for the freezer.

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Hummus

Recipe updated 12/30/2019

Special equipment:
Food processor

To soak and cook the chickpeas:
1 1/3 cups dried chickpeas
Filtered water for soaking and more for cooking
2-3 inch strip of kombu seaweed
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

To make the hummus:
1 large garlic clove, chopped
Juice of 2 lemons, possibly more to taste
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup tahini
Cooked chickpeas (see above)
Bean cooking water (or filtered water) for consistency

Garnish:
Olive oil
Sumac or smoked paprika

Place the chickpeas in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of water. Leave them to soak uncovered for about 24 hours.

STOVETOP COOKING METHOD:
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, return them to the pot and add new water to cover the beans by at least an inch. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, skim off the white foam then reduce heat to low and add the kombu and cumin. Cover and cook for 1-1.5 hours. Bean cooking times can vary a lot. Start checking for doneness around the hour mark, but be prepared to cook for longer if needed.

PRESSURE COOKER METHOD:
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, place them in the pressure cooker and cover with at least an inch of filtered water. Add the kombu and cumin seeds to the pot and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

When the chickpeas are done, discard the seaweed but keep the chickpeas and cumin seeds in the cooking water.

To make the hummus, place the chopped garlic, lemon juice and sea salt in your food processor and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Add the olive oil, tahini and chickpeas (you can either remove them with a slotted spoon or strain them, but if you do the latter be sure to preserve the cooking liquid). Some of the cumin seeds from the cooking water will inevitably make it into the hummus and that's OK; they add flavor. At this point, process what you have into a thick and chunky hummus, then start adding the cooking water (about 1/4 cup at a time) and continue to process until you have a smooth consistency. I usually add well over a cup of the chickpea cooking liquid as I like my hummus to have a pourable consistency. Keep in mind that it will thicken slightly over time as well. Also note that the longer you run the food processor the creamier the hummus will be; I often run it for several minutes for the smoothest possible hummus.

Makes about 6 cups of delicious, homemade hummus, perfect for a freezer stash.

Strawberry Kale Smoothie

This is our house smoothie and a great way to drink your kale if you need more greens in your life. It’s high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene), vitamin K, folate, and a myriad of other vitamins and minerals. We usually make a big blender full (which we call “mega smoothie”) for all four of us. I’m including the larger version as well as a single version below.

We bought our first Vitamix some years back despite my husband’s resistance and skepticism, which by the way, quickly turned into unabashed enthusiasm once he saw what it could do. If you’re interested in making smoothies to up your family’s fruit and vegetable intake, I highly recommend investing in one. It blends smoothies into creamy oblivion and therefore (scientifically speaking :) will notably increase your produce intake.

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Strawberry Kale Smoothie
Inspired by the Strawberry Cucumber Smoothie from Superfood Smoothies by Julie Morris

Notes: Play around with the proportions that work for you. The big variable is the kale, and how much you can handle before it tastes too “green.” This is different for different people (and kids, ha!). If you’re not sure, start with less and taste. Then add more and re-blend if you feel like it could use more. I usually use Lacinato kale, but curly kale also works. Also, you may choose to add more or a bit less water, depending on whether you prefer a thicker milkshake-like smoothie or a thinner juice-like one. If you’d like it more creamy, add more cashews. If you’d like it sweeter, add another date or two.

Special equipment:
Vitamix or other high-powered blender

Single serving portion:
Small handful raw cashews (about 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons)
Generous 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
Filtered water to cover most (but not quite all) of the strawberries
1 Medjool date, pitted
1 1/2 inch piece of a medium cucumber
2-4 medium Lacinato kale leaves, de-stemmed

4 serving portion:
1/2 cup raw cashews
3 cups frozen strawberries
Filtered water
3 Medjool dates, pitted
1/3 - 1/2 medium cucumber, roughly sliced
Between 1/2 and 1 bunch kale (depending on size and preference), leaves de-stemmed

Put the cashews in the blender, followed by the strawberries, and pour in the filtered water to almost cover the strawberries (I stop about an inch and a half before the top of the strawberries). If you don’t have a high-powered blender, it helps to let the cashews and strawberries soften up in the water for a bit before blending. Add the dates, cucumber and kale and blend until smooth. Drink and enjoy :)

Simple Butternut Squash Soup

Hello and happy March! I've been thinking about how I can't believe it's almost spring, and how I feel like it's a sign of established adulthood to talk about how fast time is going. It never went fast as a kid. I think about that sometimes - how my son's experience of time is so much different than my own, and how strange that is given that we spend almost all of our time together. I didn't feel like my childhood went particularly fast, but apparently my parents did.

So, to slow the passage of time, I've instituted a few countermeasures.  First, I'm trying not to take on too much. I don't like going through my days rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off, constantly thinking about what needs to be done next. Second, every year I make a wall calendar with favorite family pictures and I'm making it a point each month, preferably each day, to really appreciate the pictures up there. Third, the kitchen. I've found that when I don't cook very much for a few days in a row, I initially enjoy the break, but after a short while I just don't feel like myself. I'm this way with yoga too. I certainly didn't expect this, but for the last couple years I really feel compelled to cook and create in the kitchen. And there's something about doing what feels right for you that makes time pass as it should.

Anyways - this soup. When I first made it I didn't expect too much. It was kind-of an experiment to both simplify an existing butternut squash soup recipe as well as use some homemade chicken broth. But it turned out fantastic and instantly became a favorite. My son loves it, which helps, because I don't like to make him separate food for dinner and I also, equally, don't like constant discussions about how this is the time to fill our bellies because there won't be any snacks or treats later if we don't eat our dinner. (I haven't yet mastered the art of serving dinner, letting him eat or not eat, and being OK with whatever happens. Why do you think I practice so much yoga these days? ;)

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Simple Butternut Squash Soup

Simplified, a lot, from this recipe published in the LA Times two years ago. 

Notes: Homemade broth gives you a huge boost in flavor and nutrition here, particularly since this soup is so simple. If you have any inclination to make it, do it! You'll be glad you did. Also, go slowly with the salt and the apple cider vinegar at the end. The amount really depend on what your broth tastes like as well as your own preferences. For salt, go 1/2 teaspoon at a time. For the vinegar, I start with 1/2 tablespoon and go from there.

Recipe updated 1/16/2018.

Special equipment:
Standard blender or immersion blender

2.5-3 lb butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into 1-inch squares
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (depending on the size of your squash)
Sea salt to taste (usually about 2 teaspoons but it all depends on how salty your broth is)
Apple cider vinegar to taste (between 1/2 and 1 1/2 tablespoons depending on broth and preference)

In a large stockpot, sauté the onions in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes, still stirring.

Add the chopped butternut squash and broth/water to just cover the squash, then bring the soup to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes until the squash is tender.

Puree the soup completely with a immersion blender. (Alternatively, you could put batches of it into a regular blender) and season to taste with sea salt and apple cider vinegar.

Serve with any kind of microgreens or other small greens and toasted slivered almonds.

Serves 6