Silky Smooth Hummus with Edemame

This weekend, my high school friend from Ohio came with her daughter to visit, so I whipped up some appetizers, including hummus, pureed fava beans with mint, and Greek yogurt with walnuts.   I served them with edemame for a perfect snack.

Middle Eastern Dips with Edamame

Tips for Making Silky Smooth Hummus:

For extra flavor and nutrition, make your hummus with chickpeas that are soaked over night.  Don’t just used the ingredient directly from a can.  Here are some other  tips for making a silky smooth hummus:
1.  Cook your chickpeas in a pressure cooker for perfect flavor and consistency, You also save time and minimize your use of energy.
3.  When pureeing the ingredients together, add cooking water slowly until you get a perfectly smooth texture.

Ingredients for Hummus:

1 cup dried chickpeas
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup tahini 
1 lemon, squeezed
2 cloves garlic
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
parsley, chopped
kalamata olives
hot chili powder
salt

Directions for Hummus:

1.  Wash chickpeas then soak overnight.

2.  Cook in pressure cooker for 12 minutes then let sit for 30 minutes in unopened cooker.

3.  Drain chickpeas. Save the water.

4.  Empty drained chickpeas into a large bowl,  add 1/2 cup of the chickpea's water, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, baking powder, parsley,  a handful of kalamata olives salt and chili powder to taste.

5.  Blend with hand blender, while slowly adding chickpea water until mixture has a smooth consistency.  

5.  Serve on a plate or bowl.
6.  Garnish with olive oil, parsley and/or sliced olives.

Couscous for Breakfast or Snack

Couscous with Dried Fruit, Nuts, and Spices

Ingredients:  

Couscous
Your favorite dried fruits
Your favorite nuts
Your favorite spices - (Adding turmeric will give you a beautiful yellow color)

Directions for Couscous with Nuts, Dried Fruit and Spices:

This is a really quick and easy breakfast or snack.  To prepare, I like to add a little turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, raisins, dates, and dried cranberries when cooking the couscous.  Then, I garnish with some roasted cashews, walnuts, almond, pistachios, or pine nuts.  You can serve hot or cold.

Healthy Snacks with a Little Hot Spice

Instead of adding butter to popcorn, sprinkle on a little turmeric and hot pepper for a livelier flavor.   Also,  roast some nuts with a pinch of turmeric, then throw some chopped chili peppers and fresh diced red onions on top.  

Turmeric and red chilies flavor and the colors work well together.  While the yellow of the turmeric visually warms, the dramatic red of the pepper can grab one's attention.  Turmeric's subtle roasted flavor blends well with the heat intensey of the hot pepper.

1.  Roasted Cashews Garnished with Hot Peppers and Onions
2.  Pop Corn with Turmeric and Red Pepper

Hot pepper is a metabolism booster,  so do not be shy about adding  a little to your diet. 

Photograph of a truck filled with red chilies in Rajasthan, India.