Carrot Top Quiche

Ever buy carrots or radishes (or beets), with the tops still on them? And then you throw the leaves out, because you don't have a pet rabbit? Did you know there's tons of nutrients hiding in those leaves? That they're not poisonous? That you can eat them, and have them be good for you? And that they can even taste good, if you know how to make them that way? Yuppers on all of that.

This recipe will show you one delicious way to use your fresh carrots, radishes, beets, etc. to the max, without wasting a bit, and boosting your health to boot. In no way does this quiche taste "healthy", though! Because it's quite delish. Even my four year old grandaughter loved this quiche. And trust me, there ain't nothing and no one pickier in the world than this four year old.

Ingredients

4 eggs
water
1 c flour
salt
sugar
1/4 c good vegetable oil
carrot tops (leaves from one bunch of carrots)
radish leaves (leaves from one or two bunches of radishes or beets, etc)
basil leaves
tomatoes
garlic cloves
paprika
cheese

Pie crust

This one's easy. Mix 1c flour (preferably white pastry) with a pinch of salt and about a teaspoon or two of sugar. Add about 1/4c good quality vegetable or olive oil, mix. Now add just enough cold water to help combine the mixture; only a couple of tablespoons or so. You want a firm and relatively dry mixture, not a mushy wet one. Finally, I like to knead this a bit (inside of a large bowl), ie. a few times, so that it stays together when lining the pie plate.

You can if you wish grease up the pie plate with a tiny bit of oil, but its usually not necessary, given the oil in the crust. You also have the option of rolling the dough out before lining the pie plate with it. But this too is not necessary. You can simply mash the dough against the bottom of the plate (with a closed fist), and smush it out and up the sides. Then finish the crust by pinching around the rim of the pie plate, or flatting it with the tines of a fork. (I prefer the pinch method, as flattening can make the crust difficult to remove from the plate). You can poke holes at the bottom with a small knife or fork if you wish, to prevent air pockets. (If you use organic sifted pastry flour as I did, the dough may be too dense to worry about this).

Cook the pie crust at 375F for about 10-15 minutes, until it is dry. Remove from oven.

Egg Mixture

For the carrot and radish greens, you will need to cook them in advance, to remove bitter flavors.

Carrot Tops: Chop the carrot tops off the carrots, then rinse well (many times) in a bowl/colander of cold water. Finally chop the leaves finely. Chop and mash a large clove of garlic, with salt (see article on how to chop garlic, on this blog). Next, blanche the leaves in a pot of boiling water, with just enough water to cover the leaves by a few centimetres. After the water starts to reduce, add the garlic and a bit of salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until water is nearly evaporated, stirring often.

Radish Leaves: The preparation will be similar to the carrot leaves, but without the blanching stage. n.b. Radish leaves are especially 'sandy', so should be rinsed in several changes of water, ensuring no dirt remains in the bowl of water, when rinsing out. Once rinsed, chop the leaves into pieces, and place the drained but still wet leaves in a heated pan that has olive oil and butter. Fry the leaves on a moderate heat, along with mashed garlic (as described above), adding s&p to taste, until they are cooked down to the consistency of spinach.

Basil leaves: I added some fresh basil to my quiche, as well, to compliment the tomatoes. You only need to rinse and chop the basil, before adding to the egg mixture.

Tomatoes: These just need to be sliced.


Combining the mixture: Beat the 4 eggs in a large bowl until combined, add about 1/4t - 1/2t salt (depending on how much salt you added to the carrot and radish leaves). Add the fresh basil and sauteed carrot and radish leaves (and optionally, add some more salted mashed garlic, as I did). Add a bit of water to bring the liquid mixture to just about or just above 4 cups of liquid (beat the mixture again, after adding the water). Pour the liquid mixture into the pre-baked pie crust, until it is just below the rim. Use a fork to spread the greens around, distributing them evenly. Top with numerous (thin) slices of fresh tomato, until the top is covered with tomato slices. Top that with enough grated cheese to completely cover the top of the quiche (about 1 1/2" from a 400g block of cheese, or 1/2c - 1c). Top that with a generous sprinkling of paprika, across the top of the quiche.

Bake at 375F for about 40 minutes. (Check with a toothpick in the centre, to see if it comes out cleanly).

Végé-pâté Supreme

"It's a cake for vegetarians!"

This is my third végé-pâté (aka "veggie paté") spread recipe. It's the latest and greatest, and the last. Of the three, it is closest to the "Classic Végé-pâté" recipe found on this blog. But it's a bit more ambitious than the other two, so after you've tried the "Classic Végé-pâté" recipe, this is a good one to move on to. Although a bit more laborious, it's an attempt to make a vege-paté of perfect taste and texture. Light, smooth, creamy and flavourful, reminiscent of liver paté, and comparable to store bought versions. It's the one you'll want, if you could only choose one...

Ingredients

    1 1/2 c raw unsalted sunflower seeds, soaked in water
    3/4 c ground flax seed (substitute: whole wheat or spelt flour)
    3/4 c nutritional yeast (I used redstar yeast flakes)
    1/2 t sea salt
    1/2 c vegetable oil (I used cold-pressed sunflower oil)
    1 lemon, juice of
    1 potato, peeled and chopped
    1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
    1 onion, chopped
    1 stalk celery, chopped
    1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed
    1/4 c tamari (substitute: soy sauce)
    1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
    1/2 teaspoon dried sage
    1/2 teaspoon dried savory
    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    1/2 teaspoon ground basil
    1/2 teaspoon oregano
    1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard (substitute: wet)

Sunflower seed paste

Sunflower seed mixture
(added yeast, spices, etc.)

Instructions:

Soak the sunflower seeds in cold water overnight if possible, otherwise soak for however long possible. Drain and transfer to bowl of a food processor, with a bit of water - enough to make a wet-ish paste when the seeds are chopped up by the processor. Process until you are able to achieve a relatively smooth, creamy, fairly thick paste. 

Végé-pâté mixture
(fully combined, ready 2 bake)

Toss in the nutritional yeast, ground flax seed (you can substitute flour if you don't have or won't get flax), and all the herbs, mustard and salt. Process until these are mixed, then remove the mixture from the bowl. Throw in the chopped onions, garlic and tamari sauce, and process until liquified (add a bit of water if necessary). Throw in the vegetables, oil and lemon juice. Process further until it is all homogenous and liquified; about a minute or so. Combine this vegetable mixture by hand with the sunflower seed mixture you set aside. Mix well until both mixtures are fully combined. The resulting mixture should be wet-ish and fairly thick. If it's overly dry, slowly mix in some water. 

Végé-pâté spread fully baked

Grease a 7" x 11" x 2" baking pan with olive oil. Pour in the combined mixture. Bake at 350F degrees in the middle or high rack of your oven, for about 55 minutes, until top is dry, brown and the edges are dark brown and crispy. Check that a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let cool, cut in equal pieces and keep in refrigerator.

Bánh mì (Vietnamese Fried Egg Sandwich)

"Eat quick, before more vegetables escape!"

The bánh mì (pronounced "bun me!") sandwich is Viet Nam's answer to the Subway chain. Actually, it dates back to the 40's, and the influence of Viet Nam's French colonialists, among others, is clearly seen in this dish. The sandwich can be found in hawker stalls all over the streets of Viet Nam. It's popularity has seen it spread to Western countries as well, who often don't make it to code. The bánh mì  is normally a meat-filled sandwich, and the meat usually revolves around twenty thousand variations of pork. I'm porky enough as it is, so I'm not about to pork things up any further. This variation, with eggs, would be more considered a breakfast bánh mì. But unless you're planning on plowing the fields yourself because the ox have taken ill, this would be considered a pretty heavy breakfast. I made it for supper, instead.

Another way I did not follow tradition, is by using an Italian ciabatta bread for the base. It is chewy and flavorful, with a soft crust. The opposite of a vietnamese baguette, which is drier and has a thin crispy crust. I did so because it had simple ingredients, without the usual fillers and junk the local French versions carry. To more closely follow the bánh mì, you'll want a nice, large, short, fat, French baguette. Which more closely resembles the Viet Namese baguette. (The viet namese baguette is actually made of a combination of rice and wheat flours, and may or may not be found at asian shops in your area). 

Ingredients

crusty (ie. French) bread (short baguette)
2 eggs
carrots
celery
cucumber
coriander (cilantro), fresh (not chopped)
mayonnaise
salt, pepper

Vinaigrette

soy sauce (or Maggi sauce)
rice vinegar
sesame oil
chili oil

Julienne (or shred) the vegetables. Toss the vegetables in a large bowl, and sprinkle over top with the various vinaigrette ingredients (in the quantities you desire for each ingredient). Mix.  In a non stick pan, fry the eggs sunny side up until they are crisp around the edges (I prefer to turn them over at the end of cooking and fry a minute or two, to set the yolk). (n.b. You can add onions here, if you like. Also, I sprinkled my eggs with a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil). Remove. Cut the baguette in half (ensuring you do not cut too close to the bottom). Spread mayonnaise on the bottom half. Then the vegetables, then eggs, top with cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

"Waiter! More napkins please!"

Vary the vegetables, if you like. Green peppers can be added, or more exotic ingredients like daikon or jikama, if you can find it (or store purchased pickled vegetables). The eggs can be scrambled or omelet-style if you prefer.  They can be substituted entirely for fried tofu or seitan. The acid can be red wine vinegar, if you don't have rice vinegar, or prefer otherwise. The soy sauce can be Maggi-brand sauce. I used chili oil, because that's all I had that would work. But the hot stuff can be anything hot (particularly asian) that can be mixed or better still, spread on the bun. Sriracha or garlic-chili sauce would work well, for example. You can also add in some cold rice vermicelli noodles. Finally, you can drizzle the vinaigrette ingredients on the bun directly, as many "banh miers" do, instead of mixing it with the vegetables.

The one thing I would maintain is the coriander. Without the fresh coriander, it's just a submarine sandwich!

Cold Sesame Noodles

Here's a perfect meal for around this time of year. Thanks to the good folks that brought you global warming®, we seem to be having a scorcher of a spring, and I'm sure summer will be hell next to the fireplace, in comparison. That's the time when you want to bring out a nice bowl of cold (or warmish) sesame noodles. Very simple and quick to make.

Ingredients


Sauce:
1 T smooth peanut butter
1 T Chinese sesame paste or tahini (or simply another tablespoon of peanut butter)
2 1/2 T sesame oil
1 to 2 T sesame seeds (optional)
2 T soy sauce (preferably mushroom flavoured, but could be Bragg's or anything you prefer)
1/4 c water or chicken stock (optional, add last)
1 to 2 cloves garlic
2 t minced ginger
2 t rice vinegar
1 t sugar
1/4 to 1/2 t asian chili paste (could sub red pepper flakes, tabasco or your favorite hot stuff)
1 bunch green onions, chopped

250g (1/2 lb.) yet-ca mein noodles (a straight asian egg noodle, standard fare for this dish. if not available, could sub soba-type noodles, fettuccini-type rice stick noodles or even spaghetti)

In a large pot of boiling water, boil the yet-ca mein noodles for 7 to 10 minutes. Drain, rinse noodles well under cold water, shake out excess water and spread in colander to help them dry while the rest is being prepared.

While the noodles are cooking, toast the sesame seeds in a med pan on med heat until just fragrant. Combine the sauce ingredients in a large bowl, stir well to blend. If there's already extra water in the bowl from the green onions or other, you may not need the 1/4c water. So add it last, after checking the consistency of your sauce. You want "thin-ish" but not too thin, otherwise it will lack flavour. Check for flavour, if the flavour is strong and salty, its good! (Because it will be diluted with the addition of the noodles, and the water they will add). Add noodles and sesame seeds, mix well, top with green onions. Go recipeless if you wish, and add shredded carrot, celery, cucumber, or fresh coriander, etc. Serve with a green salad, if desired.

Vegan Végé-Pâté

Yes, I have a nice végé-pâté recipe already up. But this one is different. Adapted from a recipe by raw chef Douglas McNish, this is a very tasty vegan alternative to liver paté. As well as to the more common cooked loaf type of vege pate. It's a very basic recipe, requiring few ingredients, no "special" ingredients (ie. nutritional yeast), and absolutely zero cooking time. So you don't even need a stove (but you will need a food processor). You can be relatively flexible too on the ingredients. e.g. Add alfalfa sprouts or spring onions instead of or in addition to the fresh parsley. Or add nuts; ie. almonds or walnuts. Try this spread on fresh pita bread, or use as a stuffing for roasted bell peppers to create a vegetarian supper.

Ingredients

3 cups sunflower seeds
3 ribs of celery, cut in chunks
1 T dill, dried (or 1/4 c fresh)
juice from one lemon
2 T fresh ginger, sliced
3 cloves garlic
2 T tamari sauce (or soya sauce)
1/4 c fresh flat leaf parsley


Instructions

Soak the sunflower seeds in a bowl filled with hot water (about 30 minutes). Meanwhile, add everything to the food processor, except the parsley and sunflower seeds. Process until the vegetables, herbs and spices are finely minced, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the parsley, and continue to process until finely chopped. Add the sunflower seeds, and process until a smooth paté has formed (close to the consistency of liver paté). This will take at least a few minutes of running time at high speed. Stop the machine occasionally, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a spatula. Either process in small batches, or try to move the top portion down to the bottom of the bowl, and the bottom up to the top before continuing with the processing, to help ensure the mix is processed evenly. Taste for seasoning when done.

Classic Tofu Sandwich Spread

As a companion piece to the végé-paté recipe, I am adding another sandwich spread and vegetarian staple. It is the vegetarian's answer to egg salad sandwiches. Make this dish often, as it is so versatile, easy, quick, low fat and nutritious. Particularly suitable for work lunches, it's also ideal for summer picnics or even kid's lunches. It can be served on bread or as a dip for vegetables. It can be made with almost any block of firm or extra-firm tofu; hand-cut, packaged, flavoured, plain. (A weight of 350g to 1lb. is about right). You are by no means not restricted to the vegetables I list here either. You can substitute for other light summer-y vegetables, that are easy to shred. If you're feeling adventurous, why not add a quarter cup of cooked cracked wheat for extra oomph.

Ingredients

1 lb. tofu
1/4 - 1/3 c mayonnaise and/or Miracle Whip
1 T dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4t - 1/2t salt (optional, as the condiments already have salt)
1 - 2 T lemon juice
1 - 1 1/2 t dried herbs (your choice or combination: dill, thyme, parsley, etc.)
1 celery
1 carrot
2 spring (green) onions
2 radishes (optional)
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

In a small pot, boil the tofu block in water for one minute. Drain, squeeze out excess moisture in a napkin or towel. Set aside. In a food processor, add the vegetables (cut in small chunks), and process until they are finely minced (alternatively; you can use your processor's shredding disc to shred them). Add in the tofu, broken in large chunks. Add the rest of the ingredients. Process until ultra smooth. The consistency desired is something that holds together well (ie. a dense mousse), but not dry, crumbly or grainy. If this is the case, you can add more liquid. Either a few tablespoons of good quality vegetable oil (though this will add unnecessary fat/calories), or water. Or both. If adding water, add carefully, a bit at a time, to avoid making the mixture too wet. (n.b. Remember you can always add liquids if too dry, but can't take liquid away). Allow the processor to run long enough to incorporate the liquids, before adding more. Taste for seasoning/flavour, adjust if necessary.

Classic Végé-pâté

No geese were harmed
during the production of this
vege-pâté.

The idea behind végé-paté, as in many vegetarian dishes, is to mimick a popular meat-based favorite. In this case, liver pâté sandwich spread. Which it does rather nicely, without breaking up families of geese or duck in order to snatch their livers. Végé-pâté may not be a complete protein source, but it is healthy and low-fat, with the rare benefit of nutritional yeast. It is excellent on French baguette, or when spread out on a "wrap" type sandwich (soft thin tortilla), adding such as lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet onion, etc. It can be a light supper, as easily as it can be lunch. Take it with you to work, it's miles beyond food court food.

Ingredients

1 c unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 c olive oil, (preferably extra virgin)
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c nutritional yeast (preferably torula yeast)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 med to large (or 2 small) potato (or 1 sweet potato), peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled (if not organic) and diced
1 onion, chopped (Optional: and/or 2-3 spring onions, sliced)
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 lg. clove garlic, peeled
1/4 c light soy sauce (preferably Bragg's) (Optional. I usually prefer without the soya sauce)


Spices

1/2 t (each) of any/all of the following dried herbs: thyme, savory, dill, basil, sage
1 t fines herbes (optional)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t ground dry mustard (Substitution: 1 t regular mustard)


Instructions

Lightly grease an 8x8 inch baking dish with a bit of the olive oil. Mince the garlic with the flat blade of a knife as demonstrated here. Throw the garlic, onions and/or spring onions into the food processor, blend until finely shredded. Then add the carrots and repeat. Then the potato (repeat). Then the celery. And finally the sunflower seeds. Continue to process until the mix is finely minced. Add the flour, yeast, lemon juice, mustard, salt (unless using soy sauce), herbs and spices. Process for a couple of minutes until everything is smooth and homogenized. The mix should be about the consistency of cake batter. If the mix is too dry, add water, 1/4c at a time, until it forms a heavy liquid batter, and pours slowly (when falling off a spoon). Be careful not to make the mix too wet with liquid. Pour into an 8" x 8" pyrex dish (or metal), bake for 1 hour @ 350F degrees, until lightly browned. Cut into squares.

(Optional: Cover the dish with the vege-paté tightly with aluminum foil, and place it into a larger dish, partially filled with water. Replenish water as needed, if it dries out during cooking. Remove foil cover during the last 15 minutes of  baking). 

Bengaloo Chick Pea Curry

Here is an Indian approach to chick peas that really elevates the humble bean to lofty heights. It is typical of Northern fare enjoyed by the Hindu population. Do not be threatened by the amount of ingredients. The recipe is not complex, and leaves much room for variation. Just about all of the ingredients can be maintained as pantry staples. Particularly the Indian spices, if you keep them on hand for such recipes. Which makes this chick pea curry something that you can make just about any time, and in little time (if you opt for canned chick peas).

Ingredients

2 t oil (or "ghee", a clarified butter)
1 onion, chopped
4 cl garlic, minced
1 t tomato paste
1 can chick peas (15oz) (or: 3/4 dried chick peas, cooked), drained, reserve 3T liquid
1 to 2 T lemon juice

Spices

1 t curry powder
1 to 2 t salt
1 t black pepper
1/2 t crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1 t margarine or butter
1 t chili powder
1 t salt
1 t turmeric
1 t paprika
1 t cumin
1 t coriander powder
1 t garam masala powdered spice mix

Instructions

Heat the oil (or ghee) on med-high. Fry the onions until slightly browned. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, curry powder and tomato paste. Stir, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add chick peas, reserved liquid, lemon juice, salt, pepper and the remaining spices. Simmer 5-6 minutes, stirring occasoinally. Add red peppper flakes, margarine or butter, and stir to melt. Stir, simmering for 5 minutes, or until chick peas are softened and the dish is hot.

Serving 

Serve on rice, and/or with bread and salad.

"When your candles are burning low
 strike a match, and curse the darkness!"

- "Vibrator"
: Sananda Maitreya

Aloo Pie (Carribean Garlic Mashed Potato Patty)

There's a Carribean joint in my area that makes some glorious home-made fast food, derived from their roots in Trinidad. I usually have what's called "doubles" (a soft-shelled curry-fied twist on the more popular Jamaican patty; though much superior to it), and this recipe; "aloo pie". "Aloo" comes from the Indian word for "potato". What makes their mashed potato and garlic snack so delicious, is the hot sauce they use to season it. It has a banana-y overtones along with the hot pepper flavour.

I hunted it down, and I believe I found it, or very similar in a bottle of red Jamaican Hot Pepper sauce under the "Grace" brand. It doesn't specify, but I'm guessing by the picture on the label, they use scotch bonnet peppers. (That's common in Jamaican hot pepper sauce). So now it's about time to make aloo pie! Serve this with a salad, or an Island-style meat or vegetable curry, and you're laughing.


Ingredients

Filling

4 large potatoes
3 T olive oil
vegetable or peanut oil for frying
1/4 onion, thin slice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 t cumin (optional)
2 - 4 cloves garlic
1 to 2 t Jamaican/Carribean hot pepper sauce* (or 1 green hot pepper, minced)

Patty

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 t turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups water


Instructions

Filling

Peel, wash and slice potatoes in halves. Place in a sizeable pot, and cover with water. Boil and cook until tender (slip a sharp paring knife in the centre, to see if it slides fairly easily). (You can prepare the patty dough while its cooking). Next, mince and mash the garlic with salt (as I describe in this recipe) to form a paste. Place it in a small bowl and mix well with the hot pepper sauce, plus 1/4t salt (Optional: Add the cumin powder). When potatoes are cooked, drain and mix with the crushed garlic paste mix, until smooth and free of lumps. Taste for seasoning. Top with the onion slices. On med low, heat olive oil in a small skillet or pot until just below the smoking point, and pour directly over the onion slices and the potato underneath. Mix well.

Patty

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and turmeric. Add water and knead gently and briefly. Place the dough in a bowl, partially covered with a dish or fully covered with a wet cloth; and leave it to relax while you prepare the filling. Form the dough into nine balls, and flatten with palm. Using a rolling pin, flatten the balls into approx. 4" - 6" circles on a floured surface, and fill with a tablespoon or so of filling. (n.b. Floured surface should not normally be necessary, unless you added too much water. Normal dough should not be sticky or stick to the surface of the prep board, and have a little elasticity. It is best to risk having the mix too dry then too wet. If too dry, chill in fridge along with the filling, while you prepare the rest. If too wet, mix in a bit more flour, with minimal kneading). Spoon filling along one half, leaving room at the edges. Then fold over the half without filling, and pinch the edges closed to form a half moon shape, creating ridges with your fingers.


Then flatten the top of the patty with your palm to spread out the filling, and create a flatter, more uniform shape. Carefully remove it from the prep board and place it in a skillet (preferably non stick) on med.high heat, to which a few tablespoons of vegetable or peanut oil (with a relatively high smoking point) has been added. (The patties do not have to be fully immersed in the oil, just their surface). Add 2 or 3 patties to the skillet (depending on its size), and cook each side until golden brown. Remove immediately when browned, and drain on paper towels and/or a cooling rack.

p.s. Avoid eating more than two of these in a day! They're loaded with oil, so, not heart healthy.


* (n.b. The hot pepper sauce is hot by itself, but much more mild when mixed in well with the potatoes. I don't find it particularly hot with even 2 teaspoons).  

Tuna Quesadilla

"One Jeremy Priven special, coming up!"

Tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna. Toona fortuna. "Toona, es quesadilla?" Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? I started making tuna less of an accident and more a regular part of my diet, after looking for a nutritious, low fat alternative to meat. Tuna is a lean protein, contains natural vitamins and minerals, can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and contains precious omega-3 fatty acids, that can help lower the risk of heart disease. Among other things. It can be used in a variety of ways, and tuna adds little cost to the meal. So the choice was a no-brainer. But was an unfettered tuna diet literally a no-brainer; ie. a bad idea?

Because after extolling the virtues of my new tuna-friendly diet, someone asked me "Aren't you afraid of all that mercury"? "Mercu-what?" "Mercuree"?? "You mean like the Ford Mercury??". Two minutes of Googling and I could already conclude; "Oh well, it was good while it lasted". Because this too turned out to be too risky to consume regularly. The reason is tuna is a large fish, and has had more time to consume methylmercury in its fatty tissue. (Fresh tuna is even worse, and raw tuna is practically death on a plate).

How DO they get such a big fish
in such a small can? We can thank the
miracle of modern packaging for that.

Some species of canned tuna are worse than others, for mercury levels. Like Yellowfin, Skipjack and Tongol is more likely to contain lower levels of mercury than Albacore. Albacore from the U.S. west coast is said to have far lower mecury levels than found in some other parts of the world. But cans of tuna don't tell you where the albacore came from, and some don't even tell you what species of tuna you're eating. Skipjack (aka "light tuna"), is reported to have the lowest levels of mercury, as it is a smaller species. Most canned tuna sports this variety. Safe consumption levels for adults is about 6oz. (ie. one can) a week. So for me, that just means I have to ease off a bit on the tuna.

Since canned tuna is bland, I wanted a way to spice it up a bit. Although tacos are usually ground meat, they can also contain fish. And if that's true, why not a quesadilla? I often keep flour or corn tortillas in the freezer. So a tuna quesadilla is something that can be made very easily, on the fly, in a jiffy, and a tasty way to enjoy tuna. Here's how that might go....

Instrucciones

Filling


Start preparing a few flour or corn tortillas. (If frozen, warm and soften them up in a microwave oven, on a plate covered with a moist paper towel, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Depending on how many you have). In a medium non-stick skillet, dump a can of tuna (preferably skipjack variety) packed in oil, including the oil, along with half a chopped onion (optional), and begin to heat on medium. Add about a generous teaspoon (in total) of Mexican/Spanish type spices or seasoning.

Sometimes I like to add Triguisar seasoning (see recipe). It could be one of the Sazon Goya Adobo seasoning mixes, or a fish seasoning, or individual spices/herbs. Such as cumin, turmeric, annato powder, salt, pepper, mexican chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne pepper; etc. Let the seasoning cook in the tuna/oil for a minute. Pour in a few tablespoons of salsa, and mix well. Continue to cook on med. until the mixture is thickened. Then take off the heat, and add in one half cup of shredded cheese of your choice (cheddar, Monterrey, Mozarella, etc). Mix well until melted.



Tortillas

Place a tortilla on a plate or cutting board, and pour some of this mixture onto the softened tortilla. Not too much, enough to spread across one half of the tortilla. Repeat with more tortillas, until the mixture is used up. (How many tortillas you need, depends on their size). If the tortillas are flour, then fold them in half. If they are corn, then top them with another corn tortilla.

To cook the quesadillas, you can use a lightly oiled grill and grill them like hamburgers. Or the skillet you used to make the mixture.... Clean up your non-stick skillet with a paper towel, and heat a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil in it. Add the folded (and filled) flour tortillas, or the filled corn tortillas. Brown the tortillas on both sides, until moderately browned, and the cheese filling has melted. Cut the flour tortillas in half or thirds. (n.b. The corn tortillas may break apart if you cut them). Serving suggestion: Simple green salad, with a simple lemon or lime dressing.

Yield: 2

Schenna (A Morroccan Sabbath Stew)

I am embedded with memories of my Jewish French Moroccan childhood, where we would go over to our grandmother's house on Saturdays, and she would prepare a well loved family favourite, that we knew as... a Moroccan word, pronounced "Shcrayna" (Think cacaphonic). That comes out spelled "Schenna" (aka "Skhina"). Which means "hot" in Arabic. The dish is also known by some under the name "Hamin"/"Hamim"/"Chamim". It is probably most widely known as "Dafina". "Dafina" means "covered", in reference to the pot it is cooked in. It is a traditional dish made by Moroccan Jews. Dafina (or "Schenna") is cooked over a very slow fire, taking some 18 hours to complete cooking. You might have guessed by now, this entry is neither recipeless nor quick. So it can be considered a labour of love, and set apart from the others here as "special". But then, even in its own context, it was always considered a special meal. The Moroccan Jews serve it on "shabbos" (their day of sabbath), to observe (their version of) the Jewish "cholent".

At its heart, Dafina can be considered a type of beef stew. It always contained eggs, beef, chick peas, potatoes, rice or wheat (sometimes my grandmother would include rice in the dish, sometimes wheat. Sometimes both. I prefer both. Because if you're going to go to all this trouble....). It never contained meatloaf, dates or bulghur, and I don't recall that it contained garlic or carrots either. The whites of the whole eggs, when cooked this way and this long, become brown, with an almost nutty flavour. I guarantee that if you've never had Dafina, you've never tasted eggs like this! The rice or wheat becomes soft, yet intact and flavourful. Like no rice you've had elsewhere. Even the potatoes take on a dark brown colour, and a sublime flavour, not acheivable by other means. They become, like everything else about this dish, unique. The dish would, as I recall, include marrow bones from the beef. They are an important addition to flavour the juice, which should be generous.

Dafina is traditionally a family meal. But I think it makes a great choice for a party. Especially a year-end seasonal party. My grandmother would always cooked it in a black enameled roaster with white specks. This is the ideal vessel for this type of meal. But adapting, I don't see why it could not be cooked in a large (preferably oval) dutch oven. Actually, in a pinch, it could even be cooked on the stovetop. (But I don't expect the results to be as good).


Ingredients

Stew

1 1/4 cups dried garbanzo beans
3 T olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped in thick pieces
1 head of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled (optional)
1 lb beef bones with marrow (optional, but is important for flavor)
3 lbs beef chuck roast
12 potatoes, peeled
1 to 6 sweet potatoes, peeled
3 to 4 carrots, thickly sliced (optional)
6 eggs, kept in their shell
4 to 6 dates, pitted (optional)

Spices

1 t paprika
1 t cumin
1/2 t cinnamon
2 t salt (preferably kosher)
2 t pepper (or to taste)


Grain Pouch

1 cup uncooked rice or wheat berries or bulghur wheat (or two batches of different grains!)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper


Kouclas bi Khobz (Moroccan Bread Dumpling) (Optional)

1 c. Bread crumbs
1 lrg Yellow onion, minced (about 3/4 c.)
3 lrg Large eggs
1/4 c. Minced fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. All-purpose flour
Salt to taste


Kouclas bi Ruz Moroccan Rice Dumpling (Optional)

1 cup rice
4 ounces ground lamb or beef
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
About 1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste


Instructions

Soak chickpeas (or wheat berries, unless they are the pre-soaked variety) overnight, or early in the morning of the day you will be making the dafina, then drain.  Turn your oven on to about 250F. Take out your enameled roaster pan, or if not available, your largest pot (preferably raw or enamelled cast iron dutch oven) with a tight fitting lid, which can hold all the ingredients and fit into your oven (should be about 9 quarts). n.b. You'll be placing ingredients in the pot, but unless you are sauteeing, do not mix the ingredients for dafina. In the pot, add the oil, then the chickpeas, then the onions (and the optional garlic, if using). (Optional: Before adding to the stew pot, some prefer sauteeing the onion and/or garlic beforehand. This can be done in the roasting pan or another pan, at a med.-low heat, with olive oil, for about 15 minutes until they are softened). Then follow with the meat. (Optional: Some prefer browning the meat beforehand. This can be done in the roasting pan or another pan, at a med.-low heat, with olive oil, until all sides are browned).

Next, place in the whole potatoes and sweet potato, and spices. Finally, add the meat bones. (Optional: If you are using beef bones, you can get a deeper flavour by rubbing them with olive oil, and roasting them in a roasting pan in a 400F oven for 45 minutes, or until dark brown). Then the eggs. (Nestle the whole eggs in shell, in between the bones or meat, to protect them from breakage). Pour in enough water to barely cover all the ingredients. (Optional: At this point, some people will boil the stew before putting it in the oven. The method is to bring the roasting pan or dutch oven or pot to the boiling point on the stovetop, cover, reduce heat to med.-low, simmer for 1 hour; occasionally skimming the foam. Then proceed to next instructions).

Grain Pouch

In a large bowl, mix the rice with the beaten egg, add spices and gently mix. Wrap it in cheescloth, and add it in the pot in the centre of the stew. (n.b. The idea here is that the grains should cook in the stew, but be kept separate from the rest of the ingredients. My grandmother always wrapped the rice or wheat in aluminum foil, with holes poked into it, and placed that in the stew).

Kouclas bi Khobz / Kouclas bi Ruz

Some families add this bread dumpling or rice/meat dumpling to the dafina stew. Ours never did, so I can't vouch for it. This is entirely optional, and if you wish to try this variation, the instructions are included: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl (for either the bread version or rice/meat version). If you are making the rice/beef version, knead it a little bit for consistency. Then loosely wrap the "kouclas" mixture in a piece of cheesecloth and tie securely. Place in centre of pot.

Oven

Place the roaster, dutch oven or pot in the oven. Let it simmer overnight, and until ready to serve for lunch. (At least 12 to 18 hrs cooking time; or 20 hours @ 225F). The water used to cover the stew will eventually become a thick sauce.

Serving

Remove the wheat, then the eggs and set aside so they can cool. Then the bones (if serving them, place them on a plate so the marrow stays inside). Then the meat, then potatoes and onions, and lastly the beans. Place a bit of each ingredient in a serving bowl or plate, and pour the sauce over. Or plate the entire stew, with the sauce drained and served in a separate bowl, and allow diners to pick the portions they want. (Traditionally, the major ingredients of schenna (vegetables, meat, rice, etc) are served in the centre of the table in separate bowls. But that was never our tradition, from what I recall).

Variations

Any variations would run counter to tradition and authenticity of the dish; at least in my family. But I'm not much for tradition, so... if you don't like beef and want to substitute something else, you can use chicken. It just won't be the same dish.

Yield: 5 - 8

Russian Carrot Pie

If Bugs Bunny made pumpkin pie...

This is a family recipe I've eaten a few times, and I never grow tired of it. Everyone I know who's ever tried it loves it as well. If recipes were gold, this one would be worth a fortune. Add a salad on the side, some bread and cheese, a glass of wine perhaps, and you've got a great, low fat healthy summer or winter meal. One that can be made anytime, with relatively little effort, and time. And that's despite the fact that you'll be making the pie shell from scratch! Just stick around a few, I'll show you how to do that.....


Ingredients

1 container cottage cheese
3/4 c cheddar cheese, shredded
2 onions, chopped
2 T butter
2 lb. carrots, grated
1 T flour
1 c flour (for pie shell)
1 egg
1 T dill, dried (or 3T fresh)
salt & pepper (ie. 1/4t - 1/2t)
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c very cold water

Instructions

Pie shell

To a 9" glass Pyrex pie plate, add the 1c flour. Make a hole in the middle with a large spoon. Pour the oil and (very cold) water together into a container with a tight lid, and shake vigorously to mix them together. Then pour this mix into the hole in the flour on the pie plate. Using the spoon, carefully mix the liquid and flour together, until they form a dough. Then with the back of the spoon, press the dough into the pie plate, until it forms a cohesive shell. (You can use your fingers to pinch along the outer rim of the pie dough, to both create a knurled effect, and cover the side of the pie plate with dough). Your pie dough is now ready for filling.

Filling

Grate the carrots. In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then add the cottage cheese, dill, shredded cheese, and salt and pepper to taste (but don't taste it.... there's raw egg in there!). Melt the butter on med. low (do not let burn) and sauté the onions in that, until they are translucent, but not browned. Add the grated carrots, stir, and cook 5-10 minutes on low, until reduced. Add the flour to this mix and cook, stirring, for a minute or so longer. Remove from heat and transfer the carrot mixture over the bowl containing the cottage cheese/egg mixture; combine well. Carefully pour this into the pie shell, bake at 350F for 30 - 35min. until the filling is set, and the shell is light golden brown. Remove, let cool before slicing.

Tomato Soup with Feta

Sometimes the moment calls for a simple, delicious mediterranean soup. But you can't afford that luxury, because you're tired. You just came home from work. Well, not just. You had to stay later than expected, because whatsisface goofed up and caused everyone to work a longer shift. Then you had to shovel snow before you could get your car out, and then you had some errands to run, before you could get in. Now you barely have the energy to dial Pizza Hut. So you open the fridge to see if there's any ready made snacks to nibble on for a makeshift supper, before calling it a day and taking your tired body to bed. But what's that leftover white blocky thing in the plastic bag? Oh, you've got some feta cheese on hand. Perfect. You remembered to keep canned tomatoes and couscous in stock, as pantry staples, and you've got a bit of bell pepper in the crisper. Guess what, you've got a reasonably low cost, low fat, decent, nutritious meal. Hearty, home made soup in about the time it takes to make canned soup....


Ingredients

1 T olive oil
1 can (750g) crushed or whole tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
2 cups water or chicken stock
1/4 c couscous
1 t basil (dried) or 1T fresh
Feta cheese
salt
pepper


Instructions

Place a large pot (preferably enamelled cast iron) on med, and add the oil, and tomatoes. Simmer a few minutes as the tomatoes break down, and grow a bit of flavour. Meanwhile, chop the bell pepper and add it in the soup too, once chopped. Next, add a light touch of salt, pepper, and basil (dried. If using fresh, leave it til the soup is done). Add the water, boil (raising heat if necessary), and add the couscous. Simmer about 5 minutes longer, or until the consistency of the soup is as desired. Finally, if using whole tomatoes, you have the option of breaking them with the back of a spoon, or blending them with an immersion or countertop blender to thicken the soup. Once the soup is done, scoop into bowls, crumble feta on top and a bit of olive oil. Serve with crusty bread.

Options: Don't have feta? How about Camembert? Gruyere? Brie? Danish blue? Mozzarella? Swiss? Chuck any cheese you like in there, if it's got a low melting point. (If it's got a high melting point, then carefully melt some on crusty bread under the broiler, and chuck that in the soup). Don't have couscous? Then you're screwed. No wait, you're still good! Use rice (rinse first). Everyone's got rice, right?

You can also add chopped onion to the oil at the beginning, for a bit more flavor, or chopped boiled egg at the end (as a garnish), for an even heartier soup.

Indian Bread Omelette

Like the Bombay Potato Sandwich featured elsewhere on this blog, the bread omelette is also classic Indian street food, mainly in Southern India. There are many variations of this recipe, but all are a spicier way to cook up the classic omelette, and provide for a much fuller meal than that. Serve it with a green salad, eat it with a knife and fork, and walla, in less time than it takes to call Pizza Hut, you've got supper.


Ingredients

4 slices of white sandwich bread
4 eggs
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tomato, finely chopped
1 T coriander, fresh, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
salt

Instructions

Placing the eggs in a medium bowl, break the yolks with a fork, and whisk vigorously from side to side, blending the yellow with the white. Add chili powder, turmeric, salt, and blend well until the spices are comletely blended in. Add in onion, tomato, coriander. Toast the bread slices in a toaster (or use a pan). Place a pan on medium, with 1T olive oil. When hot, pour in the egg mixture. Let cook one minute, and drizzle a bit more oil around the edge of the omelette. Lightly dip the surface of a bread slice into the wet part of the egg, then remove and set aside on a plate. Repeat with another slice. Cook egg two minutes further, and when nearly cooked solid, return the bread slices that were dipped in egg back into the pan over the omelette, egg side up. Now for the tricky part: flip over the entire shebang, so that the other side gets cooked. You might need to use your fingers, or a large spatula. (If you have difficulty, try flipping the omelette out onto a plate, then sliding it off the plate back on to the pan, cooked side up. This will waste some of the egg, however). Cook two more minutes until the raw side gets done (using a spatula, check the underside for doneness). When done, slide the omelette on to a plate, bread side up.

Variations: Add finely chopped fresh peppers, spring onion (instead of coriander), curry powder (instead of spices listed), cheese, etc.

Yield: 2

Msabbaha

As a peace offering, Jimmy Carter offered
 a plate of this stuff to only one side.
 Starting a cold war in the Middle East
 that has never let up since.

Msabbaha is a Middle Eastern chickpea platter. This dish is heavily inspired by the love of hummus, and is in fact so close to it, it shares all of its ingredients. Including hummus! Unlike hummus, it is served hot or warm. Though it doesn't share the former's popularity, it is well loved where it can be found. It is served in many parts of Israel, and can be seen elsewhere across the Middle East, and even the U.S.A., if you look hard enough. If you have tried the hummus recipe contained within these pages, and you're up for an even greater challenge, then you might enjoy a hot plate of... Msabbaha.

For the Msabbaha, you will first need to make a batch of the hummus recipe found here. Don't put away your jar of tahini, because you'll need that as well....

Ingredients

hummus
tahini
garlic
salt
plain yogurt (preferably tangy, and middle eastern brand or style)
paprika
parsley (opt.)
peppers (opt.)
cumin (opt.)
olive oil, extra virgin
lemon juice
chick peas


Instructions

Msabbaha Tahini 

In a bowl, mix equal parts tahini and cold water (e.g. 1/3 cup). Add about two tablespoons of lemon juice, one clove of finely minced garlic (see here for details), and a good pinch of salt. We're looking to create a thin, pale sauce.

Msabbaha

Hummus so good, the chef can't keep his hands off
it before serving it to you.

Cook up 3/4 cup of dried chick peas, as instructed in the hummus recipe, ensuring that the chickpeas are whole, but very soft. Drain, but don't rinse, as they should remain hot. Instead, return them to the pot, close the lid, and leave the heat on very low, in order to keep the beans warm.  (n.b. You can cheat by using a 19oz can of chick peas and heating that up in boiling water until very soft. But the msabbaha won't have the same taste). In a large bowl (which we'll call "the msabbaha bowl"), combine about one half cup of hummus, with the cooked chick peas, while they are still hot. Pour in the tahini sauce, but do not mix. In a separate bowl, or its own container, stir the yogurt well to thin it out, and pour about 1/4 cup into the msabbaha bowl. Do not mix. Pour 1/4 c of good extra virgin olive oil into the msabbaha bowl. Gently scoop this mixture on to the serving plates. It should be hot or warm, have a soupy consistency, and the ingredients not well combined, so you can see and taste them as separate entities. Once in the serving plate, then they can be stirred a bit to combine. Serve with a salad and you've got a supper. Omit the salad, you've got lunch.

Garnish with paprika, fresh parsley, raw chopped onion, a light pinch of cumin or salt (if desired). Serve with pita bread, pickled peppers or other picked vegetables, or fresh vegetables (tomatoes, mint, cucumber, spring onions, radishes).

Bombay Potato Sandwich (Vada Pav)

In the hustling, bustling streets of what is now Mumbai, you can savor the most delicious street food. Good, honest fare that kicks your taste buds into overdrive. Food like "vada pav", or "spicy Bombay Potato Sandwich". But if you're worried about the fact that they're not bothered by ants climbing on the food (more protein I guess), and what that says of their kitchen hygiene standards in general, you don't have to feel you're risking ptomaine poisoning just to get a good Indian street vendor sandwich. While you're unlikely to find the same taste and authenticity of this food outside India (again, maybe it's the ants), you can come close enough for comfort in your own kitchen. Just smell what the Recipeless Cook is cooking today.....


Ingredients

4 teaspoons garam masala*
4 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
onion, thin slice
coriander (aka cilantro), fresh
tomato
bread, sliced
chili, green, fine chop
potatoes, red
1 teaspoon salt


Instructions

Boil the potatoes, peel and mash when they are done. Meanwhile, coat a pan with oil, and in that, sauté the onions, tomatoes, and chilies on med. Add the powdered spices, salt. Cook a minute, and add the potato mash, mixing and cooking another minute or two. Mix in coriander. Butter two slices of sandwich bread, rolls or roti style flatbread. Spread a spoonful of the curried potato mixture on bread. Variations: to the sandwich, you can add a spread of tamarind chutney, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, etc.

*Notes: Garam masala is a particular type of Indian spice mixture, found at Indian grocers or elsewhere. Where it can be purchased whole, then roasted and ground, or ready-made in powdered form. It's generally sweeter and not as piquant as curry, but there is no set standard for garam masala, so different ones will create flavors. If you have none and wish to go ahead anyway, you can always substitute good old curry powder here.



"When you were a sister
of loneliness in Shivaville
no Goobers no Raisinettes
no Miracles no Marvelettes
When I was a solo boy
I breathed into the atmosphere
my yearning for a woman
now I collapse into your smile
Om Namah Shivaya
Om my darling!"

- "...And They Will Never Know"
: T. T. D'Arby

Classic Bedouin Hummus (Mediterranean Chick Pea Dip)

Food of the chick pea Gods.

I often do hummus (aka "hummous" aka "hommos"), because it's an easy, cheap, and healthy idea for a snack, lunch or supper. Canned hummus often tastes like the can it came in, and besides that, there's a world of difference from freshly made. But there are a lot of hummus recipes floating around, and I almost feel like I've done them all, in my efforts to replicate the store-bought hummus made by my local Lebanese grocer. Some of the reasons why the store or restaurant bought version might be smoother than what you create at home, may be because they are starting with dried beans, removing the skins with a food mill, and possibly using lots of oil (which adds lots of calories).

I feel a good hummus should be smooth, and that you're just able to taste the lemon juice and tahini (aka "tahina"), but can still taste the chick peas (aka "garbanzo beans"). Every ingredient should be balanced, and nothing overpowering. Once you start adding other ingredients to the mix, like paprika or roasted pepper, you're less likely to succeed at this. As for the texture, once mixed, I think it should be about the consistency of creamy cake frosting.

Canned vs. Dried: Most people prefer to go canned, for the convenience and time factor. And you can get very decent results with canned chick peas, if done right. But, there is a difference in texture and flavor with the dried, with the preferred taste coming from the dried variety. The canned type is more likely to retain its skins, and those contribute to a gritty taste and texture, so should be removed. Especially so for the brands that add citric acid (it firms up the bean, but when processed, leaves that grainy texture. Even after much cooking and blending). The dried variety of chick peas can be softened to whatever texture you like or need for your dish. So you can get a flavor from the dried variety that you can't from canned. If that wasn't enough, dried chick peas are nutritionally superior to their canned counterparts, containing about 50% more nutrients. Compared to canned, dried chick peas offer less than half the sodium, while providing far more (twice as much on average) iron, copper, magnesium, phosphors, potassium, zinc, calcium, selenium, niacin, folate, amino acids, and omega-3 fatty acids.

n.b. Canned chick peas vary in their quality, with the higher quality brands being usually better. Generally, the larger and lighter (in color and weight) the canned chick peas are, the better they will taste.


Ingredients

19 oz can chick peas or 3/4 c dried (reserve 1/4 c of the cooking liquid)
1/4 cup (4 T) tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 - 4 T lemon juice, fresh (or juice of 1 good sized lemon)
1/4 t salt

n.b. For a more neutral taste, reduce the tahini, and lemon juice by a tablespoon, or two for an even milder taste. For a bolder taste, use 1/2 cup of tahini instead. I suggest starting with 3T lemon juice. 


Canned Chick Peas:


Removing the skins: The key to smooth, good tasting pro-quality hummus is removing the tough outer skins. They leave a gritty texture that is nearly impossible to process; particularly if using canned chick peas. (Made worse when some brands contain citric acid. Which firms up the texture of the bean, but makes the skin very difficult to come off by itself, even after much cooking and blending). Also, removing the skins can help prevent gas during the digestive process later. If using dried beans cooked well (see instructions), this step should not be necessary.

Once the canned beans have cooked in boiling water, you can pop the skins off each by scooping a handful in one hand, pinch each bean gently between thumb and forefinger of other hand, catching and discarding the skin to one side, and separating the peeled bean to another. Submerging them in a large bowl under water can help this process. Or, rubbing the beans between a towel can help loosen the skins as well.

Preparation: Drain the canned chick peas, reserving 1/2c of the water it was soaking in. Rinse well.

Cooking: Add them to a pot with plenty of water to cover, and boil the canned chick peas for 20 minutes. The skins should float to the top. Remove them with a slotted spoon. The goal is to remove the skins off of all the beans before processing them. If this hasn't happened during the cooking process, rinse the beans under cold water to cool, and remove their skins (described in detail above). (n.b. If you are not removing the skins by hand, then just drain the beans but do not rinse. We want to keep them and their water warm or hot before processing). When the beans are fully prepared, proceed to instructions.

Dried Chick Peas:

Preparation (soaking method): Inspect the beans for pebbles or other debris, and discard if found. Soak them in a large bowl filled with plenty of cold water overnight. (Optional: If you wish to help soften the beans, add 1 Tablespoon baking soda. Note, some believe baking soda dulls the flavour and nutrients). Drain, rinse well under cold water, fill the bowl again with cold water, leave soaking a few more hours. (Total soaking time 10-15 hours). n.b. You can't oversoak, and indeed the longer you do, the more you remove the digestive gases created. Thus, soaking 2-3 days will help here. But you should refresh the soaking water every 12 hours. Rinse well under cold before cooking.

Cooking:

n.b. Use of a pressure cooker allows one to avoid the lengthy soaking process, while the conventional method has its own advantages; .e.g. testing for doneness during the cooking process.

Tip: To save time and energy, you can cook a larger batch of chick peas, and freeze the remaining beans in plastic containers, submerged in their cooking liquid.

Conventional pot: Place chickpeas in a large pot, cover with plenty of water. (Optional: If you wish to add a bit more flavor, you can toss in garlic, bay leaf and onion in the pot. If you wish to help soften the beans, add 1/4t baking soda. Note, some believe baking soda dulls the flavour and nutrients). Cook 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are very soft, the skin separates from the bean with a light pinch, and the chickpea is very easily mashed in your mouth or when pressed between two fingers. Remove the peels and foam floating on the surface of the cooking water, during the process. Reserve a quarter cup of cooking water, drain the rest. If possible, keep the chick peas and water warm or hot before processing. Proceed to instructions.

Pressure cooker (including no-soak method): Add the chickpeas to the cooker with water to cover by one or two inches (no more than the fill line or recommended amount), along with 1 teaspoon per cup of beans of any kind cooking oil. Do not add baking soda.  (Optional: If you wish to add a bit more flavor, you can toss in garlic, bay leaf and onion in the cooker). Cooking times will depend. If you are soaking the beans beforehand, then pressure cook for 12-18 minutes (if you release the pressure immediately), but shoot for 12 minutes. Or 9-14 minutes (if you allow the pressure to fall on its own), go for 9 minutes. n.b. I suggest using the longer natural release method, to minimize problems. If you do no soaking beforehand, then pressure cook for 35-55 minutes (closer to 35 if you have an efficient 15psi cooker, as most are, and closer to 55 if it is 12psi or less). Make sure that once your pot has reached pressure, you leave it on a very low heat. Once done, the beans should be very soft, the skin separates from the bean with a light pinch, and the chickpea is very easily mashed in your mouth or when pressed between two fingers. Reserve a quarter cup of cooking water, drain the rest (before draining the water, remove any skins or foam floating on the surface of the water). If possible, keep the chick peas and water warm or hot before processing. Proceed to instructions.

Instructions:

n.b. A blender is the preferred tool here, but use a food processor if you don't have one. (In a pinch, if the chick peas have been cooked enough, you can even use a hand blender).

Blender: Place tahini and lemon juice in blender, and mix until white, frothy and creamy. Then throw in a handful of chick peas in the same blender, and blend until smooth. Repeat this process until all the chick peas have blended, and the mix has thickened and is pale in colour (like a camel....). But not too thick or yellowy in colour. (n.b. If you happen to have cooked the chick peas into a sludgy mush, don't bother with handfuls. Just pour them all in at once. In which case, no additional cooking water should be necessary). If the mix is too thick, to create the desired thickness, leave the blender running as you slowly pour the reserved cooking or can water through the opening in the top, until the desired consistency is reached. Do this slowly, checking often for taste and texture, so as not to thin it down too much. The hummus should be light and airy, but firm enough to scoop up with fresh, untoasted pita (once chilled). If it's too thin it will lack flavour, if it's too thick it will be heavy and pasty. But it should be a bit thinner than desired, as it will firm up later, in the fridge. (n.b. Do not go above approximately half the volume of your blender container. Blend in batches if you're doing more). When done, transfer to your serving bowl (or container), and let chill minimum one hour in the fridge. As an option, reserve a handful of chick peas for use as a garnish.

Food processor: In a separate bowl, blend the tahini, salt and lemon juice by hand, with a spoon. Set aside. Add chickpeas to processor container, let run on high until it becomes a smooth purée, with no grittiness or lumps (if you have cooked the beans enough, there should not be any). Scrape the side if necessary, to incorporate stray purée into the mix. If your chickpeas are not well drained, then you probably don't need any additional water. Otherwise, if the mix is dry, add just enough of the reserved cooking liquid to get them to blend. Let the mix cool before blending with the tahini (to hasten this, you can transfer chickpea purée to a bowl, or let it sit in the refridgerator a bit). Then add it to the tahini mixture and stir well. It should be smooth, pale, and creamy, but not too runny. Transfer this to your serving bowl (or container), and let chill minimum one hour in the fridge. As an option, reserve a handful of chick peas for use as a garnish.

Substitutions: This section should be blank, because Middle Eastern hummus does not have substitutions; or any other flavors than the ingredients I listed. That might be too confining for some. My first attempt to mess with a classic thousand year old recipe was, in the absence of tahini, replacing it with peanut butter. I did that once, and I won't do that a second time. Tahini is an essential ingredient to this, and peanut butter has no business being with chick peas. But if you have to substitute tahini, try sesame oil (or nothing). As a wild departure on all of this, you can substitute black beans for the chick peas. In which case, try lime juice instead of lemon juice.

Garnishes: To respect the deep tradition of Middle Eastern hummus (nearly a religion to some), additional ingredients should be added as garnishes, if at all. But there are many that can be, depending on your tastes. Just pour or sprinkle them over the prepared hummus. If your tastes run towards more traditional garnishes, you can start with extra virgin olive oil, and add anything from paprika (especially moroccan smoky paprika), to pine nuts, fresh coriander (cilantro), fresh parsley, roasted red peppers, black olives, roasted garlic, cumin (preferably toasted), pistachios, even sumac (a tart Lebanese spice), or za'atar (a Lebanese seasoning of lemon-thyme and sesame seed), or a small amount of honey.

If you're bent on completely bypassing traditional procedures, some possibilities are listed here. They can either top the hummus as garnishes, or blended in as additional ingredients in the mix: extra virgin olive oil, fresh finely minced garlic (well crushed), strained (greek-style) yogurt, coarse salt, pepper, jalapeno, cayenne pepper, tabasco sauce, chili sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, sour cream, canned chipotles in adobo sauce, fresh herbs (basil/dill/chives/lots of cilantro), or avocado.


Serving:

Hummus is pretty versatile. It can become a dip, by serving it in a bowl, alongside baked pita chips, or crudités (ie. carrots/celery sliced in quarter rounds, lengthwise). It can also fill a sandwich. Spread the hummus on a softened pita or tortilla-style wrap, and add whatever you'd like to create your lunch or supper. Tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, cheese, onions, pickled pepperonci peppers, cooked beef or chicken, etc.

To serve it in a traditional manner, spread the hummus on a decorative plate. Coat the back of a spoon with plenty of good extra virgin olive oil, and run the back of the spoon against the outside edge of the hummus, turning the plate as you go to create a moat of sorts. Make a well in the centre, fill with more olive oil. Garnish with fresh parsley or coriander, and you may add a few pine nuts or pistachios around the edge. Finally, place the reserved whole chick peas near the centre, to add another contrasting texture. Optionally, serve with pickles, ripe tomato and raw onion on the side, for dipping. As they might do in Jaffa or Tel Aviv.

Yield: About 1 1/2 cups (400 ml)