Best Hummus Ever

This is the best hummus ever. Blends up super duper creamy, and you barely need any olive oil to create the creamy texture we all love from store bought hummus. The spices are just how I prefer my hummus, modify them to your tastes.

Ingredients
1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
1/3 cup tahini
2 tbsp olive oil, optional
Juice from 1 fresh lemon (1/3 cup)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 -1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp smoked paprika

Recipe
1. Place soaked chickpeas and 1 tbsp baking soda in a pot, and cover with water to cover 1 inch above the chickpeas. Boil for 1-2 hours, watching for foam and skimming off. Chickpeas should be falling apart when they are done.
2. Drain chickpeas into a strainer or colander, and let the water drain for 5-10 minutes.
3. Pour drained chickpeas and remaining ingredients into a good processor or strong blender, and process until smooth. Taste and adjust spices as desired.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Moroccan chickpea salad

Provides a complete protein between the amino acids in the chickpeas and the walnuts. This salad has warm flavors of typical Moroccan spice blends, and is great to pack for lunch as the kale will not wilt in the dressing.

Serves: 3

Ingredients
3 cups cooked chickpeas
1 small yellow onion, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
2 medjool dates, pitted and sliced into 1/4" pieces
Juice of 1 fresh lemon (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped, de-stemmed kale
1/2 carrot coins (about 1 1/2 large carrots)
2 tbsp dried parsley
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2-3 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a container, and mix thoroughly. Salad is great made ahead, and even better the next day.

Coconut Crusted Tilapia

Whipped this up for a quick post- rock climbing dinner. It turned out so tasty I thought I should share.

Serves 2 (can easily be scaled)

2 6-oz tilapia fillets
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Smoked paprika and/or cayenne, optional

Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a baking sheet with oiled tin foil or silicon baking sheet.

Season with salt, pepper, and paprika/cayenne to taste.

Beat egg with 2 tbsp water in a shallow dish wide enough to fit the fillets (I used a pie dish).
In another shallow dish, put the coconut flakes
Sprinkle the coconut flour over a plate large enough to dredge the fillets.

One by one, dredge the tilapia in the coconut flour, then egg wash, then coconut flakes. Transfer carefully to baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until done, depending on thickness.

Serve and enjoy!

Healing Root Vegetable Miso Soup

This weekend I had many grand adventures planned. But, I got stuck at home with a bad cold. This is one of my favorite healing soups.

Serves 1 for dinner, 2 for large appetizer or side dish

In a small saucepot, cover with water and bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes:
1 small handful dried mushrooms
1/4 cup dried woodear mushrooms, optional
1/4 cup dried wakame seaweed

Meanwhile, chop:
1/2 cup butternut squash into 1/2" cubes
1/3 cup rutabega into 1/2" cubes
2 green onions (white and green parts), thinly

After the mushrooms and seaweed have been simmering for 10 minutes, carefully pour out most of the water and replace with fresh water (about 2 cups water total should be in your pot).
fish out the large mushrooms with a slotted soon, set aside then slice thinly once cool enough to touch. Add the chopped rutabega, squash and sliced mushrooms back in, simmer for another 5-7 minutes or until the rutabega is cooked through.

While the vegetables are cooking, mix in a small bowl (I used the bowl I was going to eat out of) until thoroughly dissolved:

1 tsp low sodium chicken/vegetable base and 1/2 cup water OR 1 cup low sodium chicken/vegetable stock
1 tsp miso paste, preferably low sodium
1 tsp gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste, optional)

When the root vegetables are thoroughly cooked, add reserved sliced green onion and miso mixture, return to a simmer and then serve into bowl(s). Top with:

A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds (optional)
A drizzle of chili oil (optional)
A drizzle of toasted sesame seed oil (optional)

Enjoy!