Dips and Sauces: Hummus

Chickpeas, I love them. This is my Hummus recipe, very basic, but also very delicious. It's more of a science experiment than a recipe though. Haha.

My Hummus

Chickpeas (at least 15 oz can)

Garlic (at least 2 cloves)

Salt

Pepper

Lemon juice

Olive oil or sesame oil or canola oil (at least 1 tsp)

Roasted peppers (optional)

Onion(optional)

Cumin, Ground red pepper, other spices (optional)

First, have chickpeas (either reconstituted or canned) drained- you can reserve the liquid if you are trying to avoid oil. Put garlic and other vegetables in processor and chop them up first, add your chickpeas and a bit of oil (or liquid), a bit of lemon juice and process until smooth and creamy, continue to add a little oil or liquid until you reach the consistency you desire. Then add the seasonings you desire, I love putting salt and pepper in it. This particular batch has roasted garlic and pepper seasoning with cumin, ground red pepper and salt. It is traditional to use sesame oil in your hummus but I found olive oil and canola work just fine.

You can eat this now, but seriously, wait a day let the flavors marinate- it's more awesome that way.

Hope that your adventures are tasty and until next time, have a great day!

Beverages: Almond Milk Café au lait

I love coffee. Though I try to practice moderation, I really could drink gallons a day. Hot, iced, chilled, or baked in things, I am not particular. The only thing I am particular about it is, it must NOT be stale and needs some sort of milk and sweetener. Seriously- old coffee doesn't taste good, the acids really do a number on your stomach, so why not just make it fresh? You can chill it in the fridge right after making it and it will still remain fresh for a few days if that is your concern. Here is a favorite recipe I have for making Café au lait. Oh if I only had an espresso machine!

Almond milk Café au lait

Home made almond milk

Strong coffee

In a tall bowl or cup (depending on your whipping apparatus) whip the warm milk up to froth it (I used a battery operated milk aerator). Place coffee in cup about half full then sweeten to taste, pour frothed milk into cup to top it off. The foam will remain at the top. Enjoy.

You can also use an aerator from an espresso machine. It does not work with a regular hand mixer.

I haven't made one of these in a little while. I really enjoy it. You can make this with cow's milk and just about any nut milk. I have not had any success with rice or oat milks as they don't have the right amount of fats and proteins in order to hold the froth.

Until next time, have a fantastic day!

Breads: Dinner Rolls

I love bread, have always loved bread, and will always love bread. Until recently, I didn't know how easy it was to make bread. I've made a few things here and there but not really make them make them. And now thanks to an awesome food processor with a dough hook, things are easier than ever. Fresh bread is just about the best thing you could ever eat. (Besides bananas or chocolate of course!)

A Betty Crocker recipe for dinner rolls. Man they were delicious too! I made them several times and they just were GONE! :) I did tweak the recipe a bit- using less milk and substituting with more water. But other than that I used it as it was in the recipe.

Well, my next bread post will be about pretzels I'm sure. :) I have some to make for a dear friend.

Until then, have a fantastic day!