Easiest Black Bean Hummus Recipe Ever

the food processor and me

I like hummus, but I love black bean hummus. Problem (that, turns out, is not really a problem): I rarely see BB hummus in the grocery. Solution: I will figure out how to make it, and it will be the easiest recipe ever, and it will be delicious. And so it is. In fact, my husband says I’ve ruined all other hummuses for him.

I made our New Favorite Hummus as my contribution to a Super Bowl gathering, and now that I have more widespread assurance that it is indeed fantastic-tasting, I’ll share.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
1 15 oz can black beans; drain and reserve liquid
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

pepper garnish

Mince garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add black beans, 2 tablespoons reserved liquid, lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add additional seasoning and liquid to taste. Garnish with cayenne and black pepper.

Enjoy with rough bread, pita chips, cucumbers, and other edible plates.

Also, just a quick note on the ingredient “tahini:” I was unfamiliar with the term and had a bit of trouble locating it in the grocery. I finally found it in the healthy/organic food section, next to the organic peanut and almond butter.

Homemade Pizza Like Whoa

Once a week, my friend Jess and I get together and make dinner. Sometimes, it’s the only day in seven that I spend more than 15 minutes in the kitchen. Other times, it’s the catalyst for a fortnight’s snacks and dinners and desserts. Either way, I enjoy our culinary adventures together like I enjoy working out with a friend – I’m not always 100% certain I want to go through the effort, but I’m always more than ecstatic about the end result. Last night’s menu was quite Italian and quite bold – homemade pizza.

The idea started with a recipe for pizza sauce that a dear friend posted on her blog a long time ago. I wrote it down then and filed it away. Yesterday seemed the perfect time to try it out. We looked up a pretty straightforward pizza dough recipe and stopped by the grocery to pick out toppings.

glorious toppings

The rest of the steps are pretty self-explanatory. We baked breadsticks as an appetizer, brushing them with a melted butter and garlic salt mixture and serving them with a dish of olive oil and Italian seasoning.

goldendelicious

I threw together the sauce and she kneaded the dough. I chopped the peppers and she brushed the crust with oil. Together, we created one killer pizza and ate marvelously. And out of the whole experience, I have one secret: homemade pizza sounds like a lot more difficult than it really is. Trust me and try it yourself!

hungry yet?

knead that dough, girl

gourmet, wouldn't you say?

the final product, oven ready

Homemade Popcorn

I know that homemade popcorn may sound like a pretty easy feat to accomplish (and it is!), but if a good friend of mine hadn’t taught me how to do it, I don’t think I ever would have seen the value in popping my own over just buying the microwavable bags. To set the record straight:

1. There is something so cozy and antiquated about homemade popcorn.
2. It is SO EASY to make.
3. It saves a lot of money when compared to microwavable popcorn.
4. It’s a lot healthier… more natural, fewer calories, fewer preservatives, etc.
5. You can season it however you like!

doesn't seem like a lot of kernels, but makes a full pot of popcorn

And now, I will share my own recipe for this delicious snack:

What You Need: popcorn kernels (they come in a bag or a jar, are extremely inexpensive (like $1.50 for a pound), and can be found in the same section of the grocery store as the microwavable popcorn), olive oil, medium pot with lid (mine’s about two quarts), seasoned salt, and the juice from half a lime (lime juice in a bottle works just fine too).

with my choice seasonings

Directions:
1.  On a stovetop, pour a bit of olive oil into the medium pot – just enough to cover the bottom. Heat the pot on medium high for 2-3 minutes without covering. The oil should not pop or sizzle at this point.
2.  Next, pour the popcorn kernels into the pot, again just one layer… enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Turn the heat down to medium or a little hotter, and cover.
3. Watch the popcorn pop (it happens so quickly… if you walk away even for a moment, you risk burning the popcorn). When there are 2-3 seconds between pops, remove from heat.
4.  Wait a few moments before uncovering (for possible late pops). Then pour the popcorn from the pot into a bowl. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and spritz with lime juice. Toss a bit to spread the seasoning. Enjoy!

I recommend trying other seasoning combinations like garlic salt and lemon or even gorgonzola and pepper. Make up your own… I really don’t think you can go wrong here. Get fancy!

delishhh