avocado & bravado : a food blog » dip

cilantro and avocado dip

Rose — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 07:57:05 +0000

Wednesday was avocado & bravado’s first anniversary. Truth be told, the day would have likely gone unnoticed had it not been for Dreamhost pestering me everyday to renew my domain name. Time has flown by so quickly, it certainly doesn’t feel like a year since I decided, “I’m going to start a food blog and hope someone besides my mom will read it.” I have been blogging in some form or another for over 10 years, since the days when I was an angsty teenager who was obsessed with Peter Murphy (I still kinda am). But I haven’t ever blogged so frequently before – 158 recipes later and here we are.

When I think about it, having a food blog is kind of strange. I post recipes of the dishes I’ve made and share them with strangers. When I first launched avocado & bravado, some acquaintances who had no idea that I had ventured into the world of cooking, assumed I’d gone the route of dutiful housewife (girlfriend, rather) on a quest to become the next Martha Stewart. Not quite. Um, do I look like Martha to you? I grew up knowing very little about food and even less about cooking. As I’ve mentioned here before, I chopped my first onion a few weeks shy of my 23rd birthday. If a reformed McDonald’s addict can learn to cook, so can you. And if I’ve made any impact at all on your cooking or helped boost your confidence in the kitchen, I couldn’t possibly ask for anything more. Thank you all for the kind comments, emails, and constructive criticism throughout the last year. Oh, and a big thanks to the occasional troll for the laughs. I’m looking forward to updating avocado & bravado for many more years to come.

Now that I have a shiny new camera, there are many many more recipes in the queue, but I haven’t had much time to edit most of the pictures. So the recipe I have for you today is a simple avocado and cilantro dip. Cory bought blue corn tortilla chips for a stew he made a couple weeks ago. We never have tortilla chips on hand, so the urge to snack on them was pretty strong. But it would be a shame to snack on just the chips alone, so I wanted to make a dip to accompany them. I planned on making guacamole, but I was missing many of the ingredients. That was okay, though. Once the cilantro was chopped, everything came together rather quickly and I didn’t even miss the tomatoes, onions, or chilies. Also, I ate almost the whole thing in one sitting. Just a warning for those with very little willpower.

Cilantro and Avocado Dip
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2 medium-sized avocados
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop out the meaty avocado goodness into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork and mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and cilantro.

Serves 2 (or less!)

Try the recipe index for more ideas.

hummus with roasted garlic and fresh herbs

Rose — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:27:09 +0000

Some people have their favorite recipes and stick to them forever. When I talk to my dad and he tells me he’s making squash or chicken for dinner, I know exactly what he’s talking about. I try keep things constantly changing in the kitchen, but there are a few recipes I rarely ever stray from – mujaddara, for example. As much as I love the traditional hummus bi tahina (hummus with tahini), I’m constantly looking for new ways to reinvent it. I’ve been accused of being a hummus purist and even a snob, but that’s simply not true. I’ve just made it a personal mission to inform people that hummus means “chickpeas” in Arabic. It’s silly to call beet hummus, white bean hummus, edamame hummus, lima bean hummus, etc. hummus if the recipes don’t contain chickpeas. If you see a crazy lady rocking back and forth at a bus stop in San Francisco mumbling under her breath, “hummus means chickpeas in Arabic…” That’s me. Feel free to say hi.

Usually when I prepare hummus, I use canned garbanzo beans and simmer them in a saucepan with some water for 15-20 minutes. I find that this method helps the beans blend easier and improves the texture of the hummus. Plus, I love popping a few garbanzo beans into my mouth. They’re melt-in-your mouth delicious after simmering for 15 minutes or so. There are Syrian grandmothers who swear by soaking the garbanzos overnight and discarding the skins of the beans for the creamiest hummus possible, but I’ll leave that time consuming method to the experts (grandmothers, that is).

I’ve been on a garlic roasting kick lately. I’d say we’re going through 3 to 4 bulbs of garlic a week… and I have the breath to prove it. I’ve been adding roasted garlic to everything. Potatoes, toast, salad dressings, and now hummus. Apparently, there is such a thing as too much raw garlic. Not really for me, but for Cory. So I added roasted garlic to this batch of hummus. With roasted garlic, you get the garlic taste without at all being overpowering. The fresh herbs add a nice kick and a lovely pale green color.

Hummus with Roasted Garlic and Herbs
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1 bulb of garlic, roasted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 15-oz can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained plus 1 cup of reserved water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini (roasted is best, but raw is fine)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, plus extra for garnishing
salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice the top of the garlic bulb open, revealing the tips of the cloves. Place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle a teaspoon of oil over it. Wrap the bulb in the aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the hummus. Drain and rinse the can of beans. Toss the garbanzos into a small sauce pan with a cup of water and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside. Juice lemons, set aside tahini, and chop the herbs. Add the lemon juice, chives, parsley, salt, and a ladleful of garbanzos with some reserved water. Pulse together in a food processor or blender. Continue adding garbanzos a ladleful at a time and blending, adding more water until needed. Continue this method until all the garbanzos have been blended.

By now, the garlic should be ready. Open up the foil and let the garlic cool until easy enough to handle with your hands. Pop the cloves out of the bulb into a small bowl. Take a fork and smash the garlic until formed into a paste. Toss the paste into the blender and pulse until thoroughly blended. Transfer the hummus to a large bowl. Add the tahini to the bowl and mix thoroughly, this will thicken the hummus considerably. Taste the hummus, adding a couple more pinches of salt or lemon juice, if needed.

Serve with warm flat bread, pita chips, or your favorite raw vegetables. Garnish with olive oil, extra freshly chopped herbs, and spices (thyme, sumac, za’atar, paprika, etc).

Try the recipe index for more ideas.

spicy hummus

Rose — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:45:35 +0000

This is my traditional hummus recipe, but with a bit of kick. I like spicy, but not spicy for the sake of spicy. I still like to taste what I’m eating, you know? I suggest starting off with a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne or red pepper flakes and then gradually adding more to taste. If you’re going to used canned chickpeas, it’s not absolutely necessary to simmer them in a saucepan for 15-20 minutes, but the chickpeas become melt-in-your-mouth tender and ultimately easier to blend.

Spicy Hummus
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3/4 cup dried chickpeas (1.5 cups when cooked) or 1 15-oz can chickpeas (plus 1 c reserved cooking liquid)
1-2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
a couple dashes of salt
Ideas for garnishing (optional): olive oil, chickpeas, toasted pine nuts, parsley, paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, mint, ground meat.

If using dried chickpeas:

Soak chickpeas overnight in water in a large bowl.

Rinse chickpeas several times, or until the water runs clear. Place chickpeas in a large sauce pan with enough water to cover by at least an inch. Partially covered or uncovered (I have more success with uncovered), bring chickpeas to a boil and simmer for 1-1.5 hours. Drain the chickpeas, but reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

If using canned chickpeas:

Rinse the chickpeas several times. Place chickpeas in a large saucepan and boil for 15-20 minutes. Drain chickpeas, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid and set aside.

In a food processor or blender, pulse the garlic, lemon juice, salt, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper, and tahini until blended. Add chickpeas by the handful, pulse until blended, repeat until you use the rest of the chickpeas. If the hummus is too thick, add some of the reserved cooking liquid at about a tablespoon at a time. Add more cayenne or red pepper flakes, to taste. Blend until smooth.

Store hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Try the recipe index for more ideas.

broccoli hummus

Rose — Tue, 11 May 2010 01:04:05 +0000

As a kid, I was an impossibly picky eater. I remember moments where my parents would be on the verge of tears because they had so much trouble getting me to eat anything besides McDonald’s. Miraculously though, I loved broccoli. I still do, but when I serve broccoli it’s mostly as an afterthought. Lightly steamed and with a squirt of lemon juice, accompanying a side of meat, grains, and other vegetables. I never do anything interesting with broccoli, so when I saw this recipe for what was essentially broccoli hummus, I knew I had to make it. The only new addition to an otherwise traditional hummus recipe are broccoli crowns. In terms of taste, I don’t think the broccoli adds much. However, thick consistency of broccoli hummus makes it an excellent spread for crostinis and sandwiches. Plus, I really love the speckles of green!

Broccoli Hummus
(adapted from The New York Times)
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3/4 cup dried chickpeas (1.5 cups when cooked) or 1 15-oz can chickpeas (plus 1 cup reserved cooking liquid)
2 broccoli crown, cut into florets
1-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste. Use roasted tahini if you can find it, otherwise raw is fine)
a couple dashes of salt
Ideas for garnishing (optional): olive oil, chickpeas, toasted pine nuts, ground meat, parsley, mint, cumin, paprika, sumac.

If using dried chickpeas:
- Soak chickpeas overnight in water in a large bowl.
- Rinse chickpeas several times, or until the water runs clear.
- Place chickpeas in a large sauce pan with enough water to cover by at least an inch. Partially covered or uncovered (I have more success with uncovered), bring chickpeas to a boil and simmer for 1-1.5 hours.
- Drain the chickpeas, but reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

If using canned chickpeas:
- Rinse the chickpeas several times.
- Place chickpeas in a large saucepan and boil for 15-20 minutes
- Drain chickpeas, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid and set aside.

- Steam broccoli for about 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

- In a food processor or blender, pulse the broccoli, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and tahini until blended. Add chickpeas by the handful, pulse until blended, repeat until you use the rest of the chickpeas. If the hummus is too thick to blend, add some of the reserved cooking liquid a couple tablespoons at a time. Blend until processed to a coarse purée.

- Garnish with any of the following: olive oil, chickpeas, toasted pine nuts, ground meat, parsley, mint, cumin, paprika, or sumac.

- Serve with pita bread, pita chips, raw vegetables, or use as a spread in wraps or sandwiches.

Store hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Not quite what you had in mind? Try the recipe index.

muhammara

Rose — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:19:21 +0000

Muhammara is a Middle Eastern dip, which traces its roots to Aleppo, Syria. Aleppo was once a part of the Silk Road and one of the largest cities of the Ottoman Empire. Today, it’s the second largest city in Syria and still widely known for its food, including Aleppo peppers, an important ingredient in muhammara. The word muhammara stems from the Arabic word “red”. Muhammara has a deep, complex flavor – spicy from the Aleppo pepper, sweet from the pomegranate molasses, and savory from the cumin. Enjoy muhammara as a dip with pita bread, spread on toast, or as a sauce on chicken, duck, or white fish.

Both aleppo peppers and another vital ingredient to muhammara, pomegranate molasses, can be purchased at Middle Eastern groceries or on Amazon.com. However, if you would like to substitute those ingredients for something more readily available, use four parts paprika and one part cayenne or chili flakes for the Aleppo pepper. For the pomegranate molasses, substitute with a little bit of lemon or lime juice and honey.

Muhammara
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2/3 c walnuts, toasted
2/3 c bread crumbs
2 T tomato paste
3/4 t cumin
2 T pomegranate molasses
1 t Aleppo pepper (or paprika and a few dashes of cayenne)
2 large roasted red bell peppers, skinned OR 1 7-oz jar roasted peppers
dash of salt and sugar

- If using fresh peppers, roast them. Preheat oven to 400F. Wash and dry peppers. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Coat each pepper with a little bit of oil and bake for 15 minutes. Using the stems, turn the peppers and continue this step until each side begins to turn brown. This should take about an hour. Remove peppers from the oven and let them cool until they’re easy enough to handle, about a half hour or so. Peel off the skins, cut the pepper into large pieces. Remove the pith and skins.

- In a food processor, pulse together walnuts and breadcrumbs until the texture reaches a coarse meal. Add tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, cumin, Aleppo pepper or paprika and cayenne, roasted bell peppers, and a dash of salt and sugar. Blend until smooth.

- Transfer muhammara to a container and refrigerate for at least a couple hours, to allow the flavors to blend.

Not quite what you had in mind? Try the recipe index.