Pumpkin hummus… whaaaaat?

As some of you might already know from browsing my recipe collection, I am obsessed with all things pumpkin. Seriously, it is one of my favorite flavors, whether incorporated into sweets, savories, or even coffee. (I miss Wawa’s pumpkin spice!!!) Well, most recently I figured out a way to incorporate it into another one of my favorite foods – hummus! I admit, even with my adventurous palate and tendency to bring together even the most unlikely food pairings, I thought this was a little weird at first.  But, I thought about carrots going well with hummus and carrots being the same color/group as pumpkins so I reasoned it had to work.  And it did.  SO good.  And because I think pumpkin should have a little sweet factor to it, I added a little agave nectar to the mix to bring the sweetness out.  Try it now!!!

 

Pumpkin Hummus!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 2 tbsp. tahini
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp. agave nectar or honey (depending on how sweet you want it)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. each of salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground coriander

 

Directions:

Easy– just put everything into a food processor and blend until it’s nice and creamy. If you want it a bit smoother, try adding a bit more olive oil or a few splashes of water to the mix.  Serve with veggies, crackers, bread, etc.

Best spinach dip EVER. seriously.

 

Ah, December… definitely my favorite month, not just cause I’m a Sagittarius either.  I admit, I’m quite a whore for the holiday season, and seeing everyone in the neighborhood deck their houses out in lights makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, forgetting everything else I have going on that tends to make me a bit of a Scrooge sometimes, hehe.  And of course, holidays = good food.  Not even just on Christmas or Thanksgiving either.  I’m talking about all those holiday potluck parties in between too, filled with random arrays of candies, cookies, dips, chips, and all that other stuff that goes right to your hips.  I’ve noticed that spinach dip always seems to make an appearance… whether hot or cold, its cheesy goodness and deceptively “healthy” name is always a crowd pleaser.  To me, it’s always the same though… cream cheese + spinach + the packaged Knorr’s seasoning and some other add-ins.  Of course, I’m always trying to make things different when it comes to food, so I recently perfected a recipe a while back that calls for yogurt and feta, giving it a little Greek twist I suppose.  And I think the yogurt gives it a slightly healthier alternative, so you don’t have to feel too bad about pigging out on it because at least you’re getting some calcium!

 

Greeked-up Spinach Dip… for the Holidays

 

Ingredients:

• 3 packages of baby spinach (18 oz bags, so 54 oz. total)
• 1 medium sweet or yellow onion, finely diced
• 4–6 cloves of garlic, minced and divided (depending on how garlicky you like things)
• olive oil, for sautéing
• 20 oz. of thick, strained Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• freshly chopped mint leaves, and/or chopped walnuts, to garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

(1) In a medium skillet, blanch the baby spinach until in just starts to wilt.  Let it cool for a bit, then strain it to get as much excess liquid out as your can.  Chop it up finely, then give it another strain and pat it dry with some paper towels (You can also use thawed frozen spinach for this and not have to cook it I suppose, but I always like things fresh). Set aside.

(2) Heat oil in another (or the same) medium skillet and sauté the onion for a few minutes until it gets soft and a bit caramelized.  Towards the end, add half of the minced garlic and cook for about a minute or two longer, seasoning with a pinch of salt.  Take off the heat and add it to the chopped spinach.

(3) In a large bowl, add the yogurt, feta, and rest of the garlic, mixing to combine.  Gently mix in the spinach mixture, then chopped mint, stirring gently to combine everything.  Add more salt and pepper to taste, then refrigerate for a few hours.

(4) When ready to serve, scoop out the dip into a nice bowl (or better yet, a bread bowl like pictured above… I like to use the dark brown/pumpernickel variety). Garnish with some chopped toasted walnuts and more mint leaves, and you’ve got yourself a kick-ass dish for your next holiday party!

 

Sweet, sweet hummus…

I love hummus… boy is it yummus. It’s one of my favorite go-to foods, whether it involves spreading it on a delicious bagel, using it as a dip for crackers (or veggies, for a much healthier and equally delicious alternative), or even spooning it straight out of the container (which often leaves me saying, “where’s all the HUM gone??” in a Jack Sparrow voice imitation). It’s definitely one of my favorite foods, and I’m always fascinated and overwhelmed by the many varieties of it these days, ranging from classics like garlic and roasted red pepper to new twists like spinach & artichoke, sun-dried tomato, kalamata olive, buffalo, and even guacamole hummus. While at Whole Foods this past Sunday, I was about to purchase one of my favorite varieties – caramelized onion hummus – when I thought, why not try to make it myself? I have a kick-ass food processor and have YET to use it to make hummus! So I finally got to it and made my own, which was SO worth it. The caramelized onions added a subtle sweetness that was just the perfect touch… I will definitely be making this on my own now and not purchasing it from overpriced Whole Foods. Here’s how I whipped it up…

Caramelized Onion Hummus
(adapted from Dula Notes)

Ingredients:

Caramelized Onions:

• 2 vidalia onions, thinly sliced

• 3 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tsp. brown sugar

Hummus:

• 15 oz. can of chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

• 2 tbsp. tahini paste

• juice of one large lemon (this yielded about 5 tbsp. for me)

• 6 cloves of garlic, still in their paper/skins

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tsp. sea salt

• 1 tsp. paprika

• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

(1) Put the cloves (paper still on) in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook them until they start to blister on the sides- this will release their aroma and make them easier to peel. Take off heat, peel, and set aside.

(2) Put the 3 tbsp. of oil in the skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the sliced onions, tossing them to coat in the oil. Stir frequently for about 25 minutes total, while keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn. After the first 10 minutes or so, season them lightly with salt and add a teaspoon of brown sugar, which will aid in the caramelization process. Cook until uniformly brown and allow to cool for a bit.

this is about the point where you wanna sprinkle a lil’ bit o’ brown shuga goodness.

(3) In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients for the hummus, along with the caramelized onions, and blend until smooth. You may want to gradually add the olive oil in… the original recipe I used called for 1/3 cup of it, but I found it was fine after only using about 1/4 cup. Adding water is also another option, especially if you prefer a smoother consistency to your hummus. Chill the hummus for a few hours or overnight for the best results, then spoon it on something immediately.

The final result – so good. Stay tuned for more variations…

muffin maniaaaaaa!

I don’t know why, but I’ve really been into making muffins recently. Just like quick breads, you can pretty much throw anything into them and they’re bound to be delicious, and it’s basically the same batter too, just in a different format by pouring it into a muffin tin. I like the 12-count kind the best, since the results are not too huge but not too small to leave you wanting more… perfect to eat as a snack or with your coffee in the morning. I’ve been incorporating lots of delicious fall flavors into my muffins lately, like apple-cinnamon and pumpkin, of course, which have been yielding some tasty results. So tasty that I’m starting to take on some characteristics of this baked good – I now have “muffin tops” pouring out of the top of my jeans, which, by contrast, are not so appetizing. must……. stop……… baking…….

um ok, who am I kidding? anyway here are two of my favorite muffin recipes as of recently. And, to accompany them, click here for some amusing films about muffins. Enjoy!

 

Ginger-Pear Muffins

 

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter

• 1 cup white flour

• 3/4 cup wheat flour

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, +2 tbsp brown sugar for topping

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1/2 cup milk or water, plus more as needed

• 1 ripe pear, chopped into small pieces

• 1 tsp. ginger

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

 

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 12-compartment muffin tin with some butter (or baking spray, for those who are calorie conscious). Be generous or they will not come out of the pan!!

(2) Mix together the salt, flour, baking powder, baking soda, powdered ginger. Set aside.

(3) Use a wooden spoon/spatula to cream the butter and sugar together. Beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla extract, then mix it in with the butter and sugar.

(4) Gradually add the flour mixture, and moisten the batter with a little more milk or water. (the batter should be a little lumpy, not watery and smooth. Thick, yet moist is what you’re going for, so if more liquid is needed then do not hesitate.

(5) Fold in the chopped pear and ginger, then pour the batter into the muffin tin. Most recipes say to fill them about two-thirds full, but I like my muffin tops big so I fill it practically to the top. If you do this, you’ll probably have to bake them 2-4 minutes longer. Top with sprinkled browned sugar, mixed with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

(6) Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the muffins are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before taking them out of the tin. EAT THEM WARM! That’s when they’re the best!The next one is based off my pumpkin bread, and is by far the best muffin I have ever made. The cream cheese to accompany it is fantastic as well, so I’m posting both recipes.

 

Pumpkin Muffins with Pumpkin Cream Cheese
(holy crap that’s a lot of pumpkin)

Muffin Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups flour (I recommend using 3/4 white and 3/4 wheat)

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 cup granulated sugar, +2 tbsp for topping

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 1/3 cup canola oil

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp. allspice

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1 tsp. ginger

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• handful of pumpkin seeds

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 12-compartment muffin tin with some butter or cooking spray. Again, be generous or they will not come out of the pan!!

(2) In a medium bowl, mix together the salt, flour, baking soda, and sugar. Set aside.

(3) In a larger bowl, use a wooden spoon/spatula/whisk, whatever, to mix together the beaten eggs, pumpkin, oil, water, and spices.

(4) Add the flour mixture until just incorporated. Do not overmix!! Fold in the nuts and cranberries.

(5) In a smaller bowl, combine 2 tbsp sugar and some cinnamon, along with the pumpkin seeds. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, and top with the cinnamon-sugar seed mixture.

(6) Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the muffins are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before taking them out of the tin. Again, EAT THEM WARM!! That’s when they are in their ruling glory!!As for the cream cheese, it’s best to make this the day before. Then you can rip open your steaming hot muffin and slather some cool cream cheese to balance things.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip/Spread:

Ingredients:

• 1 package cream cheese, softened at room temp.

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. ginger

• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice

Directions:
Easy – Beat the cream cheese and sugar together with a hand mixer. Beat in the pumpkin and spices, then cover and chill in your fridge overnight. Use it on your muffins, bagels, and even as a dip for some gingersnap cookies or sliced apples. It truly kicks ass.