1. I love my husband
2. I love my baby
3. I love dessert
and last but not least...
4. I love simple things
Especially simple meals. Not only are simple meals easier and less time consuming to prepare, but they also can be better for your health. Less muss and less fuss can mean less ingredients, less processing, and less cooked food. Not that there is anything wrong with cooked food - but because cooking can lower the vitamins, minerals, and fiber in food (especially vegetables!) eating that food raw is even better. Alas, this is not the point of this post.
This post is a recipe. A delectable recipe that we usually have once every two weeks or so. Because it's good. Because it's easy. Because it's healthy. And because it's a free country and I can eat it as often as I like (especially since I'm the one that plans the menu!)
Hummus.
Please, for Pete's sake, do not buy hummus from the store. It is far too easy to make, right in your own kitchen. It (LITERALLY) takes five minutes.
You will need:
- 2 cans of garbanzo beans (aka: chickpeas) or 2 cups of soaked and cooked garbanzo beans
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt and pepper, a couple big pinches
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Olive oil, enough to obtain desired consistency (2-4 tablespoons)
- Seasonings of your choice
Step Two: Add the garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Step Three: Blend those beautiful beans.
Step Four: Taste. Does it need more salt? More lemon juice? More olive oil? Add your extra seasonings, if you like. I love a dash of smoked paprika. Roasted red peppers are also great. Or cumin. Or chipotle. Or red chili flakes.
Step Five: If your hummus is too "lumpy", add olive oil (or water) SLOWLY until you get the desired, smooth, consistency that you desire. I like mine a lil on the thick side, so I am careful not to add too much liquid.
Step Six: I serve our hummus topped with chopped green onions, or fresh parsley, or fresh basil. Whichever I have around.
Hummus is a main meal in our home. We serve it with cucumbers, carrots, celery and always a dipping bread. This is a great way to use dry bit of bread that has been hangin' around your kitchen. If we don't have a good crusty bread, I will just cut slices of our homemade, everyday loaf and toast them. Toast is a great dipper for hummus. If we have some leftover chicken, I'll serve that as well. And always lots of good, fresh fruit as well. As you can see, it is one of those "clean out the fridge" meals. Use what ya got. It's the perfect raw, simple, munchy meal.
I like munchy meals because then I can sit around the table and eat for a longer time.
I like to eat for a longer time because then it gives me an extended period to sip my kombucha. Or my wine.
And flirt with my husband.
On that note, I am hungry. And it's time to eat. And time to enjoy another simple thing in life...
Breakfast with my wee family. It doesn't get much sweeter.
