Hummus

Let me start by saying that I've read a lot of recipes for hummus, authentic and Americanized. What I've found is that people who are from the Middle East and Mediterranean have distinct opinions about hummus as far as ingredients and the quality of those ingredients. True hummus, many believe, should not have additions such as roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, etc. And if it does have such additions, it should not be called hummus. These same people also believe that you should add only tahini to your hummus, not tahini and olive oil. Olive oil, they say, is only for pouring on top of your prepared hummus.

I've also read that in order to get the smoothest hummus you have to make sure the outer jacket or skin is removed from each chickpea. Just out of curiosity I did try removing all the skins from the chickpeas. It was very time consuming but did result in very smooth hummus. I don't really mind what you add to your hummus as long as it tastes good. But then again, I'm not from the Middle East.

For my personal preferences, I have found that I like the simpler recipes best as far as additions go. I prefer powdered or granulated garlic because fresh garlic is too strong. I also like the texture, flavor and seasoning that chicken broth adds so I use that instead of the chickpea juice for thinning. And I don't like squeezing fresh lemons because it takes so much time and results in so little product. For that reason I use bottled lemon juice. All that said, here's my hummus recipe. Keep in mind it is a little different than what many would call authentic. But it tastes great to me!

Ingredients:
2 16-0z cans chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
1/3 - 1/2 cup tahini
2 TBS olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
garlic powder or granulated garlic to taste
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Instructions:
Pour all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (you can use a blender if you don't have a food processor, but it may be a little more difficult to get smooth). Blend until very smooth, 1-2 full minutes. Add extra chicken broth as needed to reach desired consistency. Stop blending and give it a taste. Make adjustments if needed. Blend a little longer to incorporate additions. Scrape into a bowl making sure not to waste a single drop. Enjoy with pita bread, pita chips, or fresh veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and bell peppers. Or just eat it with a spoon as I often do.

Easy Black Bean Soup

This is a super easy and fast recipe. And it is delicious!

Ingredients:
3 cans Ranch Style black beans, undrained
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, with juice (you can also use diced tomatoes with chilies)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 - 1 tsp onion powder
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder
1 - 2 tsp hot sauce
salt to taste

Instructions:
Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

15 Bean Soup in the Crock Pot

Ingredients:
1 large bag 15 bean soup mix
water to cover beans
ham for seasoning (obviously you could use whatever you like to season)
5 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 onions, chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes
salt to taste
1 bunch kale, torn or rough chopped
1 package turkey kielbasa, sliced
Cajun seasoning packet

Instructions:
Soak your beans 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse. Place beans in crock pot with enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Add seasoning meat or bullion. Cook on high for about 5 hours. Add carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, kale and more water if needed. Cook on high about 2 more hours. Add sausage, and Cajun seasoning packet and cook 1 more hour.

This make an enormous amount of soup due to the large bag of beans. Make sure you are using a larger size crock pot. This soup turned out to be one of DH's favorites. It reminded him of something his Granny used to make. But be warned. Fifteen different kinds of beans fighting to make their way through the gastrointestinal system of an adult male creates a potentially lethal olfactory situation. Enough said.