Salsa and Hummus

I am remiss at the author of this blog.  Who begins a blog series, only to post ONE entry and then fades away, not to be heard from for weeks on end? Insufferable!

 

Ahem…I apologize. This author bought a house last month and misplaced several things during the move, perhaps not her computer, but definitely all her marbles.  Now that things are inching back into the realm of normalcy, I return to post my much anticipated (I flatter myself) second entry in the “Staples” series.  Sharpen your chef’s knife and pull out the bag of tortilla chips: here comes the salsa and hummus.

 

 

Sold!

 

Earlier this week we had company.

We had been playing the call-us-and-let’s-get-together game with some friends of ours for a few weekends, and finally after one such conversation, an actual hang-out date materialized. And what is more: it came to fruition in what turned out to be a wonderful evening. No matter that I only caught wind of this party the morning of! 

With such late notice and such a new house, simple was the golden rule of the night. We made sure no unmentionables were strewn across the furniture and that all boxes were pushed out of walk ways. Simple.

Then I set to work making a few options for one to load onto a tortilla chip.

 

Exhibit A: Pico de Gallo

 

 

 

Exhibit B: Mango Salsa

 

 

 

Exhibit C: Hummus

 

 

When we make “dips” we make a fair amount. We make enough to get us through a few lazy lunches where we can’t muster the mental fortitude to create something fresh. Today was one of those days. I finished the mango salsa today, and tomorrow I will put the pico over some brown rice!  It is far easier to pull a bowl of mango salsa from the fridge and a bag of chips (or a slice of toast, if you prefer) from the pantry, than it is to start something from scratch. And luckily, it is relatively healthy. Relatively.

 

 

These are great basic recipes and can easily be adjusted to your liking. For instance, I love to spice up my hummus with some jalapeño or roasted red peppers. And on occasion, I use chipotles in adobo instead of jalapeños or habañeros to add a smoky kick to my salsas. Also, try the salsa with a fruit! Mango, pineapple, or peach are great, but options are endless. Use whatever sounds good, or whatever you have on hand.

 

 

Hummus:

 

 

-1 lb. chickpeas/garbanzo beans (reserve can liquid or water used to boil beans)

-1/4 cup tahini

-2-4 cloves of garlic, coarsely diced (to your liking, I prefer more!)

-Juice of 1 lemon

-Salt and pepper

-Olive oil (optional)

 

These quantities are all adjustable and SHOULD be adjusted to taste as you go. Dip your finger in to test, and adjust accordingly. If you are using dried chickpeas, begin by soaking them 6-8 hours, then boil until tender.

Combine tender chickpeas, a few tablespoons of your reserve liquid, and tahini in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. This may take a little work and coaxing with a wooden spoon. Once smooth, add the lemon, garlic, and salt. Puree, puree, puree. Taste. Adjust. If it is too thick, thin out with olive oil, if it is too bland, add some lemon, salt, or garlic–or whatever else your taste buds deem necessary. Then, enjoy! I love this hummus on carrot and celery sticks and tortilla chips.

 

 

Salsa:

 

 

-2 lbs. roma tomatoes, diced

-1 medium onion, diced

-1 Habañero, or 2 jalapeños, finely diced

-1/2 a bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

-Juice of 2-3 limes

-Salt

 

Throw it in a bowl, toss it around, adjust the salt and lime, and dig in!

 

Happy dicing!

 

Granola!

Let’s start this off right. Breakfast. It makes champions of all of us. The proper way to start any day, and when I’m not shaking things up with yogurt and bananas, or peanut butter toast, my safety net–my constant fall back–is a good bowl of granola.

Now, I do love picking up a big box of Kashi at the grocery store, or running up to my nearest Great Harvest and grabbing a bag of their granola. However, nothing is quite as satisfying as tossing together and baking up a concoction in my own kitchen. For the past couple months, I have been using the following recipe from Bon Appetite as a base for a very good granola. I love the crunchiness, toastiness, stick-to-your-ribbiness that this recipe offers.

Also, check out this, this, or this recipe from Orangette for other great alternatives!

Happy granolaing!

Staples

We all have our routines, and as crazy and hair-brained as they might seem to others, there is a dynamic about them we can’t live without.  For instance, I will open up to you and share with you my morning essentials: if I don’t have my toothbrush, eyeliner, blush, blow dryer, and breakfast (in that order) it does not bode well for the day.  Its not much, but it is what gets me through the wee hours of the morning.

For some it may be a rule of silence until caffein. For others there is the morning review of emails and favorite online blogs.  Whatever they may be, we all have our rituals–not limited to the morning–and they set the rhythm in our lives.

This is especially true for me in regards to food.  Every week, my significant other and I take a seat on our respective living room couches, I with pen and planner in hand, and we begin the arduous task of hashing out the week’s menu. Looking through my planner over the past six months, I have noticed more than a little proof of ritual. There is no denying the fact that I am a creature of habit and capable of very little diversity in the every day. I discovered a strong pattern to our meal planning: there were a handful of dishes we  had had AT LEAST once a month since getting hitched. And in the weeks to come, I am going to share these few  noteworthy staples with you. 

A taste of what is to come, you ask? But of course!

There will be the home made granola ritual.  I will also unveil the glory of mushrooms and creme fraîche on toast (taken from Molly Wizenberg of Orangette). Then i will share my basic Asian soup that translates quite well into a stir fry.

Next there will be the scrumptious beet salad. And finally, there will be our midweek cooking cop-out of chips and dip (AKA: the-best-pico- you’ve-ever-had).

Stay tuned!