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Archive for May, 2009
Sunday, May 31st, 2009
In Arabic, the word “hummus” refers to chickpeas, and the hummus spread that we’re familiar with (which consists of mashed chickpeas and sesame paste) is actually called “hummus bi tahini”.
Hummus is a wonderful thing. It can be made in a flash, especially if you use canned chickpeas, and it can be used for a variety of dishes. I like to use hummus as a dip with veggies or pita bread, as a mayo/cheese replacement on sandwiches, and as an alternative to salad dressing (I just place a big dollop of hummus in the middle of a big plate of greens). Hummus also is also full of fiber (1 cup provides 12 grams of fiber), a good source of vegetarian protein (1 cup contains 15 grams of protein), and a good source of iron (1 cup has 26% of your recommended daily value). And let’s not forget, what could be easier on the wallet than beans?
Hubby’s been telling me that my old hummus bi tahani recipe was sorely lacking in tahini. Tahini is what gives this spread a distinctive sharp, slightly bitter flavor. I aim to please so experimented a bit and revamped my recipe. This is the new and improved version. I was thrilled when Mike said it tasted just like the hummus bi tahini back home.
 If You Want a Milder Flavor: Just use less tahini and more water.
Hummus bi Tahini
(Yield: About 2 1/2 c)
1 c dried chickpeas (or 2 1/2 c canned, rinsed, and drained)
1/3 c tahini (sesame paste)
1/4 c olive oil
2 TB lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder (or 1-2 cloves fresh garlic)
3/4 tsp salt (use less if using canned chickpeas)
3 TB water, or more as needed (added in 1 TB increments)
Soak the chickpeas overnight in cold water. After soaking overnight, bring the chickpeas up to a boil and simmer them for about an hour (or until they’re easy to mash); drain the chickpeas. In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas 10 times (1 second per pulse). At this point, the chickpeas will still be a little lumpy. Add all remaining ingredients except the water to the food processor and process until smooth. Add water one tablespoon at a time with the food processor on, until you achieve your desired consistency.
Hummus Toppings: When serving it as a dip (with pita or veggies), I usually top my hummus (for visual effect and a little more flavor) with a drizzle of olive oil. After that, you can really go crazy with the toppings. Here are some of my favorites: paprika, minced parsley, chopped olives, diced tomato, or toasted pine nuts.
Flavored Hummus: I typically use this recipe as a base for any flavor hummus you can think of. Other fun flavors to play with are roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, feta and black olive, or anything else you think would be good.
Tags: Arabic Recipes, Beans, Hummus, Recipes, Tahini
Posted in Arabic Recipes | 6 Comments »
Friday, May 29th, 2009
As the warmer months slowly arrive, I love to find new ways to use fresh seasonal produce. One of my favorite fruits to enjoy fresh are berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, they’re all delicious!). As an added bonus, they’re chock full of antioxidants. I have to admit, it’s not quite berry season yet in upstate New York so I had to use frozen berries (but in about a month I’ll be able to use freshly picked!). If you’re using fresh berries, use slightly less and make sure to add a splash of water, since frozen berries give off water as they thaw. Or if you prefer, you could just use your favorite store-bought jam instead. These berry-oat bars are delectable…they’re sweet but not too sweet and have a gooey jam filling (similar to the filling in a jelly donut, only healthy) and an almost nutty flavor from the oat crumble crust. Speaking of nuts, I bet walnuts or pecans would be a great addition to the crumble!
 Berry-Oat Bars Berry-Oat Bars
(Yield: 12 bars)
Berry Filling:
4 c frozen mixed berries, I used strawberries and blueberries (use a little less berries and add a splash of water if using fresh berries)
½ c honey
~½ tsp lemon juice
3 TB cornstarch, dissolved in ~½ c cold water
Put the berries and honey in a pot and simmer uncovered on medium heat for ~15 minutes. Turn down the heat to low, cover the pot, and boil for ~10 minutes (the sauce should be reduced by ~½. Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and add it to the pot, stirring constantly. Boil for ~3 minutes (the sauce should be about as thick as jam; it will thicken even more as it cools) and add the lemon juice. This will yield ~2 cups.
 Sweetening It Up With Honey  After Cooking For ~5 Minutes, You'll See How Much Water the Berries Give Off  Berries After Cooking Bottom and Top Crumble:
1 ½ c steel cut oats (or rolled oats)
½ c packed brown sugar
½ banana, mashed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose flour
¾ c whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
Preheat the oven to 400F. Use a food processor (or a blender) to process the steel cut oats for ~30 seconds (the time will vary depending on your machine), so that some of the oats are pulverized into powder, but most are intact. (Skip this step if using rolled oats.)
 Process the Steel-Cut Oats for ~30 seconds In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar and oats. In a small bowl, mix the mashed banana and vanilla. Add the banana mixture to the oats. In a separate bowl combine the flours, baking soda, and salt; add the dry ingredients to the oat mixture (the mixture will be quite lumpy). Use a fork to cut the butter into the oat mixture (make sure not to completely mix this – there should be small bits of butter).
 Oat Crumble For Top and Bottom Grease a 9X13-inch pan. Spread ~2/3 of the oat mixture on the bottom of the pan, and spread the cooled filling on top. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top of the filling. Bake for ~30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve warm or room temperature.
 The Bars Before Baking  Like a Healthy Donut...Mmmm Note on the Lemon Juice in the Berry Filling: You might be thinking that you don’t want to add the lemon juice because either you don’t want it to have a citrusy flavor, or you think the strawberries are tart enough, etc. (That’s what I was thinking the first time I made this recipe.) Trust me, you should add the lemon. Lemon really intensifies the berries’ flavor and it won’t add a citrus flavor at all. On the other hand, if you really like a citrusy flavor, go ahead and add some lemon zest as well.
Note on the Sweetness: These bars aren’t overly sweet, they’re just sweetened enough to really let the flavor of the berries shine through. If you prefer your sweets a little sweeter, increase the brown sugar to 1 cup, packed.
Serving Suggestions: This makes a great breakfast (it’s got all the components of breakfast – oats and fruit, right?) or dessert (served warm and topped with a little vanilla frozen yogurt or whipped cream).
Tags: Berries, Blueberries, Jelly Donuts, Oats, Recipes, Strawberries
Posted in Recipes | 3 Comments »
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
If you’ve ever had Greek yogurt you know just how thick, rich, and creamy it is. There are few things its texture and smoothness can be compared with…buttercream, or even ice cream, maybe? But if you’re a fan of Greek yogurt you also know that it’s actually healthy for you, unlike buttercream, ice cream, etc. Just how thick is it, you say? To me, it’s like a cross between cream cheese and sour cream.
Its uses are endless and it’s great in both sweet and savory contexts. My husband calls it lebaneh and eats it with pita bread and olive oil. It can be used in smoothies, as a topping for fruit, mixed with herbs as a dip for veggies, as a substitute for mayo, sour cream, cream cheese, etc…its uses go on and on.
The only downfall of Greek yogurt is it’s price, but that’s easily remedied by turning regular yogurt into Greek-style yogurt at home (a 32 oz container of plain yogurt only costs $1.99!). I’d say that’s a pretty sweet (or savory) deal.
 Greek-Style Yogurt Greek-Style Yogurt:
(Yield: ~20 oz, or ~2/3 of the container that you started with)
 32 Oz Plain, Low-Fat Yogurt (you don't have to make this amount, just make as much or as little as you want)
32 oz container plain, low-fat yogurt
1 strainer fitted over a bowl
3 coffee filters (or cheesecloth)
Plastic wrap
Place the strainer inside the bowl; place the 3 coffee filters overlapping inside the strainer so that they hang over the strainer’s edge. Put the yogurt on top of the strainers and cover it with plastic wrap. Leave this in the fridge for ~1 day (more or less depending on how thick you like your Greek yogurt), making sure to empty the whey that collects in the bottom of the bowl.
NOTE: You can use the whey for other things (it’s protein rich!), so don’t discard it. Blend it with fruit for a pre-workout smoothie…add it to cooked oatmeal…add it to recipes for baked goods…you get the idea.
 Overlap the Coffee Filters, and Allow Some to Hang Over the Edge  The Yogurt Is Basically At the Top of the Strainer At First
 You'll See the Whey Start To Drip Off Almost Immediately
 Whey That Has Collected After 2 Hours
 The Yogurt's Volume is Reduced After Straining Overnight
 Thick Enough to Stick to a Spoon Held Upside-Down
Tags: Greek Yogurt, Lebaneh, Yogurt
Posted in How To, Recipes | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
 International Philly Cheesesteaks With steak, sautéed peppers/mushrooms/onions, and cheese, these sandwiches are a spin-off of classic Philly-style cheesesteak sandwiches. However, they take on a completely new flair by being packaged in Greek phyllo dough. They’re baked until the phyllo is golden and crispy, and the end product actually looks similar to Chinese eggrolls. They’ve got something for everyone…
International Philly Cheesesteaks:
(Yield: 24 sandwiches, 2-3 sandwiches per serving)
 Colorful Veggies  Thinly Slicing Across the Grain ~1 lb thinly sliced beef, thinly sliced across the grain
6 oz fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers (red, green, yellow, orange, or any combination), thinly sliced
2 TB olive oil
~½ tsp grill seasoning (if you don’t have this, just use salt and pepper to taste)
~1 TB Worcestershire sauce
~4 c fresh baby spinach (optional)
~12 oz cheese (cheeses that work well are Bleu, cheddar, American, mozzarella, and pretty much anything else you can think of)
2 packages Athens phyllo dough
Cooking spray
~¼ c sesame seeds (optional)
 Cheese Choices, Clockwise From the Top: Crumbled Bleu, Mozarella, White Cheddar, Sliced American Preheat the oven to 400F; allow the phyllo dough to come to room temperature. Heat the oil in a large pan (with a lid) on medium-high and add the mushrooms; sauté for ~5 minutes with the lid off, stirring occasionally. Stir in the peppers and onions, put the lid on the pan, and sauté for ~5 more minutes (stirring occasionally to make sure that the veggies don’t burn; if necessary, you can add a splash of water). Turn the heat up to high and push the veggies to one half of the pan; add the meat and let it sauté separate from the veggies (the meat should only take ~3 minutes to brown since it’s cut so thinly). Once the meat has browned, stir it into the veggies; turn the pan off and set the meat and veggies aside to cool slightly.
 Mushrooms Cook Up Better if They're in the Pan Alone At First  Adding the Peppers and Onions to the Mushrooms  Push the Veggies to One Side to Brown the Meat Each sandwich will contain 4 phyllo sheets; make sure to use a damp towel to cover the phyllo that you’re not working with. Lay a sheet of phyllo down and lightly spray it with cooking spray; put another sheet on top of it and lightly spray it; continue two more times until you have a stack of 4 phyllo sheets. Place the cheese (~.5 oz per sandwich) across the center of the prepared phyllo; if you’re using spinach, place a few leaves on top of the cheese; spoon ~3 TB of the steak and veggies onto the spinach. Fold the long sides over the filling, and then fold one end over the middle and roll it into what looks like a large eggroll. Repeat this until all sandwiches are rolled.
 Preparing the Filling  Folding the Long Sides  Rolling Over One End Line the sandwiches up seam side down on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly spray each sandwich with cooking spray and if using sesame seeds, sprinkle them on top. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
 Before Baking  Golden, Crispy, and Delicious
Tags: Beef, Phyllo, Recipes, Sandwiches, Steak
Posted in Recipes | 4 Comments »
Monday, May 18th, 2009
One of my husband’s all-time favorite desserts are cream puffs (who doesn’t love light-as-air pastries filled with creamy goodness and iced with chocolate?). I originally thought up this recipe for a party at a friend’s house, and everyone loved it (they compared it with cream puffs or eclairs)…my friend has been making it ever since! These light cream puffs are delicately airy, and just sweet enough to satiate your sweet tooth. But don’t worry, they’re delicious enough to keep you away from real cream puffs. ;)
Light Cream Puffs:
(Yield: 12 puffs)
 Light Cream Puffs
Vanilla Cream
2 c low-fat milk (I used light vanilla soymilk)
2 TB brown sugar
3 TB cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TB salted butter
6 oz Cool Whip Free
Mix together the brown sugar and cornstarch in a pot; once combined wisk in the milk; place over medium heat and bring to a boil (takes ~10 minutes), stirring frequently. Once the milk mixture reaches a boil, boil for ~2 minutes, stirring constantly, and then shut off the heat. Add the vanilla and butter and allow to cool completely in the fridge. Once the milk mixture is chilled, it will look like custard; at this point, fold in the Cool Whip.
 Heating the Milk Mixture
 Custard-Like Consistency After Chilling
 Light and Fluffy After Folding in the Cool Whip
Peanut Butter Cream
2 TB natural unsweetened almond butter
2 TB creamy peanut butter
3 oz Cool Whip Free
Wisk the almond and peanut butters together, then wisk in the Cool Whip ~2 Tb at a time.
Chocolate Cream
3 TB semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 oz Cool Whip Free
Melt the chocolate chips (either using a double boiler or a microwave), and wisk in the Cool Whip ~2 TB at a time.
 Mixing the Melted Chocolate and Cool Whip
 Chocolate Cream
Phyllo Cups (aka the puff-less puff)
6 squares phyllo dough
Cooking spray
Muffin tin
Preheat the oven to 350F. Allow the phyllo dough to come to room temperature. When you’re working with the phyllo, make sure to use a damp towel to cover the dough that you’re not working with (so it won’t dry out). Lay 1 sheet of phyllo down and lightly spray it with cooking spray; place another sheet on top and lightly spray it; place a 3rd sheet on top and cut the dough into 6 equal pieces; repeat this process one time. Place each piece of phyllo into individual muffin tins; bake for ~8 minutes, or until golden brown; allow to cool.
 Preparing the Phyllo Cups
 Phyllo Arranged in a Muffin Tin
 Crispy and Golden After Baking
To Assemble: Place a spoonful of peanut butter cream (~1 TB) in the bottom of each phyllo shell, place vanilla cream (~1/4 c) on top of peanut butter cream, and decorate the top with chocolate cream (~1 TB). Note: You will have between 1/2 c – 1 c of vanilla cream leftover (it’s great eaten alone or as a topping for berries).
Tags: Chocolate, Pastries, Peanut Butter, Phyllo, Recipes, Vanilla Cream
Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »
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