Variation On The Traditional Hummus Recipe
Sometimes boredom and a limited selection of ingredients can lead to something tasty. My dinner this evening left me a somewhat under satiated and scanning the fridge revealed not much more that 2/3 can of chickpeas. Hmmm.... Hummus!!!
Note that you will not see salt in the ingredients. I used white miso which imparted a subtle richness along with the salinity that was required.
Ingredients (all measurements approximate, use your taste and judgement)
- 2/3 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- garlic minced (obviously to taste)
- 1 tbsp white miso paste loosened in 2 tbsp water
- cayenne pepper
- 2-3 tbsp tahini
- ground black pepper to taste
Method
- Soften onions and garlic in heated sesame/olive oil
- Add the chickpeas and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking
- Add the miso mixture
- Stir to coat the chickpeas and add black and cayenne pepper.
- Simmer until chickpeas are glazed and most liquid has evaporated. Let cool to body temperature before continuing to the next step.
- Add the tahini and blend with a hand blender. At this point the mixture will be very thick, add olive oil and/or water slowly until the desired consistency is reached. Olive oil will yield a richer hummus but at the expense of added fat.
At this point most recipes recommend chilling the hummus in a refrigerator until ready to serve. I found that with some residual warmth from the cooking it took on a vastly different character. I recommend you try it before cooling.
Summer Kickoff Trifecta
It's the beginning of the new year and that means one thing to me. It's time for the Summer Kickoff Trifecta, a trio of events throughout the Spring that culminate with the start of Summer-like outdoor activities like mountain biking, hiking, canoeing, etc.
This three day expo held in a giant hanger near the airport is a great way to kindle the summer activity excitement. While the exhibitors year to year are much the same I find it's a great opportunity to catch up with people whom I haven't spoken with for a while. I love the opportunity to pick up race schedules from all the race promoters, watch the in-pool kayak demonstrations, gawk at the promotional videos for far-off adventure travel and chat with the fellow that runs a hang/paragliding school. Maybe this year I'll try paragliding.
The annual Spring bike show returns to the CNE but this time it will be housed in a new building - The Better Living Centre. The bike show is always a great place to catch up with local and regional cycling enthusiasts, ogle the latest in bike porn and even leave with brand new steed if you happen to be in the market for one. Most of the vendors allow you to take their bikes for a short test ride in the indoor test area.
By far the best way to get stoked for the Summer (actually all year) is to attend all three days of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour when it hits the Bloor Cinema at the end of March. Here's this year's trailer/teaser.