Hummus, the cheater way

 

Hummus is one of my favorite dips.  I am a serious late-night snacker, so it is important to have good snacks on hand or else I go crazy and just carry around a bag of chocolate chips and an open cereal box (preferably those sugary ones that portray themselves as being part of a balanced breakfast).  For the past few months we have been gorging on Costco hummus, but we can go through a carton of that in about two days, so I decided I would start making hummus again to save money, and because its nice to act on a craving of hummus at 11 pm without having to go to the store.  Hummus is intimidating for a lot of people because of a little ingredient called "tahini" which is exotic and expensive.  But what to do if you have no tahini?  I have found a near perfect cheater ingredient that I always have on hand and that makes fabulous hummus-- peanut butter.  Since tahini is just sesame seed butter, a good natural peanut butter makes a remarkable substitute, especially in this recipe which calls for garlic, lemon, and cumin (nice strong flavors).

Cheater Hummus

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 TBSP natural peanut butter
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/4- 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP olive oil

throw all ingredients in a food processor and whirl away until nice and smooth.  You can adjust the ingredients to taste or add more or less olive oil to control the fat count.  If it is too thick, stream in a little water and puree for a few more seconds.

The Best Chili (Vegan or not!)

I have been reading this awesome book "Eat and Run" written by Scott Jurek an ultrarunner.  It is the story of his path to greatness in both food and feet.  He intersperses his personal account with vegan recipes and running tips.  I highly recommend it.  I have just started testing his recipes out, and this first one completely "bowled" me over.  In his book he cites this recipe as the one that convinced him that he could be a happy vegan.  It is a vegan chili made with a myriad of chunky vegetables, three kinds of beans, bulgar wheat (which makes it feel especially "meaty"), and lots of warm spices.  It tastes fantastic.  I dare you to take it to your next chili cook-off.  I bet it could beat the pants off of any of those plain jane chilis.

Minnesota Winter Chili

2 TBSP olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
8-10 mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 TBSP chili powder
2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato puree
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dry bulgar wheat
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Add the oil to a large pot and saute the vegetables until tender (about 10 minutes).  Add the spices and saute for another minute or so.  Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat, covered, for about 30 minutes.  Stir and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.  Season with salt to taste.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.  Watch it disappear!