A Lovely Breakfast!

I was hungry way earlier than usual today. This went together quick and was just what I needed! Chopped up and in a bowl in no time. . .

1/2 tomato
1/2 avocado
1 green onion
1 hardboiled egg
3T spicy hummus
a little handful of pea shoots (micro greens)

Some sunflower seeds and capers would have also been good in this mix. Be creative! Make a little time. Good food is sometimes just about combinations and really doesn't have to take long to prepare. . .Lin

Tepary Bean Hummus

2c cooked Tepary beans

2 lg. cloves of garlic

1 green onion

2T EVOO

4T toasted sesame oil

1t-1T lemon zest

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

Teparies are common to the southwest, having been cultivated there by native tribes, as far back as pre-Columbian times.  I've cooked white, brown and black teparies that I bought on trips to Arizona.  I love indigenous, old heirloom type foods!  Garbanzo beans are classic in hummus, but you can use any type of beans (red kidneys, black-eyed peas, adukis, navys, black beans, limas...).  Each brings a little different quality to the finished dish.

In your food processor, combine all the ingredients, blending until smooth with no lumps.  Serve with crackers, pretzel chips, or vegetable slices. . .Lin

Chili Bean Hummus

1 15oz.+ can black-eyed peas

1 15oz.+ can garbanzo beans

1 16oz. can Bush's medium chili beans

2 very large garlic cloves

½c red kalamata olives

1 lg. roasted red pepper

⅓c good quality olive oil

Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas and garbanzos.  Combine all ingredients in a food processor.  All at once if you have a big processor, or in batches if you have a smaller one.  Pour into a medium size bowl and garnish with some olives and a sprinkle of caper berries.  Let chill in the 'fridge to blend the flavors.  Serve with crackers or vegetables. . .Lin

Tomato Pesto Hummus

1 15oz. can pinto beans

1 15oz. can red kidney beans

1-2 lg. cloves of garlic

½c roasted red pepper pieces

¼-½c or more good olive oil

2T white balsamic vinegar

3-4T sun dried tomato pesto

a little water if needed

1½t ground cumin

½t garlic sea salt

½t granulated roasted garlic

½t fresh ground black pepper

Drain and rinse the beans.  Combine all the ingredients in your food processor.  All at once, or in smaller batches, depending on the size and power of your processor.  When everything is as smooth as you want it, let it stand for an hour. During this time the beans will absorb a lot of the flavors.  Taste it after an hour, you may need to add more seasoning.  Serve with pita or falafel chips, or vegetable strips.  This also makes a great replacement for mayonnaise on a sandwich. . .Lin

Post #1,000!!! Cilantro-Chili Hummus

6oz. roasted red peppers

¼c good quality plain or flavored olive oil

½ bunch of cilantro - leaves and stems

1 lg. clove of elephant (or regular) garlic

¼t Himalayan pink salt

½t chili lime seasoning

1-2t drizzle of honey

2t white balsamic vinegar

1 can garbanzo beans - - (drain

1 can red kidney beans - and rinse)

This Is A Milestone Recipe For Me!!!

I began this Fantastic Food Blog Adventure about six years ago, with the intent to create, photograph and blog a recipe a day for a year.  At the end of that time, I was going to pick my 100 favorites and make a cookbook.  Well. . .THIS RECIPE IS MY 1,000th POST!!! 😀 Still no cookbook, but it doesn't seem the right time in my life for that just yet.

Originally all I wanted to do was create food that was healthy, and I now, realize I had a broad definition of that, which has narrowed over time.  More recently I've created a sub category here of recipes I classify as Whole Plant-Based Foods.  This could be why the cookbook hasn't happened yet.  While I eat, and love cooking with humanely, pasture-raised meat, my emphasis has shifted.  It now occupies a smaller role in each recipe, occupying more of a side-dish, or after-thought place on my plates.  There seems to be a natural shift for me, to more vegetarian and vegan cooking.  So, somewhere down the road, that might be my first cookbook.  So, stay tuned, and thanks for being with me here, on My Amazing Food Journey!

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients in batches, if, like me you only have a Mini-Prep size processor, or altogether if you have a "real" food processor.  Process until blended.  Serve with fresh, raw (or lightly steamed) vegetables or some healthy chips.  This could also be used as a sandwich spread in place of mayonnaise / mustard.  I'm even thinking with the addition of a little tomato sauce, how about using it as the sauce for a Vegetarian Pizza!!  Be Bold, Be Creative - Happy Cooking!  😊 . . . Lin

Game Day Lunch

This was super easy.

Starting at the top, clockwise; Lemony Red Bean Hummus, raw cauliflower, tomatoes and pickle-ham roll-ups. It was a good lunch and a great game – (Green Bay won.) :-D . . .Lin

Lemony Kidney Bean Hummus

As much as I've always loved hummus, I think this could be the first time I've ever made it. This is a very low fat recipe since I decided not to include olive oil. I also went with what I had in the house regarding beans. Normally I have garbanzos, but this time did not. All in the spirit of adventure and creativity, right?

1 can white kidney beans Cannellini

1 can light or dark red kidney beans

2 lg. cloves of garlic

1 lemon – zest and juice

Tamari and vinegar to = 1/3c

1/3 c water

salt and pepper optional

Drain and rinse the beans. Working in small batches, pulse the beans in a food processor with the garlic, lemon zest, juice and a little of the liquid until it's all semi-smooth. Stir to blend the batches and serve with tortilla chips, rice crackers or raw vegetables. . .Lin