I had been hearing about Sweet potato hummus for a while now and decided to give it a try in my own kitchen. The following recipe is what I came up with and it's really good. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips and/or veggies. I like it with carrot sticks. You can also use it as a spread on a sandwich. A good one to try would be lightly toasted bread (preferably pita bread) topped with sliced cucumber, sliced tomato, thinly sliced red onion and shredded romaine lettuce. Very yummy!
Chick Peas (about 1 1/3 cans) drained ( save liquid)
1 cooked sweet potato
ground coriander and cumin, about 1/4 tsp each
about 1/2 tsp Turkish Baharat (I make my own with spices that I already have.)
lime juice from 1/2 lime ( I didn't have any lemons but you could use one if you prefer)
tahini - about 1/4 cup +some of the oil
clove of garlic
olive oil, maybe a tbsp
sambal chili sauce, couple of tsp
salt and pepper to taste
(Sorry, I really never measure anything so I'm just eye balling the amounts.)
I blended everything together in a food processor, adding a little bit of the liquid from the canned chick peas. Blend a long time so that the hummus is really smooth. This will take several minutes; stop in between and scrap bowl down occasionally.
The warm spices in the baharat compliments the sweet potato. It's a new take on hummus. I really like it.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup - Latin Style
Lately I have been adapting a more vegetarian diet and have been experimenting with adapting many recipes. Today I made a vegetarian version of Navy Bean Soup, a regular on the tables of many Miami Latins as well as many Miami restaurants. This version is completely vegan and lacking none of the flavor of the original. It is easy to make and uses inexpensive ingredients. I cook the beans overnight in a crockpot but you can cook them on the stove as well. Then I make the suffrito and add the cooked beans to it. Suffrito is a mixture of onions, garlic and bell pepper cooked together with tomatoes and used to flavor soups and bean dishes. Give this soup a try and this will become a regular on your table.
1 package dried navy beans ( about 14 oz usually)
1 bay leaf
1 clove of garlic, lightly smashed
1 tsp liquid smoke
Suffrito:
Olive oil for sauteing (about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion, like Peruvian or Vidalia
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 can ( about 3/4 cup) petite diced tomatoes or fresh chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
pinch red pepper flake (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
1 medium ripe plantain (golden yellow with a little black) cut into chunks
2 cups fresh greens chopped (spinach, swiss chard, kale, etc.) or about 2/3 cup frozen greens
Handful fresh parsley, cilantro or culantro for garnish (optional)
Soak the beans overnight or all day in ample water. Make sure beans are covered by several inches as they will swell as they soak. After soaking time is complete, pour off soaking water and rinse beans a few times. Add fresh water to cover a few inches, add 1 crushed garlic clove, liquid smoke, and 1 bay leaf. Cook in your slowcooker all day or overnight, until the beans are tender. Alternatively, cook on the stove top a few hours until the beans are tender. The amount of cooking time will depend on the age of the beans - the older they are the longer the cook time.
When the beans are done, off heat, remove bay leaf and garlic clove, and set aside. Make the suffrito. In a dutch oven or a pan large enough to hold the soup, saute onions in olive oil until soft. Add green pepper and cook a few minutes, until soft. Add minced garlic, dried herbs, cumin and salt and pepper. Saute a moment and add tomatoes. Cook a few minutes, stirring. Add potato chunks and some of the liquid from the beans. Cover and cook until potatoes are barely tender. Add plantain chunks and cook until they are soft and cooked through. Add the cooked navy beans and their liquid, along with the greens and stir to mix everything together. Let cook for about 15 minutes so the flavors can come together. Garnish will fresh herbs if desired. Serve as is or over a bit of plain white rice.
1 package dried navy beans ( about 14 oz usually)
1 bay leaf
1 clove of garlic, lightly smashed
1 tsp liquid smoke
Suffrito:
Olive oil for sauteing (about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion, like Peruvian or Vidalia
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 can ( about 3/4 cup) petite diced tomatoes or fresh chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
pinch red pepper flake (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
1 medium ripe plantain (golden yellow with a little black) cut into chunks
2 cups fresh greens chopped (spinach, swiss chard, kale, etc.) or about 2/3 cup frozen greens
Handful fresh parsley, cilantro or culantro for garnish (optional)
Soak the beans overnight or all day in ample water. Make sure beans are covered by several inches as they will swell as they soak. After soaking time is complete, pour off soaking water and rinse beans a few times. Add fresh water to cover a few inches, add 1 crushed garlic clove, liquid smoke, and 1 bay leaf. Cook in your slowcooker all day or overnight, until the beans are tender. Alternatively, cook on the stove top a few hours until the beans are tender. The amount of cooking time will depend on the age of the beans - the older they are the longer the cook time.
When the beans are done, off heat, remove bay leaf and garlic clove, and set aside. Make the suffrito. In a dutch oven or a pan large enough to hold the soup, saute onions in olive oil until soft. Add green pepper and cook a few minutes, until soft. Add minced garlic, dried herbs, cumin and salt and pepper. Saute a moment and add tomatoes. Cook a few minutes, stirring. Add potato chunks and some of the liquid from the beans. Cover and cook until potatoes are barely tender. Add plantain chunks and cook until they are soft and cooked through. Add the cooked navy beans and their liquid, along with the greens and stir to mix everything together. Let cook for about 15 minutes so the flavors can come together. Garnish will fresh herbs if desired. Serve as is or over a bit of plain white rice.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Spinach and Artichoke Pasta
I recently came up with this dish while trying out a vegetarian diet for a few weeks. Whether or not you are a vegetarian or you are just trying to eat less meat, this dish is delicious. You can put it together in about 20 minutes, making it quick and easy as well. I love artichokes, so I was looking for a new way to use them. This is definitely a winner. It has become a regular on my table. Enjoy!
1/2 box of penne cooked al dente, drained and save about 1 cup of the pasta water.
The sauce:
1 can artichoke hearts, cut into eights (discard any tough outer leaves)
1 15 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
1/2 red or orange bell pepper, chopped fine
1 large clove of garlic, or two small ones
1/2 package fresh spinach - about 2 cups semi packed - washed and shredded
1 can cannelloni beans, drained
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves or a couple tablespoons pesto
red pepper flakes to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon or more)
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil for sauteing - about 1/4 cup
Parmesan cheese - about 1/3 cup
Saute the onion over medium low in a large pan until soft. Add garlic and red bell pepper and red pepper flakes and saute a minute or two. Add tomatoes and artichokes and cook a couple of minutes. Add beans and pesto if using and salt and pepper. (Easy on the salt because the cheese is salty.) Off heat. Add cooked pasta to sauce and mix until well coated, adding enough of the pasta water to coat. Add spinach and basil and mix. Add Parmesan cheese a little at a time, stirring to make sure all the pasta is equally cheesed. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
1/2 box of penne cooked al dente, drained and save about 1 cup of the pasta water.
The sauce:
1 can artichoke hearts, cut into eights (discard any tough outer leaves)
1 15 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
1/2 red or orange bell pepper, chopped fine
1 large clove of garlic, or two small ones
1/2 package fresh spinach - about 2 cups semi packed - washed and shredded
1 can cannelloni beans, drained
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves or a couple tablespoons pesto
red pepper flakes to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon or more)
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil for sauteing - about 1/4 cup
Parmesan cheese - about 1/3 cup
Saute the onion over medium low in a large pan until soft. Add garlic and red bell pepper and red pepper flakes and saute a minute or two. Add tomatoes and artichokes and cook a couple of minutes. Add beans and pesto if using and salt and pepper. (Easy on the salt because the cheese is salty.) Off heat. Add cooked pasta to sauce and mix until well coated, adding enough of the pasta water to coat. Add spinach and basil and mix. Add Parmesan cheese a little at a time, stirring to make sure all the pasta is equally cheesed. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
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